A Red Apricot Branch

A clear-headed heroine, soft on the outside but strong within, VS a wild-dog hero who fights and grabs for what he wants

In the three years Shen Zhi was married to Gu Huaiwen, she helped him rise to success and kept his household in order, becoming the capital's celebrated model of a virtuous wife.

But in the end, she could not escape the sin of failing to have a child in those three years.

So she watched helplessly as Gu Huaiwen brought his childhood sweetheart, his cousin, into the household in a small sedan chair. Eight months later, she gave birth to a son.

Listening to the baby's cries from the delivery room, Shen Zhi thought:

On such a joyous day, there was no need to tell Gu Huaiwen just yet that the doctor had diagnosed him as infertile.

Huo Ye was once a lowly stable hand in the Shen family. By chance, he later gained his freedom and distinguished himself in the army. But when he returned to the capital in glory, he discovered that the young lady he had once admired had been betrayed by her unworthy husband.

He wanted to tear the faithless man limb from limb, but also felt that this was a godsend opportunity.

So he immediately bought the old house next door to the Gu residence, planted the apricot tree the young lady liked best, practiced boxing shirtless against the wall every night, and went out of his way to arrange chance encounters...

When the flowers bloomed in spring, he would give her the most beautiful apricot blossom.

Gu Huaiwen barged into the Huo residence with a divorce agreement in hand, accusing Huo Ye of shamelessly seducing his wife.

Huo Ye calmly snatched the agreement from him and folded it into Shen Zhi's favorite flower. Then he admitted,

"I did seduce her, but I used the genuine feelings you never had, Lord Gu."

Reading guide:

Sweet and satisfying story / The hero acts like a scheming flirt and fights for what he wants / The heroine grows into a clear-headed woman who loves herself most

Theme: Flowers bloom again, but people are never young again