[Resilient, beautiful, honest country girl x sinister, scheming, patriarchal tyrant]
[Forced possession / regret and pursuit / age gap]
Lin Chunying was blessed with lovely features. Her clear, delicate brows and eyes and fair skin made her one of the most beautiful girls for miles around. But her family was so poor that her parents were going gray with worry.
She heard that the Sheng residence in the city was hiring maids and offering especially generous wages, so she gritted her teeth and went. She thought that if she wasn't afraid of hard work, she would surely earn some money.
Once inside the residence, the housekeeper assigned her dirty, exhausting work as a flower gardener, keeping her busy from dawn to dusk. Thinking of the wages that could help her family in their time of need, she worked harder than anyone.
One day, the personal maid serving the eldest master, Sheng Mingji, fell ill. The housekeeper couldn't find a suitable replacement in time, so she sent Lin Chunying to fill in.
The room was scented with expensive incense. The master sat beside an ornately carved couch, wearing only his inner robe, a scroll in his hand. He didn't look at her.
She didn't dare look up or make a sound. She only moved to his side and used trembling hands to untie his sash. He didn't say a word throughout.
Lin Chunying relaxed a little and was about to bow and leave.
But suddenly, a large hand clamped around her pale wrist, gripping so hard that she cried out in pain. By the time she came to her senses, she was trapped on the soft couch...
*
Sheng Mingji was proud and aloof, and hated being manipulated more than anything.
He had noticed the new maid long ago and assumed she was another spy planted by his elders. He was disgusted by the thought.
That night, he returned to his room a little early and found her waiting inside. He sneered inwardly. So she couldn't hold back after all, and had resorted to tricks to get close to him.
He decided to give her what she wanted, pinning her onto the bed. "You went to all that trouble to get close to me. Isn't this what you wanted?"
The next day, the woman avoided him as though he were a snake, dodging his gaze and even asking around in private about buying back her contract and leaving the residence.
He found it amusing.
What a clumsy attempt at playing hard to get.
*
Lin Chunying felt as if the sky had fallen. She had entered the residence to work as a maid and earn wages. She had never planned to become a concubine.
Afraid and aggrieved, she resolved to save enough money for the journey and run away.
But Sheng Mingji wouldn't let her go. Every few days, he specifically summoned her to serve him. Before long, he called for her almost every night.
At last, while he was dead drunk, Lin Chunying fled the residence without looking back.
The next day, Sheng Mingji woke to find the pillow beside him empty. The lingering traces of last night's tenderness were still there, but she was gone.
"Find her." He slowly curled his fingers, darkness roiling in his eyes. "Even if you have to turn this entire city upside down, bring her back to me!"
*
Lin Chunying was caught and brought back after only three days. She pretended to accept her fate, but inwardly she was miserable. She acted obediently around Sheng Mingji while secretly saving money again.
One day, she went to the housekeeper who had brought her into the residence and tried to buy back her contract with the money she'd saved, but the housekeeper looked troubled.
It turned out Sheng Mingji had taken her contract long ago.
Just then, a voice spoke from behind her. "As my concubine, you should stay put and behave."
Lin Chunying's face paled as she slowly turned around.
Sheng Mingji was leaning against the doorway, she didn't know how long he'd been there. He looked at her with a faint, knowing smile. "Otherwise, where do you think you're going?"
Reader Advisory:
1. HE, SC. Resilient, beautiful, honest country girl x sinister, scheming, patriarchal tyrant.
2. The leads have a seven-year age gap.
3. The dynasty is fictional. Please don't scrutinize the historical details.
Theme: Love can make you fearless in the face of heaven and earth.
