Gu Xiyan is beautiful and delicate. Though she and her mother live as dependents in Fengcheng, forced to rely on others, she has a spirited, refined fiancé like a jade tree in full bloom. But on the eve of her wedding, she discovers that the daughter of the city lord, whom she has always treated like a sister, has been carrying on with her fiancé behind her back. Heartbroken, Gu Xiyan is pushed off a cliff by her so-called best friend. Rescued from the abyss, she meets Ji Wuheng, a cool and distant physician, at the bottom of the mysterious valley.
As they spend day after day together, the physician's heart softens, and she quietly falls for him, too. In their years in the mountains, they give their hearts to each other. She thinks they can stay together forever, but after they leave the valley, her former fiancé abducts her. Back in Fengcheng, she tells her mother she has given her heart to someone else, but her mother refuses to let her break off the engagement on her own. Her selfish former fiancé pressures her, while her scheming friend relentlessly torments her and repeatedly tries to harm her, until her mother is killed.
When all hope is lost, he comes to her side and risks his life to take her away. Back in the valley, they finally become husband and wife. But her former fiancé still refuses to give up, abducting her when she is about to give birth. Trapped again and poisoned to the point of death, she is saved by his all-out efforts. She owes him so much in this life, so she will spend the rest of it repaying him.
P.S. Old-school tropes, romance-focused, a writing exercise. Please don't read if it's not your thing.
Next story: My Lady, Just a Moment
Her story: If you asked who drew the most attention among the young women of the capital, Shen Qinghuan would certainly make the list. Though young, she is alluring and talented, plays the zither beautifully, and paints exquisite pictures. She is merely the overlooked legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Yongding Marquis Household, yet she has somehow won the favor of the heir to the Duke of Ning's household. She has captured the heart of that moon-bright, refined young gentleman, envied by all.
But her life is also full of misfortune. Though her marriage was arranged, she is kidnapped by bandits before the wedding and her reputation is ruined, so her engagement is called off. Just as everyone thinks she has fallen from grace and will never recover, the celebrated scholar Ji Xingjian wants to marry her, the mighty Commander Song Huaizhou wants to marry her, and even Mu Shian can't forget her after breaking off their engagement. In no time, she's become the most sought-after woman in the capital.
His story: If anyone in the capital is a legend, it must be Song Huaizhou. Once an inconspicuous illegitimate son of Prince An, he rose to become the Great Qi Kingdom's most renowned young general. On the battlefield, he risked life and limb, capturing the enemy commander through sheer courage. In the imperial palace, he bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the emperor.
Everyone says he is cold-hearted and indifferent to women. What they don't know is that, during the years when he was nobody, he quietly fell for a young woman. Unfortunately, she never gave him a thought, and he could only swallow his bitterness and let her go. Yet whenever he saw her in trouble, he came to her aid time and again. He kept helping her until, in the end, he couldn't let her go.
He never wanted to force her to accept him, but when she was about to discuss marriage with her cousin, he went alone to the palace and obtained an imperial decree betrothing them. After the wedding, Shen Qinghuan faces a difficult mother-in-law and scheming sisters-in-law, but she grows stronger with every setback and gradually establishes herself in the inner household. Just then, the court is rocked by turmoil and intrigue, while her former fiancé Mu Shian can't forget her and is determined to take her away. Song Huaizhou weathers one challenge after another, but always keeps her safe behind him. Because he once promised to protect her for the rest of his life.
Theme: Love begins without warning and grows ever deeper. The living may die, and the dead may live.
Can we still see Mu En's extras?