Marriage Gone Rotten

A scoundrel's sincere love / No getting back together after breaking up / Revenge and regret / A sea of hatred and passion / Love by force / Realistic tragic ending / Based on a true story / No moral compass / A woman's growth / Coming of age / No one is innocent / Lots of school scenes early on

Scheming mountain girl x rotten rich heir / Six-year age gap

To go to college in the city, Tu Qingluo loses her virginity.

The older boy from the city tells her that it can grow back, that she's still pure, but if she marries Ma Bao, her life will be ruined.

He could bribe Granny Liu, the woman who checks brides' virginity, so she can avoid the ordeal, but he refuses to.

If he's going to buy a wife, he wants a brand-new one. He gives her a way out and cuts off her way back. Once Tu Qingluo has crossed this line, she can never turn back.

He wants to push Tu Qingluo into the mud, then pull her back out, so she'll cling to him for the rest of her life, too afraid to let go.

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Tu Qingluo thinks a vine wrapping around a tree is clinging to it for support.

Later, she realizes it can also strangle it.

Content warning: No morals. The male lead is arrogant, hypocritical, and promiscuous. He gets no redemption arc. Everyone is a villain.