Plucking Flowers and Teasing Blossoms

Merchant's Daughter vs. Junior Minister

Love at First Sight vs. Love at First Sight

Taking by Force & The Long Road to Winning Her Back

Wutang's family arranged her engagement to a young man from another merchant family.

While out enjoying the countryside, she deliberately took the opportunity to get a look at her future husband.

But then, one unforgettable glimpse of a man aboard a pleasure boat stole her heart.

Overcome with emotion, she decided to be bold for once and sent her own handkerchief to the young man through a servant.

The young man ran his slender fingers over the soft cloth and raised his brows to look at her. The moment their eyes met, Wutang's shy eyes turned red, yet she still held her little face up, wanting him to remember her.

Her family had chosen a man so graceful and handsome. She was quite pleased.

While investigating a case, Wen Qingshu suddenly had a handkerchief pressed into his hands. The cloth was as smooth as flowing water, and the embroidered design in its corner looked lifelike. It was clearly a fine piece.

He looked up. A begonia tree stood in full, brilliant bloom, its slender branches bearing clusters of flowers as they climbed to the beaded window, offering themselves to a woman seated gracefully there.

He could not help tightening his grip on the handkerchief. Its delicate texture brushed his fingertips, surely just like her skin...

There was still some time before the wedding. In the meantime, Wutang and her betrothed often exchanged letters and occasionally met up to stroll through the streets and temple fairs. The more she saw of him, the more she liked him. Her parents certainly had a good eye.

Then one day, word suddenly came that her betrothed had been arrested and thrown in prison. In a panic, she rushed to the entrance of the Court of Judicial Review and saw him emerge, unharmed.

Wutang had just breathed a sigh of relief when, the very next moment

Her aunt threw herself down at the young man's feet. "Sir! Sir! My son is innocent! Qianli would never do such a thing, sir!"

Wutang froze. "Qianli" was her betrothed's name. If the one in prison was "Qianli," then who was this man?

Beneath the begonia tree, the man picked a flower and parted its petals to reveal its delicate pink stamens. He held it to his nose and breathed in its scent, his long, narrow eyes settling on Wutang as he gave a faint smile. "It smells lovely."

Wutang's eyes reddened. She turned her head and burrowed into his arms.

Theme: Love bravely.