Sweet, delicate maid x Dashing young lord (eight-year age gap)
Jiang Li was the most beautiful maid in the Duke's mansion. In her previous life, she coveted wealth and dreamed of marrying into high society, only to end up dumped in a mass grave with nothing but a bundle of bedding.
Reborn, all she wants is to find a reliable man to marry and live a quiet, ordinary life. Most importantly, she wants to live to a natural death.
So she avoids Third Master Shen like the plague, and redirects all the feelings she'd once had for him toward Cao Xiu, the steward's son.
Shen Heming had never paid Jiang Li much attention. He only knew her as a little sparrow hoping to fly up into the branches. He found her crude attempts to flirt with him amusing.
Until one day, the Old Madam tries to put her in his room. Just as he thinks she'll cry and thank him for the favor,
he watches the little maid drop to her knees and insist that she's unworthy of serving him.
Of course, he has no reason to ask for her himself. He assumes she's just playing hard to get, trying every trick to draw his attention. But the next day, he sees her cuddled up with the steward's son, looking far more sweet and bashful with him than she ever did with Shen Heming.
Only then does he realize that a little maid has been leading him around by the nose.
The hawk has been pecked in the eye by a sparrow.
She can flirt with him all she wants, but if she wants to marry someone else, she'll have to see whether he allows it.
Reader's note: An old-school story with dramatic twists.
1. In her previous life, the male lead did not deliberately abandon the female lead. He simply didn't make it back in time.
2. Later on, the male lead occasionally dreams about scenes involving the female lead.
3. The female lead won't suffer in this life; the male lead will suffer a little.
4. Once the male lead and female lead get together, they will be exclusively devoted to each other in body and heart.
Theme: Freedom
