Imposter

Gu Qingqian grew up under strict discipline, never stepping out of line. Even when it came to whom she would marry, all she could do was obediently accept the decision.

The boldest thing she ever did in her perfectly proper life was to claim a favor from the head of the Shen family of Jingbei, even though she'd only pretended to be the cousin who had bullied her since childhood when she saved him.

But to escape her fiancé, a man already in his forties, she had no choice but to turn to him, the ruthless, sinister man feared by everyone in Jiangbei's elite circles.

At a banquet, Gu Qingqian was forced to approach the languidly reclining man. His profile was cold and striking, his bearing extraordinary, and his gloomy eyes were filled with icy disdain.

Still, she steeled herself and walked up to him, trembling. "Pardon my forwardness."

Then, without warning, she rose onto her toes and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her red lips to his ear. "I was the one who saved you back then. Could you save me today, too?"

*

Shen Jize was one of Jiangbei's most powerful men: cold-hearted, aloof, and impossible to approach.

Rumor had it that someone had saved his life when he was a child. He had spent years using every resource at his disposal to search for them, but to no avail.

The potential rewards came with risks. Over the years, countless people had pretended to be his savior to get close to him, but word was that they all met terrible ends.

News spread that yet another impostor had appeared. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen to Gu Qingqian, including her cousin.

When Gu Qingqian returned to the Gu family with bruises all over her body, everyone mocked her for foolishly dreaming above her station and making a fool of herself.

But when she returned to her bedroom, the man called. His voice was clear and gentle. "Baby, does it still hurt?"

Gu Qingqian grumbled angrily, "Shen Jize, you're a monster. How am I supposed to cover all these hickey marks?"

*

The truth would come out eventually. When Gu Qingqian heard it, she nearly collapsed, terrified he would take revenge. She fled in the middle of the night.

She traveled from city to city, but the man caught up with her anyway and tore every piece of clothing in her suitcase to shreds. "So where are you planning to run this time?"

With nowhere left to retreat, the girl was pinned in a corner. Her eyes were red-rimmed. "Don't... hurt me."

"Then where did you get the nerve to hurt me?"

Notes:

1. Both are virgins, happy ending.

2. The characters aren't perfect, so please go easy on them.

Theme: Be strong and brave, and learn to love