She is Lin Shi.
Born into a family of fraud investigators, she's skilled at reading microexpressions. Her name means "honesty."
After cracking a major case, she was targeted by the criminals and died a hero's death!
Her soul transmigrated to the Great Abyss, where she inherited a family-run premarital investigation agency.
From then on, she got to enjoy the perks of being rich. Wonderful!
But she heard that letter scams were rampant in the city and no one had cracked the cases.
Her restless heart couldn't resist, and she went back to her old line of work.
That was how she got to know the official at the Dali Temple, a man who only knew how to scheme his way to promotion.
She had a strong sense of justice and couldn't stand the sight of him,
so when his older brother came to ask her to work with him, she refused.
How could she have known that the next time they met would be at a victim's home?
How was she supposed to face him after that? It was... painfully awkward!
Partly because the lie-detection System "Xiaomei" threatened her, and partly because she felt a little sympathy for the man's difficult past,
she reluctantly agreed to "work together on the case."
But she had no idea that this decision would send her straight into his heart,
or that the two of them would uncover the truth hidden behind the cases...
He is Xu Qingyun.
The world thought his family had named him Qingyun, meaning "soaring ambition," because they hoped he would have great aspirations.
But they didn't know his mother had chosen it because she hoped his career as an official would "rise steadily to the clouds"!
They came from a humble household and had no grand ambitions.
They only had the modest hopes of finding a good future for their child and giving their family a respectable life.
Because he came from humble beginnings, he had to give up everything else and devote himself to his official career, fighting his way through the ranks.
Only then could he repay his hardworking mother and live up to the kindness of his mentor, who had helped him advance.
But after meeting her through a case, he suddenly realized that he'd always focused on living up to others' expectations. Had he ever lived up to his own?
He knew he shouldn't get involved in romance, but he broke his vow for her and abandoned the principles he'd always held dear...
In their place, he put the greater good of his country and its people!
He did all of this simply to win her love.
Because Xu Qingyun was either criticized or envied by the world, but she was the only one who felt sorry for him.
After spending decades alone, how could he bear to return to that loneliness after someone had treated him so tenderly?
Little scenes:
At first:
Lin Shi: I should keep my distance from someone who knows how to scheme.
Xu Qingyun: We need to solve this case quickly. Then I can win the emperor's favor, rise in rank, and earn a title!
Lin Xin: Just help him out. He's had a hard time too.
In the end:
Xu Qingyun: For love of you, I'll keep the greater good in my heart and bring prosperity to the people of the realm!
Lin Shi: What?! He loves me that much!
Lin Xin: I thought of you as a brother, and you want to marry my sister!
P.S.:
There's just one thing: although this story didn't turn out the way I imagined, after careful consideration, I decided to give it an ending.
I expect it to wrap up at around 100,000 words. Thanks so much to everyone who's been reading!!
My next story, After the Village Girl Goes to the Capital to Find Her Husband, is coming soon. If you're interested, take a look or add it to your library!
Theme: Honesty and trustworthiness are the foundation of a person's character.
