°One is a sickly, pampered court favorite with no shame, a talent for making trouble, and a love of picking fights
Xing Kang is frail but wields great power, and he has a natural talent for picking fights. If anyone crosses him, he'll hang a white cloth from the beams of their house in the middle of the night and pretend to kill himself. The ministers all avoid him. Xing Kang is a favorite of the emperor, so if he picks a fight with someone, it might mean the emperor wants that person dealt with. No one wants to provoke him. If they spot the carriage of the Auspicious Envoy from three hundred meters away, they turn around.
“The corrupt official says he can kill people with his face covered and deny it afterward. He'll handle the victims by crying, throwing a tantrum, and threatening to hang himself. There's no way I'll die.”
°One is a natural enchantress, a greedy perfumer who is imprisoned in the pleasure quarter and knows exactly how to flirt
Yingxiu is a civet spirit raised by Jingyuetai and trained like a pet. She thought that if they didn't want her to be human, then they could all stop acting human together.
Xing Kang held her wrist, his persistent rubbing finally stopping. The flush on his cheeks was no longer from the medicine. He lowered his head, still wanting to rub against her, his heart itching. Yingxiu teased him like a cat, scratching his chin. “The effects won't wear off that quickly.” Xing Kang couldn't help pressing against her hand and sniffing it, bashful yet unable to resist.
Xing Kang couldn't stop thinking about holding Yingxiu close and breathing her into his lungs.
“Don't you have a mouth? Don't you have hands and feet? Am I not feeding you enough? If word gets out that Xing Kang starved a woman to death, where would that leave my reputation? Even if she dies from overeating, she can't die of hunger. Understand?”
“What are you looking at, silly cat?” She could even faint from hunger. What a fool.
First meeting:
Xing Kang: She's my little lucky cat.
Hua Yingxiu: He's my deadly blade.
Growing close:
Xing Kang: She's harder to control than I imagined.
Hua Yingxiu: Turns out he's not as impressive as he looks.
Falling in love:
Xing Kang: No one's allowed to feed my cat. Who are you calling a cat lover? I'm not some stray with no cat!
Hua Yingxiu: Some people want to play with cats, and some want to play alongside them. My darling does both, and thinks it's enough if the cat still comes home. Oh dear, I've abandoned him again!
A powerful young official who plays the pig to eat the tiger x A white-haired, odd-eyed civet-cat girl
Both are skilled actors. They play the pig to eat the tiger, uphold justice, clear the court of corrupt officials, and bring peace to the realm.
Theme: Even a stubborn stone can become jade, and rotten wood can still become fragrant
