Who Is with Zhuang Mei?

Zhuang Mei, 26, mother of one, wife of the Marquis of Pingyang.

At that moment, she sat upright in the seat of honor, eyes lowered,

quietly listening as the exceptionally charming and beautiful woman before her softly told her story, a teacup of lukewarm tea in her hands.

It was merely another story of lovers finally ending up together.

Zhuang Mei had heard plenty of stories like that. There was nothing novel about it.

If there was anything worth mentioning,

Zhuang Mei lifted her long lashes slightly

and looked at the woman before her.

It was only that the male protagonist of this story had a rather special identity.

Specially noble, born into a great clan and heir to a title;

particularly prominent, famous in the capital for his gentle nature, aloof spirit, dignity, and composure.

One of the capital's famed Twin Jades, and a renowned beauty on a high peak,

now the Marquis of Pingyang,

her son's father, and her husband.

The favored have no fear.

Though the woman standing before her was merely a concubine of the household,

she faced Zhuang Mei, the marquis's wife,

with pride and dignity shining through.

At last, she lifted her slender, stubborn neck and looked at Zhuang Mei without a trace of restraint.

"You are a lady of the highest station, with everything you could ever want. How could you know the marquis's suffering and my grievances all these years?"

"Of course you can talk about the family's dignity, but that's only because...

You've never loved anyone. You don't understand the pain of loving someone deeply and still being unable to stay together!"

Only then did Zhuang Mei set down her teacup and raise her limpid eyes,

which shimmered like water.

She had never loved anyone?

She didn't understand?

*

Song Yan, 30, unmarried.

Once the heir to the Duke's manor and the foremost of the capital's Twin Jades.

Then, overnight, everything changed.

After disaster struck, he was exiled to Lingnan.

Two years in exile, seven years fighting blood-soaked battles,

and now he had returned as a marquis, a great general, and a senior minister.

Nine years ago, Song Yan left the capital in chains, and everyone avoided him like the plague.

Nine years later, he returned to a city filled with cheering crowds and admirers throwing fruit at his carriage.

Mounted on a black steed, Song Yan watched the commotion with indifference,

as though none of it had anything to do with him.

Until

he saw her.

Song Yan looked straight ahead and passed her without a glance.

But the scar on his brow became starkly visible,

instantly shattering all his indifference.

Even as his black deerskin boots stepped onto the white jade stairs to meet the emperor,

one question kept turning over in Song Yan's mind:

Should he... strangle her to death?

Or...

or

pull her tightly into his arms and cherish her

for the rest of his life?

(Blurb screenshot saved on August 4, 2026.)

Theme: May lovers find their way to one another.