She Is Like My Mother

Zhuang Min'er is the most beautiful maid in the Cheng Duke's household. She has a slender waist and dewy skin, and men always give her a second look, but no one dares lay a hand on her. The reason is that she looks exactly like the late Marchioness. The heir, Cheng Anling, keeps her in his study to serve him, only because she reminds him of his dead mother. The heir of the Duke of An's household, Cheng Anling, is peerlessly handsome. He wears plain white robes and has an aloof, noble air, with deep, cool black eyes. They have quietly lived together for three years, and Zhuang Min'er gradually develops feelings for this man, who has never harbored any improper thoughts toward her. * Three years later, the current Marchioness wants to sell Zhuang Min'er to an old geezer as a concubine. Zhuang Min'er thinks that if she has to become a concubine anyway, she might as well choose someone she knows well. So she sets her sights on Cheng Anling and goes to great lengths to seduce him. She dances for Cheng Anling in sheer gauze, putting her alluring figure on display. The man's eyes remain clear and calm, utterly unmoved. After trying several times, Zhuang Min'er realizes that because she looks like his mother, he will never fall for her. She puts aside thoughts she shouldn't have and casts her net wide, hoping to catch as many fish as she can. Whoever she manages to land is a catch. She copies a few lines of poetry onto several pages and gives one to every man she likes. When she finds ginkgo leaves, she dries them and gives one to each of them. Holding a ginkgo leaf, Cheng Anling begins to feel something stir in his heart. * After a muddled night together, Zhuang Min'er gets what she wants. Before she can even celebrate, Cheng Anling confronts her, furious, with two ginkgo leaves and the poems in hand. "Just how many men have you been flirting with?" That night, in the pouring rain, he throws her out of the courtyard. * A few days later, the old marquis announces that he will take Zhuang Min'er as his concubine. When Cheng Anling hears the news, he can't bear it. He immediately goes to the woman he cast aside and demands to know why she is becoming a concubine. The woman smiles brightly at Cheng Anling and says, "From now on, I'll really be your mother." Theme: Overcome your inner flaws and bravely pursue love.