Qin Shiyao

*This entry is for the manhua character. See Shin Shiyou for the anime/donghua equivalent.*

**Qin Shiyao** is the daughter of the Qin family, that was chosen to become the wife of Duanmu Xi. He, however, was unwilling, so Shiyao secretly made a deal with him to pretend to be engaged for a year, after which Duanmu Xi publically broke off their engagement.

Qin Shiyao met Duanmu Xi when he was 9 years old during the ceremony for his succession as the new Yangming Master. She was brought there as a future wife option, along with other girls of her age that had the Burning Sun (燃阳之 or Rán Yáng Zhī) body, a special body type with a high amount of Yang energy, with which they could replenish a Yangming Master's energy if they became too exhausted to complete a sacrificial ritual. From that day on, she began to admire him from afar, even keeping photos of him from his younger years on her phone.

When Duanmu Xi was around 16-17 years old, Qin Shiyao was brought to the Duanmu household to sign a marriage contract with him. Duanmu Xi, however, was dragged there against his will and was blackmailed into accepting the contract, otherwise he wouldn't remain the head of the Duanmu household. After that, Qin Shiyao found him outside and offered to occupy the position of his fiancée, since his family wouldn't stop bringing him women until he accepted one, while she herself would go abroad for studies to stay out of his way. Duanmu Xi agreed to do this for a year and advised her to not come back earlier than that. The contract, however, was only signed by Qin Shiyao.

As both of their families kept urging her to return, Qin Shiyao had to come back 6 months earlier than what they had agreed. When she arrived at the airport, Duanmu Xi was asked by his family to pick her up and invite her to a welcoming dinner the next day. That's when she met Yang Jinghua, Duanmu Xi's shadow spirit, who was taken aback by her beauty and elegance. They got along pretty well and quickly became close friends, as they both loved gaming and had the same sense of humor. He couldn't, however, understand her obsession with Duanmu Xi and found her love for him superficial, as she seemed to only like him for his handsomeness and prestige. Later though, he figured out that wasn't the case, as he saw that she really understood and appreciated the sacrifices he was making and the true character he was hiding behind his cold face.

A few months later, during the celebration for the Double Ninth Festival, Duanmu Xi decided to publicly break off the engagement with her, after her father brought the matter up to him. After that, Qin Shiyao, who had been staying in the Duanmu household all this time, returned to her own family. Even though she was deeply hurt, she didn't hold any grudges against him, since that was their agreement from the beginning. She kept helping and supporting him whenever he needed her without a second thought, proving that she truly loved him unconditionally. Duanmu Xi, also, cared for Shiyao, in a non-romantic way, and was only cold towards her so as not to give her any false hopes and destroy her life by dragging her into his depressing and dangerous family affairs.