Song Jin is a young woman living in Chunliu Lane in Chongzhou, where she runs a steamed bun stall to support herself. Orphaned and raised by her maternal grandfather, she had been promised in marriage to her brother Song Feng’s associate, but when her brother failed to arrive, a man named Xie Qiao appeared at her door, gravely injured from a bandit ambush. He claimed to be delivering her brother’s final wishes, asking Song Jin to marry him before he died. Despite his severe condition and the meager circumstances of their wedding—borrowed robes, leftover candles—Song Jin agreed, captivated by his striking appearance and sense of duty. For two months, Xie Qiao has been recovering at home, never leaving his room, while Song Jin works tirelessly at her stall and tends to him with devotion.
Xie Qiao is not merely a wounded teacher as he has led Song Jin to believe. He is the eldest son and heir of the Jing’an Marquis Estate, a powerful aristocratic family in the capital. He was ambushed on his way to visit his ill father because someone in the capital wants him dead. Faking his death and concealing his identity, he has been recuperating in Chongzhou, copying books for income while waiting for his loyal servant Fu Cang to arrive and assess the situation. He has not revealed his true identity to Song Jin, planning instead to eventually bring her to the capital as a cousin of the marquisate, protect her from harm, and find her a suitable husband once his troubles are resolved. He views their marriage as an obligation to repay Song Feng’s lifesaving grace rather than a romantic union.
Song Jin, however, is deeply in love with her husband. She admires his handsomeness, his propriety, and his kindness, and she yearns for a closer physical and emotional relationship. She has tried various tactics to win his affection, including purchasing a Heart-Connecting Talisman from a Taoist priest and receiving whispered advice from Ju Lan, a courtesan at Xiucui Pavilion, on how to seduce a proper man. Despite her efforts, Xie Qiao remains distant, sleeping at the table rather than sharing the bed, maintaining strict boundaries out of a sense of duty and propriety. Song Jin’s only joy comes from small moments—entering his room, sleeping under the bed curtain he provided, and receiving his rare compliments on her cooking.
The central conflict intensifies with the return of Master Fan, a local gentry official who had previously attempted to force Song Jin into becoming his concubine half a year earlier. Now back in Chongzhou, Master Fan discovers that Song Jin is married and, rather than abandoning his pursuit, decides to eliminate her husband so he can take her as a concubine anyway. He visits Song Jin’s stall, grabs her arm, overturns her steamer, and steps on her buns, threatening her with implicit violence. He orders his men to investigate Xie Qiao’s background and later attempts to assassinate him.
Xie Qiao, upon learning of the threat against Song Jin and the assassination attempt on his own life, reveals his true capabilities. His servant Fu Cang reports that the Fan family has a history of murder, corruption, and collusion with the local magistrate. Xie Qiao coldly orders the destruction of the Fan family, using his influence to sever their business ties and eliminate them. This marks a turning point: Xie Qiao begins to see Song Jin not merely as an obligation but as someone under his protection, and his feelings toward her shift from detached duty to genuine concern. He carries her to bed when she cries after her stall is destroyed, an act of intimacy that surprises them both.
As the story progresses, Song Jin continues to navigate her dual life—working at her stall, delivering pastries to Xiucui Pavilion, and trying to draw her husband closer—while Xie Qiao balances his hidden identity, his growing attachment to Song Jin, and the political dangers lurking in the capital. The narrative sets up a trajectory where Xie Qiao must eventually confront his enemies, reveal his true identity to Song Jin, and decide whether he can offer her a life as the lady of the Jing’an Marquis Estate or if their class differences and his dangerous circumstances will keep them apart.
