The Yun family is steadily declining, yet its two legitimate daughters have each been promised a marriage that everyone envies.
The eldest daughter, Yun Shu, is to enter the Eastern Palace and be granted the title of the Crown Prince's Liangdi.
The second daughter, Yun Zhimei, is already betrothed to Pei Yun, the young and promising Marquis of Jingning, the youngest man in the court to hold such a title.
Yun Shu sees things clearly. Both the Crown Prince and Pei Yun are in love with her younger sister, Yun Zhimei. The Crown Prince proposed to her only because he couldn't win her love, hoping their engagement would give him an excuse to stay close to the woman he loved.
Her betrothed is like the gentle, devoted second male lead in a romance novel: tender and considerate, always there whenever she calls.
Yun Shu was moved by this shallow affection. She was content to wait quietly by his side, serve him and keep him company, and comfort him whenever he was upset.
She thought that, given enough time, she could warm his heart.
But one day, the Crown Prince abandoned her yet again and hurried to her younger sister's courtyard. Yun Shu went looking for him and happened upon the scene.
Her younger sister had sprained her ankle and was sitting on a stone bench. The Crown Prince knelt before her, carefully massaging her injured ankle with his fingertips.
Their skin touched. Their gestures were intimate.
Looking at the scene before her, Yun Shu felt a cold, nauseating disgust slowly rise in her heart for the first time.
Just then, a massive shadow loomed over her from behind. She was pinned firmly against a cold pillar, unable to move.
“Their little game seems rather interesting.” Hot breath brushed her ear. The voice belonged to Pei Yun, the Marquis of Jingning and her younger sister's betrothed.
Yun Shu's lashes trembled violently... From that day on, everything went awry.
Theme: Be kind to yourself and live well
