After the Sickly Beauty Was Forced into a Substitute Marriage

Chu Zhaohuai has few surviving family ties and a frail, sickly body. The Imperial Preceptor once foretold that he would face a calamity at eighteen, but if he survived it, his life would be smooth sailing from then on. Just after his eighteenth birthday, his family treated him as a disposable pawn, scheming to make him take another bride’s place and marry the fiend feared by everyone in the capital, sending him to his death. Rumor had it that the fiend, Ji Xun, had been gravely wounded on the battlefield and slaughtered people without mercy whenever his madness took hold. Chu Zhaohuai: “...” Fortunately, the fiend didn’t have long to live either. All Chu Zhaohuai had to do was hold out until Ji Xun breathed his last, and he would survive this calamity. Chu Zhaohuai prayed to every god and Buddha, wholeheartedly wishing for Ji Xun to hurry up and ascend to heaven, reaching paradise sooner rather than later. At Huguo Temple, he drew a fortune stick that read, “May the prince enjoy good health,” only to get the worst possible lot. Chu Zhaohuai was so moved that tears welled in his eyes. Seeing the tears he was trying to hold back, Ji Xun’s heart stirred. Could Chu Zhaohuai really be so deeply devoted to him? The story of “the fiend who married a man” had recently become the talk of the capital. Everyone thought the “Princess Consort” probably wouldn’t survive three months. But the sinister fiend suddenly became gentle as could be, treating Chu Zhaohuai with the utmost tenderness. When danger struck, he flew into a rage for his beloved, and even when his madness flared, he never laid a finger on him. Chu Zhaohuai had never been cherished like this before. Overwhelmed by the unexpected affection, he made up his mind: If he survived the calamity, he would spend the rest of his life with Ji Xun. But later, Ji Xun still died. Chu Zhaohuai kept vigil by his coffin for three days in the snowy night, his heart numb as dead wood. The capital was swept by political upheaval, and a new emperor ascended the throne. A frail beauty dressed in mourning clutched his dead husband’s belongings, lost and without a place to turn. Ill-intentioned people in the capital coveted him, hoping to take him for themselves. Then a man in black robes arrived, surrounded by his followers. Everyone fell to their knees and cried, “Long live the Emperor!” It was Ji Xun, who had faked his death and vanished, and now ruled the realm. Everyone expected Chu Zhaohuai to be overjoyed that his “dead husband” had come back to life. Instead, Chu Zhaohuai stumbled to his knees and bowed, addressing him: “Your Majesty.” The exalted Son of Heaven turned deathly pale. 【A gentle, well-behaved sweetheart who is actually mentally unstable, keeping calm while going mad X a calculating, ruthless schemer who talks himself into love. One-on-one romance, happy ending.】 Note: 1. Before the story goes premium, updates are posted at 9 a.m. every day. Afterward, updates are posted at 10 p.m. If there’s no update by 11 p.m., there will be two chapters the next day. 2. A brainless story set in an alternate world. 3. Thanks for your support! Theme: Treat others with sincerity