In February, the imperial capital lay under a blanket of snow and ice.

In a secluded courtyard of the Marquis household, the snow that was supposed to be cleared had filled the courtyard instead. 

In the midst of it, a slender young woman in white was sitting on a snow-covered swing, her weary face lowered as she listlessly swung back and forth, almost blending into the snowy landscape.

"The young lady's been sitting there for nearly half an hour," whispered two maids huddled in the corridor, one of whom, dressed in blue, held a thick cloak in her arms and glanced hesitantly at her visibly unhappy mistress.

Recently, a major event had shaken the capital—after a decade, the missing daughter of the Marquis had been found.

Though the incident itself wasn't remarkable, what made it noteworthy was how the Marquis recognized his daughter, she had been serving as a maid beside Crown Prince.

 Apparently, when the Marquis identified her, Crown Prince refused to release her, leading to a brawl between the two men, which even disturbed the emperor himself.

The maid, who was at the center of the commotion, suddenly transformed into a young lady of the Marquis household and became famous in the capital due to her association with the Crown Prince.

However, the newly elevated Miss Ah Shan was bewildered by this development—not because of her changed identity, but because it was only after ten years that she realized she was in a story!

Ah Shan didn't belong to this world.

 Before entering this world, she had just finished her college entrance exams. In her excitement, she stayed up late reading a lengthy male-oriented novel.

 Right after she closed her eyes, she found herself transported into a remote forest.

She had transformed into a tiny toddler and, fortunately, someone rescued her, though that same person held her captive in the mountains for nearly ten years.

Two months ago, after finally escaping, Ah Shan picked up a memory-impaired, sickly beauty on the roadside. 

Unaware that she was in a novel, she didn't realize that the handsome man she took in was the Crown Prince.

The night Ah Shan was brought back to the Marquis household by her father, Marquis Gu Boyuan, she dreamt and discovered she had been transported into a novel—an absolute nightmare for her.

Being trapped in the wilderness for a decade had erased much of her memory of the plot.

The only thing she remembered was that the story's male lead was none other than the Crown Prince she had saved.

To Ah Shan, the male lead was a villainous character, ruthless and morally corrupt, who would do anything to help his father seize the throne. 

Realizing all this nearly made her want to cry.

Thinking back, if she had only saved him and kept her distance, it might have been fine.

 But in her foolish attempt to protect herself, she had somehow attracted his attention...

"Miss, please be careful not to catch a cold." 

A thick cloak was draped over her shoulders, bringing Ah Shan out of her thoughts. 

Maid Miaoling, standing cautiously by her side, asked worriedly, "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"

Ah Shan pulled the cloak closer, shook her head, and replied softly, "I'm fine."

"But Miss, you look pale. Shall I fetch a doctor for you?" Miaoling asked worriedly.

Ah Shan sighed. 

"It's just exhaustion."

In the past two months, since she saved the Crown Prince, her life had been a series of frightening encounters.

 Not only had she escaped death, but she had also witnessed his cold-blooded ruthlessness.

As Ah Shan struggled with her fears, another maid, Miaoyue, approached. 

"Miss, as you've just returned to the household, would you like to meet the First Miss?"

The "First Miss" was the Marquis's elder daughter, Gu Xishuang, who had been the only cherished daughter of the household before Ah Shan's return.

"Who did you say?"

 Upon hearing Gu Xishuang's name, Ah Shan stiffened as more pieces of the story came to mind.

In the original plot, the Marquis's youngest daughter was never found, and his eldest daughter, Gu Xishuang, was the story's female lead. 

Graceful, kind, and clever, she ended up married to Crown Prince by imperial decree.

Ah Shan suddenly remembered the novel's dramatic twist: Gu Xishuang wasn't the Marquis's biological daughter and had once plotted with her mother to abandon her younger sister in the wilderness to secure their position in the household.

"Let's skip the meeting for now," Ah Shan said, not eager to see Gu Xishuang after recalling this.

Snow continued to fall in the courtyard.

 Miaoling noticed and asked curiously, "Miss, why haven't you had the courtyard cleared?"

Ah Shan gave the snow a glance, got up from the swing, and knelt to form a small, round snowball. 

She looked at her two maids with a mischievous glint in her eye.

 "Do you know how to have a snowball fight?"

Miaoling and Miaoyue froze in surprise.

The past ten years on the mountain had taught Ah Shan to find her own amusement in her isolation.

***

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and Marquis Gu Boyuan left the palace. 

The Marquis's face was tense.

The Crown Prince was no ordinary man.

 His father was the Emperor's brother, and he wielded enormous influence. 

The most terrifying thing about him, however, was his cruel and perverse methods.

The Marquis, who had maintained a neutral stance, had never imagined being entangled with this fearsome figure.

 Yet here he was, having clashed with him over his newly found daughter.

Recalling the decree Crown Prince had just requested from the Emperor, the Marquis forced a bitter smile.

 "You're quite cunning, My Lord."

Crown Prince shook off the snow on his shoulder, unfazed.

As an attendant held an umbrella for him, he tilted his head slightly and gave a subtle smile, appearing elegant and polite—a stark contrast to his ruthless nature. 

"You flatter me, Marquis," he said softly.

Turning the jade ring on his finger, he continued in a low voice, "I'd advise you to return to your household quickly. Steward Wang is already on his way with the imperial decree. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting, would it?"

The Marquis's expression darkened as he left, grumbling, "My household doesn't give away daughters so easily. You'd better prepare for a proper wedding!"

Snow continued falling, heavier than before, ever since Crown Prince's return to the capital.

"Your Highness, are you really planning to marry the maid?" the attendant holding his umbrella asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Crown Prince replied calmly, watching as snowflakes collected in his open hand.

 With a cold smirk, he whispered, "Until she's fully in my grasp, how could I be at ease?"

Unaware of the decree, Ah Shan continued playing with snow in her courtyard. 

Just as she finished building a snowman, Miaoyue rushed over.

 "Miss, something major has happened!"

"What now?" Ah Shan asked, exasperated.

Panting, Miaoyue answered, "I overheard that when the Marquis returned, he brought an imperial decree for a marriage between our household and Crown Prince's family!"

"A marriage decree?"

 Ah Shan froze, her heart sinking.

"Between who?" 

An ominous feeling crept in as she thought about the original story, where the Crown Prince had married the First Miss.

"Between you and him, Miss," Miaoyue said, leaving Ah Shan utterly dumbfounded.

The snowball in her hand slipped, and her legs gave way as she collapsed onto the newly built snowman, her mind growing sharper with terror.

Ah Shan knew she was done for.

 Entrapped by the Crown Prince, she wouldn't die, but she'd surely suffer. 

Had she known she was in a story, she'd never have rescued that terrifying man back in Jinzhou City!