In Ancient Times the Powerful and Privileged Seized Everything Step by Step

In her third year after transmigrating into the ancient world, the person who had once sheltered Zhu Qingyu fell into imprisonment. Gu Zhao, heir to the Duke of Dingguo, reached out to help. He said only one word: “Once.”

A fleeting night of passion—
for her, it was an ending;
for him, it was only the beginning.

…

Gu Zhao lived by the principles of self-restraint and discipline. Upright in character and proper in conduct, he was faultless in all things—except when it came to a married woman. With her, he could not suppress the boundless desires of greed, anger, and attachment.

He knew full well that her gentleness toward him was forced, that every bit of tenderness was for the sake of another man. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from pressing forward, step by step, demanding more. He even dared to imagine that within her feigned affection, there might have been even the faintest trace of sincerity meant for him.

Note: Both leads are “clean” (i.e., exclusive in body and heart).