Shen Qingwu, the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's household, lives in a remote, neglected courtyard. She has no interest in fighting for status or wealth within the family and quietly teaches herself medicine. In the lavish mansions of the nobility, she keeps a low profile, asking only for a peaceful life and the safety of herself and those around her. During a seemingly endless autumn rain, Prince Chen Xiao Jinci takes shelter at a side residence of the duke's estate. When her legitimate elder sister twists her ankle, her stepmother pushes Shen Qingwu forward to entertain the guest in her place.
Xiao Jinci has fought on the northern frontier and wields great power. Cold and distant, he is weathered by war and surrounded by rumors, making him a royal prince feared by everyone in the capital. Their first meeting is a chance encounter beneath a corridor: one cautious and reserved, the other aloof and taciturn.
The two should have had nothing to do with each other, yet one twist of fate after another slowly draws them together. She sees people and illness with a compassionate heart, recognizing the exhaustion and scars beneath his icy exterior. Having witnessed the deceitful turns of human nature, he is moved only by her clear-eyed warmth and quiet dignity. There is no calculated attempt to ingratiate herself with him. Amid the routines of everyday life, two lonely hearts gradually draw close, finding a safe haven amid the turmoil of a troubled age.
Theme: Stay true to yourself. Even a faint light can hold back the chill of time.
