Wen Shizhao was born into a distinguished family. Gentle and slow-witted, she was always half a beat behind everyone else.
During the Lantern Festival, she was kidnapped by thugs. They threatened her life, and with nowhere left to retreat, one of them raised his blade, eager to kill her. Just then, a man rode through the water and rescued her from beneath the thug's knife.
The young man had striking features and astonishing talent. That night, little Wen Shizhao thought she had seen a celestial being, and from then on, her whole heart belonged to him.
Shen Yiheng was the son of an old friend of Wen Shizhao's father. Everyone in the Wen family said he was destined for greatness, and Wen Shizhao thought so too.
The little girl went to Young Master Shen's courtyard every day. Even in the bitter winter cold, she would stand in the snow with a pot of warm soup, waiting for him to return.
Back then, Shen Yiheng was impatient with her every time. The words he said most often were, "Can you stay farther away from me?"
Everyone around them said the little fool from the Wen family had fallen for Shen Yiheng, and that he only humored her out of deference to her family.
Later, Shen Yiheng was promoted and gained the emperor's favor. His classmates held a banquet, where everyone congratulated him on finally rising to prominence and winning the princess's favor.
Someone brought up the Wen family. "Our Lord Shen is far beyond the Wen family's reach now. Besides, how could that little fool from the Wen family compare with a princess? I hear she's looking for a live-in son-in-law these days..."
That night, Shen Yiheng beat the man up. Everyone fell silent with fear. Shen Yiheng could not stand anyone bringing up the days he had spent as a dependent in the Wen household.
Beneath the wishing tree at the national temple, Wen Shizhao sat across from the young heir of a marquis's household. His gaze was fervent. She blushed, hesitating as she spoke. "I-I get nervous and can't speak well. I might not make a good mistress of your household. D-do you still want to marry me?"
The man said something, and Wen Shizhao turned her head to see Shen Yiheng standing at a distance, his face dark with displeasure. She was so startled that she stammered out an explanation. "Lord Shen and I... we're not involved. He was only staying at the Wen residence. He's my brother's friend. I only think of Lord Shen as, as an older brother..."
1. Sweet, gentle angel heroine X brooding, possessive hero
2. A little bit of regret and redemption
Theme: Sincerity deserves to be taken seriously
