Please add this to your collection, mwah~
Stealing someone’s partner | Married first, fall in love later | Older, fatherly type
Song Ningzhu lost her parents when she was young and was raised by her aunt. It made her cautious and timid by nature.
She and Shen Huaisheng were childhood sweethearts. When they were old enough to discuss marriage, Shen Huaisheng promised to make her his wife, but broke his word and became engaged to someone else. Then he turned around and tried to coax her into becoming his concubine.
Song Ningzhu was used to enduring whatever came her way, but she still had her pride and firmly refused to become a concubine.
Who could have guessed that Shen Huaisheng would act so recklessly as to elope with her and ruin her reputation?
At her most desperate, she met Shen Huaisheng’s second uncle, Shen Qingyan.
Shen Qingyan had served as an official for many years and commanded such awe that everyone treated him with respect. As a trusted confidant of the emperor, he wielded immense power. Shen Huaisheng often used his uncle’s influence to intimidate her into obeying.
But Song Ningzhu knew that Shen Huaisheng was the one who feared him most. He always kept his head down around his uncle, so she timidly approached Shen Qingyan and begged him to stand up for her.
Shen Qingyan was strikingly handsome and imposing. Standing before her, he cast a shadow that nearly engulfed her. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in a deep voice, “He uses the Shen family’s power to bully you. Would you like to use mine to bully him right back?”
Song Ningzhu nodded, but never in a million years did she expect that by using his power, she would become Shen Huaisheng’s second aunt!!!
*
When his colleagues learned that Shen Qingyan had married, they were astonished. Shen Qingyan had been ascetic and detached for years. He had even turned down the stunning beauty sent by a princess. What kind of woman could possibly catch his eye?
They never expected her to be a beautiful young orphan with neither power nor connections. They privately suspected she must have used some unsavory trick to claw her way up.
With Shen Qingyan’s cool, self-controlled temperament, surely a delicate flower like her would wither in the back courtyard.
They never expected to be proven wrong so quickly.
The young woman was growing more radiant by the day, and she could even climb on his head and throw her weight around.
A colleague was attending a lantern festival with his wife when they happened upon the couple. Amid the crisscrossing lantern light, the young woman sat on Shen Qingyan’s shoulders, towering above the crowd. Smiling brightly, she leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead as a reward.
His wife looked him up and down for a moment, then shook her head regretfully.
Colleague: ???
*
Shen Huaisheng had three great regrets in life.
First, he should never have betrayed Song Ningzhu’s sincere feelings.
Second, he should never have lost his head and eloped with her, setting them on a path of no return.
Third, he should never have believed his second uncle’s nonsense advice. The man had clearly been plotting to steal his girl all along!
Reading guide:
1. One-on-one, both leads’ firsts, fictional dynasty with plenty of creative liberties.
2. Delicate, sweet beauty x stern, domineering, fatherly type.
3. Eight-year age gap and a noticeable size difference. The male lead falls for the female lead after she comes of age.
4. The blurb may change often. The final version will be the one posted when the story begins. Sorry about that @_@
5. Blurb last revised on April 3, 2026, screenshot saved.
Theme: Stay positive and strive for what you want.
