Li Changyu entered the palace at the age of six. She struggled through hardship and endured humiliation at every turn, all for the sake of rising to a position of power and repaying the benefactor who had saved her life. But who could have guessed she'd be assigned to the Eastern Palace to look after a snot-nosed crown prince?
Ten-year-old Crown Prince Zhaoshan sat in his wheelchair and said coldly to Li Changyu, "You were secretly sent by Fourth Uncle to keep an eye on me, weren't you?"
Looking at the sinister Zhaoshan, Li Changyu couldn't bring herself to tell the vulnerable young prince the truth: Well, it's not a secret. We're keeping an eye on you right out in the open.
Years later, the seventeen-year-old Zhaoshan said, "If I ever have to go to hell, I'll make sure to take you with me, Li Changyu. Do you hear me?"
Three zhang away, Li Changyu smiled faintly. "Your Highness is talking nonsense again. You are the heir to the throne. Surely you'll enjoy every blessing and live a long, healthy life."
I have no desire to go to hell. I want to live to a ripe old age, too.
So, when the government was overturned and the political landscape shifted, Li Changyu packed her things and ran for it.
Li Changyu had always thought Zhaoshan hated her, but she never expected him to be so fixated on her that he'd turn the place upside down to find her.
When she saw Zhaoshan, Li Changyu clung to a sliver of hope and tried appealing to their past relationship: At least consider the time we spent together. I may not have earned any merits, but I've worked hard. Leave me with my whole body, at least.
Zhaoshan looked at him inscrutably, his gaze seeming to see right through him. "Do you want to die, or live?"
Li Changyu gritted her teeth. (Obviously.) "I want to live."
Zhaoshan nodded, took him into his bedchamber, and gestured with his chin toward the imperial bed, covered in a golden silk quilt. "Take your clothes off. Lie down."
Li Changyu: ?
One-on-one, both virgins, happy ending
Theme: Live well
