Ye Wanshu is reborn on the eve of her coming-of-age banquet, retaining memories of a tragic previous life where she was betrayed by the two Gu brothers, Tingzhou and Tingchen, who raised her with devotion after her mother's death. In her past life, they humiliated her by bringing a courtesan, Jiang Yueling, to her celebration, leading to her ruin and lonely death. Determined to escape this fate, Wanshu coldly rejects the brothers' expectations and the engagement to marry into the Duke Rong household, a union arranged by both families and sanctioned by the Empress Dowager. The Gu brothers, believing Wanshu is merely throwing a tantrum to gain their attention, bring Jiang Yueling into the mansion, claiming pity for her background. When Yueling stages a dramatic fall into a pond to frame Wanshu for malice, Wanshu openly admits to pushing her, shocking the brothers and her aunt, Ye Huaisu, who have long manipulated Wanshu's isolation and finances to secure their own interests.
The conflict escalates when the Duke of Rong, Gu An, discovers his sons' scandalous behavior and the Empress Dowager's marriage decree has already arrived, cementing the betrothal between Wanshu and Tingzhou. Wanshu's biological father, Ji Yuan, the Chief Minister, arrives not out of paternal love but to secure a political alliance, hoping to use Wanshu to counter the Empress Dowager's influence. Wanshu plays both sides, pretending to be a willing bride to manipulate her father into annulling the engagement through imperial channels, while simultaneously exposing the Gu brothers' true nature. Tingzhou, enraged by Wanshu's perceived scheming and his father's anger, publicly declares he will never marry her and defends Jiang Yueling, leading to a violent confrontation where Gu An beats his son.
In a pivotal turn, Tingzhou and Tingchen choose to leave the Duke Rong household rather than submit, taking Jiang Yueling with them and formally defying the Empress Dowager's decree. This act frees Wanshu from the immediate threat of marriage to the men she despises. However, her freedom is precarious; her aunt has sold her ancestral estate in Tongyang, leaving Wanshu financially dependent and trapped within the mansion. Wanshu realizes she must navigate the treacherous political landscape involving her father, the Emperor, and the Empress Dowager to secure her independence. During a walk in the capital, she encounters Fu Mingchi, the Prince of Yongning, an obscure royal figure who arrives in the capital for marriage negotiations. Their brief, charged interaction hints at a new alliance, as Wanshu seeks to reclaim her destiny away from the manipulative Gu family and her selfish father, setting the stage for her rise in the capital's complex social and political hierarchy.
