Shi Xuanruan lived in the residence of a distant relative, keeping her head down and minding her every step, all for the sake of a quiet, stable life.
Her cousin Lu Zhi held power over the court and was praised by all as a noble gentleman.
He treated others with warmth and reserve, and treated her no differently from any other younger girl in the household. He never once overstepped his bounds.
No one knew that late every night, he would trap her on the offering table before his father's memorial tablet and take whatever he pleased.
Whenever he looked at her, there was always hatred in his eyes.
She had cried and begged, and even tried to escape, but she could never get away.
One day, he cornered her in her room, lowered his head, and kissed her until her legs went weak before finally letting her go.
He smiled, his lips against her ear. "On the eighth of next month, we'll be married."
She stared at him in disbelief. "You mean it?"
"When have I ever lied to you?" He gripped her waist. "Pay attention. What a pity he never got to see what you look like when you're aroused."
She stared at the wavering shadow on the door, daring not to make a sound as she endured it all with tears in her eyes.
Outside the door, the man she was supposed to marry tried again and again to break in, hearing everything that was happening inside.
Fortunately, Lu Zhi already had an arranged marriage with a woman of equal status, and was to marry his betrothed once his period of mourning was over.
She counted the days, hoping he would let her go. Once the mourning period ended, he would marry his betrothed, and she could marry her childhood sweetheart, escaping the residence for good.
On the wedding day, the bridal sedan chair was quietly carried out through the rear gate of the chief councilor's residence. Everyone in the household believed that the lord was marrying someone else.
But the moment her veil was lifted, she recognized the face before her.
It wasn't her childhood sweetheart.
It was him.
His thumb brushed her trembling lips, his voice still gentle. "Did you really think you could escape? Your betrothed has already been transferred to Lingnan."
She trembled as she pounded his chest. "You're a lunatic!"
He pulled her fiercely into his arms. "Yes, I'm a lunatic. Even as a lunatic, I'll take you with me."
[Please Note]
1. Both leads have no prior partners | One-on-one, physically and emotionally | Happy ending. The heroine is the hero's distant cousin, related beyond the fifth degree of mourning.
2. The hero appears to be a gentle gentleman, but is actually obsessive and sinister. Because of old grudges from the previous generation, hatred has turned into fixation. The heroine is dutiful and resilient, enduring hardship early on before finding happiness later. They are each other's one and only.
(New blurb posted on October 20, screenshot saved as proof.)
Theme: If you like someone, go after them
