When I woke up, the prince’s wife had escaped from marriage

Lin Wanji is a fifteen-year-old noblewoman from the Anping Marquis Mansion, currently residing in Yangzhou with her merchant mother and scholar father. She suffers from recurring nightmares of a woman kneeling in the snow, being tormented by a cruel mistress, and hearing that her family has been executed for treason. These dreams deeply disturb her, yet she maintains a cheerful and composed exterior. Her family travels to the capital to join the Marquis Mansion, where her father, a illegitimate son of the late Marquis, has been granted a position in the Hanlin Academy. On the journey, she interacts with Zhu Xiuming, a talented student of her father, and arrives in the capital with high hopes for a peaceful life.

Upon entering the capital, the Lin family encounters Xiao Shiyan, the Crown Prince of the Zhen Guo Gong Mansion and a celebrated young general. Xiao Shiyan recognizes Lin Wanji from a carriage window and becomes visibly agitated, secretly ordering lotus cakes from her hometown to send to her. This encounter reveals a hidden connection between them. In his private thoughts, it is disclosed that Xiao Shiyan is a man who has been reborn after dying in a previous life. In that past timeline, he conspired with the Crown Prince to overthrow the current ruler, only to return home and find Lin Wanji dead, having been murdered by political enemies. Vowing to change fate, he now seeks to protect her and clear his family's name, which was ruined by the Emperor's suspicion years ago.

The Lin family enters the Anping Marquis Mansion, a grand estate ruled by the matriarchal Old Madam. Lin Wanji is received with unexpected warmth. The Old Madam, who raised the eldest daughter, now a concubine in the East Palace, favors Lin Wanji, bestowing upon her a precious jade hairpin from her own dowry. This gesture causes jealousy among the other family members, particularly Lin Zhaofu, the daughter of the Marquis's second wife, Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang, who rose to power through manipulation and currently holds the title of Marchioness but lacks real authority, resents the attention given to the illegitimate branch. She has been neglected by her husband and feels threatened by the new arrivals.

Lin Wanji is assigned a courtyard named Crimson Flower Pavilion. She selects her servants carefully, including a maid named Xiu Xia, who appears to be a spy sent by the Second Madam, Yu. Despite suspicions about Xiu Xia's background and loyalty, Lin Wanji treats her with kindness and generosity, winning the maid's sincere devotion. She navigates the complex household politics with intelligence, observing the tensions between the different branches of the family. The Second Madam manages the household affairs, while Madam Jiang remains in the shadows, plotting to restore her daughter's status.

As Lin Wanji settles into her new life, she prepares for the Old Madam's upcoming birthday banquet. The atmosphere in the mansion is deceptively peaceful, but underlying currents of rivalry and political intrigue are evident. The Crown Prince's concubine, Lin Wanji's cousin, holds significant influence in the palace, adding another layer of complexity to the family dynamics. Lin Wanji must balance her desire for a quiet life with the inevitable entanglements of her noble birthright and the protective interest of the powerful Xiao Shiyan.

The narrative establishes a dual timeline of past trauma and present opportunity. While Lin Wanji remains unaware of Xiao Shiyan's rebirth and his knowledge of her future suffering, he watches over her from a distance, determined to prevent the tragedies that befell her in his previous life. The story sets the stage for a struggle against political enemies and internal family conflicts, with Lin Wanji's resilience and intelligence serving as her primary defenses in the treacherous environment of the capital's aristocracy.