[Face-blind heroine × scheming, sweet-talking older brother / taciturn, devoted younger brother] [Twin brothers, stealing someone's partner, 1v2 rivalry for the heroine, regret and groveling / coercive possession]
After coming of age, Su Taoqian finally married the man she'd loved since she was young: Xie Chengxuan, second son of the Marquis of Pingyang.
After the wedding, the two treated each other with respect and shared a harmonious life. A year into their marriage, Su Taoqian was living freely and comfortably, but still had no children. Over time, this earned her, despite her reputation for being virtuous, a flood of gossip.
But how could a couple who had never shared a bed have children?
At first, she assumed her husband was too busy with military affairs to care about romance. If she took the initiative, if she was willing to wait, surely she could melt that block of ice.
It was only after they survived a dangerous ordeal together that Xie Chengxuan realized how precious his wife was. It was as if he had become a different person.
By day, he was tender and indulgent, shamelessly taking her side. He even spoiled the usually well-behaved Su Taoqian until she grew a temper.
At night, he was like a ravenous wolf in bed. The man who once wouldn't let her set foot in his study had become clingy and insatiable, leaving Su Taoqian in tears night after night.
One night, after they had gone to bed, Su Taoqian happened to see the portrait in the study. Only then did she belatedly understand why Xie Chengxuan's "temperament had changed so much," and why he had risked his life to rescue her from bandits.
It turned out her husband had long been in love with someone else. He had lowered himself to marry a merchant's daughter like her only because she looked seven parts like his childhood sweetheart.
It was another ordinary night, and her husband was as rough as ever.
"...Tao Tao, I'm sorry."
"It's my fault. Tao Tao did nothing wrong."
"I'll make it up to Tao Tao..."
At the moment they were tangled together, the man holding her was restrained and full of hidden pain, his voice carrying a bitterness she couldn't quite name.
Su Taoqian's tears soaked the pillow. As if waking from a dream, she realized that his childhood sweetheart's name was Tao.
Her status might be low, but she would never be anyone's substitute. Even after she discovered she was pregnant three months later, she resolutely went to the military camp to seek a divorce from Xie Chengxuan.
The divorce agreement lay before the man, every character written neatly, the paper streaked with tears.
"...You're pregnant?"
Xie Chengxuan, who had been away fighting for months, stared at her in stunned silence. His voice was hoarse, his eyes dark as he belatedly noticed her belly.
He had probably been set up. Someone had long since stolen his wife right from under his nose.
Rain poured down, thunder roared, and the usually peaceful estate descended into chaos.
After her divorce, Su Taoqian was taken in by her brother-in-law, whom she had "never met before." When she asked what had happened, she learned there had been a brawl.
One of the people involved was her ex-husband, Xie Chengxuan.
And the other was the new master of this estate, her brother-in-law, the eldest legitimate son of the Xie family, Xie Chengyao.
In the courtyard, blades flashed, and blood mingled with the rain.
The man beside her held her tightly in his arms. "Chengxuan, long time no see. What are you doing at my house? Tao Tao has chosen me. She hasn't belonged to you for a long time."
Looking at two identical faces, Su Taoqian touched the child in her belly, who was about to be born, and felt her mind explode.
Reader's Guide:
1. The romance develops in stages. The couple only get together after the engagement is called off.
2. Both male leads are sexually inexperienced and love the heroine. The two male leads look almost exactly alike.
3. Note: The older brother is a scheming, sweet-talking little dog with no real moral compass. He will force the heroine into a relationship.
Theme: Always strive to improve
