After Divorcing the Cool-Tempered Chancellor

Possessive pursuit | Angsty melodrama | The hero’s desperate pursuit of his wife Gentle, honest wife × aloof, powerful minister Chen Shu was stunningly beautiful, but never competitive or demanding. After her father died, she went to live with her great-grandmother’s family in the capital and became engaged to Xiao Yan, the eldest son of the Xiao family. Only then did she learn that he was in love with someone else. Because of her, the two lovers who had once shared the same feelings were forced apart. Chen Shu had thought that if she tried 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, she could no longer hide her awkward, foolish infatuation. Reeking of alcohol, Xiao Yan roughly lifted her veil. His voice was cold, every word cutting, as he drew a clear line between them. “We have no feelings for each other. Without this engagement binding us, we would never have made it this far. Once the year is up, I’ll let you divorce me, and we’ll have nothing more to do with each other.” Only then did Chen Shu learn that on the day they married, the woman Xiao Yan loved had been forced into a political marriage on the frontier. She had waited all night outside the Xiao residence and never even got to see him. After a year of marriage, Xiao Yan was appointed Minister of Works for his successful flood-control efforts and obtained an imperial decree allowing them to divorce. Chen Shu was two months pregnant. Looking at the bowl of dark medicine handed to her and Xiao Yan’s indifferent expression, Chen Shu finally understood: a relationship forced together through a cruel twist of fate could never end well. The medicine burned bitter and hot, killing her heart along with it. On the second night, the neglected Madam Xiao disappeared in a raging fire, leaving behind only a divorce agreement that had not been completely burned. Three years later, the eldest son of the Xiao family had risen to become the Grand Secretary. The noble daughters of the capital vied for a chance to marry him, but he rejected them all, even those willing to be his concubine. Whenever he dreamed, he remembered the fragile figure in the flames. Then Xiao Yan was sent by imperial decree to relieve a drought. In a shantytown, he saw the face that had haunted his dreams, and he completely lost his composure. A thin veil wrapped around her whole head, leaving only her timid, tearful eyes exposed. She trembled as she looked at Xiao Yan. At last, after three years, Xiao Yan had an outlet for the endless longing he had kept inside… He swore he would never let her leave his side again. [Reading Guide and Content Warnings] 1. The aloof hero falls from his pedestal. He’s stubborn in the beginning and unhinged later. 2. Possessive pursuit, faked death, slow burn, not a wish-fulfillment story. Maximum melodrama. 3. Kink buffet, both leads are virgins, updates every other day. Please bookmark! 4. Completely fictional setting, so please don’t nitpick. Thank you. 5. The leads have many misunderstandings. There’s also a misunderstanding about the child. The hero did not kill her. Theme: Mutual respect and growing together