The Fragrance of Orchids

[The Abandoned Daughter's Path to the Throne]

[Strong Female Lead Takes a Man by Force, Hero and "Wicked Woman"]

[The heroine is extremely obsessive, in an unconventional way; the hero is a saintly type]

Blurb:

No one looked forward to Wen Yanhuan's birth, not even Wen Yanhuan herself.

She had no idea who her father was, only that he was some powerful person no one could afford to offend.

Her mother nearly strangled her to death after giving birth to her. In the end, unable to go through with it, she shaved her head and became a nun, abandoning her daughter.

Wen Yanhuan could only eke out a living at her mother's family's home, a living emblem of their shame.

Still, she was always quiet and never caused trouble. The Wen family was fairly well-off, and raising the child wasn't much of a burden. It was just one more place setting at the table.

But strange things soon began happening in the house. Dismembered insects and animal bones kept appearing in the back garden, and at night, all sorts of strange sounds could be heard. They even brought in a Taoist priest, but that did no good. They were almost ready to move away.

Fortunately, one of Wen Yanhuan's aunts noticed that something was wrong with her.

Her aunt took her in and entrusted her to a wandering swordsman and scholar named Qin Yuan.

The first time Qin Yuan saw the little girl, she was combing the fur of a dead rabbit.

The rabbit's body was already rotting, yet her expression was serene.

He walked over and gently patted her head, speaking softly so as not to startle her.

"Why are you combing its fur?"

The little girl lifted her head and put on a cute smile that didn't look very natural.

"If I comb its fur, it won't get eaten."

*

More than ten years later, Wen Yanhuan had become the ruler of a kingdom. She combed Qin Yuan's hair as he lay on his side across her lap.

Qin Yuan was covered in wounds. Blood streamed down, soaking both their clothes. He trembled with pain, but didn't dare move.

He asked her why she was doing this.

Her voice was gentle and alluring, with a lilt she had picked up somewhere.

"If I comb your hair, Master won't run away."

Qin Yuan sighed softly and closed his eyes.

He knew she would never understand love, but that was all right. He had no regrets.

Reader's Guide:

- The heroine shows signs of Asperger's syndrome. The hero gives her relatively appropriate guidance, which helps, but not much.

- The hero is a saintly type; the strong heroine takes him by force; twelve-year age gap.

- The characters' values do not represent the author's values.

Theme: Self-reliance and perseverance