Plucking the Lotus

Chen Lian sold herself to a scholar on the verge of death for ten taels of silver, to bring him good luck.

She planned to take the money and run.

But she underestimated how cruel people could be.

On the seventh day after his death, she hid by the doorway and listened as her clan members shamelessly discussed how to get more use out of her.

The Chen family now had only a widowed sister-in-law and a sick younger brother left.

The younger brother was a scholar and couldn't be touched, but the widowed sister-in-law was still young.

The clan planned to trade her for an honorary archway, so Chen Lian had no choice but to start looking for a way out.

Yuan Zhi was the complete opposite of his older brother: a born villain, cold-blooded and heartless. With his handsome face, he did whatever he pleased. Just as he was about to sit for the imperial examinations, he ran into a difficult problem.

He needed a woman.

As it happened, his widowed sister-in-law came right to him.

Yuan Zhi watched coldly as his sister-in-law used clumsy tricks to try to stay by his side and find a safe place to live. Timid, cowardly, and ignorant, she was like a delicate little rabbit he could crush with the flick of a finger.

His older brother had treated her so well, teaching her to read and write and how to conduct herself. Every word had been full of affection. But how could someone like her ever deserve his brother?

He was disgusted and furious, yet this very woman he looked down on had unknowingly become a blade, plunging deep into his heart every time they made love.

Whenever he touched her, he couldn't help falling for her.

Theme: Face hardship head-on and keep moving forward