As a noblewoman raised by a respectable, influential family,
Fan Miao appears elegant and dignified.
But she has seen too much of the narrow world of women’s inner quarters.
She hates the scheming and deceit between women,
and she’s tired of the melodramatic stories of fickle husbands smiling as they welcome new favorites.
So, is there any secret technique for being happily independent?
One day, while burning incense, Fan Miao knelt before Buddha, seeking an answer.
Then, beneath the bodhi tree, leaves fell and flowers bloomed.
A tall young man in dark robes strode away through the spring light.
Fan Miao understood, her red lips curling upward.
#Oh, so this is called “keep the child, ditch the father.”#
--
Fan Miao made herself the perfect plan:
First, get married. Second, have a child. Third, get divorced.
By a twist of fate, she successfully married Pei Buliao, an adopted son of the Duke’s household.
He was restrained, courteous, and proper, and every time they grew intimate, he stopped at just the right point.
He also often stayed in his study until dawn.
Fan Miao grew anxious. If things continued like this, how could she accomplish the second step of her plan?
So one night, Fan Miao went to the study in a skimpy outfit to bring Pei Buliao some soup.
He reacted as though faced with a deadly threat, wrapped her up snugly in a cloak, and pushed her back outside.
Fan Miao found this suspicious. When Pei Buliao was away, she sneaked into the study, determined to find the portrait of the secret first love he was hiding.
Instead, in a hidden compartment, she found the paintings Pei Buliao had carefully kept.
They were all of her...
--
Pei Buliao had always led a smooth and easy life.
He got everything he wanted.
Only his wife, Fan Miao, always seemed unreal, as if she might vanish from his side at any moment.
Pei Buliao thought he was incurably ill.
If he wasn’t by Fan Miao’s side, his condition would only worsen.
So the usually self-proclaimed upright and honorable Lord Pei skillfully picked the lock on Fan Miao’s treasure box,
burned every document in it concerning their divorce,
and replaced them with the illustrated bedroom manual he had drawn himself.
Once he was done, he clapped his hands in satisfaction.
#Everything was back on track.#
A gorgeous, scheming noblewoman X a steady, calculating adopted son of an influential family
Reading guide: Marriage first, love later / The heroine pursues the reserved hero / Domestic and palace intrigue / The story’s own setting takes precedence
Theme: Strive for family and honor
