The Marquis' Beloved is a Black-Hearted Lotus

 Character & Term Glossary

· Ye Chutang (叶初棠): The female protagonist, a reborn heir to an ancient medical family. She wishes to live a lazy life but is forced to care for her three younger siblings. The "Black-Hearted Lotus."

· Shen Yanchuan (沈延川): The male lead, the powerful Marquis of Dingbei (定北侯). Referred to in the title as "The Marquis."

· Third Brother (三弟): Ye Chutang's younger brother, severely injured at the start.

· Fourth Brother (四弟): Ye Chutang's younger brother,昏迷 (in a coma) at the start.

· Fifth Sister / Little Doll (五姑娘/奶娃娃): Ye Chutang's youngest sister, just a baby when their parents die.

· Marquis of Dingbei (定北侯): The title of Shen Yanchuan, meaning "Marquis who Guards the North."

· Black-Hearted Lotus (黑心莲): The core metaphor for Ye Chutang - beautiful and pure on the outside, cunning and resilient on the inside.

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PROLOGUE

Ye Chutang, the heir to an ancient medical family, had struggled all her life. Just as she was about to assume her leadership role, she died unexpectedly.

Reborn into a new world, her only wish was to be a lazy bum and coast through this life. However, she was hit with a critical blow right from the start: her parents and eldest brother were murdered, leaving her alone with three young kids.

Her third brother was severely injured, her fourth brother was in a coma, and there was still a baby sister, crying to be fed.

She hefted the icy-hard cornbread in her hand,looked up at the sky in despair, and thought: One adult dragging three kids—this hand of cards is so bad I might as well just quit and restart.

The little milk bun tugged at the hem of her trousers.

"Hungwy."

Ye Chutang: "..." Fine. Time to get to work!

...

Ye Chutang's plan was perfect: raise the kids, then retire and live a life of leisure.

It's just that a certain man seemed determined to thwart her wishes.

"You, Second Miss Ye, have delayed me for so many years. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Ye Chutang:"Wow. Impressive."

[Translator's Note: "6" is modern Chinese internet slang, expressing sarcastic admiration or disbelief, similar to "Wow, the audacity." Here, it's rendered to convey her dry, unimpressed reaction.]

Back then, you were the one stubbornly camping outside my door, and now it's somehow my fault?

...

The Ye family became extraordinary. The third young master of the Ye family became the Top Scholar in the imperial examinations. The fourth young master performed great military feats, his reputation shaking the entire Northwest. The fifth young lady of the Ye family built a business empire that spanned the world, amassing wealth that could rival a nation.

Yet, the second young lady of the Ye family, who had been busy raising her siblings, found herself growing older without noticing, her marriage prospects becoming a cause for concern.

Until one day, Shen Yanchuan, the powerful Marquis of Dingbei whose influence overshadowed the court, came to welcome her with a dowry procession that stretched for ten li.

Ye Chutang was silent for a long, long time.

"This time," she said, "you're taking care of the kid."