Fine Clouds Weave Their Magic, Flying Stars Bear Their Grudge

He sought revenge by making her fall in love with him.

She wanted to set him free, so she lied and told him she was dead.

Du Xianyun, the treasured daughter of the Chancellor's household, had a life of ease and good fortune. Yet she fell in love with Pei Yan, a poor scholar from a humble family who had nothing.

For his sake, she defied her father, risked her life to break off her engagement, and willingly bore the scorn of the entire city.

But then she learned the truth:

From the moment they first met, every encounter, every sweet word, every time he risked his life to protect her had been part of a carefully laid scheme.

He approached her, tempted her, and married her only to use her to take revenge on her fiancé. She was nothing but a pawn on his chessboard.

Even more cruelly, the mastermind behind it all was the grandfather she respected most. The man she loved became her enemy, and her family became criminals.

With nowhere left to turn, she still could not bring herself to hate him. Her only choice was to fake her death and leave.

Pei Yan is the youngest chief grand secretary of the current dynasty.

In just five short years, he rose from an obscure poor boy to the most powerful minister in the court. But no one knew that he could no longer find the woman he had personally driven away.

He spent half his life seeking revenge, only to destroy with his own hands the person he most wanted to protect.

When old friends meet again and turmoil sweeps across the land, the whole truth finally comes to light:

The most painful thing in this world is not losing someone and getting them back. It's getting them back when they're already near the end of their life.

[Reader's Guide]

1) No one is perfect. The protagonists grow over time, so please don't rush to criticize them over one thing. Give them some time and a chance.

2) This story features old-school tropes, including a regretful hero trying to win back his wife, a younger man, possessive love, and captivity. If these aren't for you, please don't read.

3) The setting is fictional, with the Song and Ming dynasties as reference points.

4) HE!!! HE!!! The journey is a little angsty, but it has a happy ending.

Bonus Scenes:

(I)

On the first day Ah Xun was taken in, the food she cooked nearly sent him to meet the King of Hell. Luckily, he was blessed with good fortune and survived.

Ah Xun swore he'd never met a woman like Ah Wu.

It was one thing that she couldn't cook, but she was also terrible at needlework, and the clothes she made were downright bizarre.

"Ah Xun's cooking smells so good!"

"Ah Xun is amazing. He can even fix tables."

With praise after praise, he gradually lost himself, taking on the burden of supporting the family with his little body.

After spending more time together, Ah Xun discovered that Ah Wu didn't seem quite like the other women in the village.

She had beautiful handwriting and knew a great deal about history and literature.

Because of him, Ah Wu had found herself in danger time and again. There was nothing for it. Ah Wu was the most important person in the world to him.

So he had to become stronger and more capable.

(II)

The last thing you should ever pick up in this world is a man. Not even a child.

But she never learned her lesson. Her hands got itchy, and she picked up another one.

Sure enough, she'd picked herself a big problem. Her peaceful life was over.

"Ah Wu, what are you doing?" They were about to flee, but Ah Xun saw her turn back to the wooden hut and pick up the pot containing the flower bud.

"I'm taking it with me." This flower was very important to her.

Ah Wu had thought that when the flower bloomed, all the questions in her heart would be answered. But it seemed that wasn't the case.

"What did you say?" She was terrible with directions, but Ah Xun wasn't. He knew perfectly well that she hated the capital, so why had he deceived her and led her all the way to its gates?

"No. I'm not going in. I want to leave." Clutching her bundle in one hand and holding the flower in the other, she shook her head and refused to go in.

"Ah Wu, why are you so afraid of this place?"

Why ask? There was a very scary person inside, of course...

(III)

"Yun'er, the peonies have finally bloomed."

Pei Yan happily lifted the flowerpot and brought the flower she had long been longing for over to her.

"Oh? Is that so?" Du Xianyun grinned, then turned to him and asked, "Where is it? Take me to see."

Pei Yan froze, nearly dropping the flowerpot in his hands.

"What's wrong?" Du Xianyun felt a chill in the air and asked in confusion.

Pei Yan gently took her hand and answered softly, "It's nothing. I'll take you to see."

His eyes remained fixed on Du Xianyun, filled with worry and sorrow...

New blurb posted on July 5, 2026. (The story will begin once it reaches 200 favorites. Thank you for favoriting!)

Theme: Love yourself before loving someone else; look within for everything you need.