Has the Top Scholar Agreed to the Divorce Yet?

Zhou Ying'an transmigrates into the body of a pitiful illegitimate daughter of the Duke's estate whose mother has died. Her stepmother gets to decide whom she marries.

To avoid marrying a lecherous playboy, Zhou Ying'an marries Chen Zhao, the top candidate in the palace examinations, whose engagement to her legitimate elder sister was broken off.

On their wedding night, Chen Zhao says with a grim face, "I only married you because we knew each other as children, and I couldn't bear to see you wed to a libertine. But I have no romantic feelings for you, and you aren't the woman I want. I'll give you the dignity due to a wife, but don't expect anything more. Once you..."

Zhou Ying'an suppresses her elation and answers briskly, "All right."

Chen Zhao's long speech is cut short.

Later, Zhou Ying'an not only escapes the Duke's estate, but also helps Chen Zhao deal with his ill-intentioned stepmother and puts his household in order as thanks.

Zhou Ying'an thinks she and Chen Zhao have reached a win-win agreement and owe each other nothing, so she prepares to ask for a divorce. But Chen Zhao blocks her way. "You are my lawfully wedded wife, the woman I married before the wedding hall. Where do you think you're going?"

Chen Zhao hadn't wanted to marry the Zhou family's illegitimate daughter. But when he learned that his childhood friend was having a hard time under her stepmother and was about to be married off to a man who frequented brothels, he took pity on her. He thought he would marry her first, then send her away once she could protect herself.

So when his young wife misunderstood and thought he loved someone else, he didn't correct her. Perhaps it was for the best. He should treat her as the little girl he'd known as a child, and not become more entangled with her.

Later, he tears the divorce agreement to shreds and holds her captive in his arms. "An'an, what must I do to make you stay?"

He deeply regrets not clearing up the misunderstanding when Zhou Ying'an thought he loved someone else.

Theme: Hard work brings good fortune