Six-year-old Shen Baoning, envious of others having an older brother's pampering, sneaked out to search for one. Armed with only a piece of malt candy, she lured the seven-year-old Crown Prince Xiao Chengji—who had slipped out of the palace to watch acrobatics—back into her family's cellar to become her exclusive older brother. The prince's disappearance triggered chaos in the imperial palace with a citywide search, and Shen's parents knelt in terror to plead for mercy upon learning the truth. But Xiao Chengji had long been touched by the innocent and pure Shen Baoning; not only did he intercede for the Shen family, but he also requested an imperial decree for her to be his exclusive study companion. Over the next decade or so, the two accompanied each other day and night, growing up together as childhood sweethearts. Their innocent affection quietly transformed into heartfelt adoration. Having weathered palace trivialities, public gossip, and perilous situations in the hunting grounds, the two guarded each other with a deep-rooted bond of love. In the end, the emperor bestowed a marriage upon them.