Forcing the Aloof Beauty to Break My Love Curse

{The blurb will be carefully revised later.} "Neither of us is a good person." A fake ice queen x a real avenger. The second male lead pursues his wife to the crematorium. 1. From princess to prince consort's wife to empress, Shen Ci spent her entire life in the envy of others. They said she was lucky. Even after the Shen family was accused of treason, she still sat securely in the empress's palace. But Shen Ci was tired. She had long seen through Zhou Ziheng's cold-hearted cruelty. Her only regret was that she couldn't kill him with her own hands before she died. She opened her eyes and returned to the age of eighteen. On this very day in her previous life, Zhou Ziheng had broken the love curse on her, and then she married him. But the childhood companionship and undying love she'd believed in were nothing but an act by Zhou Ziheng. From beginning to end, all he wanted was her family's support. Remembering the Shen family's tragic fate in her previous life, Shen Ci chose a different path without a second thought. Amid the falling snow, she saw Pei Yu, the emperor's close aide who had held immense power in her previous life, standing beneath a tree in a light white robe. Their eyes met. Looking into Pei Yu's dark, deep eyes, she stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Break the love curse for me. I'll give you whatever you want." She gritted out the words, certain that this aloof, uncaring man would refuse. She was even wondering whether she should force him into it, but to her surprise, after gazing at her for a long while, he simply said, "Fine." 2. Pei Yu had always thought that his relationship with Shen Ci was purely transactional. Or perhaps they had only shared a common goal for a short time. But later, seeing her with another man made him feel awful. His attendant asked if he had fallen for her. He found the idea ridiculous. How could he have fallen for her? He simply didn't like seeing someone else's mark on what belonged to him. But later... Even knowing that getting involved with the Shen family would ruin his plans, he still stepped in. Later still, Shen Ci fell gravely ill, beyond the help of medicine. Though he had never believed in the gods, he carried her on his back and climbed on his knees all the way to a temple atop a mountain. Looking up at the lofty Buddha, he pleaded hoarsely, "I want her to live, no matter the cost." 3. Zhou Ziheng was cold and unfeeling. He had indeed married Shen Ci for the benefits her family could bring him. But when the Shen family fell and the court officials demanded that he depose the empress, he refused. When Shen Ci plunged a dagger into his chest, his first thought was that he couldn't let anyone see, or he would never be able to protect her again. He knew Shen Ci hated him, but no matter how much she hated him, she was still his wife. Yet that winter, his wife died in his arms. Watching Shen Ci close her eyes, Zhou Ziheng felt panic for the first time. Theme: .