Lin Shuangyi was peerlessly beautiful, her delicate, lotus-like face making countless people fall for her.
Her greatest wish in life was to marry into a wealthy family and enjoy a life of luxury. Unfortunately, the year she came of age, her father was framed and killed by a treacherous minister, leaving her family ruined and dead.
The chief councilor of the current dynasty was the greatest villain in the land. She schemed her way into his household, only to discover that the silks and finery, the rare delicacies she had always dreamed of, were right before her eyes.
She hesitated.
Lin Shuangyi: ...Once my revenge is done, will my good days be over too?
So when the top-ranking scholar was forced to marry her, he said coolly, "I have no romantic feelings for you. After we marry, I won't lay a finger on you. I can only treat you with respect and dignity and make sure you have food and clothing in abundance."
On the surface, Lin Shuangyi looked wounded and heartbroken. Inside, she was overjoyed: Excellent. A wealthy home and no one to keep me in check. It couldn't get any better.
Until one day, the otherworldly top scholar stepped into her room, arranged her hair and painted her brows, then whispered by her ear, "It's cold and damp in the study at night. How about we sleep in the same room tonight?"
Reading guide:
* A sweet-on-the-outside, calculating-on-the-inside heroine x an aloof, powerful official
* An alternate-universe setting. No historical research, and no allusions to historical figures.
Theme: We cannot decide what kind of world we live in, but we can choose the path we take.
