The Scattered Pearls Belt is a string of habitats on the edge of a huge galactic empire—a glittering, decadent society rife with corruption. Now, one of its victims—Quỳnh, a scholar betrayed and left for dead—has come back for her revenge under the guise of the glamorous and enigmatic Alchemist of Streams and Hills. Quỳnh’s path intersects that of Minh—the daughter of one of her oldest enemies, who chafes at her own lack of freedom—and of Hoà, a near-destitute engineer who poses a threat to all Quỳnh’s careful plans. Quỳnh finds herself inexorably attracted to Hoà, even as her plans upend the fragile political equilibrium of the Belt. Falling in love wasn’t part of Quỳnh’s plans. Will she be able to grasp this second chance at happiness, or will she cling to a revenge that may well consume her whole? A poignant, heartwarming, romantic space opera about love, revenge, and the weight of the past.