[Marriage before love | The regretful husband wins her back | Fake death trope | Manuscript complete, posting as soon as it's done]
Luo Qingshuang was a princess of Great Wei. From childhood, she never fought for anything and found pleasure in secretly practicing swordsmanship. When she was sent away to marry, she got her wish and married the young man from Miaojiang she'd admired for years.
The young man, Liqing, was aloof and otherworldly, with extraordinary skill in Gu techniques. He was a revered Holy Lord and heir to the throne of the Miao king. Qingshuang willingly set aside all her brilliance to become the most capable support at his side.
On their wedding night, he left her behind. He neither performed the wedding rites nor consummated the marriage, and she waited alone in their empty room for three months without a single complaint.
When he returned, she devoted herself to caring for him, making his favorite nourishing soup. When he was in danger, she even shielded him with her own body from a poisoned needle to keep him safe.
Qingshuang didn't expect Liqing to be grateful, but he was always so cold and distant. She didn't understand, and simply assumed he was naturally aloof. If she was patient, he would eventually see her affection.
But on the night of the people's prayers for blessings, she was struck in the waist by a collapsing scaffolding as she tried to save a fallen statue of the gods.
When she woke, her stomach hurt without stopping. The scene of the accident kept replaying in her mind, and wave after wave of fear washed over her. All she wanted was for him to stay with her. Instead, he angrily scolded her. "What kind of nonsense are you talking? A Yin still hasn't woken up. Why would I stay with you?"
Later, Qingshuang watched from the city wall as Liqing held his childhood sweetheart tightly and rode with her out of the city.
Only then did she learn that his heart had belonged to someone else all along. His wariness and rejection of her finally made sense.
Aching with sadness, she no longer wanted to be alone in that cold, desolate palace. In the end, she set it ablaze and watched it burn to ashes.
Liqing was tired of his wife.
When Miaojiang came to Great Wei's aid, she tried to scheme with Great Wei to seize all of Miaojiang's mines. She was a greedy fool, swallowing more than she could bite off! Their plans had already been exposed in the secret letters.
He stayed on guard against her, treated her coldly, and waited for her to slip up so he could gather evidence and send her to prison. He never expected her to die first, and he felt relieved.
But when the so-called truth came to light, he finally realized that he had killed the purest wife a man could have with his own hands.
And his wife had died believing, wrongly, that he had shut her out of his heart. He could only hate himself for understanding too late!
Every night, he clutched the green robe she had left behind, searching for her familiar scent and willingly enduring a piercing agony like that of ten thousand Gu worms gnawing at him.
Three years later, Liqing saw that graceful figure again. She was joining swords with the man beside her, winning the prize in the arena.
It struck him like a bolt from the blue, and he couldn't stop trembling.
He tentatively reached out, but she coldly held a sword to his throat. "Sir, please show some respect!"
From then on, Liqing stuck to Qingshuang like glue.
He even endured the agony of Gu needles and nearly died, all for the hope of winning a single glance of sympathy from her.
But she didn't so much as raise her eyes. "What's he making a fuss about? Junior Brother is still recovering. What's there to look at?"
Note: The male lead and the other woman dislike each other. This will be explained later.
Blurb first published 25.7.9
Updated 26.9.8
Theme: Those destined to meet will eventually find each other, even across a thousand miles
