Late Bloom, Late Love

Shen Zhiyi, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, grew up amid cold neglect and blatant favoritism. Her mother Bai Xin passed away early, and her father Shen Zhong soon remarried his mistress Song Lian, bringing home his illegitimate daughter Shen Yue, who was only two years younger than Zhiyi. Everyone in the Shen household treated Shen Zhiyi harshly. She was forced to wear hand-me-down white dresses that Shen Yue had discarded and eat mango cakes she hated. If she showed the slightest difference, the servants would sneer and call her a copycat, while Shen Yue was always doted on as the beloved second young lady. The only person who ever brought her warmth was Gu Zichen, her personal bodyguard. They had been in a loving relationship for three years, and Gu Zichen was gentle, considerate, and attentive. Shen Zhiyi believed she had finally found someone who truly loved her. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, she bought a diamond ring, determined to propose to him first.