Blurb One:
The Qionghua Banquet was a trap, set for Li Nong alone.
Her older sister had warned her not to go, but she refused to listen. She had learned that the man she was engaged to, her future husband, would be attending.
She was only afraid that people who had once envied her would take advantage of her father's dismissal and demotion to kick her while she was down at the banquet. But Li Nong was not afraid. No matter what, her beauty was unchanged, and she still wore her splendid clothes. The styles, accessories, and makeup she pioneered were still what the women of the capital dreamed of, and still wildly sought after.
Most importantly, her betrothed was still Prince Yue, Xing Chong. She refused to believe he was so shallow that he would treat her differently just because her family had fallen from favor.
Who could have guessed that he was not merely shallow, but had been hiding his true nature all along?
Blurb Two:
She had already been forced to be the one to call off the engagement, and Xing Chong had achieved his goal. Yet, for some reason, just as her whole family was about to be sent back to their ancestral home, he went to the trouble of setting another trap, giving her a chance to see him one last time.
He thought she would seize the opportunity, cast aside her title and pride, and beg him to grant her the favor of staying by his side.
Who could have guessed she would write a long, eloquent confession of her own supposed sins, putting herself in the dust on the surface while severing all ties with him in truth? She showed him the pride of the capital's foremost beauty and most talented woman.
All she wanted was to part ways for good, each going their own way, never to be involved again. In her dreams!
Theme: Intelligence and strategy matter, but so does emotional intelligence.
