"Little ray of sunshine x aloof beauty" "Sweet story of a girl pursuing a boy"
Jiang Jinci was unhappy about her arranged marriage to Xiang Wang.
Even as a child, he had been icy and never once shown her a kind expression. Now, rumors described him as taciturn and ruthless, with deeds so terrifying they could keep children from sleeping.
They weren't a match. You can't make a sweet melon by force.
But an imperial decree sent him to her hometown.
The day his boat reached the capital's docks, a handsome young man approached at an unhurried pace. His black hair was streaked with silver, his deep eyes like a jade-green lake, and his bright, refined looks made him seem like an immortal banished from heaven.
Jiang Jinci watched from the shadows, mesmerized, then immediately ran out in regret.
"My husband, don't run away, "
-
Shen Zeshu was born hard of hearing, with heterochromia and a cold, taciturn disposition that made him unpopular. Before he came of age, he was sent to the border to carry out near-impossible missions for the eldest legitimate son, whom his father favored.
Adding to his troubles was a baffling arranged marriage.
For no good reason, she had to go and try some strange mushrooms she'd never seen before. She couldn't digest them for days, and even the brilliant doctor that she was couldn't find an antidote. Only being near him brought her any relief.
At first, all she wanted was to share a room with him. Then she wanted to hold his hand... She got more and more unreasonable and forward every day.
But when she kept telling him, "Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda," Shen Zeshu held back again and again, unable to bring himself to be harsh with her.
Bonus scene 1:
After nearly winning him over, Jiang Jinci was deeply impressed by her own cleverness. She picked an auspicious day to declare herself "cured."
But things didn't go as she expected.
On a rainy night, the tall, long-legged young man cornered her against the wall, the corners of his eyes faintly red. He pleaded in sign language:
"I ate those mushrooms too. Could you help me?"
Jiang Jinci knew perfectly well there were no strange mushrooms at all. "...All right, then. Ovo."
Bonus scene 2:
Jiang Jinci never expected Shen Zeshu to take pretending to be ill even further than she had.
The brocade curtains swayed. Exhausted, she could take no more. "Stop pretending. There are no mushrooms like that, "
Beside her, the young man's voice was hoarse. When he spoke into her ear, there was none of the pitiful tone he'd used before. "Can't I?"
Jiang Jinci gasped and refused. The next moment, he leaned over her again.
"Cancang, you know," Shen Zeshu rasped. "I can't hear you."
Reader's guide:
1. Childhood sweethearts, all sweetness and no angst. Cancan falls in love at first sight and immediately pursues him head-on.
2. The male lead is half-deaf. He can always hear with one ear, and eventually he can hear with both. Signing is just to act pitiful, and pretending not to hear is just to get his way.
3. Don't blame the eldest legitimate son mentioned in the blurb for what happened to the male lead. Blame the emperor, okay? Okay. QAQ
4. Coming up with a title is so hard, aaaaaah!
5. Don't eat unfamiliar mushrooms you find in the wild.
Blurb saved on 2026.4.23
Theme: I resent the moon hanging high, shining on everyone but me
