After My Cover Was Blown, I Was Betrothed to My Nemesis

In the twenty-first year of Yongshun in the Da Cheng Dynasty, a severe winter blanketed the Jiangnan region in ice and snow. In Hangzhou, the Wan Hua Lou, a prestigious establishment, hosted its monthly event where the top courtesan, Sheng Qingge, was auctioned to the highest bidder. He Hansheng, a nobleman of calm demeanor and hidden depth, observed the proceedings from a private room. He dispatched his servant Jiang Yuchu to place a bid of one hundred taels of gold, a sum that stunned the crowd and was ultimately matched by representatives from Shuyu Villa, a renowned martial arts sect. Shuyu Villa had recently been approached by an unknown figure from the capital, Huadu, who offered three chests of gold for Sheng Qingge’s life. The Villa’s master, suspicious of the request’s origins and intent to avoid imperial entanglement, refused the contract but secretly sent his agents to investigate.

Shen Suining, the young master of Shuyu Villa’s Bifeng Hall, disguised herself as the dancer Sheng Qingge to infiltrate the brothel. She was accompanied by her colleague Shen Fengyu, who managed the hall’s finances with miserly precision. Their mission was to determine the identity of the buyer and protect Sheng Qingge. During the chaos of the auction, Sheng Qingge vanished from her heavily guarded room, leaving behind only a dying bird and a blood-stained note. He Hansheng, realizing the significance of the missing woman, sealed the Wan Hua Lou and coordinated with local authorities to search for her. Shen Suining, having escaped the initial search, encountered He Hansheng in the corridors. The two engaged in a fierce martial arts duel, neither gaining a decisive advantage due to the confined space and Shen Suining’s restrictive costume. They eventually called a truce, with Shen Suining adopting the alias Miao Cuihua to evade identification.

As the two factions continued their pursuit, Shen Suining and Shen Fengyu tracked Sheng Qingge to a suburban inn. There, they confronted the fleeing courtesan, who revealed she was being hunted by multiple parties. The confrontation was interrupted by the arrival of He Hansheng and Jiang Yuchu. A chaotic battle ensued in the snow-covered inn, involving poisoned smoke and hidden weapons. Both Shen Suining and He Hansheng were temporarily incapacitated, leading to a stalemate. Upon waking, He Hansheng discovered that Shen Suining had left an antidote and a detailed, albeit expensive, list of their shared expenses, highlighting her notorious stinginess.

Seeking information, Shen Suining tracked He Hansheng to a teahouse and negotiated a deal. She provided the location of Sheng Qingge, who was heading to Suzhou to seek refuge with Song Sanniang, a powerful figure in the Qianchun Fang pleasure district. In exchange, He Hansheng paid her twenty taels of silver, a sum Shen Suining reluctantly accepted after a prolonged haggling session. The transaction included a crude, self-painted portrait of Song Sanniang, which He Hansheng accepted with visible restraint. Meanwhile, He Hansheng deduced that Shen Suining’s true identity was concealed beneath her aliases and that her actions did not align with a simple assassination contract.

Upon arriving in Suzhou, He Hansheng entered the vast and complex Qianchun Fang, purchasing jade passes that granted him access to all areas. Shen Suining, disguised as a servant, stole his jade pass to gain entry while denying him access. Inside, she located Song Sanniang in an underground gambling den. Song Sanniang, aware of Shen Suining’s reputation and financial troubles, challenged him to a game of dice. He Hansheng, having followed Shen Suining, joined the game. Under Shen Suining’s guidance, he won several rounds, forcing Song Sanniang to drink. However, when Shen Suining was temporarily removed from the table, He Hansheng, lacking experience with alcohol, drank a poisoned bowl and collapsed. Song Sanniang then drugged Shen Suining as well, capturing both of them.

Bound and blindfolded in a firewood shed, Shen Suining managed to revive herself using a universal antidote. Realizing He Hansheng was not drugged but merely passed out from the alcohol, she attempted to administer the antidote through a kiss. When this failed to wake him, she bit his neck in frustration. The incident revealed the bizarre and contentious dynamic between the two protagonists, who were now bound together by circumstance and mutual suspicion. Their shared captivity marked a turning point, forcing them to rely on each other to escape the clutches of Song Sanniang and uncover the deeper conspiracy surrounding Sheng Qingge and the death of Princess Biyue.