[Delicate beauty heroine × gloomy, deranged hero]
Rong Xian was a beauty from childhood, and grew more striking with every passing year.
Her beauty could topple cities, her figure was captivating, and her flirtatious peach-blossom eyes could beguile without her even trying. Her soft Wu dialect was both sweet and alluring.
Unfortunately, a beautiful woman without powerful connections has no say over her own fate.
When the daughter of a low-ranking fifth-grade official suddenly became the wife of the Duke Dingguo's heir, some envied her for rising from a humble branch to become a phoenix, while others pitied her, thinking that as a bride brought in to bring good fortune, she was destined for a bleak, joyless life.
Rong Xian thought that no matter how hard things got, they couldn't be worse than this: good food, good drink, and a lifetime of widowhood. She could make peace with that.
Little did she know when she had provoked a cold, clingy snake, one that would coil around her for the rest of her life.
*
Shi Heng was never a likable child, unlike his eldest brother, who was gentle as jade and every inch a gentleman.
His narrow phoenix eyes and slightly visible lower whites gave him an indescribably cold and detached air.
He joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard at fifteen and became its commander at eighteen. The stench of blood clinging to him made the civil and military officials tremble at the mere mention of his name. Even his closest family seemed to avoid him as if afraid of being caught in his path.
Fortunately, he was cold-blooded by nature and didn't much care, until he met that cunning little fox.
Tears streaming down her face, timid words on her lips, she secretly tested his limits, step by step.
She had a knack for accomplishing big things while acting meek and helpless.
And yet, she was his limit.
*
Reader's guide: (1) One-on-one romance, both leads have only each other. (2) Includes competition between men and women, as well as all kinds of rivalry. There are both male and female antagonists. I won't force a balance in the numbers; everything serves the plot. Strange accusations and judgment will not be tolerated, and such comments will be deleted. Everyone is responsible for maintaining a pleasant reading environment. Love you! (3) The leads will have no real romantic progress while Dalang is still alive. It all begins after she becomes a widow. (4) The hero is gloomy and deranged, and some of his actions may be pretty twisted, but he will absolutely dote on her, and it'll be sweet. (5) This isn't the Ming dynasty, though some official positions are inspired by it. The setting is entirely fictional.
Theme: When the flowers are in bloom, pluck them at once.
