Bittersweet romance | Feelings-focused | Estimated length: 200,000 characters
Lone opera singer x cold-faced prince
Everyone says that the Third Prince, Prince Ying Li Lian, is cruel-hearted and ill-tempered, though his face is as lovely as a moonlit lake and as striking as pine trees and cypresses.
He is naturally aloof and loves listening to opera.
At a performance arranged just for him, he hears that the opera singer is a lone orphan with no one to rely on, as well as the most famous beauty in the area.
Onstage, the actress and the young male role clasp hands and gaze at each other through their tears. She cries until her makeup runs, looking utterly pitiful.
When the play ends, the actress kneels to ask them for a reward. She never raises her head, but lowers her eyes meekly and addresses him as "Third Prince."
She is different from the other actresses, yet no different at all.
Li Lian looks away, but senses the actress staring at him, as if she wants to burn a hole right through him.
Yuan Zhen is a penniless orphan. Her parents died when she was young, and after many twists and turns, she finally found a place in an opera troupe.
She first heard Li Lian's name when she was still young and naive. An old villager told her:
"Prince Ying is your great benefactor."
After that, it was as if she had gained the ability to hear his name wherever she went.
Most of the time, though, it was being spoken in infamy.
"So what if he's handsome? How could Li Lian be a good person?"
"You should've seen how ruthless he was years ago."
But everything has its cause and consequence, and matters of the heart are hard to unravel.
Onstage, she plays a nobleman's daughter and dares only to steal a glance at him.
Offstage, she is a spy for the rebels, though she had planned to leave that life behind.
An assassination attempt goes wrong. She takes an arrow for him, only to receive a distant rejection: "You don't have to love me."
The rain falls on her, cold against her skin. She smiles, and tears fall too.
Later, there is another assassination attempt.
He carries her off the opera stage, gripping her hand and refusing to let go. She cries again.
Her tears fall on the back of his hand, hot as fire.
For a long moment, he is at a loss. Then he suddenly wants to find a handkerchief to wipe her tears away.
Characters: Yuan Zhen, Li Lian
Theme: Piecing together the whole picture of love.
