Dangerous Husband

In the second year of their marriage, Xiang He asked her husband, Zhou Ximing, for a divorce.

Trouble had struck her family, and she desperately needed Zhou Ximing to shield her from the storm.

Zhou Ximing was the eldest son in his family: elegant, composed, and refined. Even before marriage, he had been a sought-after match among the prominent families of the capital. After they married, he became the perfect husband, mentioning his wife Xiang He in two out of every five sentences and making everyone around them envious.

After Xiang He fell on hard times, she was especially grateful. At home, she managed the household and cared for her elders; in public, she handled everything with ease and got along with everyone. Anyone who saw them said they were a perfect match, made for each other.

But she knew Zhou Ximing had no feelings for her. When she brought up divorce, the jade-like gentleman before her did not even furrow his brow. He only suggested they have dinner and a couple of drinks that night to talk things over.

She sweetly agreed.

After waking from a drunken night, Xiang He found herself in a completely unfamiliar room. Heavy curtains blocked out the light. Her undergarments lay scattered across the carpet. She tried to get up, only to realize her limbs were restrained. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

A little while later, her husband, Zhou Ximing, came out wrapped in a bath towel.

Though she could barely move, she still looked as gentle and charming as ever. In a soft voice, she called him Ximing and asked, "What's going on?"

Zhou Ximing lit a cigarette and sat in the armchair by the window. Through the curling smoke, he narrowed his eyes and admired his perfect wife.

A natural beauty, one of a kind in the world.

And she wanted to divorce him?

He gave Xiang He two choices:

Stay with him.

Wait for him to die.

Terrified, Xiang He chose the first without hesitation.

Zhou Ximing stubbed out his cigarette, freed her, and held her in his arms as he comforted her.

After that night, Xiang He realized her husband seemed like a different person.

Not only had his appetite skyrocketed, but he had all kinds of new tricks, often leaving her completely exhausted.

At last, unable to take it anymore, she slapped Zhou Ximing across the face.

But before he could get angry, Xiang He started crying.

Her husband was powerful and used to having the final say. When had anyone ever slapped him?

To her surprise, Zhou Ximing wasn't angry at all. He took her other hand and asked, "Xiangxiang, want to give this side a try too?"

*

Powerful male lead, weaker female lead, large cast, lots of setup in the early chapters, and a slow pace. If that's not your thing, proceed with caution.

The story opens after the leads are married. They have known each other since childhood. This is not a conventional marriage-first, love-later story; at its core, it is about coercion.

This story is entirely fictional. The characters and plot are not based on real people. Please do not draw comparisons to reality. Thank you.

Blurb written on 2026.04.11. Screenshot saved.

Cover background image from RedNote creator @33 Live, used with permission.

Theme: Becoming a better version of yourself