Anqixing, a Chinese love story that tells of a couple who serve their master. In this tale, the lovers are bound by a deep and profound affection for one another, yet they find themselves torn from each other’s arms and forced into servitude to their lord.
Master Zhuang, the ruler of their household, is an older man with a kind heart but also possesses a certain arrogance. He has taken Anqixing as his concubine after she was brought before him by her father in hopes of securing a better life for his family. Anqixing quickly learns that serving her master in both body and mind will bring her the most comfort and security.
She begins to attend to Master Zhuang’s every need, waiting on him hand and foot. She pleases him with her beauty, her charm, and even her cunning. But as she becomes more adept at pleasing her lord, Anqixing finds herself falling deeper in love with another man – her husband.
Her husband, Luoshen, is a humble servant who has been tasked with various jobs around the estate. He is kind-hearted and hardworking but struggles to find favor with his master as he lacks both beauty and cunning. Anqixing tries to use her position to help him, often sneaking him food or messages from their fellow servants.
Despite her efforts, though, Luoshen remains a lowly servant while Anqixing is elevated in status. She becomes increasingly torn between her duty to serve and her love for her husband. As her feelings grow stronger, she finds herself unable to carry out her master’s wishes without betraying the man who holds her heart.
One day, Master Zhuang discovers Anqixing’s secret – that she is still married to Luoshen. Enraged at her deception and unwilling to keep a woman who no longer serves him faithfully, he banishes Anqixing from his household along with Luoshen. They are forced to leave behind everything they knew and loved in order to be together.
As the two lovers walk away hand-in-hand into the unknown, they know that their lives will never be easy again. But they also know that nothing can break the bond between them – not even servitude to a master who would seek to tear them apart.
