Shen Qingdai, a cautious and talented concubine, is good at painting, but has trouble drawing her own destiny. A sudden imperial edict pushed her into the cold abyss - to marry Wang Xiaolin, a man with a different surname who was rumored to be cold, violent and powerful. This marriage has nothing to do with romance, it is just about exonerating the father. It is a naked transaction. On the wedding night, a "non-interference" contract drew clear boundaries and built a wall of heart.
The deep house is like the sea, with unruly slaves bullying the master and temptations from the elders. Shen Qingdai walks on thin ice, and only when there is no one around can she dare to express her feelings through pen and ink. She painted the desolate courtyard and the cold plum blossoms and proud snow. The tenacity and loneliness that unintentionally flowed through her brushes quietly fell into the eyes of Xiao Lin, who returned home by chance. King Shura, who was rumored to be a murderer, actually saw a long-lost scenery in her painting that touched his heartstrings.
Xiao Lin has all the power in the government and the public, but his heart is as cold as a pond. The blood and betrayal of the old battlefield made him cut off warmth and regard marriage as a political tool. He watched her plight with cold eyes, but in the midst of a fatal plot and recurrence of old injuries, he was saved by this "contract wife" with her astonishing calmness and unknown wisdom. The cold barrier cracked for the first time.
When a bigger political storm swept across, family strife and court conflicts swept them into the whirlpool at the same time. When forced to join hands to defend against the enemy, Shen Qingdai lost her cowardice and showed wisdom and character that were not inferior to those of a man. Xiao Lin's eyes changed from scrutiny to appreciation, to uncontrollable possessiveness and protective desire. He was used to controlling everything, but he couldn't control his heart that was quietly stirring for her.
However, in the political arena, trust is fragile. A deliberate misunderstanding and a forced "use" made Shen Qingdai completely heartbroken. She abided by the contract, decided to withdraw, and sealed the feelings that should not have arisen along with the unfinished drawings. All she wanted was a piece of paper to make peace with each other, and she would never be the same again.
It wasn't until she turned to leave that Xiao Lin was shocked to realize that the "brocade book" (affection) that had never been sent had already been integrated into her flesh and blood. Cold authority cannot fill the emptiness of losing her. He tore up the contract with his own hands, put aside all pride and calculations, and was willing to step into an unprecedented "battlefield" - just to recover the woman who painted his desolate state of mind with a brush.
**From contracted couple to sharing life and death, from close friends in the painting to deep and unbearable love. When the cold-blooded powerful minister learns to clumsily write his feelings, and when the tough and talented woman finally dares to trust her sincerity, can the unfinished "brocade book" draw a happy ending for them? **
Purpose: Marriage first, love later