Reaching for the Capital’s Branches

Tao Wanxing is a young emergency room nurse in Yunzhou who has secretly harbored feelings for Meng Chu since adolescence. Meng Chu is the youngest and most promising Governor in Yunzhou, hailing from a prestigious military family in Jingzhou. Their relationship began when Tao Wanxing’s older sister married Meng Chu’s eldest brother, bringing the orphaned Tao Wanxing into the Meng household. As a child, she was clingy and affectionate toward Meng Chu, but he treated her with impatience and disdain, viewing her as a burden. After overhearing Meng Chu promise marriage to his girlfriend, the famous actress Zhu Yan, Tao Wanxing fled Yunzhou for university, cutting off contact with the Meng family to protect her own heart.

Years later, fate intervenes when Tao Wanxing reunites with Meng Chu in Yunzhou. After a night of heavy drinking, Meng Chu forces himself on her in a hotel room, threatening to ruin his political career if she reveals the incident. To contain the scandal, they hastily register their marriage. However, Meng Chu treats the union as a secret arrangement, refusing to acknowledge Tao Wanxing publicly and insisting she remain hidden from his colleagues and family. Tao Wanxing, hurt by his indifference and aware of his ongoing relationship with Zhu Yan, accepts the role of a nominal wife while enduring his coldness and emotional neglect.

The core conflict deepens as Tao Wanxing discovers Meng Chu’s true priorities. She witnesses his tender interactions with Zhu Yan, who refers to him affectionately as “Ah-Chu,” a nickname reserved for her. Meng Chu introduces Tao Wanxing to his colleagues only as “Miss Tao,” deliberately distancing himself from his wife. Despite this, Meng Chu exerts control over her life, ordering her to move into his residence and forbidding her from working overtime. When Tao Wanxing suffers an allergic reaction and later a high fever, Meng Chu tends to her with a mix of concern and possessiveness, revealing a complex emotional attachment he refuses to admit.

A significant turning point occurs when Zhu Yan is admitted to the hospital where Tao Wanxing works. Zhu Yan publicly claims familiarity with Tao Wanxing, revealing their past connection and mocking Tao Wanxing’s status as an “insignificant person” in Meng Chu’s life. Meng Chu confirms this characterization, further humiliating Tao Wanxing. Shortly after, Tao Wanxing experiences nausea and is suspected of being pregnant by her colleagues. Meng Chu arranges for her to undergo medical tests, which confirm she is not pregnant. However, his reaction is one of cold indifference rather than relief, highlighting the emotional chasm between them.

Tao Wanxing’s frustration culminates in her decision to leave. She submits an application for a medical training program in Jingzhou, the capital, effectively removing herself from Meng Chu’s immediate control. Before departing, she leaves a divorce agreement on his dining table. Meng Chu, upon discovering the papers, is furious but does not immediately confront her. Instead, he begins to investigate her past and current life, driven by a growing sense of possession and confusion over his own feelings. Tao Wanxing arrives in Jingzhou, where she is reunited with her sister Tao Chuxia, who provides her with an apartment and emotional support. The story concludes with Tao Wanxing beginning a new chapter away from Meng Chu, while he grapples with the realization that he may have underestimated the depth of his attachment to her.