The Chief Minister's Delicate Concubine Ran Away (Reborn)

Though Shen Yingying was the daughter of a county magistrate in a borderland town, she possessed a beauty unlike any other in the world and had been pampered all her life.

One day, Shen Yingying accompanied her mother to a temple to burn incense, where she happened to meet Gu Qian, the chief minister. Her stunning beauty caught Gu Qian's eye. For the first time in his life, the icy young minister fell in love, and he sent betrothal gifts, intending to take Shen Yingying as his concubine.

But Shen Yingying had already pledged herself to Lu, the constable. How could she marry Gu Qian? She knelt before him in tears, gritting her teeth as she pleaded, "Please, my lord, take pity on me and let Yingying go."

Gu Qian sat upright and took a sip of tea. His cold, exceptionally handsome face was reflected in the water.

He glanced sideways at Shen Yingying. "No."

Shen Yingying finally understood that this man, though cold on the surface, was actually a scoundrel who would take what he wanted by force.

So she could only swallow her resentment and obediently serve as his concubine for three years, attending to him every night.

Later, a woman came to Gu Qian with a child, seeking to establish their relationship. Only then did Shen Yingying learn that the woman was Gu Qian's cousin, who had been separated from him for many years, and that the child was his own.

And Shen Yingying's features... were remarkably similar to the woman's. It turned out she was only a substitute.

Bitterness welled up in Shen Yingying's heart, but Gu Qian would never bother explaining himself to a mere concubine like her. He even married the woman as his chief minister's wife and treated her with great affection, leaving Shen Yingying utterly disillusioned.

Later, Shen Yingying learned that she was the only woman Gu Qian had ever been with, and that the child was not his. The woman's father had once saved Gu Qian's life, so Gu Qian had chosen not to expose the truth.

Shen Yingying had no desire to reveal the child's parentage. She only asked Gu Qian to let her go home, but he coldly refused once again.

As snow fell all around her, she died of illness.

When Gu Qian heard the news, a trace of panic finally appeared in his usually icy eyes. He held Shen Yingying's corpse and sat dazed for three days.

"Yingying, I was wrong! Yingying! Come back, Yingying!"

Shen Yingying opened her eyes and found that she had been reborn on the first night Gu Qian took her as his concubine.

She refused to repeat the mistakes of her past life. So, the day after serving Gu Qian, she packed her belongings and ran away.

Gu Qian: "..."

The man couldn't understand how Shen Yingying, who had always been sweet, soft-spoken, and submissive, had found the nerve to flee.

He ordered his men to search for her everywhere. At last, they found her at the Duyue Pavilion, drinking and having a good time with a male courtesan using his silver.

Gu Qian: "..."

His temple twitched violently. He said coldly, "Tie her up and bring her back to the residence. Break her legs."

Three years later, the woman came to the residence with the child to establish their relationship. Gu Qian affectionately put his arm around Shen Yingying and said, "Whether they may enter the residence is entirely up to you, my lady."

"Tell them to get lost."

"Didn't you hear the madam? Hurry up and send them away. Don't disturb her pleasure in snacking on sunflower seeds."

[The male lead is cold on the outside and wicked within. The female lead is a sweet, delicate beauty. He pursues his wife after losing her. Sweet romance, no angst.]