The Virtuous Wife Is Coldhearted

# Black-hearted white lotus heroine vs. sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, haughty hero

# Cool, arrogant heir pursues his wife after marriage

Xie Borong, heir to the Duke of Dingguo, was born into a distinguished family and possessed unmatched grace and refinement. Together with his talented cousin, they were considered a perfect couple.

But an imperial decree gave the unremarkable Cui Jiuyao to Xie Borong as his wife, tearing the heir's destined marriage apart.

Cui Jiuyao was from a collateral branch of the family, quiet and rigid, and good for nothing. She was simply no match for the duke's precious heir.

Xie Borong didn't love her. After they married, he left on official business for three years. When he returned to the estate, he brought his cousin, the talented young woman who had fallen on hard times, and intended to hand his wife divorce papers.

But the whole family objected. Since marrying, Cui Jiuyao had managed the household, served her parents-in-law, maintained good relations with her sisters-in-law, and cared for her younger sister-in-law. During the three years she was neglected, the Duke of Dingguo's estate had been run flawlessly from top to bottom. Cui Jiuyao had earned a reputation as a quiet, gentle, dignified, and virtuous wife.

For once, Xie Borong felt a trace of guilt. He made a six-month agreement with Cui Jiuyao: once everything was settled, they would part ways on the grounds that he was unable to have children.

Cui Jiuyao had always been gracious and kind-hearted. She answered gently, "All right."

But just three months later, Xie Borong regretted it.

The day his cousin was cleared of wrongdoing, the duke's estate held a grand banquet. The third prince, dressed in fine clothes, raised his cup to congratulate Xie Borong on soon winning the beauty's hand, but his eyes were fixed on Cui, who stood half a step behind him, full of undisguised admiration.

Xie Borong burned with anger and began keeping a close watch on Cui's movements. Sure enough, after the banquet ended, he saw the third prince speaking with Cui in private.

"If I hadn't taken on the name of a young master of the Cui family back then, and become your sworn brother, Jiu Niang would already be my consort. She wouldn't have to keep up this act at the duke's estate."

And his wife, the virtuous and proper Cui, didn't scold him for his outrageous words. Instead, her eyes shone with a bright, unrestrained smile he had never seen before.

"That's all right. I don't love him either."

In the shadows, Xie Borong nearly crushed his palm in his fist.

So she didn't love him. It turned out he was the only one who had ever fallen in love.

**

Later, a seemingly drunk Xie Borong barged into the main room where his wife was staying in the middle of the night. He was clearly up to no good, yet blushed and declared righteously, "We can divorce, as long as we have no children... But if we don't try, how will we know whether I can or not?"

Cui Jiuyao glanced at the man's hands pinning her wrists above her head and calmly asked, as gently as ever, "Are you hungry, husband?"

Xie Borong, consumed by desire: "...?"

Cui Jiuyao, missing the point entirely: "Understood. I'll have someone prepare a good meal and wine right away."

Note: Both leads are virgins. Married life, marriage first, love later, and the husband pursues his wife after marriage.

Theme: Sincerity is the ultimate weapon.