Synopsis
Clear-headed disfigured woman x obsessive, sincere man
During the eunuchs' rebellion, countless innocent people were caught up in the chaos and suffered as collateral damage. A Xian was one of them.
After barely crawling back from the gates of death and getting a second chance at life, the little orphan just wanted to stay alive. If she could earn a little money alongside her savior and live out the rest of her days in peace, that would be all she could ever wish for.
Huh? Someone's in trouble! Saving them will earn me good karma. Let's do it!
Hey? Why are you tying me up? Sir, you've got the wrong person!
What? What's with this guy? He says he has feelings for me? Look at my face and say that again!
A Xian, a lone orphan living in Xinan Residence and suffering from a chronic illness, met Chen Jian on her way west to seek treatment from a renowned physician. She used herself as bait to help him eliminate bandits and protect the people, tying their fates together.
After many hardships in Cangzhou, they kept each other company day and night. During the Lantern Festival, he said he had feelings for someone. She replied, "You're quite the character."
Later, when someone framed the embroidery shop she'd worked so hard to build, she was thrown in prison. He appeared like a divine soldier, bringing help just when she needed it most.
With her savior's life hanging in the balance, she clung tightly to that lifeline. "If you take me to the capital to save her, I'll do whatever you ask. I promise."
He looked at her calmly and asked in a quiet voice, "Do you know what I want?"
She stroked the scars on her face and remained silent.
Chen Jian thought he had seen Qin Rujin before, in the album from the elegant gathering at Lan Garden. Back then, she was a young girl in the bloom of youth, slender and graceful, dancing to the music of the guqin in a stunning performance.
When he finally saw her in person, she was already married, had endured countless hardships, and was unrecognizable.
Whether the Qin family's daughter was real or a fake, alive or dead, she would be of great use. He was certain of it.
For the Lantern Festival, he found a smoke-purple robe he hadn't worn in years. Its color subtly matched hers. He wanted to watch the lanterns rise and admire the lights of countless homes with her.
On the mountaintop, in the cold wind, those bright eyes gazed at him without hiding or shyness, as casually as someone asking what he had eaten that day. "What do you see in me?"
He thought for a long while before answering, "You're quite extraordinary."
She was silent for a moment, then smiled in relief. "Then you're pretty special too."
Much later, A Xian looked into those tender eyes and asked, "I have a name now. Why do you still call me A Xian?"
He held her tightly in his arms, hiding the grief he had never put into words. "Qin Rujin isn't you, and Qin Guiwan isn't you either. From the first moment I met you, you were A Xian. You're only A Xian, and you're mine alone."
(I've been planning this story for a long time. I started writing it this year, and I've already built up 300,000 words. I've been writing away by myself, but the views are pitifully low and there aren't any comments. I don't even know whether I have any readers, and my confidence is slowly running out. If anyone is reading this story, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Thank you!)
Theme: Fate brings people together, and the strings sing on their own.