Shen Luan had lived a hard life in her previous life.
Before marriage, as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyuan, her stepsister stole her betrothal, then her stepmother schemed to marry her off to the Marquis of Anyang, a man more than twenty years her senior.
After the wedding, the Marquis of Anyang despised and neglected her. There were several stepchildren close to her age in the household, as well as a favored concubine. Though she held the title of principal wife, she had to live cautiously, and eventually died in misery.
Perhaps Heaven took pity on her, because she was given the chance to live again.
Before she could even feel glad about being reborn, Shen Luan discovered, to her dismay, that she had returned to the night of her wedding.
After suffering through life in the marquis's household in her previous life, Shen Luan wanted only to build up enough resources to leave. With no power of her own, she set her sights on the Marquis of Anyang's heir, who was two years older than her.
Shen Luan knew that the heir would break with the marquis, earn his own title through military honors, and rise to immense power. His only regret would be that he had failed to protect his young sister, who had stayed behind at the marquis's residence, when he went to war.
Once she had made up her mind, she stopped compromising to curry favor with the Marquis of Anyang and turned a blind eye to the rivalry among the women in the household. Instead, she took the initiative to care for the little girl and grew closer and closer to the siblings.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then things began to go awry.
The Marquis of Anyang, who had once looked down on her, became unexpectedly warm and amiable. He began visiting her rooms frequently, trying to find excuses to stay.
Shen Luan was worn out from dealing with her nominal "husband". For a while, she failed to notice that the "stepson's" gaze toward her had changed.
A little scene:
That night.
After finally seeing the Marquis of Anyang off, Shen Luan had not even entered the room when someone pulled her into a corner of the covered walkway.
The refined man, who had never called her Mother and addressed her only as "Madam" with cool formality, held her in his arms. His voice hoarse, he called her "A Luan."
Shen Luan's heart trembled, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Heir, mind your words. I am, after all, your elder. We mustn't break the rules."
"And what if we do?" He clasped her wrist, his palm burning hot. As Shen Luan stared at him in shock, he said in a low voice, "A Luan, leave him and marry me..."
PS: Stepmother-and-stepson fiction, one-on-one romance, both leads are chaste.
The title and blurb are provisional. Screenshot archived on September 12, 2021.
Theme: Be brave enough to be yourself
