The Stoic Alpha Was Supposed to Be Cold and Abstinent—So Why Does He Call Me “Little Ancestor”?

Lin Zhaoyang is a high school teacher in a Chinese provincial capital preparing for her upcoming marriage to Yang Wen. Her life is complicated by her estrangement from her paternal grandfather, Lin Rende, and her cousin Lin Ni. Two years prior, Lin Ni had stolen Zhaoyang’s first fiancé, Zou Zhengting, a retired soldier, through a scheme orchestrated by Zhaoyang’s grandmother and uncle. Zou Zhengting had been forced into a marriage with Lin Ni to protect his family’s reputation, but he had secretly forged the marriage certificate to invalidate it, waiting for the right moment to reclaim his life. Meanwhile, Zhaoyang had reluctantly agreed to marry Yang Wen, a man introduced by her late mother’s colleague, Teacher Yang.

The story begins with Zhaoyang waking up in her new home to find Zou Zhengting in her bed, having been drugged by Lin Ni. Unbeknownst to Zhaoyang, Lin Ni had stolen a key to the house from Yang Wen after sleeping with him. Her plan was to drug both Zhaoyang and Zou Zhengting, frame them for an affair, and force Yang Wen to break off his engagement with Zhaoyang so he could marry Lin Ni instead. However, Zou Zhengting, aware of the drug’s effects, managed to maintain his composure. When Lin Ni arrived with relatives and neighbors to catch them in the act, Zou Zhengting and Zhaoyang escaped through a shared wall into his adjacent property. They devised a plan to expose Lin Ni’s treachery by summoning Zhaoyang’s parents and Yang Wen.

When the family and neighbors gathered, the truth unraveled. Yang Wen’s mother, Teacher Yang, revealed that her son had not slept at the new house but had instead spent the night with Lin Ni, confirming the affair. Zou Zhengting detailed how Lin Ni had drugged the tea and manipulated the situation. Faced with undeniable evidence, Yang Wen confessed to his betrayal, claiming he needed to take responsibility for Lin Ni because she was pregnant. This declaration caused a rift between him and his mother, who disowned him for his moral failings. Lin Zhaoyang’s father, Lin Daheng, furious at the repeated humiliation inflicted upon his daughter and the family’s refusal to hold Lin Ni accountable, threatened to sever all ties with his father, Lin Rende.

The conflict escalated when Lin Rende attempted to mediate, suggesting that Lin Ni marry Yang Wen while Zhaoyang marry Zou Zhengting to preserve family harmony. Lin Daheng rejected this proposal, viewing it as a continuation of the injustice that had plagued his daughter. He formally declared the severing of family ties, moving his immediate family out of the Lin household. Lin Zhaoyang, freed from the engagement and the toxic family dynamics, stood by Zou Zhengting, who had protected her throughout the ordeal. The narrative sets the stage for Zhaoyang and Zou Zhengting to navigate their past unresolved feelings while dealing with the fallout of Lin Ni’s schemes and the restructuring of their family relationships.

Lin Ni, despite her failed scheme, remained convinced that Yang Wen would ultimately choose her. She manipulated the situation by feigning weakness and pregnancy, hoping to secure her position. However, her reputation was ruined in the eyes of the community and her own family’s extended network. Yang Wen, torn between his loyalty to his mother and his obsession with Lin Ni, found himself isolated. The story highlights the consequences of greed and deceit, as Lin Ni’s actions not only destroyed Zhaoyang’s first marriage prospect but also jeopardized her second. Zou Zhengting’s presence in Zhaoyang’s life reopens old wounds but also offers a path toward healing and justice. The narrative concludes with the family split, Zhaoyang’s engagement to Yang Wen officially canceled, and the complex dynamics between Zhaoyang and Zou Zhengting left to resolve as they face the future together.