The Third Year of Living Apart

Su Yao divorced her ex-husband, Pei Mu, after a lifetime of entanglement.

He was stern and old-fashioned, with no sense of romance. Aside from his flawless face, there was practically nothing to like about him.

On the day they divorced, Su Yao drank too much, cried and made a scene, and eventually, in a drunken haze, ended up in bed with her ex-husband.

They had been married for three years and lived apart for two. Su Yao frowned at the man beside her and thought, what's done is done. It wasn't as if they hadn't slept together before. She could consider it compensation for leaving.

Afterward, she calmly packed her things and left the Pei household.

*

The late emperor had entrusted his heir to Pei Mu, and at a young age, Pei became the emperor's tutor. To keep the old ministers at court in line, he had no choice but to follow the rules in everything and play the part of a mature, steady statesman.

Between the endless state affairs at court, a group of civil officials jumping up and down to criticize him, and coming home to face his young wife's suspicions, his life was a complete mess.

When Su Yao proposed a divorce, he was honestly relieved.

But he hadn't expected what happened on their last night together.

Su Yao got outrageously drunk, declared that all three of her friends had better husbands than he did, then listed his countless flaws.

His competitive streak got the better of him. At last, unable to take it any longer, he flew into a rage and slept with her right then and there.

The next day, he looked at the wrecked room and the glaring divorce papers, and felt his head grow enormous.

*

After the divorce, Su Yao went back to her family home. She spent her days cracking sunflower seeds, listening to opera, and running her shop. She was doing wonderfully.

She even considered spending the rest of her life keeping a few talented performers in her courtyard to entertain her. Life was blissful.

But on her first day out, she happened to run into her ex-husband Pei Mu, dressed like a peacock showing off its feathers.

She rolled her eyes, muttered, "What a nuisance," and took another route.

Then on the second, third, and fourth days, she kept running into her ex-husband in different places. At last, Su Yao couldn't take it anymore. "Didn't we get divorced? How long are you going to follow me?"

But Pei Mu blushed and replied, "We got along pretty well that night, didn't we? Why don't we give it another try?"

Also known as The Third Year of Marriage and The Three-Year Itch of a Prestigious Couple

A discarded wife from an elite family, determined to find love again, vs. her celibate, hopelessly lovestruck ex-husband

Reader's guide: They fall in love after marriage, rekindle their relationship after divorce, and the husband pursues his wife after the wedding.

Synopsis written on August 5, 2024, and screenshot for safekeeping.

Theme: Cherish the person you have