[Scheming yet gentle, charming old Marquis vs. domineering, spoiled, tsundere Princess]
At just twenty-five, Xu Qingyi earned a noble title through his service and made a name for himself throughout the realm. All he needed was to marry, and his life would be complete.
He had assumed he would marry a noblewoman from an eminent family, but instead he fell for a girl from a humble background.
The girl's name was A Ning. Eighteen years old, with a face like peach blossoms, she loved to talk and laugh, and was an excellent angler.
At first, Xu Qingyi merely went fishing with A Ning. But after a while, he started asking her to drink tea and admire flowers, and to travel through mountains and rivers... He fell into it as easily as an old house catching fire.
During that time, the lovestruck Marquis would often leave early and return late, his face glowing. He even began dressing like the young men of the capital. Seeing him so lovesick, his family called him an old man trying to act young, then urged him to marry the girl soon.
Just as Xu Qingyi and A Ning had hit it off, the Emperor suddenly arranged for him to marry Princess Baocheng, Xiao Songning.
Before the officials could even offer their congratulations, Xu Qingyi and Prince Rong, the princess's father, both knelt to beg the Emperor to withdraw the decree. Their pleas were denied, and Prince Rong, unable to bear the thought of his beloved daughter marrying, grew so furious that he fainted on the spot.
The inscrutable imperial will and Prince Rong's collapse set undercurrents swirling through the capital, and rumors flew in every direction.
Feeling dejected, Xu Qingyi accepted an invitation from some young aristocrats and rode his beloved horse to play polo and unwind. Little did he know that his host had ulterior motives: not only had he invited Princess Baocheng, Xiao Songning, to watch, he also meant to humiliate Xu Qingyi in public to win the princess's favor.
A man may be killed, but he must not be humiliated. Just as Xu Qingyi clenched his fists, ready to act, the round fan in Princess Baocheng's hand slammed into the man's face first.
Her exquisite face, usually hidden behind the fan, suddenly appeared before Xu Qingyi's eyes.
Xu Qingyi, who prided himself on having weathered countless storms, was rarely so flustered:
Good heavens! The Ning in A Ning was the very same Ning in Xiao Songning!
1. Eight-year age gap
2. Both are sexually inexperienced
3. Set in a fictional world
Theme: Bickering their way to a happy life
