Jade Schemes Against No One

To uphold the prestige of the Duke of Zhenguo’s household, Gu Yu disguises herself as a man and joins the imperial court. It’s a little hard, but she pulls off the act convincingly enough to stay safe. That is, until she meets the nemesis fate has chosen for her: Prince Xiaoyao Jun Ze. From then on, her streak of bad luck never ends. One day, everyone opens a door to find the dissolute, carefree Prince Xiaoyao pinning the radiant and dignified heir, Lord Gu, to a bed and kissing him. “Morals are in decline!” “Shameless!” “Depraved!” To prove his innocence, Prince Xiaoyao points to the clear sky and swears, “I’d sooner fall for a dog than that sissy Gu Yu.” Later: “Gu Yu, are you short a dog? The kind that follows you around and worships you?” Later still, a tipsy Gu Yu pins the new emperor beneath her. “Before, I wouldn’t let you kiss me, but you insisted. Now I’m telling you to kiss me, and you dare refuse?” Jun Ze’s Adam’s apple bobs as he answers hoarsely, “I… wouldn’t dare.”