The Ill-Matched Couple

青溪Aug 2026

3.3

Word count: 263K words
Chapters: 149

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Summary

[Down-and-out but unbending heiress vs. unhinged, obsessive heir apparent]

[Historical romance + forced love + love-hate saga + win-back-the-wife inferno]

One moment's misstep, a thousand regrets.

Through a folding screen painted with A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, Lu Zhuo glimpsed Xue Baozhu's tear-filled eyes, and for a full year afterward he tossed and turned, unable to forget.

That day, though silks and scents surrounded him and hidden fragrance drifted in the air, he felt only as if he were in hell on earth.

Xue Baozhu had assumed that Lu Zhuo, a noble son born in the royal capital, might look down on her in every possible way, but would at least not lose his composure.

She never imagined that he would do far more than keep his composure: amid all the gossip, he picked up the marriage contract she had returned and insisted on marrying her.

In their desperate, tangled embraces, he tried to kiss those eyes that had once brimmed with tears, and she quietly, imperceptibly turned away.

"I don't want to be here. Seeing you makes me sick."

He didn't care.

But from then on their hearts drew apart, and they were trapped within the deep mansion, becoming in the end a miserable couple.

Editor's review

Resentful Couple is a classic historical romance built on intense conflict: between the fallen heiress Xue Baozhu and the obsessive heir apparent Lu Zhuo, from the returned marriage contract to his insistence on marrying her, the emotional current runs entirely through push and pull and confrontation. The appeal lies not in sweet doting but in the tension of a love-hate saga—Lu Zhuo sees her once through a screen and cannot forget her, while Xue Baozhu, sickened and distant, is trapped in the deep mansion, and the two turn their marriage into a mutual wearing-down of resentful spouses. Author Qing Xi places forced love and the win-back-the-wife inferno within the same relationship, with high emotional intensity and dense conflict, suited to readers who enjoy angsty push-and-pull and the psychological sparring of the characters. Note that the relationship model is extreme, with the woman long in a passive and repressed position; readers sensitive to forced, obsessive emotional setups may find the experience uncomfortable. It is more an emotional roller coaster than a gentle, healing slice of historical daily life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who like intense conflict and angsty push-and-pull in historical romance
Genre readers who prefer forced love and win-back-the-wife inferno setups
Readers who can accept a long contest of wills between an obsessive male lead and an unbending female lead
Anyone looking for a high-emotion, fast-paced historical romance for diversion

Not a good fit for

Readers who dislike forced love and obsessive relationship setups
Readers expecting light sweet doting or gentle healing stories
Those who feel uncomfortable with a female character's long-term repressed situation

Reading tips

First confirm you can accept the forced-love and angst setup before starting, to avoid a mismatch of expectations.
Treat each conflict between Lu Zhuo and Xue Baozhu as a turning point in the relationship, and watch for subtle shifts in their attitudes.
If the high-intensity push-and-pull affects your mood, read in sections rather than finishing in one sitting.
After finishing, revisit the opening scene of the meeting through the screen and compare it with the ending to understand why the relationship becomes a resentful marriage.

版权信息
01 不曾为她辩解一句
02 她不想攀上陆濯啊
03 他轻柔得像在和她致歉
04 她为什么要怕他
05 难不成是买给你那从乡下来的未婚妻
06 真心不能这样计算
07 你管我
08 像个桃子
09 挨了一百个板子
10 我捡来的就是我的
11 你去死
12 我宁可你要金银珠宝
13 你哭了
14 很恶心的事
15 千金散尽还复来
16 宝珠一溜烟从他手臂旁钻了出去
17 你别拽我
18 我不会害你
19 你是故意的
20 宝珠凑过来找
21 因此更要用心去骗
22 宝珠很快就会和我成婚
23 这就是你想要的
24 打死算了
25 我们应当是夫妻
26 行殊打小一肚子坏水
27 一寸寸耐心的审视
28 我只知道你是个伪君子
29 我怕你进来
30 你来做什么
31 你住口
32 听起来多可怜呐
33 阴魂不散
34 遮面而下
35 看着我
36 晨起
37 新婚之日就发生争吵
38 就是你的错
39 生辰
40有没有良心
41 千万别犯错
42 对你不满
43 我想歇下了
44 分明很喜欢
45 夫妻一体
46 这也不许那也不许
47 你好得很
48 我又不讨人喜欢
49 再陪我睡会儿
50 兔子打洞
51 和好如初的前兆
52 你别再想从我这里得到一点好脸色
53 失控、恨
54 你不要死
55 你不愿么
56 过生辰都要吃面
57 淮羽、醉酒
58 我不想去
59 你真倒霉呀
60 吊死
61 药
62 你一点儿也不好
63 你凭什么打我
64 心眼儿真够大的
65 你是狗吗
66 滚来滚去
67 驴脾气
68 你告诉我
69 看来你的诚意不过如此
70 姐姐
71 宝珠好聪明
72 悄悄告诉我
73 你不清楚
74 你已经疯了
75 吻
76 你在恨我吗
77 佳偶天成
78 说说吧
79 是不是还喜欢我
80 我好饿
81 茶饼
82 我看看
83 宝珠很聪明
84 小偷
85 怎么就对我如此狠心记仇
86 阵阵凉意
87 疑惑和疲倦
88 谁惹你不悦了
89 自欺欺人
90 你想管就都给你管
91 只是例行瞧一瞧
92 宝珠不要躲着
93 委屈了
94 情之所至
95 入秋
96 你是不是不喜欢他
97 真打了个措手不及
98 骨头
99 本也不是圣人
100 上上签
101 宝珠怎会不懂呢？
102 这样没什么不好
103 不好闻
104 开枝散叶
105 将衣裳脱了
106 多吃一些
107 那也算我罪有应得
108 不搭理他了
109 本性不移
110 亏欠
111 以后好好的
112 我怎么舍得还
113 还不是全凭你做主
114 宝珠慢慢学
115 烫手山芋
116 吓到你了
117 坐
118 走开走开
119 当我求你
120 求之不得
121 不孝
122 最可恨的罪魁祸首
123 惩罚
124 心疼死了
125 枕边人
126 疑问
127 这件事也不许
128 想骂尽管骂
129 靠近
130 宝珠
番外初见1
番外初见2
番外初见3
番外初见4
番外日常1
番外日常2
番外日常3
番外日常4
番外青梅竹马现代1
番外青梅竹马现代2
番外青梅竹马现代3
番外青梅竹马现代4
番外青梅竹马现代5
番外青梅竹马现代6
番外青梅竹马现代7
番外圣诞
番外想议亲的青梅x变为厉鬼的竹马1
番外想议亲的青梅x变为厉鬼的竹马2

FAQ

Is this a sweet doting romance?

No. According to the synopsis, the story centers on historical romance, forced love, a love-hate saga, and the win-back-the-wife inferno; Xue Baozhu feels sickened and distant toward Lu Zhuo, and the two are trapped in the deep mansion and end as a resentful couple. The overall tone is angsty rather than light and sweet.

How does the relationship between the male and female leads develop?

The synopsis shows Lu Zhuo insisting on marrying Xue Baozhu, yet their hearts draw apart, and even in desperate, tangled embraces there is avoidance and resistance; in the end they are trapped in the deep mansion and become a resentful couple. The story focuses on push-and-pull and mutual wearing-down rather than smooth, fulfilling companionship.

Is it suitable for readers new to historical romance?

Not really recommended as an entry point. The forced-love and obsessive relationship setup is fairly extreme, and emotional conflict is dense, which may be harder for those new to historical romance to adapt to. If you want to get familiar with the genre first, start with works of lower conflict intensity.

Do I need to prepare myself emotionally before reading this book?

Yes, advisable. The relationship model in the book is fairly forced and repressed, with the female lead long in a passive position and high emotional intensity. If you are sensitive to such setups, you may easily feel uncomfortable while reading; you can read in sections or simply choose a gentler work.

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About the author

青溪 Author · Chinese

Qingxi is a Chinese author of online literature, about whom publicly available information is limited. Only one work can currently be confirmed, titled Ill-Matched Couple (Yuàn'ǒu). According to the site's classification, this work falls under the category of time-travel and alternate-world fiction, suggesting that the author has explored this subject area and that the story likely develops its character relationships and plot conflicts through the settings of time travel and an alternate world. The title Ill-Matched Couple itself carries connotations of emotional entanglement and the binding force of fate, hinting that the narrative may revolve around complex relationships between characters. Because information about the author's life, writing career, and number of works is not publicly available, it is difficult at present to make a comprehensive judgment about their writing style, nor is it possible to confirm whether they have other pen names or ongoing creative plans. The available materials can only present one aspect of Qingxi as an author of time-travel and alternate-world fiction; readers who wish to learn more about their creative profile must still rely mainly on the specific work Ill-Matched Couple.