Sheng Kui was born in a brothel and trained herself to be irresistibly seductive.
On the day the city fell, she deliberately latched onto a general to save her own life. Naturally, she succeeded.
The young general brought her back to his estate. Though he never gave her any formal status, she still enjoyed fine food, fine clothes, and every luxury.
She had always been ambitious. To hold on to her wealth and comfort, she acted deeply devoted and obedient in public, while secretly using every trick in the book to fend off the countless young ladies who coveted the general.
Sheng Kui repeatedly won by using Yin Jusong's influence, except for the one time his beloved returned.
"You've had a hard time lately. He was only using you as a stand-in. Don't take it seriously," the old flame said, smiling mockingly at Sheng Kui.
Knowing she couldn't win, Sheng Kui took what she could get. While no one was looking, she grabbed a fortune in gold and silver and made a clean getaway.
So she missed the sight of Yin Jusong's hands shaking with rage when he got the news.
*
After his family fell on hard times, Yin Jusong gave up literature for military service and went on to achieve fame and success.
One day, he met Sheng Kui, who bore a striking resemblance to the woman he had always loved. He took her back to his estate. Every day, he watched her deliberately imitate his old flame's mannerisms, and though he loathed it, he couldn't bring himself to let her go...
Worse, she had clearly been the one to throw herself into his arms in the first place, and now she was the one abandoning him.
Yin Jusong hated the feeling of being discarded.
*
With the realm temporarily at peace, Yin Jusong took up an appointment in Yongzhou. At the welcome banquet, a local official's fiancee left to sober up and did not return for a long time. In a covered walkway in the garden, someone pinned Sheng Kui's wrist against the wall. Yin Jusong pressed closer, grinding his teeth. "A rich merchant's daughter? Gentle and demure?"
"Lord Yin, I was wrong. I won't do it again. Please spare me!" Sheng Kui begged once more, going limp in his arms.
But this time, no matter what she said, he refused to let her go.
[Content Warning: The male lead once had a woman he loved, and initially treats the female lead as a stand-in]
[The female lead grew up in a complicated environment and is not an innocent, pure-hearted girl]
[Both leads are sexually inexperienced]
Theme: We cannot go back and start over, but we can choose every step we take from now on.
