On a day when snow filled the sky, she was starving to death on the street when she saw him, lofty and immaculate as the moon, personally kill a man...
In the white, wintry haze, the silence was icy and bleak. Only the hem of his robe gradually vanished from sight, stained with blood.
She didn't know where she found the courage, but she grabbed the bloodied hem of his robe. "I'm all alone, with no one to rely on. Give me ten copper coins as hush money, or I'll report you to the authorities."
She watched him turn around, his eyes chillingly cold. She was terrified and suddenly regretted what she'd done. But the next moment, a hand with long, distinct fingers reached out and placed exactly ten copper coins in her palm.
His voice was cool, almost a warning. "Take them, and keep my secret."
"You said you had no one and nowhere to turn."
"Then from now on, let me be the one you can rely on."
From then on, she went from beggar to member of the Gu household, where she was lovingly raised.
As the years passed, she approached marriageable age. She saw the adults in her friends' families arranging their marriages, and couldn't help getting anxious.
In her worry, she thought of her fourth older brother, Gu Yun'an.
Gu Yun'an had looked after her ever since bringing her back to the Gu residence. Surely he would help arrange a good marriage for her.
She happily went to find Gu Yun'an, hoping he would find her a good match.
"Fourth Brother, Xingzhu is grown up now. Don't you think it's time to find me a husband?"
She hinted at it in every way she could, but he seemed completely unmoved.
Beneath Gu Yun'an's calm exterior, however, his thoughts were already in turmoil. His fingertips rubbed together, growing hot, and a long-dormant possessiveness flashed in his eyes.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, sounding almost delighted. "Yes, Xingzhu is old enough to marry."
He gently caressed Ruan Xingzhu's face, his voice warm. "I'll find you a good home."
He soothed her with gentle words, but behind her back he personally put an end to one marriage prospect after another.
-
After one failed match after another, she was confused. Then she happened to see Liang, a young man who seemed compatible with her in every way, enter Gu Yun'an's study. She heard fragments of their conversation.
"Why do you insist... on preventing Miss Ruan from getting married?" That was all she could make out.
The room fell silent for a long time. Outside the door, Ruan Xingzhu stood as if rooted to the spot. What did he mean, preventing her from getting married...?
-
Later, in his bathing room, she found her long-lost handkerchief, stained with something that didn't belong to her.
She panicked and tried to run, but he pinned her in the shadows and took her by force.
Her usually gentle fourth older brother shed his disguise. His fingertip traced her trembling lips as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
"This way... you won't want to run anymore."
He tormented her for a long time that night...
From then on, she avoided him, stayed away from him, and tried to escape him...
But when Fifth Sister came to her for help, she walked back into the very place she'd been desperate to avoid.
-
1. A childhood-to-adulthood romance / obsessive pursuit and forced possession.
2. Beneath the hero's gentle facade is deep-seated obsession. He maneuvers step by step, all to possess her. His possessiveness is off the charts. He's a deeply devoted, unhinged obsessive, gentle and indulgent at first, then wildly possessive later.
3. The heroine is delicate and sweet, and grows stronger over time.
A false gentleman, true obsessive nobleman × a sweet, resilient beauty who doesn't realize her own charms.
The heroine eventually gives in.
From the day I brought you home, you were never going to escape...
Theme: Understand your feelings and move forward together.
""Let's do this, Miss Gu will go back first..." This is a big bug for the author~ Why is there Miss Gu in the front and Miss Feng in the back? This is also the case in several places in the first few chapters.