A Handbook for Rising from Concubine to Mistress

Yingshen are shadow guards who serve women of noble families. Linlang exists solely as her mistress’s shadow. In her previous life, she became her mistress’s surrogate, bearing a son she could never acknowledge as her own. Her face was ruined, and she lived a life worse than even the lowest maid in the household. When her mistress became pregnant, Linlang was overjoyed for her. But after the legitimate heir was born, her mistress had the child Linlang had suffered so much to bear for her killed. Linlang gave everything for Xu Yaoguang, yet even her parents and siblings met tragic ends. Xu Yaoguang, meanwhile, got away with every wicked deed, was granted a noble title, and lived to see her children and grandchildren flourish. Given another chance, Linlang refuses to be a shadow again. She will protect her child and family. Everything Xu Yaoguang has, Linlang will claim for herself this time. But Linlang never expected that once she stopped being a shadow, she would make the Duke utterly unable to resist her. She had meant to keep things strictly business for the rest of her life, but then the old flame caught fire, and she simply couldn’t handle it.