Blurb:
Zhu Ning, a construction-site business manager, finally got a vacation and went on a trip, only to find herself transported to a desolate frontier in the dead of night.
Dizzy and disoriented, she asked, “Hello? Is there anyone alive nearby? Do I have a chance of surviving?”
The answer: There are living people! But that doesn't mean you'll stay alive...
She'd been arrested as a suspicious person and dragged before a prince.
The prince was as handsome as Pan An and Song Yu, but the look he gave her was icy, as if he were considering the best way to dispose of her.
No System, no golden finger, no proper identity...
In a flash of inspiration, Zhu Ning channeled her inner award-winning actress. “Your Highness, please wait! I'm a wandering orphan, but I can do math, manage human resources, and handle civil engineering and water conservancy. I can be your right-hand woman!”
Ha! Nailed it! She'd saved her own life!
Zhu Ning planned to help with the postwar reconstruction in the border town, earn enough silver working for the prince, then find a place she liked and start a small business so she could live out her days in peace.
But when the project ended, the prince, who had been stern and suspicious, suddenly caught her by the sleeve and said gently, “Miss Zhu, you are so learned and talented. Would you come back to the capital with me and serve as an official, putting your abilities to use in court and improving the lives of the people?”
Zhu Ning stroked her chin. A woman official in ancient times? Wasn't that a bit too difficult?
But then she thought about it. If she really became the first female official in the Great Zhou, wouldn't that be amazing?
Besides, she'd already gotten plenty of practice competing with men for jobs in the modern world.
All right, why not give it a try?
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Li Huaijin volunteered to oversee the postwar reconstruction on the frontier, helping the people rebuild, but ended up catching a woman who was full of lies and yet astonishingly learned.
The warehouse was too disorganized to take stock, so she proposed dividing it into sections and sorting the goods by value.
The city wall foundations had collapsed and sunk in the wet ground, so she improved the foundation materials and put theory into practice.
The land was saline, and the irrigation canals were in disrepair, so she rerouted the channels and pipes to irrigate and flush out the salt.
Under her guidance, the border town was transformed, and everyone praised her.
But why did that young man keep hanging around her? Why was he constantly trying to please her? What could they possibly have so much to talk about?
And she even smiled at him! She'd never smiled at him with such genuine warmth!
He gritted his teeth, burning with jealousy, his eyes red with anger.
He pretended to be magnanimous, but slipped between the two of them to form a barrier, then came up with one high-minded excuse after another to send everyone else away and leave them alone together.
She said she was leaving.
She was actually going to leave!
Li Huaijin's smile froze. He had to find a way to keep her there.
He ingratiated himself with her, played the victim, and even resorted to moral blackmail!
If she still refused to go back to the capital with him after all that, then he would...
She agreed.
Li Huaijin's lips curled into a smile, his heart overflowing with joy.
He'd asked her. She'd come of her own free will.
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Reading Guide:
1. A lighthearted, low-stakes, semi-infrastructure-building story / male lead realizes how good he has it, a face-slapping turnaround / younger man / both are virgins, one-on-one romance.
2. There is some court intrigue, but it makes up less than 1% of the story, and it's extremely low-level because the author's intelligence is on par with a ripe banana.
3. This is a completely fictional setting, combining systems and knowledge from various dynasties. The worldbuilding is entirely made up, so there's no need to fact-check it.
Blurb written on 2026.7.5, screenshots saved.
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Theme: I was born to be a mountain, not a stream.
Grandma, the article you are following has been updated. Woooooooooo
Will Yu Qingyue and Yue Yi be fine? They are both very good people.
Teacher, is the subsequent plot written in a bit of a hurry? Sometimes I see that you have updated but the content has not been fixed. I think it would be better if you polished the plot. I feel like the emotional drama and career arc are a bit separate from each other. It feels like the male protagonist only comes out when needed. I prefer the early plot, but I feel that the plot after entering the court is a bit stiff. I hope you get better and better [Rose] This is what I have seen so far. I am not sure if there is any foreshadowing or other explanations later [vomiting blood]
😩 The male protagonist hasn't seen the female protagonist for so long... It's a bit jarring to see him all of a sudden.
The villain has some tricks up his sleeve [covering his face, laughing and crying] Before, he could still fuck the male protagonist's mother like this
I'll take a nap and feel sleepy after eating a lot. I feel like I will be able to finish it very quickly as soon as I catch up on the updates [covering my face and laughing] I will finish this book as soon as possible and start a new one, I want to read a new one [Cai Dog]
It's been a month since I watched 🐶
I have been saving for a long time, I will watch it again, will it be finished soon?
It feels like a civil engineering dog who was driven crazy and changed his career.
Breaking 300,000 words, congratulations🎉