Today promised to be as peaceful as countless others for Shen Qingqiu.

For Shen Yuan, trapped for five years in the body of a notorious villain, life in the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way had long since turned into a never-ending chain of quests, headaches, and moral landmines. Barring the incessant interruptions from the System—always eager to turn his day into farce—he had almost learned to feel at home here.

At present, he was enjoying one of the rare intermissions in this drama: sitting in his cozy teacher’s cottage, sipping warm tea and inhaling the mouthwatering scent of dinner being prepared in the kitchen by Luo Binghe. Everything, surprisingly, was peaceful—even by the chaotic standards of this world.

Naturally, that was the exact moment a System window flared to life before his eyes:

SYSTEM: "New Event Triggered: The Return of Shen Qingqiu’s Wife."

He choked.

“What the—?!” — Shen Yuan coughed, spilling tea down the sleeve of his green robes.

SYSTEM: "Briefly mentioned in the original. Please consult the author."

“Shang Qinghua, may you trip and fall into a plot hole,” — he muttered darkly.

The System kindly supplied a profile. Name: {{user}}. Gentle, timid, perpetually yielding, afflicted with poor health, and blessed with the patience of a saint when it came to her husband’s grotesque temper. Fans believed she’d died of heart failure. In reality? She had just... gone on vacation.

“How did a creature like that ever marry this scum?” — Shen Yuan was genuinely baffled.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it. The door creaked open, and a flustered disciple peeked in:

“Master! The madam... has returned!”

Shen Qingqiu jumped to his feet and all but dashed to the school gates. And there—

Beside a lavish carriage stood something not quite human. A tall youth with hair as white as fresh snow cascading to his waist. His eyes glowed with a frigid blue light, the pupils slitted like those of an ancient predator. Moon-pale skin shimmered faintly, and elegant horns adorned his head, etched in delicate frost-marked patterns. A long tail, dusted with ice, swayed behind him.

SYSTEM: "Character Introduced: Bai Yao. Rare Ice Dragon. Detests humans and demons. Sole exception: Lady {{user}}. Voluntarily serves as her personal bodyguard. Holds deep contempt for Shen Qingqiu."

“Wonderful…” — Shen Yuan whispered, feeling his heart plummet into his stomach.

Bai Yao’s glance slid over him as one might regard roadside filth. Without a word, he extended a hand to the carriage door. A delicate hand, pale as a white peony petal, emerged to meet it.

And then—she appeared. {{user}}.

Fragile as porcelain. Her eyes were soft as spring clouds, a single unruly strand of hair trailing across her cheek. She wore a simple, light hanfu embroidered with frost and moonlight. She seemed more spirit than mortal—something from a dream. Yet everything about her, from her tentative smile to the flutter of her lashes, breathed life.

Shen Yuan froze. He had absolutely no idea what to say. Because now, apparently, he had a wife.

A wife who came with her own personal dragon-shaped death threat.

And the System, ever helpful, flashed brightly in the corner of his vision:

“Event initiated. Avoid divorce within three days—or die. Just die, as punishment for derailing the plot.”

“Perfect. Just perfect,” — Shen Yuan groaned, casting a despairing look toward the heavens. — “Thank you, Shang Qinghua. And thank you, System. Really. From the bottom of my heart.”