The Frail Beauty Becomes a Widow's Sister-in-Law [Republican Era]

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The first time Song Shilin saw Wen Lianqiu was at his older brother Song Shijun's wedding to his tenth concubine.

The young man was slender and frail, following meekly behind Song Shijun with his eyes lowered. The heavy, bright red wedding robes seemed ready to crush him.

Major Song, just back from the front lines, couldn't stand sickly weaklings who coughed every few steps and looked like willow branches in the wind. When Wen Lianqiu came to offer him a toast, he deliberately taunted him:

"With a body that frail, aren't you afraid my brother will break you?"

Amid the laughter of those around them, Wen Lianqiu only bowed lower, filling Song Shilin's glass as he said softly, "Second Master Song, please don't tease me."

Song Shilin looked at the young man's obedient features, then at his big brother, who was so rough he hadn't even shaved off all his stubble. Feeling a little sorry for Wen Lianqiu, he drank the toast, then returned one of his own.

That night, Song Shilin's body burned with fever. As his mind grew hazy, a graceful figure pushed open the door and swept into his arms with a waft of perfume.

The seemingly harmless, sickly beauty nestled against Second Young Master Song, rubbing lipstick-stained lips against his suit again and again. Then he tugged his wedding robe into disarray, a smug smile on his face.

The next day, Song Shilin got a beating from Commander Song.

From then on, Song Shilin and Wen Lianqiu were enemies.

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Wen Lianqiu had originally been an opera singer. When the theater went bankrupt, he had nowhere to turn and could only marry Song Shijun as a concubine.

Later, her husband died in battle. As a male spouse in a powerful family, Wen Lianqiu struggled to get by and had no choice but to rely on Song Shilin, the only other man in the family.

If Song Shilin asked him to serve soup, he served soup. If Song Shilin asked him to grind ink, he ground ink. At most, he might slip in a little laxative or spit in it.

He was the kindest person, after all!

It was the Song family who were blind, claiming that he and Second Master Song were secretly carrying on.

Wen Lianqiu had made his way through the theater world without ever currying favor with the powerful. How could he stand such an accusation? He brushed off his robe and went to hang himself.

Who could have known that Song Shilin, who had come to pick a fight, would catch him? His expression changed at once.

Before Wen Lianqiu could react, Song Shilin berated him with red-rimmed eyes. The incident became the servants' latest gossip.

Wen Lianqiu hated him to death.

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Wen Lianqiu loved performing opera, cloyingly sweet desserts, romantic poetry, and just about everything else.

He simply didn't like Song Shilin.

After Song Shilin brought him opera costumes and headpieces, only to be turned away once again, he kicked open the locked door.

The sickly young performer was forcibly pulled into his arms and struggled to get free. A cold gun pressed against his lower abdomen.

Warm lips brushed his ear as a low, suggestive voice murmured:

"Sister-in-law, either the gun goes in, or I do."

#An alternate Republican-era setting, a sickly beauty who takes revenge for every slight x an unreasonable warlord's son, one-on-one romance, both physically and emotionally faithful

2026.3.24

Theme: If you love someone, you should fight for them.