The Beloved Second Wife

As a second wife, Xue Li thought she was doing a pretty good job.

When her husband held out his hand, she helped him undress.

When he was hungry, she served him a meal.

When he wanted a kiss, even if her bones felt like they were coming apart, she gave him all the attention he wanted!

But why, whenever the dead of night came and she was fast asleep, did her husband secretly sit up all night holding his first wife's memorial tablet?

And why did he keep murmuring, "Qingqing, I miss you so much"?

Xue Li couldn't understand. If he couldn't let go of his late wife, why had he married her?

And if he had already married her, why neglect her? It wasn't as if she couldn't find another husband.

Then one day, she found a portrait in her husband's room that looked just like her. The inscription read, "My wife, Qingqing."

Only then did Xue Li realize that after all her efforts, she was nothing but a substitute.

As the cherished youngest daughter of the prime minister's family, she had her own pride. So she immediately packed up ten carts of dowry, waved goodbye, and left without a backward glance...

-

Mo Xiuchen married and started a family at fifteen, taking as his bride Rong Qing, the young cousin of the empress on her mother's side.

They had grown up together, childhood sweethearts with an innocent affection. His young cousin had just come of age when she married him, and back then, he felt as though he owned the whole world.

Sadly, she was taken from him too soon. Barely a year after their wedding, she passed away, and his beloved became a memory.

For the next sixteen years, Mo Xiuchen remained alone. No woman ever came near him. The only thing that brought him comfort was occasionally holding his late wife's memorial tablet and sharing a few heartfelt words with his young cousin.

Then one day, the emperor fell gravely ill, and Mo Xiuchen was forced to marry the prime minister's youngest daughter as his second wife, to strengthen his position at court.

Behind the warm silk curtains and beneath the red wedding candles, the face beneath the scarlet veil looked exactly like his young cousin. He was stunned, and his heart began to race.

He thought he was so captivated by her only because he saw her as a substitute for his late wife, and that was why he couldn't control himself.

But without realizing it, this young woman gradually filled his heart. He couldn't think of anyone but her.

Unable to face the fact that his affections had shifted, he would hold his late wife's memorial tablet in the dead of night and mutter things like, "I miss you. I can't let you go."

That way, he could remind himself that his late wife was the one he loved most.

But when Xue Li resolutely placed a divorce agreement before him, the memorial tablet in his arms shattered...

A face-slapping crematorium of the highest order. The male lead insists on presenting himself as a devoted lover, only to have that image thoroughly face-slapped later on.

He's truly a scumbag, and his love is truly real.

The female lead suffers in the first half, and the male lead suffers in the second.

Theme: Keep your spirits up