Su Lanzhi is the daughter of a duke's household who went missing for more than ten years.
But no one knows that she forged the birthmark used to prove her identity.
Su Lanzhi kept this secret to herself and let the people of the ducal household believe what they wanted.
After spending three years as a fake heiress, Su Lanzhi had grown used to life among the nobility.
She followed her mother around, keeping the ducal household in impeccable order. Everyone in the capital praised her as dignified and virtuous.
Then, when she was sixteen, the real heiress came to their door with a token of identification.
The ducal household finally realized they had mistaken the wrong girl for their daughter.
The whole family embraced the real heiress and wept tears of joy.
Standing to one side, Su Lanzhi dabbed at her eyes for show as well.
"I'm so glad you've found your way home, Sister."
Where no one could see, Su Lanzhi nearly twisted the handkerchief in her hand to shreds.
It seemed it was time for her to find a good place of her own.
*
Shen Tingxu, the eldest legitimate son of the ducal household, was peerlessly handsome, as elegant as jade and orchid, and always measured in his manners. He was the man of countless young women in the capital's dreams.
But Shen Tingxu was devoted to his studies and spent all his time at the academy, sometimes not returning home even once in an entire year.
When he heard that his long-lost younger sister had been found, he hurried home, full of joy.
In his memory, his little sister was as lovely as a snow-white doll, round and cuddly.
But little by little, he realized that she wasn't the way he remembered.
In public, she was gentle and dignified. In private, she was a little terror.
He once saw Su Lanzhi deliberately spill tea on another young lady's skirt.
Afterward, Shen Tingxu corrected her. "A Zhi, that wasn't right."
But Su Lanzhi only reddened her eyes and tugged at his sleeve, saying plaintively, "She was the one who called me an unwanted stray."
He could no longer bring himself to scold her. With a helpless sigh, Shen Tingxu simply wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye.
No matter. There would be plenty of time to correct her in the future.
Even Shen Tingxu himself failed to notice that he was spending more and more time at home.
That is, until his "real younger sister" returned to her husband's family and he heard his mother say she planned to marry Su Lanzhi off, bringing her mother-daughter bond with her to a proper close.
*
Su Lanzhi was happily counting the betrothal gifts sent by the prime minister's household.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she fainted without warning.
In a dark chamber, incense smoke curled through the air. Behind gauzy silk curtains, a woman lay on a bed, a golden chain wrapped around her ankle.
Shen Tingxu approached step by step, stopping in front of Su Lanzhi.
Su Lanzhi looked terrified. "B-Brother, what are you doing? Let me out!"
"Let you out?"
Shen Tingxu sneered. His low voice was edged with madness as he reached out and pinched Su Lanzhi's chin.
"Let you out so you can marry that bastard?"
"Don't dream of it. A Zhi, you'll spend the rest of your life by your brother's side. You aren't going anywhere."
Unable to meet his gaze, Su Lanzhi broke free of Shen Tingxu's hand and trembled as she hid in his arms.
Where no one could see, the smugness in her eyes could no longer be concealed.
Brother and sister, after all, should be together forever.
*
Extra scene:
Shen Tingxu kept Su Lanzhi by his side to teach her, but things seemed to be going in the wrong direction.
For example, Shen Tingxu discovered that Su Lanzhi had spent the night secretly hugging one of his shirts.
She was always staring at his face in a daze.
She was always putting her hands on him.
And always...
Shen Tingxu thought he must be going mad.
Blurb written on 2026.3.25, screenshot saved
Reading guide:
1. Both leads are chaste, beyond a doubt.
2. A seductive, scheming, black-lotus, lovesick heroine vs. a nurturing, honest man driven to madness.
3. The male lead knew earlier than everyone else that the younger sister was a fake. His feelings began to change after he found out.
4. It was probably all part of the heroine's long-term plan.
5. The real and fake heiresses have no conflict of interest and are not enemies.
Theme: Make plans for your own future
