Zhao Fuyue lost both her parents. Carrying a marriage contract with the prefect's legitimate son, she was welcomed into the Gu family, the wealthiest household in Qingzhou.
Her maternal uncle in the Gu family was kind and amiable, and her older cousins doted on her. Fuyue grew dependent on them, believing they were her closest family.
But on her wedding day, her cousin bribed a maid to drug her unconscious, while her female cousin stole her wedding dress and took her place in the bridal sedan.
Her uncle was even more ruthless: to secure a salt-trade permit, he sent her that very night to the residence of Sheng Yuanhuai, the most powerful official in the empire.
Who was Sheng Yuanhuai?
Rumor had it that he had no parents, had joined the army as a boy, and had slaughtered countless people. Any woman who fell into his hands met the same fate.
So when he approached her with a dark expression, Fuyue pulled the gold hairpin from her hair and pressed it to her throat. She would rather end her life than submit to a villain.
But she never expected the man to kneel before her, cup her face in his hands, and gaze at her tenderly, as though she were the most precious thing in the world.
He said, "Fuer, I'll treat you well for the rest of my life."
Sheng Yuanhuai: "I earned my wicked reputation and covered my hands in blood so that one day I could stand before you and protect you for the rest of your life."
Bonus scene:
After marrying into the Sheng household, Fuyue discovered that the most powerful official in the empire was quite strange. He could kill without batting an eye, yet was obsessed with sweets and always wore a stern expression as he forced her to eat candy!
At first, Fuyue was afraid of him. Sheng Yuanhuai would purse his lips, and she'd obediently go eat her sweets.
Later, she wasn't afraid of him anymore. When Sheng Yuanhuai tried to coax her into eating candy again, she boldly poked his chest and asked, "Why do you always force me to eat sweets? Sheng Yuanhuai, if a young woman eats too much candy, she'll ruin her teeth!"
Sheng Yuanhuai bit her tender lip, his voice full of deep amusement. "Then do you know how many times I ruined my teeth when you chased after me as a child, making me eat candy? My dear, I'm just paying you back in kind!"
[Orphaned girl x Powerful official]
[Sweet, gentle little moon x Mute boy who pays her back in kind]
Reader's guide:
1. One-on-one romance, happy ending, both leads' first relationship.
2. Set in an alternate history. Please don't scrutinize the details.
4. The male lead was mute as a child. Don't read if that's a dealbreaker.
3. The female lead is sweet and gentle, and the male lead really is a good person!
[Blurb posted on 2020.08.19 and saved with a screenshot. Please don't steal the premise.]
Theme: Grow stronger so you can protect the people you love.
