[Short novella] [Spoiled young master turns into a lovesick puppy to win her back]
Shao Yulou, the young heir of Marquis Wu'an, fell in love at first sight with a young woman. He tried every trick he could think of to win her favor, but she remained aloof.
His wastrel friends said she didn't know her place. "What's her status? Her father is a minor official the palace has cast aside. She's not fit to lace the young master's shoes!"
He wouldn't let them speak of her that way, but he had never asked whether she wanted him. He thought his feelings for her were sincere. How could she not want him?
Then, one night, an accident brought them together...
Afterward, he thought he had to marry her. Once they were husband and wife, maybe she would care about him more.
He tried to protect her like a proper husband, but she packed her bags and prepared to leave.
"Young Master, we are not on the same path. Let us go our separate ways."
*
Wen Xiangting came to the capital carrying the injustice of four members of her family. She knew she was powerless and low in status, and that she was burdened with injuries and illness, but she had to get justice for her father and siblings. She had long since put life and death out of her mind.
When that young master started pestering her, she thought, What could a spoiled young nobleman possibly mean by it? Even after their unexpected encounter, she left without any desire to linger.
But he came running after her again in the pouring rain, soaked through, grabbing her arm and asking her frantically,
"Wen Xiangting, where are you going?"
*
The title comes from the poem, "Whose boatman drifts on a skiff tonight? Where does moonlit yearning fill the tower?"
Note from March 8, 2024
Theme: Don't enter someone else's life lightly unless you're ready to lose yourself in it.
