Blurb:
During the Yongjia turmoil, the Xiongnu captured Luoyang, forcing large numbers of Central Plains gentry and commoners to flee south.
Qing Luan's family belonged to the main line of the third branch of the Pei clan of Hedong. They were immensely distinguished, but during their flight south, Hu cavalry attacked them, separating them from their clan and forcing them to travel with the refugees.
Refugees preyed on one another, and the countryside was strewn with bones. When the rich and well-dressed fell among these ruthless wanderers, they were like sheep among wolves.
To ensure her family could make it safely south, Qing Luan had no choice but to turn to a ruffian who had clawed his way up from the bottom.
With a dull blade, this man had fought his way out of danger. He was quick and skilled, and if he agreed to protect them, her family could make it safely south.
Qing Luan's father offered the young man a handsome reward to serve as their guard. He readily agreed, but refused the generous payment. He wanted only one thing.
Pei Qing Luan, the beloved pearl of the Pei clan of Hedong, and the betrothed of a son of the Wang clan of Langya.
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Qing Luan despised Xie Wuyang, this lowborn man from the countryside, for daring to desire her.
He had made her witness how family bonds could become as fragile as paper when faced with life and death, and turned her from a noblewoman into a peasant wife.
And he had no shame, knowing no restraint, day or night...
But in this chaotic age, Qing Luan has to depend on him if she wants to survive.
Xie Wuyang does everything he can to give Qing Luan a better life. But to her, it is not even a tenth as good as the life she had before.
She has never given up on leaving Xie Wuyang. She is waiting for the new dynasty to stabilize, and for her clan to come for her.
At last, she gets her chance. Like a bird returning to the forest and springs, she is finally free.
She returns to prosperous Jiankang and casts aside her sordid past with Xie Wuyang. They were husband and wife, but not killing him is already an act of mercy on her part.
Little does she know that this one decision will turn her comfortable, wealthy life upside down.
That peasant soldier has risen through the ranks on the strength of his military achievements and made his way to Jiankang. When she sees those sharp eyes again, Qing Luan trembles uncontrollably.
She remembers what Xie Wuyang once told her: "A Luan, in life we share a bed, and in death we share a grave."
This lowborn man, who can't even recognize a single character, knows how to write only one thing: her name.
[Clear-eyed, self-serving noblewoman X resentful husband whose wife ran away]
Saved on July 11, 2026
Theme: Though battered by countless blows, remain firm and strong, no matter which way the wind blows.
