Jiang Fuying came from humble beginnings, yet fortune smiled on her when the emperor arranged for her to marry into the Eastern Palace.
Before the wedding, she heard that the Crown Prince was taciturn and mercurial. He had quarreled with the emperor over the imperial decree and stormed out, and everyone in the palace knew he disliked the match.
But imperial orders could not be disobeyed. After marrying into the Eastern Palace, Jiang Fuying was nervous and cautious, barely exchanging five words with the Crown Prince in three days for fear of angering him and earning his displeasure.
But things did not go as planned. Less than half a month after she entered the Eastern Palace, she stumbled upon the secret the Crown Prince would never share with outsiders.
Crown Prince Xie Heng was cool and self-possessed, as elegant as an orchid or a jade tree. In other people's eyes, he was an untouchable flower on a lofty peak. But one day, Jiang Fuying saw him with his robes in disarray and eyes bloodshot, pressing close to her skin as if possessed, desperate for an embrace.
He was ill. He had a condition that made him crave other people's touch, and without it, he would develop a high fever and faint.
Jiang Fuying had no idea how he'd gotten through the first seventeen years of his life, but after that farcical day, the Crown Prince's expression turned stern as he said to her in as few words as possible:
"Keep this secret."
This was a secret of the Eastern Palace!
Jiang Fuying's heart trembled, and she hurriedly nodded.
To keep herself alive, Jiang Fuying kept her lips sealed and promised again and again. She even stayed behind closed doors to prove her sincerity. Yet from that day on, the Crown Prince, who had once treated her with nothing but indifference, summoned her to see him again and again.
"You're the only one who knows. For my own safety, you have to stay by my side."
Jiang Fuying was forced to move in with the Crown Prince. Their relationship went from hugging to kissing, and then...
"The imperial physician said that if we do it a few more times, the symptoms will ease."
Jiang Fuying: !!
When he was young, Xie Heng was framed by someone and grew to hate being touched. Yet he was afflicted by a poison that made him crave other people's closeness.
The more he suppressed it, the more violently it flared.
He managed to control it with medicine until he came of age. At last, he married the woman he loved, only to discover that she was afraid of him.
Xie Heng had meant to restrain himself, but every day she was by his side felt like a wordless temptation.
He wanted to touch every inch of her skin, hold her in his arms, and cover her from head to toe with his scent.
So one day, Xie Heng lured her into it, and made her be the one to open that door.
Blurb dated April 12, 2025
Gentle woman & scheming man
Theme: None.
