My Plan to Divorce My Aloof Husband

Shi Ping'er was born under a lucky star. Though she was the daughter of a tofu-stall owner in a poor, remote village, she somehow married the legitimate son of one of the capital's most prestigious scholarly families.

In her first year after marrying into the Su family, she and her new husband had little to talk about.

Sitting awkwardly side by side with him at a banquet, she could only force a smile and make conversation: "Xiao Yu, do you remember stealing tofu pudding from my family's stall when we were little?"

Everyone at the table whispered, and Su Yuqing's handsome face immediately turned cold.

Shi Ping'er was helpless. She knew her husband disliked her, but she hadn't been dreaming of marrying above her station, either. That day, with nowhere else to turn, she had only wanted to borrow a little money from the Su family to arrange her parents' funeral. Who could have guessed that the Su family patriarch would insist on honoring the childhood betrothal, in repayment for a meal they'd given him when he was down on his luck?

Su Yuqing was a man among men. He had passed the highest imperial exam as a young man and was the capital's celebrated top scholar, while she was just an illiterate country woman who was always making a fool of herself, wholly unworthy of him.

One day, hearing that his vulgar little wife had caused trouble again, Su sighed and went to advise her.

Unexpectedly, he found her practicing calligraphy beneath a lamp, her hands trembling as she formed the characters.

He sighed. Knowing she had it hard too, he decided not to say anything more and put further pressure on her.

Later, his crude little wife began following him around every day, asking him to teach her. Whenever the reserved top scholar was nearly driven mad by her persistence, he would tell her earnestly, "You don't have to listen to them. Just do what you're good at."

Did he mean she wasn't suited to studying, shouldn't force herself, and couldn't bridge the gap between their stations?

Shi Ping'er smiled. "Don't worry, Husband. I'll work hard and make you some peace and quiet before long."

Su Yuqing thought she meant she would study hard and soon no longer need so much of his attention. Instead, the day came when a divorce agreement was delivered to him.

It turned out she'd been working so hard because she'd made a deal with his grandfather: she would study until she was qualified to work at the prince's manor, and then agree to divorce him.

At last, Shi Ping'er was free again, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. The day she packed her things and left the Su residence, rain poured from the sky.

She climbed into the spacious carriage sent by the prince's manor and left, not knowing that behind it, the usually aloof and dignified young lord stood drenched by the rain.

Gritting his teeth, he clutched the childhood "marriage promise" she had given him, covered in her messy drawings. No matter how tightly he shielded it, the rain had soaked it through. He meant to go confront her and demand to know why she had broken her promise.

Thesis: People should keep striving to become better.