Xi Mingyu first met Meng Lu at a funeral.
He wore a white mourning headband and knelt before the coffin, burning paper offerings with his head bowed as the son-in-law who had married into the family. His face was ashen, devoid of life.
When she heard someone say that, though he was a live-in son-in-law, he had loved his late wife dearly, Xi Mingyu felt her heart stir: A widower... there's something awfully appealing about that.
The next time she saw Meng Lu, Xi Mingyu sat upright on a tall chair while he knelt on the floor again.
His voice trembled as he clung to her knees, his face full of restrained anguish. "Please... Lord Xi, help me."
Xi Mingyu gazed at Meng Lu, her voice soft, with a hint of excitement beneath it. "Make me happy, and I'll help you."
Still mourning his late wife? In mourning? It didn't matter. Meng Lu was exactly her type.
Submitting himself against his will, unhappy about it? That didn't matter either. She loved forcing bitter melons.
Watching Meng Lu force a smile and come close to please her even when he was unhappy, Xi Mingyu smiled with satisfaction.
Later, after Xi Mingyu had finally made Meng Lu completely hers, the two were tangled together in an intimate embrace when Meng Lu asked when they would marry.
Xi Mingyu couldn't help but laugh scornfully. "Meng Lu, don't forget your place. How could a widower like you ever be good enough for me? If I married you, what would happen to my reputation?"
Meng Lu, whose reputation was already ruined, went rigid. His face turned deathly pale, and he couldn't utter a word.
Reader's Guide:
1. Strong woman, weaker man. Neither lead is a good person.
2. A woman with peculiar tastes and a nasty disposition x a widower who seems gentle but is secretly cold-hearted
3. Three lifetimes in total
First life: A spoiled young woman x a newly widowed man from a prominent family
Second life: A royal descendant x her friend's husband (female-dominant society)
Third life: The maid left behind by his late wife x a live-in son-in-law who has been widowed for many years
Thanks to Bishui Gugu for helping edit the blurb~
Theme: Hard work brings success
