A Sigh for Spring's Romance

[A highly moral, celibate saintly man becomes the other woman for love] I met Bai Yujian on a snowy day. Beneath a twenty-four-rib oil-paper umbrella, he stood like an immortal, stunning me at first sight. He pulled me out of the mire. From then on, I studied medicine under him and helped the sick, living on plain food in seclusion in the mountains. I thought that would be my whole life. But the world is unpredictable. He fell in love with a woman. For her, he wanted to enter the world. He planned to pass the imperial examinations and marry her. On the eve of their wedding, the woman died, leaving behind a letter. That letter left me branded a murderer. In the depths of winter, snow piled up to my knees. I knelt outside Bai Yujian's door, begging him again and again not to send me away. Instead, a hand closed around my throat. His eyes bloodshot, he said to me, "I only regret raising you." In that moment, I was in hell. I entered the palace without hesitation. - When we met again, I was the wicked consort everyone wanted dead, and he was the top scholar appointed by the emperor. Looking into those cool, clear eyes, I suddenly wanted him to taste what it was like to fall into hell, too. - I remember that day. The snow was falling heavily again. Holding a twenty-four-rib oil-paper umbrella, I stood among the crowd, watching quietly. That cold-hearted, peerless Lord Bai. His fingers convulsively clutched a torn wedding dress as he softly murmured my name. His face suddenly turned deathly pale, and he vomited a mouthful of blood from his heart. #You are romance itself, the coming and going of unspoken thoughts# #The celibate man falls from grace, then chases his wife to the crematorium# Cover art used with the artist's permission: @Lexia Miedie ★ Reader's Guide ① A classic, angsty ancient-style romance with a happy ending, both leads' first relationship. The heroine suffers first, then the hero. Written in third person, with tangled love and hate and lots of romance. Regarding the wicked consort's history: it's set up this way for the plot to make sense, so please don't force yourself to read if you're uncomfortable with it~ ② The male lead is virtuous and celibate, an icy, aloof type. At first, he loves no one, not even himself. In the middle and later parts, he loves someone he cannot have and becomes the other man for love. ③ The leads call each other brother and sister at first, but they are not related by blood. ④ The blurb is written in first person and has its limitations. The male lead has never loved anyone else; the heroine is the love of his life. This story has a small scope and focuses on love and romance, a playful tale of love. ⑤ Set in an imaginary world, with many original assumptions. Please don't nitpick the details. ⑥ The male lead stays the same, and the ending is happy. * Winning is a joy, and losing can be a joy, too. - Coming soon: After Deceiving the Untouchable Female lead isn't a virgin, male lead is / Wei-Jin era style / possessive love / a saintly gentleman turns into a dark, unhinged obsessive A gentle, affectionate young widow vs. a saintly man in power who puts his own desires first --- Blurb --- So Wang Guanling hated her. It was only after the fact that Xuxu finally understood. Wang Guanling was the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, peerless in his refinement and nobility. Whenever he went out, the common people made way for him, and members of other aristocratic clans greeted him with the respect due to their junior. She had no family backing or inherited title, and made a living collecting corpses. When she encountered a noble like him, she had to kneel by the road and cover her face with her sleeve, only daring to raise her head once his carriage had gone by. Yet someone like her rescued him when he was gravely wounded and had lost his memory, then deceived him for a whole year. It was a stormy night. Wang Guanling collapsed outside her home. The gentleman's looks were like spring blossoms beneath a wintry moon. His bearing was exceptional, but his expenses were staggering: a single outfit cost a hundred taels of gold. She had meant to get rid of this hot potato, but then he spoke, his voice clear and cool, just like someone she once knew. He said he had lost his memory and had nowhere to go. So she told a monumental lie: "We are husband and wife." Whenever they made love, she covered her eyes with a strip of cloth, coveting only his voice, clear as fresh snow. And he would always pant beside her ear, saying he loved her again and again. - After Wang Guanling returned home, rumors spread all around. The once politically savvy and calculating eldest son of the Langya Wang clan now carried a bone-deep air of detachment. When she served him tea, he took it and set it aside without looking at her hand. When she spoke, he only said "Mm," and nothing more. Once in a while, their eyes met. What she saw in his was not tenderness, but a cold, appraising gaze, as if he were looking at a stranger. "The eldest young master must have tired of that lowborn woman," everyone said. At first, she didn't believe them. Until one night, when she approached him, and he silently pushed her away. He stood beneath the lamplight, his face illuminated by the candle, handsome and indifferent. There wasn't a trace of his former passion in his eyes. He said only, "I, Wang Guanling, would never fall for someone like you." - The Wang clan discovered that she had used witchcraft to beguile their master and alter his memories. They wanted to beat her to death. Xuxu's hands and feet were shackled as she knelt in the hall. The whole Langya Wang clan surrounded her, full of fury, the glint of blades and swords chilling the air. Wang Guanling sat in the seat of honor, looking down on it all without joy or sorrow, like a god or Buddha. Only when an elder asked how he would deal with her did he speak, his voice perfectly even: "Since she had no intention of harming anyone, there's no need to torture her. Give her a courtyard and provide her with fine clothes and food. Don't let outsiders say the Wang clan is harsh." Everyone praised the eldest young master for his kindness and fairness. But it was this very coldness, this heartless indifference to the core, that let her see him clearly for the first time. She realized she could no longer feel the same possessive desire she once had. Xuxu left a letter of apology and quietly departed. - War swept through Zhongzhou, and Xuxu fled with a large group of refugees. On the road, she met a man. He looked even more like her deceased husband than Wang Guanling did. His appearance, voice, and mannerisms were all exactly the same. She didn't dare make another mistake. But this time, the other person recognized her first, and called to her through his sobs: "Xuxu, I've missed you so much." Reunited at last, they felt as if they had been apart for a lifetime. Overcome with joy, she could only say that Heaven had not treated her unfairly. They planned to return and revisit their old home. But halfway there, smoke and dust rose up ahead. The Wang clan's banners snapped in the wind, and a sea of carriages blocked their way. That cold, distant, dazzling young noble, so imposing no one dared approach, strode out of his carriage in a loose sash and light furs. - From then on, every night, Wang Guanling was behind her. The cold-hearted saint's long, jade-white hand slipped into her clothes, toying with her without restraint and giving her no chance to refuse. When he had had his fill, he coaxed her into drawing his portrait, carefully sketching every feature: his brows, eyes, nose, and lips. Not a single detail could be wrong. For every mistake, he added another hour of punishment. Afterward, he pulled the flushed woman in his arms close and spoke in a warm, husky voice: "Xuxu, deceive me one more time. Tell me you're my wife." - For Wang Guanling, hatred is the most potent aphrodisiac. Xuxu is the only key to his desire. Theme: May you spend half your life wandering, and still return as young as ever.