Severed Strings

弈枚Sep 2025

2.8

Word count: 208K words
Chapters: 106

Summary

Xue Bing grew up in comfort, majored in home design at a prestigious university, and, to free herself from her parents' control, resolutely married Li Peng, a university security guard. But the honeymoon sweetness quickly faded: Li Peng revealed his true colors as a "mama's boy," and after Xue Bing gave birth to a daughter, she was treated coldly by both her mother-in-law and her husband, stripped of all dignity. To save herself and her daughter, she summons the courage to start her own business.

She returns to her profession and builds a home-design business, vowing to help others create complete families, and along the way meets Liang Di, who is trapped in marital difficulties; her closest friend Yanni, a victim of domestic abuse; and Dong Mingdi, a hot-tempered woman who has been divorced multiple times. Through sheer effort Xue Bing succeeds professionally, only to stumble again in love—she unexpectedly falls for a married man, nearly losing everything.

Facing both emotional and professional rock bottom, Xue Bing must choose: how to handle this forbidden love? How to fight her way back? Through struggle and growth, she ultimately reclaims her dignity and transforms into an independent, strong, mature woman—a model of resilience not only for herself, but for her daughter.

Editor's review

Broken Strings centers on the marriage and entrepreneurial journey of interior designer Xue Bing, writing with detail and palpable pain about the disillusionment of "marrying down," the humiliation in a family that favors sons over daughters, and a single mother's self-rescue. The book's readability comes mainly from two threads: first, Xue Bing's turnaround from dependence in marriage to reclaiming her profession and building her own business—a process that is not wish-fulfillment; funding, clients, and trust must all be earned step by step; second, her interactions with women such as Liang Di, Yanni, and Dong Mingdi, which present different facets of marital predicament, making "broken strings" not just one person's severance but a chorus of women reflecting one another. A taboo romance on the emotional line plunges the character back into a low point; though heavy, it provides a realistic test for "winning back dignity." Suitable for readers interested in women's growth and realistic marriage themes to read in segments over weekends or commutes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in women's marital predicaments and self-growth themes
People who have experienced or care about "mama's boys" and son-preferring families
Readers who enjoy watching women start businesses and rebuild careers
Readers interested in mother-daughter relationships and maternal role models

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting lighthearted romance or fast-paced wish-fulfillment
Those sensitive to marital conflict and mother-in-law/daughter-in-law tensions
Readers who expect flawless protagonists

Reading tips

Read in three stages—Xue Bing's marriage, entrepreneurship, and romance—and after each stage review the basis for her choices.
When reading the stories of Liang Di, Yanni, and Dong Mingdi, note the similarities and differences with Xue Bing's situation to understand the purpose of the ensemble.
Don't rush to judge the taboo romance section; first record changes in Xue Bing's self-perception before and after.
After finishing, try to sort out where Xue Bing's "dignity" comes from—career, daughter, or self-affirmation.

版权信息
第1章血月异象
第2章传召，是福是祸
第3章遴选之令不可违
第4章他人之喜，她之忧思
第5章山中作别
第6章想通了，便知道该做什么
第7章这江山，也只能暂时托付给你
第8章公子人如玉
第9章有琴世无双
第10章宫中人
第11章思悠悠
第12章夜半知音
第13章意乱，乍见之喜
第14章一山之隔，永恒之隔
第15章怀疑
第16章再见之时
第17章她，很会欲退还进
第18章原来他什么都知道
第19章鱼已入池
第20章今日所奏，方为原作
第21章事关声誉，不可妄下定论
第22章陆教习，你怎么看
第23章他的支持
第24章山回路转不见君
第25章雪夜来客
第26章恨有何用，他是摄政王
第27章纵成白骨，我也要找到你
第28章暗夜烛火
第29章不管，从今后你就是我姐姐了
第30章这次，只是个意外
第31章有时候，我们看到的只是表面
第32章你又知她几分
第33章你是在威胁我吗
第34章意外之外
第35章针锋相对
第36章我是来救场的
第37章佳人难得
第38章陆姐姐，王要见你
第39章恩师，您到底是谁
第40章寒夜之殇
第41章五孔竹笛
第42章不是人人都像你一般，我只求平安
第43章将话语权掌握在我们手中
第44章以音传讯
第45章宫中有高人
第46章若她们并非无辜呢
第47章皇叔真是老谋深算
第48章从前不管，如今便绝不可能
第49章你与她有几分相似
第50章小姐，彻夜未眠的感觉如何
第51章厚脸皮才有福气
第52章血月重现
第53章答案就在眼皮底下
第54章要紧之事
第55章天幽第一琴师
第56章传信之祸
第57章她写了什么，都是本王授意的
第58章一对玉佩，一双人
第59章他们之间又是如何
第60章师妹的心意当与本王相同
第61章暴风雨来临之前
第62章女官入朝，情理之中
第63章如今司音坊要越俎代庖
第64章从前与现在
第65章褪华之曲
第66章世间能得偿所愿者又有几人
第67章杀机
第68章脱衣服，我们演一出戏
第69章暗箭难防
第70章你在躲着我
第71章陆教习果然是清高得很
第72章裳华变奏
第73章素未谋面的朋友
第74章界限
第75章是爱人，亦是知音
第76章边境之变
第77章为了我们想要守护的
第78章他的梦魇
第79章多了一个人
第80章琴音萦绕凌月关
第81章险中求生
第82章国难当头，何须讲究
第83章这一次，没人可以阻拦
第84章他的温柔乡
第85章旧案重提
第86章情之一字
第87章总教习之死
第88章不是我，她不会死
第89章雪上加霜
第90章再别离，以身赴险
第91章意想不到的人
第92章你是谁
第93章宫中，变天了
第94章谁来救救他
第95章今夜孤只想要她
第96章新的身份
第97章他答应你，你就信么
第98章弃子的献祭
第99章失语之痛
第100章再见，再不见
第101章无关相负
第102章那日十里红妆
第103章危在旦夕
第104章兵符
第105章绝弦未绝

FAQ

Is Xue Bing's entrepreneurial line written realistically?

From the available information, the work describes her reclaiming her interior design profession and building a business, and in the process meeting several women in marital predicament. Entrepreneurship is not achieved overnight but tied to her self-rescue and the real pressure of raising her daughter; readers can follow how she gradually earns clients' trust through professional ability.

What does "broken strings" refer to in the book?

From the plot, it points to Xue Bing's decisive severance from her unhappy marriage and also includes her farewell to her past state of dependence. A broken string is not the end but the starting point from which she retunes and plays a new life for herself and her daughter; the specific meaning can be understood through the character's turning points while reading.

Is this book suitable for male readers?

Yes. Although the main line is a female perspective, the book's portrayal of "mama's boys," son preference, and imbalanced marital responsibilities can prompt male readers to reflect on family roles and ways of relating. If willing to use the novel to understand a partner's situation, readers will gain from it.

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About the author

弈枚 Author

Yi Mei is an author about whom limited public information is available. Two works by this author are currently included in the collection, with The Broken String (Juexian) and Loquats in the Courtyard (Ting You Pipa) as representative titles. Judging from the existing categories, the writing spans social fiction and time-travel alternate-history fiction, suggesting an interest in drawing on and developing different narrative frameworks: on the one hand, engaging with human relations and circumstances in realistic social settings; on the other, unfolding imagination through time-travel and alternate-world premises. As no clear records of biography, nationality, or dates of birth and death have been found, it is not yet possible to outline the author's life or creative development, and only a brief summary of thematic concerns can be offered. Overall, Yi Mei's body of work remains small, and its profile awaits further materials and texts; readers may come to know the author's narrative orientation and focal concerns through The Broken String and Loquats in the Courtyard.