After Marrying the Desireless Chief Minister

[Next up: the historical romance The Cold, Aloof Minister Regrets His Actions. Welcome to read and bookmark it!] Sheng Shu's father, blinded by greed, forced her to marry the cold, sinister chief minister, a man without a heart or feelings. Countless people waited to see the spectacle. If the dazzling peony Sheng Shu fell into the hands of that cold-blooded judge, she was sure to live out a miserable existence. But Sheng Shu wasn't afraid. She simply held the marriage contract and smiled gently. Everyone knew Yan Zhixu was born deficient, devoid of all emotion. The Yan family treated him as a discarded pawn, and everyone else saw him as a monster. He knew neither heartache nor joy or sorrow, and feared neither gods nor ghosts. Through ruthless means, he became the most terrifying chief minister in the cabinet. Even the director of the Eastern Depot feared him. No one was willing to marry their daughter to Yan Zhixu, until the Vice Minister of Works proposed his legitimate daughter, Sheng Shu, whose fame had spread throughout the capital. Yan Zhixu agreed. He was mired in the mud, and simply wanted to watch this flower of worldly splendor fall from her gilded palace into the dirt. On their wedding night, the bride he'd expected to be weeping prettily instead smiled gently. Her limpid eyes blinked as she tugged playfully at Yan Zhixu's belt and softly asked if he was cold. Everyone treated him like a walking corpse. No one had ever cared about him as if he were human. The only person who ever did was that beautiful woman. Later, Yan Zhixu held her in the palm of his hand and gave her everything he could. Others thought Yan Zhixu was a freak, cruel because he knew nothing of human warmth. Only Sheng Shu knew the truth: At a spring outing with the sons of noble families when they were young, the cold-faced boy had pressed his lips together and tugged at her sleeve when it was time to part, unwilling to let her leave, hoping to keep that breathtaking beauty by his side. He had once tried so hard, yearning for the warmth of an ordinary life to reach into his dark, muddy world. From that day on, Sheng Shu kept him in her heart and never forgot him. P.S. Gentle, dazzling, wealthy heroine x emotionless, desireless / deeply devoted hero One-to-one sweet romance, mutual salvation. Coming soon: historical romance ---- The Cold, Aloof Minister Regrets His Actions ---- As the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, Jiang Qi had been treated like royalty since childhood. But when the Jiang family was suddenly convicted of a crime, the moon in the heavens fell straight into the mud. In her youth, she had admired Pei Ji, the capital's famous, distant nobleman. The Pei family had served as high ministers for four generations, and Pei Ji, as the eldest legitimate son, held immense power. Jiang Qi schemed her way to Pei Ji's side, but he paid her no mind, treating her like a little plaything. He came late at night and left as soon as he was done, utterly cold and indifferent. Jiang Qi didn't care. As long as she could use Pei Ji's influence to clear her family's name, she could act as though her admiration for him was ten times stronger than it really was. She followed him around, eagerly trying to please him, and didn't care when people mocked her. Fortunately, an opportunity fell into her lap. The Jiang family's case was overturned, and Jiang Qi took full control of the family. She seized the chance to escape Pei Ji. In everyone's eyes, Pei Ji was a powerful minister as bright and pure as moonlight. He had an unspeakable secret: he had certain cravings. He had nowhere to vent them, and contact with other people only made him more repulsed. Then one day, Pei Ji discovered by chance that Jiang Qi could satisfy his craving. Pei Ji disliked Jiang Qi. He thought she was scheming and brazenly ambitious, nothing like the quiet, refined noblewomen of ordinary families. If Jiang Qi hadn't been useful in certain ways, he wouldn't have let her anywhere near him. He knew Jiang Qi was using the Pei family and his power to advance her schemes. She went to great lengths, but Pei Ji merely watched her struggle like a little animal in a cage. Later, when Jiang Qi's maternal family regained its former glory, she resolutely left Pei Ji. He thought her deeply in love with him, so he assumed this was just a clumsy ploy to get his attention. Until one day, after they had lost themselves in passion and reached the heights of pleasure, Jiang Qi sat astride him, her gaze unfocused, and casually mentioned that she would soon have a handsome young man marry into her family. Why not part ways now? Pei Ji burned with rage. He glared at Jiang Qi coldly, crushing the ring on his thumb to pieces. The next moment, he grabbed Jiang Qi by the waist and slammed her down hard. [A cool and aloof minister's face-slapping,