A Good Woman Marries Three Times

[The title may change] [There will be coercive romance and a groveling chase, but the heroine is no helpless wife.] Someone once read Xue Liangyu's fortune: she would have three husbands in this life, each rising to the highest ranks of government. Xue Liangyu: ...Really? At seventeen, her betrothed went off to war and never returned. No word of him ever came again. Xue Liangyu had no time to grieve, because the second husband in her destiny had arrived! Yan Wanting, the second son of the Marquis's household, was dashing, charming, and tenderhearted. He was the most powerful man Xue Liangyu had ever known, so she captured his heart with a sensuous dance and became his favored concubine. Sadly, it didn't last. One day, Prince Xin came to visit the estate and took an instant liking to Yu'er. Yan Wanting refused to give her up, but knew he couldn't fight him, so he could only ask his elder brother for help. The Marquis of Jinghai, Yan Shiyuan. Yan Shiyuan was powerful and high-ranking, and famous for his cold, unfeeling nature. After hearing his younger brother's tearful plea, he didn't even bat an eyelid. He promptly wrote a letter of repudiation on his brother's behalf. "A woman this seductive should have been sent away long ago. I'll find you a suitable match instead." The Yan brothers had lost both parents young, and their eldest brother had been a father to them all these years. Yan Wanting could neither defy his elder brother nor stand up to Prince Xin, and he couldn't save Yu'er. With red-rimmed eyes, he could only say goodbye to her in anguish. Xue Liangyu said nothing. That night, she changed into a thin gauzy robe and went alone to Yan Shiyuan's room. She knelt before him and, looking pitiful, leaned against his knees. "Please save me, My Lord. I don't want to serve Prince Xin." Yan Shiyuan stroked her cheek. His palm was hot, but his tone was merciless. "You have no choice." "If My Lord would help me, I..." Desperate, Xue Liangyu pressed her cheek against his palm. At last, she said the words: "I would do anything for you." Yan Shiyuan lifted her chin with one hand. Seeing nothing but submission in her eyes, he slowly brushed his thumb over her cherry-red lips. That night, a small sedan chair was carried out through the back gate of the Marquis's estate. Xue Liangyu officially became Yan Shiyuan's kept woman. A year later, just as Yan Wanting was about to return to the capital from his travels, Yan Shiyuan came to Xue Liangyu's little courtyard. Xue Liangyu was sure he had come to dismiss her, and had been looking forward to finally being free. Instead, he said in a low voice, "Pack your things and come back to the estate with me. We'll get married." Xue Liangyu was stunned. She had never imagined that her third husband would be the seemingly cold, yet insatiable Marquis of Jinghai. [Reading Guide] 1. One-on-one pairing. The heroine has no previous partners; the hero does. 2. Fictional setting. Don't nitpick historical details. 3. Synopsis saved on 2024.06.30, screenshot taken. Theme: Never give up hope, no matter what.