A bold, proud young lady who says exactly what she thinks x a cool, stubborn powerful official (service-minded, cold-faced, does his laundry)
Marriage first, love later / past and present lives / face-slapping comeuppance / exclusive to each other
Xu Lingyi had been in love with Meng Zhixun, Chang'an's most outstanding gentleman, for eight whole years. He was as refined as orchids and bamboo, as clear as the moon and wind, but Meng Zhixun had never felt the same way.
At last, using the debt he owed her for saving his life, she drugged him one night and spent a night of passion with him.
Through her determined pursuit, the two finally married.
She thought a happy married life awaited her, but on their wedding night, Xu Lingyi dreamed of her past life.
It turned out Meng Zhixun had hated her to the core for a long time.
Three years later, he became the most powerful official, second only to the emperor. The first thing he did was order her killed, pushing her off a cliff to avenge the humiliation she'd inflicted on him.
The moment she woke, Xu Lingyi was horrified, as if plunged into an icy abyss. Gasping for breath, she looked at the cool, noble man beside her, bound with red cord.
Meng Zhixun's brow was full of fury. His tone was hostile. "Didn't you want to consummate the marriage? What are you waiting for?"
In this life, Meng Zhixun hated Xu Lingyi most of all. She was ignorant, frivolous, proud, and utterly shameless.
He hated that she used the debt he owed her for saving his life to humiliate him and force him into marriage.
Before the wedding, Xu Lingyi had even brazenly declared, "I saved you, so now you can only be mine!"
"From now on, you have to love me, respect me, and protect me. We will live in harmony and spend every night in bliss, sharing a bed in life and a grave in death!"
"If I die, you have to die for love!"
The emperor had ordered the marriage, and Meng Zhixun couldn't refuse. He decided to placate this woman for now and find a chance to divorce her later.
But after they married, Xu Lingyi changed completely. She took detours to avoid him, wouldn't speak to him during the day, and insisted on sleeping in separate rooms at night.
Meng Zhixun assumed she was just playing hard to get, so he paid it no mind.
Then, at a banquet, Meng Zhixun heard her tell someone, "I'm going to ask for a divorce right away."
"Once we're divorced, I'll find myself eight or ten handsome men and have a great time."
At her words, Meng Zhixun was stunned. His handsome face, usually devoid of expression, slowly darkened.
Bonus scene:
One day,
Xu Lingyi accidentally inhaled an aphrodisiac incense.
She was in terrible discomfort, her face flushed. She sent her maid to find a pill to save her.
To her surprise, Meng Zhixun carried her straight into a room and locked the door behind them.
Xu Lingyi was horrified. Using the last of her strength, she struggled. "Go away! I don't want you! Someone else will give me the antidote!"
Remembering what had happened that night, she blurted out without restraint, "Meng Zhixun, go away! You're terrible in bed! Anyone would be better than you! I don't want you! I hate you!"
"Get on."
"I won't..." Xu Lingyi turned and ran.
Meng Zhixun grabbed her ankle. His voice came suddenly, low and cool. "Don't you like my face?"
Xu Lingyi silently gazed at the man's high, straight nose. She stopped crying.
*The male lead did not kill the female lead. No major spoilers about the past life.
Blurb screenshot saved for posterity
2026.04.20
Theme: Live positively and stay optimistic
