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On their wedding night, the groom drinks the nuptial wine, spits blood, and falls unconscious. The new concubine, Wei Zhuo, becomes the prime suspect.
The eldest young master sends people to search the whole residence, but Wei Zhuo notices that the personal guard standing beside him looks oddly familiar.
The man stands with lowered eyes, holding a knife.
He is none other than Yuan Xiang'an, the man who once exchanged wedding vows with Wei Zhuo, then abandoned her to flee alone when pursuers came after them.
Her family was destroyed, she was abducted to the general's residence, forced to change her name, and made to suffer countless torments, all because of him.
When her name is cleared, the eldest young master asks what compensation she wants.
Wei Zhuo smiles and points at Yuan Xiang'an. “I want him.”
Yuan Xiang'an never thought he would see Wei Zhuo again, let alone discover that she was the new concubine his father had taken.
But he was born to a courtesan and was not entered into the family register. He isn't even entitled to call her Auntie.
He becomes Wei Zhuo's personal guard, standing watch outside her room every day, watching the eldest young master cling to her side until he leaves late at night.
He thought he could endure the loneliness.
But when Wei Zhuo coldly looks at him and once again tells him about her affair with the eldest young master, Yuan Xiang'an can no longer restrain himself. He lunges forward and pins her against the table.
He asks, “What should I call you, my wife, Auntie, or sister-in-law?”
Wei Zhuo pulls her hand away and pinches his face, enunciating each word: “Now, I am your master.”
The hidden guards of the general's residence never leave survivors, but Wei Zhuo is an exception.
When the eldest young master first sees her, she is draped over her parents' corpses, her face streaked with tears, yet heartbreakingly lovely.
He crouches beside her, his callused fingers brushing over Wei Zhuo's face, his eyes full of infatuation.
“She has the makings of a perfect beauty-trap.”
In the hidden guards' camp, Wei Zhuo has a room to herself. She rarely gets missions that require her to use her beauty, but the eldest young master visits almost every day.
The day before the wedding, the eldest young master holds Wei Zhuo in his arms, greedily breathing in her scent.
Wei Zhuo whispers, “After tomorrow, you should call me Auntie.”
The eldest young master licks her shoulder and replies in a muffled voice, “I know, Auntie.”
Ever since the third prince abducted Wei Zhuo into the palace, he has knocked on her door every day.
Sometimes he chats about the marketplace; sometimes he shares poetry and music with her. He piles the courtyard with countless gold and silver ornaments, all to win a smile from the beauty.
Seeing that Wei Zhuo is still gloomy every day, the third prince tentatively asks, “Is there anything you want?”
Wei Zhuo answers, “I want to leave the palace.”
The third prince doesn't hesitate at all. “I can give you anything except that.”
Wei Zhuo closes her eyes in resignation. “Then bring my personal guard into the palace too.”
Inside a gilded cage, the third prince promises Wei Zhuo a false freedom.
On the day he is crowned emperor, he leads Wei Zhuo into the great hall. “If you want, the place by my side can be yours.”
Wei Zhuo gives him the same answer as before. “I want to leave the palace.”
Reading Guide:
1. One female lead and several male leads. The blurb doesn't cover everything, just a few characters with more prominent roles.
2. Includes a groveling ex, coercive pursuit, revenge, betrayal, and more. The female lead will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals and will use everyone around her.
3. The female lead is the only one with a sexual past; all the male leads are inexperienced. The old general is poisoned at the beginning, so he doesn't count as a love interest.
4. The female lead isn't a kind, innocent girl. The romance throughout the story is all about how hatred outlasts love. This isn't a sweet romance.
5. The early story takes place at the general's residence; most of the plot happens in the imperial palace, with a little palace intrigue.
Theme: That's called helping. How can it be using someone?
