(Literary alternate title: A Fortunate Spring; an ensemble story featuring four leads)
On the day the imperial examinations for women first opened, Song Zhaowei met Xie Heng for the first time.
In the rain, she remembered for half her life the cloak still warm from his body and his brief words of blessing.
She thought it had been only a fleeting encounter. Only later did she learn that he had secretly helped her all along.
When they met again, amid a bitter winter snow, she had risen to become a Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, while he was a prisoner awaiting sentencing.
Yet she believed him.
She had then, and she still did now.
When the whole truth finally came to light, she was glad she had never trusted the wrong person.
But how had she never realized he was so clingy?
Whenever she exchanged a few more words with someone else, she would hear another cry from outside: "Something's happened to Mr. Xie!"
...Oh, well. He's the husband I chose, so I might as well spoil him. What else can I do, divorce him?
After all, she almost lost him.
*
Everyone in the capital knows that the Vice Minister keeps a frail "advisor" at his residence.
Those who have happened to meet him say he truly deserves the words: "Jade nestled in cool stone, the bright moon high in the sky."
But in Song Zhaowei's eyes...
What a scheming little white lotus.
1. A historical fantasy mystery told in episodic arcs, with one-on-one romance and some mildly frightening scenes.
2. A strong female lead and a weaker male lead. The heroine is calm, restrained, and career-focused; the romance develops slowly.
3. An ensemble of four leads: the calm, restrained Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review (heroine) x the gentle, reserved advisor (hero) x the upright, tough constable (second male lead) x the dazzling, spirited demon hunter (second female lead).
4. The romance takes a back seat to the career plot. Dating is just the leads' hobby (not really)...
5. The more I write, the more this feels like a girl-boss story...
Theme: Love and career can go hand in hand
"The reason why he met Feng Jingchi..." This is a big bug for the author~ What kind of shocking secret is this that cannot be told? Curious 🍉
"The snow is getting thicker at night, the wind is whining,..." This is a big bug for the author~ Short sentences, lots of short sentences, is this okay? I almost thought I was writing poetry [covering face and laughing]