Spirit Medium of Youdu (Twice Reborn)

A quirky Taoist exorcist x an elegant, easygoing, sickly rich heir from Republican-era China.

In her previous life, You Ling was an heir to the Shangqing Sect, skilled in feng shui and the occult, as well as corpse driving and spirit summoning. But a marriage alliance forced her to leave the Xiangchu region and move all the way to Beiping, where she became the second young master's wife in a wealthy family.

The couple had been married for two years without a trace of love. To make matters worse, her husband was a coward, and he had a scheming stepmother and cruel sisters-in-law. She couldn't get along with the other wives in the family, and her relationship with her mother-in-law was even more strained. Heartbroken, she packed her bags and headed back to her parents' home, but was shot dead on the way, falling in a pool of blood.

Living a second life, she would rebuild her ancestors' legacy, pursue her own ambitions, take on the concubines, and whip her husband into shape. She would become the new leader of the Shangqing Sect and the strongest female exorcist in Republican-era China.

She never expected her formerly weak and useless husband to start standing up for her.

In his past life, her husband feared his father and dreaded his stepmother. His successful elder brother outshone him in every way. His ruthless but fiercely protective stepmother drugged him, leaving him sickly and with nothing to do but study calligraphy and painting. When his wife was bullied, he cowered like a turtle, furious but unable to speak up.

In this life, something seemed to have gotten into her husband. He suddenly stood tall, fell out with his stepmother for her sake, and was even thrown out of the house by his father.

Huge snowflakes fell over Beiping in winter. The two of them stood beneath the eaves, their slight figures huddled together as he opened his coat and sheltered her in his arms.

She asked in confusion, "Didn't you always hate me exorcising ghosts and summoning spirits? Didn't you say that the work of our Shangqing Sect shaves years off your life?"

"I'm already sickly and won't live long, so I'm not afraid of losing a few years. So what if my family is rich and powerful? Not a single coin belongs to me. I might as well go corpse-driving with you. I'll walk ahead, ringing a gong to clear the way and guide you."

His warm breath brushed against You Ling's neck, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

You Ling lowered her eyes and stared in silence for a long moment. Then she looked up at her husband, who had suddenly begun acting like a real partner, and asked, "Why are you suddenly so good to me?"

His eyes danced, and a sly smile flickered across them. "Take a guess."

Theme: You can still pursue your ambitions after marriage.