From the day Yan Haiqing was born, the palace servants called him the Third Princess. They made him grow his hair long, put on makeup and jewelry, and learn the zither and dance steps. When he grew up, his mother made him study Lessons for Women and The Rules for Women, all so she could find him a good husband. Later, his mother lost power in the palace intrigues. Before she died, she arranged for him to be taken out of the palace and sent to an immortal sect as an outer disciple, where his life would be spared.
Without a spiritual root, Yan Haiqing could go no further than the outer sect. He did odd jobs every day, living on plain tea and simple meals, and grew up safe and sound.
A genius fell for him. The young man was a once-in-a-century talent at the immortal sect, born with a sword bone and handsome, striking features. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention, surrounded by an aura of brilliance. Yet in Yan Haiqing's presence, he was always careful and timid, his heart caught up in every frown and smile of Yan Haiqing's, and easily filled with joy.
A mortal and a prodigy of cultivation should have been an ill-matched pair. But everyone was captivated by Yan Haiqing's beauty, felt for his frailty, and cherished him for his tragic past. Even those who felt uneasy about it had to admit the two were made for each other.
Under the young genius's relentless pursuit, Yan Haiqing wavered one moment and felt lost the next.
It all felt wrong to him. But this was how he had lived for more than ten years. He couldn't explain what was wrong with the situation before him, let alone say what the right situation should be.
Until one day, a man walked by holding a bronze mirror, took one look at him, and set him straight: "What female lead? This is obviously a man!"
***The blurb and title may change. This is the core premise. The character profiles and other details will be added and refined over time. Saved on 2025.1.31.
Theme: Doing what you know cannot be done
