Beneath the Scorching Sun

The day Yueshi was sold by a matchmaker to a sickly farmer's son as a bride to bring him good fortune, she hid a dagger in her sleeve, prepared to fight him to the death.

But when her veil was lifted, a frail young man stood before her.

His body was weak, and with fingers as slender as bamboo, he offered her a steamed bun. A clear smile lit his pale face. “Don't cry. Once you've finished the bun, I'll take you home.”

The stars were sparse, and fireflies drifted through the air.

The young man carried her for less than half a mile along the mountain path before collapsing in the dusky woods.

Gasping for breath, he pointed to the brightest star. “I can't take you any farther. See that star? It's called the Companion Moon. Follow it and you'll reach town. Rent a carriage there, and it'll take you home.”

From a pampered noblewoman to a displaced refugee, Yueshi had spent much of her life being despised.

Even when Emperor Chunle was ambushed during his southern tour, the soldiers searching for survivors blamed her ill fortune for attracting a horde of refugees.

Yueshi had never imagined she would meet a young man while wandering the countryside.

He clearly had a harder life than anyone, yet he smiled more than anyone.

He was the first to smile and tell her, “Yueshi is hardy. She can take root and grow anywhere. She blooms, can be used as medicine, and is both beautiful and useful.”

Looking at her, the young man suddenly stammered, “J-just like you.”

She was trash that others discarded without a second thought, but to him, she was a treasure he cherished above all else.

Theme: A good partner can heal a lifetime of wounds.