At a banquet, Meng Shuyu and Xue Shen were both drugged. The next morning, they woke up together, their innocence gone.
As for who drugged them, every suspicion pointed to Meng Shuyu. She came from a humble background, and everyone believed she had used underhanded means to marry into this noble family.
After entering the household, Meng Shuyu ignored the domestic affairs and her in-laws, turning the place upside down.
Xue Shen warned her, "This marriage was hard-won. If I were you, I'd make the most of it."
She retorted, "I didn't realize you had it in you to be a put-upon little wife."
The entire Xue family looked down on her. Was she supposed to greet them all with a smile?
The two of them could never agree on anything, except in bed, where they were perfectly suited to each other. Once they got up, they went back to acting like strangers.
Since they couldn't stand the sight of each other, neither of them would let the other off easy.
*
When they first met, Xue Shen had seen Meng Shuyu's gaze lingering on his face.
Convinced she had schemed against him, he had no choice but to marry her to save face.
He despised her crooked ways, but had no intention of taking another wife. She was arrogant and insolent, and he couldn't be bothered to spare her a glance. If they had a child or two someday, he could make do with Meng Shuyu for the rest of his life.
Until one day, he saw Meng Shuyu laughing and chatting with someone. Amid the glowing shadows of flowers, the smile on her face was as gentle as a spring breeze passing over a shallow stream. He had never seen that smile before.
But her gaze passed over him and settled only on the newly appointed top scholar.
She called him "Cousin," and Xue Shen saw a pair of brows that looked somewhat like his own.
His heart suddenly clenched.
*
Meng Shuyu's chin was held in place as a man's rough fingertip pressed against her lips.
"Explain."
Forced to lift her head, she studied him and gave a soft sigh. "A tiny deviation can lead to a huge mistake."
Xue Shen's lips tightened, a cold smile appearing at their corners. "Meng Shuyu, you've really outdone yourself."
Theme: Cherish the person by your side.
