Please add it to your collection, mwah!
Zhuang Leyao was born into the body of a hereditary servant in the household of a Northern Song official.
Her mother was the principal wife's dowry maid,
and her father was the steward of the estate.
Zhuang Leyao lived a life that was not carefree, but not miserable either, for thirteen years.
Later, her masters' family fell into disaster overnight. Some died, and others were exiled.
Zhuang Leyao was sold off,
handed over to a broker for two taels of silver.
Before sundown that very day, a woman in her early forties bought her for three taels of silver
as a child bride.
The woman said, "My son is in poor health and is being raised at Hanyun Temple. I bought you for two reasons: first, to bring him good fortune; second, if anything really does happen to him, you'll be there to look after him."
To stay alive, Zhuang Leyao nodded obediently. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll be good to my husband from now on."
Zhuang Leyao spent two years in the Xie family, but she could count on one hand the number of times she saw her sickly husband.
His life was hanging by a thread, yet he still wanted to pass the imperial examinations. What a strange man.
Then the results of the palace examination were announced, and Xie Shiwei placed third.
The Xie family home was packed with visitors.
Amid all the rejoicing, Zhuang Leyao was overlooked in the crowd.
The ill-fated Xie Shiwei had passed the exam, and his health had improved, too.
This child bride who had been bought for three taels of silver ought to make her exit now.
Zhuang Leyao packed her belongings in the middle of the night.
As soon as she opened the door, she came face-to-face with a pair of deep, dark eyes.
Beneath the moon, the newly titled third-place scholar wore a crimson robe with wide sleeves, his beauty as ethereal as carved jade.
He said:
"My lady, are you planning to abandon me?"
[Extra Scene]
One day, Zhuang Leyao woke up as a first-rank lady of honor. Looking at the cool and refined chancellor beside her, his face as handsome as jade, she suddenly grew curious:
"What would have happened if I hadn't stayed back then?"
Xie Shiwei played with her hair, his voice languid and content:
"You wouldn't want to know."
If she agreed, he would naturally put the title of lady of honor right in front of her.
If she refused, he had a thousand ways to make her stay.
[Reading Guide]
One-on-one, light and sweet, a slow-burn romance about a fallen maid building a life and turning her fortunes around.
(Note to self: I have an imprisoned-and-confined extra scene in mind, where Yaoyao successfully escapes, only for Xie to find her and lock her up again for some intimate fun.)
Theme: The wind begins at the tips of duckweed, and waves form from the smallest ripples.
