
The marriage between Song Zhiyi, the chief translator for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Huo Yanli, the heir apparent of the Beijing circle, began with an agreement made by their elders.
She wished to fulfill her grandfather's last request, and he needed to appease family pressure. Bound by a marriage contract, they were like strangers.
She carried the unfulfilled ideals of her parents, navigating through wars and defusing conflicts with her words. He moved within the world of fame and fortune, believing his heart still held a place for his first love.
As their five-year contract neared its end, he was startled to realize that his always quiet and poised wife had, with a radiance that was out of place in this superficial world, already illuminated the most desolate corner of his heart.
When his first love returned to stir up trouble and family woes followed one after another, she remained undisturbed. It wasn't until he saw the scar on her back, left from protecting children in a war zone, and until she stood at the international negotiation table, turning the tide, that Huo Yanli finally understood what kind of star he had almost missed.
"Song Zhiyi, the five-year agreement is void." He cornered her at the end of a UN corridor, his voice hoarse, "What I want is a lifetime."
Yet, she smiled faintly and pushed him away, "Mr. Huo, my journey is about ensuring peace across mountains and rivers, and tranquility for all humanity. If you cannot keep up, then step aside."