You're going to marry someone else—if I run away and give up my place why are you chasing after me

Jiang Yu is a modern college student who transmigrated to an ancient dynasty two years ago. Lacking the desire to return to her original world, she establishes a modest livelihood selling rouge in a rural village, prioritizing financial security and a comfortable life over romantic ambition. Her plans shift when Xiao Lingzhou, a handsome and aloof schoolteacher, arrives in the village. Attracted primarily by his exceptional appearance, Jiang Yu actively pursues him through persistent flirtation and culinary gestures. After six months of courtship, Xiao Lingzhou proposes marriage, and Jiang Yu accepts, blinded by her infatuation. Their marriage is initially harmonious, with Xiao Lingzhou appearing gentle, domestic, and devoted, though he displays intense physical possessiveness in private. Jiang Yu remains unaware that her husband conceals a dangerous secret identity.

The central conflict emerges when Jiang Yu discovers Xiao Lingzhou is not a simple teacher but a prince actively evading assassination attempts orchestrated by the Empress Dowager. While hiding in a bamboo grove, she witnesses him ruthlessly killing an assassin with his bare hands, shattering her perception of him as a mild-mannered scholar. She learns he is poisoned, has a politically arranged fiancée in the capital named Su Yueqing, and plans to return to the capital within a month to consolidate his power and resolve his marital obligations. Realizing she is merely a temporary comfort and that her status as a commoner offers no protection in the imperial court, Jiang Yu decides to flee. She resolves to escape before his cure is complete, seeking to preserve her independence and avoid becoming a concubine in a polygamous household.

Jiang Yu begins secretly preparing for her departure by liquidating assets and commissioning a fake travel permit. Her escape plan is complicated by a sudden storm that triggers a mudslide while she is gathering wild ginseng in the mountains. Trapped by rising floodwaters, she is rescued by Xiao Lingzhou, who had been monitoring her movements through his guards. During the rescue, he discovers her absence and confronts her with cold anger, though he ultimately tends to her injuries with care. The incident forces them to take shelter in a remote hut, where their physical intimacy resumes, highlighting the dissonance between his public ruthlessness and private tenderness. Jiang Yu remains conflicted, torn between fear of his violent nature and attraction to his affection.

Upon returning to the village, Jiang Yu encounters a rival, Cui Ling, who harbors romantic feelings for Xiao Lingzhou. Jiang Yu devises a scheme to eliminate this threat and secure funds for her escape. She fabricates a story claiming Xiao Lingzhou is the heir to a wealthy family hiding from a malicious stepmother and that she is terminally ill. She offers to sell Xiao Lingzhou to Cui Ling for one hundred taels of silver, exploiting Cui Ling’s greed and ambition. Cui Ling, believing the lie and coveting the perceived wealth, agrees to the transaction. Jiang Yu’s actions serve a dual purpose: she intends to use the money to fund her flight while simultaneously testing Xiao Lingzhou’s reaction to her betrayal. The narrative establishes a complex dynamic where Jiang Yu navigates the perilous politics of a hidden prince’s life while attempting to maintain her autonomy against overwhelming odds.

The story progresses with Jiang Yu balancing her facade of a devoted wife against her secret preparations for departure. She continues to manage her rouge business and ginseng harvesting to accumulate resources, all while monitoring Xiao Lingzhou’s health and political movements. The tension escalates as the deadline for his return to the capital approaches, and the Empress Dowager’s influence looms larger. Jiang Yu’s deception of Cui Ling introduces further complications, as the village dynamics shift and Xiao Lingzhou’s suspicions may eventually be aroused. The core narrative arc focuses on Jiang Yu’s struggle to survive in a hostile feudal environment, leveraging her wits and modern perspective to outmaneuver both external political threats and internal marital deceptions.