After Divorcing the Cool-Tempered Chancellor

Domineering pursuit | Melodrama | The husband chases his wife after losing her

Gentle, dutiful wife × aloof, powerful minister

Chen Shu is stunningly beautiful, but never fights for attention. After her father dies, she goes to live with her great-grandmother's family in the capital. Only when she becomes engaged to Xiao Yan, the eldest son of the Xiao family, does she learn that he loves someone else. To her surprise, because of her, the two who had once been in love are forced apart.

Chen Shu thinks that if she just tries a little harder to treat him well, Xiao Yan might not hate her so much.

But on their wedding night, beneath the bright red candles, her awkward, foolish infatuation is laid bare.

Reeking of alcohol, Xiao Yan roughly lifts her veil. His voice is icy, every word cutting deep as he draws a line between them. "There is no love between us. If not for our betrothal, we would never have come this far. Once the year is up, I'll grant you a divorce, and we'll have nothing more to do with each other."

Only then does Chen Shu learn that on their wedding day, the woman he loved was forced to marry into a far-off borderland. She waited outside the Xiao residence all night and never even got to see him.

A year into their marriage, Xiao Yan is appointed Minister of Works for his achievements in flood control. He petitions for an imperial decree granting a divorce, while Chen Shu is two months pregnant.

Looking at the bowl of dark medicine and Xiao Yan's cold expression, Chen Shu finally understands: a wrongful marriage forced upon them by a twist of fate was never going to bring a happy ending. The medicine is bitter and scalding, and it burns her heart to ashes along with it.

On the second night, the neglected Madam Shangshu of the Xiao family vanishes in a blaze, leaving behind only a divorce agreement that has not been completely burned.

Three years later, the eldest son of the Xiao family rises to become Grand Secretary. The capital's noblewomen vie for his hand, but he rejects them all, even those willing to become his concubines.

Whenever he dreams, he sees her frail figure in the flames.

Then, while carrying out an imperial order to deal with a drought, Xiao Yan encounters the face that has haunted his dreams in a refugee shantytown. He is utterly shaken.

A thin veil wraps around her entire head, leaving only her timid, tearful eyes exposed as she trembles before Xiao Yan.

At last, Xiao Yan has an outlet for the longing he has carried for her these past three years...

He swears he will never let her leave his side again.

Upcoming story:

Love and hate | Domineering pursuit | The husband chases his wife after losing her

Shen Liyan is the daughter of the prime minister, renowned throughout the capital for her gentleness, virtue, and mastery of the eight arts. She is the most sought-after bride among the capital's powerful young men.

Only Shen Liyan knows that no matter how outstanding she is, she is merely a pawn in her father's political schemes, a leash to keep Xie Yanci in check.

Three years into their marriage, she and Xie Yanci are estranged in all but name. He and her father disagree on politics, and he was forced to marry his sworn enemy's daughter. Naturally, he feels nothing for her.

Shen Liyan hides her feelings, thinking she could accept spending the rest of her life at a distance from Xie Yanci.

Unexpectedly, on the first day after the late emperor dies and the young emperor ascends the throne, the prime minister is imprisoned on charges of plotting rebellion, and the Shen family is stripped of its possessions.

As the young emperor's tutor, Xie Yanci takes control of most state affairs. People say that the new emperor consults the Grand Tutor on everything, and that the Shen family's downfall is really Xie Yanci eliminating his political rivals.

By the time Shen Liyan hears the news, the Shen family has already been executed. She rushes back to the family residence and sees only her beloved younger brother, decapitated and wrapped in a straw mat as he is carried away.

She weeps until she can no longer stand. Her heart and lungs feel as though they will burst. When she looks up, she sees Xie Yanci gazing down at her, his expression cold. At last, she understands: from the day he married her, Xie Yanci had been keeping score of every grievance, waiting for this day to wipe out her entire family in revenge.

Everyone in the Shen family became a helpless victim of Xie Yanci's vengeance. Hatred and love tangled together until, with the last of her strength, she could ask only one thing: why had he been so determined to destroy them all?

Xie Yanci braves the wind and snow, crouches down, and gently strokes her face. His voice is soft, yet sinister as a ghost from hell. "You still have me. I'll spend the rest of my life making amends to you."

He wants to explain everything to Shen Liyan. But seeing the emotions hidden beneath her eyes, which brim with hatred, Xie Yanci suddenly grows afraid. He fears that once he explains, Shen Liyan will have no reason to remain connected to him.

So he accepts all the blame. He lets the sword in her hand pierce his chest, and refuses to write her a divorce document.

"Even if it's hatred, I want you to hate me for the rest of your life."

[Reader's guide / Content warnings]

1. The aloof male lead falls from grace. He's stubborn and sharp-tongued early on, then becomes obsessive and unhinged later.

2. Domineering pursuit, faked death, slow burn, not a wish-fulfillment story, and wall-to-wall melodrama.

3. A wild mix of kinks, one true pairing, updates every other day.

4. Entirely fictional setting. Please don't overanalyze it, thanks.

5. The leads have many misunderstandings, and there's another misunderstanding about the child. The male lead did not kill the child.

Theme: Mutual respect and growing together