I Handed Him the Divorce Decree and Made Way for His Mistress, Yet He Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back?

[Marriage first, love later + pure sweetness, no angst + household intrigue + stoic, devoted, protective general + beautiful, clear-headed, resilient, well-behaved young woman]

Xie Fu was a pampered young lady raised in the seclusion of her family home. At sixteen, she married the top scholar, Ruan Heng.

Three years into their marriage, her husband took a mistress.

The mistress was talented and full of clever ideas, winning Ruan Heng’s heart until he treasured her above all else and put her ahead of Xie Fu in everything.

Xie Fu neither fought nor complained. She even took the initiative to arrange for him to take a concubine, but he flew into a rage and accused her of insulting the woman he loved.

At the birthday banquet she had spent a month preparing, Ruan Heng received a letter from his mistress and hurriedly abandoned her and all their guests, leaving her a laughingstock in the capital.

Xie Fu’s heart died. She wrote a divorce agreement and left, making way for the mistress.

…

Her mother had died young, her stepmother was unkind, and her father, a live-in son-in-law, held the Xie family in his grip. He resented her divorce for bringing shame on the family, so the only thing Xie Fu could do was hurry and marry again.

But she never expected the person the Empress chose for her to be the empire’s God of War, General He Congyuan, Defender of the North!

The general was perfect in every way, except for one flaw: he was cursed to outlive his wives…

When He Congyuan first met Xie Fu, she was praying for a protective talisman.

“A talisman blessed by the abbot of Huguo Temple himself. That should keep me from being cursed, right?” He Congyuan nearly laughed in exasperation.

Well, she was just timid. How could she have any bad intentions?

With the marriage settled, Xie Fu thought she would spend the rest of her days in peace. But on their wedding day, the top scholar, dressed in bright red wedding robes, abandoned the red sash for the ceremony and the new wife he had just married, then rushed over like a madman and grabbed her sleeve. Throwing caution and dignity to the wind, he begged her desperately to turn back.

“My lady, I was wrong. If you’ll come back with me, I won’t let her set foot in the Ruan family home. You’re the only one who can be mistress of the Ruan household. Give me one more chance!”

Beside her, He Congyuan put an arm around her waist. “Wife, who will you choose, him or me?”