Zhao Du'an, a cautious government official, is thrust into a parallel world where he becomes the prized companion of a tyrannical female emperor. When his accidental release of a dangerous criminal puts him in mortal peril, he schemes to win her favor through flattery—only to realize his position as her favored consort conceals a far darker truth. As political enemies circle and martial artists brand him a pariah, Zhao Du'an embraces ruthlessness to survive. He abandons loyalty, betrays allies, and transforms into the emperor's most devoted lackey, wielding influence through manipulation and cunning. His ruthless ascent makes him the target of every faction at court, yet somehow indispensable to Xu Zhen Guan's rule. Years pass. Snow blankets the capital as the female emperor stands alone on the tower, contemplating the man she swore would never matter to her. In that moment of solitude, she whispers a confession that changes everything: 'It was supposed to be pretense... how did this become real?' A tale of deception, survival, and unexpected devotion set against the intricate backdrop of the Great Yu court, where a villain's calculated schemes unravel into something neither of them anticipated.