The male protagonist is a black heart lotus

Chapter 1:

Under the azure sky and yellow leaves, in the chilly autumn wind, beneath the long pavilion.

“Cha’er, I don’t know when I’ll be able to return from this trip to Yan City. If I can pass the provincial examination, I’ll come back and marry you. Are you willing to wait for me?” The young woman in brown clothes asked the green-clad man in front of her, her eyes brimming with tears and her face full of reluctance.

The man had a face like jade, with exquisite features and eyes like paintings. A small beauty mark at the corner of his eye made him even more charming and alluring. He lowered his head, his expression sorrowful as he spoke, “Lu Cha is naturally willing to wait for you. However, marriage is decreed by parents and matchmakers. Even if I have to marry another, I would not dare disobey. I only hope you can return soon, lest I be married off to someone else.”

The woman looked even more distressed. “If only I had been born into a wealthy family, then we could be well-matched and no one could stop us from being together.”

The woman said a few more tender words, and the man responded with equal sorrow. Soon, the woman shouldered her bundle and left, turning back every few steps.

Once the woman was gone, the man’s melancholic expression instantly turned into one of disdain.

He raised his fair, slender fingers to gently wipe away the teardrops on his face. Turning around, he sat on the stone bench and picked up his teacup, taking a light sip of the tea.

“Such a weepy woman is truly annoying,” he scoffed coldly.

The purple-clad servant boy who had been standing to the side all along was somewhat puzzled. “Young master, then why did you go to such lengths to curry favor with her? She has neither money nor beauty, only able to recite a few sour poems. Yet you rejected Miss Qian’s advances for her. This servant truly does not understand.”

The green-clad man set down his teacup, the corners of his red lips curling slightly. “I merely wanted to take a gamble. If she can pass the provincial examination, I’ll marry her. If she’s useless, I’ll accept Miss Qian’s advances then.”

Zi Yi was slightly startled and sighed. “Young master…”

Zhang Meng crouched behind the dense bushes, overhearing every word. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Since transmigrating to this female-dominated world, she had been living in the mountains. She never knew that not all men here were as gentle and kind as her adoptive father Yang Qing. Some could scheme like the vicious female villains in TV dramas.

But love was a matter between two willing parties. It was not her place to interfere, nor did she wish to. Even after lying on the grass and waking much later, she did not emerge to disturb the couple, merely observing silently from the sidelines.

Only after the handsome man named Xu Lu Cha left with his purple-clad servant boy did she stand up and come out.

Zhang Meng originally lived on the small mountain west of the city, where the trees were lush, flowers bloomed abundantly, and the scenery was beautiful.

Eleven years ago, her soul had transmigrated into the body of a seven-year-old girl who had been abducted. While escaping, she fell off a cliff. A young, lame man saved her.

The man’s name was Yang Qing. He had been a servant of a wealthy family but was disfigured and beaten nearly to death by his master for making a mistake. He was then abandoned in the mountains to fend for himself.

When Zhang Meng first saw Yang Qing’s appearance, she was startled, for his features were unrecognizable, his flesh a mangled mess.

Although Yang Qing’s face was terrifying, he had a kind heart. Whenever he found something delicious, he would give it to Zhang Meng to eat while he would make do with random sour and astringent fruits to stave off hunger.