Wen Ying is a hereditary servant in the Chancellor's household, and she has three paths before her. The worst option is to be married off to a favored young servant, have a child who will be a servant, and spend generation after generation serving the master's family. The middle option is to be given to one of the master's colleagues for his amusement. The best option is to win over one of the young masters, begin as his bedchamber maid, bear him a child, and steadily work her way up.
The eldest young master is cruel and cold-hearted, the second is refined and courteous, and the third is a lecherous playboy. Wen Ying makes the wisest choice: she seizes the right moment and climbs into the second young master's bed. But after their one-night affair, he pretends not to understand her hints that she wants a formal title. Wen Ying grows impatient and decides to lay her cards on the table, but the eldest young master stops her. A dangerous presence hovers close as he murmurs, “Take a closer look. Which one of us was it that night?”
