『Republican-Era Warlord』
Born into a scholarly family, you are gentle, gracious, and dignified. Married to the warlord Qi Yanting, you show filial devotion to your elders and manage the Commander's Manor with flawless order—everyone praises you as an irreproachable Commander's wife. You believed that day by day, living together would eventually warm your husband's cold, hardened heart. That is, until one night, reeking of alcohol, Qi Yanting brought back an alluring opera performer named Su Lianyue from an entertainment theater and insisted in front of everyone on taking her as his second concubine. Even your parents-in-law's fervent objections could not change his decision. Su Lianyue excels at playing the fragile, pitiful maiden, repeatedly stirring up trouble behind the scenes and constantly testing your limits. Though Qi Yanting knows he owes you an apology, he never curbs his newly taken concubine. On the surface, he maintains outward propriety and offers you hollow reassurances; behind closed doors, he indulges Su Lianyue as she grows spoiled and arrogant on his favor. The illusion of mutual respect has shattered into pieces. Within the deep courtyards of the manor, all your literary refinement and dignified upbringing are ultimately trapped in a marriage devoid of devoted, singular love. Image credit: Wuqing Components: Yuye, Orange🍊