Silly Fisherman, The Fish Will Bite If It Wants To

Shanshan had snow-white skin and breathtaking beauty, but unfortunately came from a poor family.

When her mother fell gravely ill and they couldn't afford treatment, Fang Guifei's younger sister found Shanshan and asked her to seduce Li Ji, promising her five hundred taels of silver if she succeeded.

It turned out the emperor intended to arrange a marriage between her and Li Ji. Though Li Ji was an unparalleled general who had routed the northern Di people in just two years, people said he was hideously ugly, with a face like a demon's, and that he was a bloodthirsty, violent man.

Fang Lanyi already loved someone else and feared Li Ji, so she didn't want to marry him, but she didn't dare disobey the imperial decree.

So she found Shanshan and asked her to make Li Ji refuse the marriage.

-

Shanshan entered the general's residence and became Li Ji's personal maid.

She discovered that Li Ji wasn't as frightening as the rumors claimed. He was a little bad-tempered, but actually a decent person.

Aside from his enthusiasm for that sort of thing, which was a little too much for her to handle, he wasn't as scary as people said.

She thought it wouldn't be so bad to stay by Li Ji's side.

But Fang Lanyi changed her mind and decided she wanted to marry Li Ji.

She threatened Shanshan: "Leave him, and go as far away as you can. Otherwise, I'll tell him the truth. You know how he is. He hates being deceived more than anything."

Shanshan knew that if Li Ji discovered she'd been lying to him from beginning to end, he'd surely want to kill her.

When she returned to the general's residence, Shanshan found it festooned with decorations, as if they were preparing for a wedding.

At last, she made up her mind to leave.

-

After leaving the capital, Shanshan settled in a small town.

One day, when she returned home, she found it surrounded on all sides. Panic seized her. She knew Li Ji had finally come for her.

She instinctively tried to run, but fell to the ground.

Through tear-blurred eyes, she saw a tall, familiar figure stop in front of her.

"Why are you running?"

Shanshan lowered her head and apologized. "I'm sorry. I know I deceived you, General, and you have every right to hate me... But could you let me give birth to this child?"

Li Ji sighed softly, wiped away her tears, and picked her up. "How did you get so much thinner? Were you really that afraid I'd kill you?"

"You little ingrate, when have I ever wanted to kill you? I haven't even been harsh with you."

Shanshan choked back a sob. "...You have."

Whenever they did that, he was so rough that she often feared she'd be shattered and gone.

Li Ji burst out laughing. He thought she was simply adorable.

"That's because I love you, silly."

From the first day Shanshan appeared, Li Ji knew her purpose and identity. Her acting was clumsy, and she was so naive and dazed that he simply went along with it and took the bait.

"You do deserve punishment. Your punishment is to become my wife, Li Que's, and grow old with me."

[One-on-one, both leads' first and only partner: a delicate, soft-hearted, silly beauty × a stern young general]

Theme: Stay grounded and work together to build a brighter future.