We Agreed to Divorce, But the Stoic Commander from the '80s Regrets It

Shen Nanxi, a modern businesswoman and fashion design student, transmigrates into the body of a villainous illegitimate daughter in a 1980s retro romance novel. She wakes up in the bed of Huo Xizhou, a cold and powerful military commander who despises her. In the original story, this Shen Nanxi had stolen Huo Xizhou’s fiancée, Shen Ziyan, through deceit and drugged him to force a marriage. However, the real Shen Nanxi rejects the original character’s malicious path. Despite being drugged and physically vulnerable, she maintains her dignity, refuses to beg for affection, and immediately requests a divorce the morning after their forced consummation. Huo Xizhou, initially furious and suspicious of her sudden change in attitude, agrees to the divorce but remains watchful and hostile.

Stripped of her family’s wealth and abandoned by her biological father, Shen Cheng, who prioritizes his legitimate family, Shen Nanxi faces immediate poverty. The original character’s reputation is so tarnished that no legitimate employer will hire her. Undeterred, she uses her modern knowledge and design skills to survive. After a humiliating encounter with her abusive half-brother, Shen Chaonan, who beats her in a fit of rage, she takes legal action and has him detained. This bold move shocks her family and forces her father to acknowledge her existence, though he offers only minimal financial compensation. Shen Nanxi refuses his charity, choosing instead to rely on her own labor.

She secures a small advance from an advertising agency to model in commercials, using the funds to rent a tailor shop. Her business acumen quickly turns a profit, and she expands into clothing design, hiring a local woman, Lin Guixiang, to help with production. Her success draws the ire of her half-sister, Shen Ziyan, and stepmother, Su Wenhui, who view Shen Nanxi as a threat to their status and their claim to Huo Xizhou. They orchestrate a scheme to sabotage her business, causing her shop to be closed and her inventory to be seized. Shortly after, Shen Nanxi is robbed of her earnings by thugs hired by the Shen family, leaving her with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Throughout these struggles, Huo Xizhou’s behavior shifts from cold indifference to possessive interference. He monitors her activities, confronts her about her sources of income, and becomes visibly jealous when she interacts with other men, such as Zhang Chenxuan, a kind neighbor. Despite his outward hostility and claims of wanting a divorce, he repeatedly intervenes in her life, offering money and protection while simultaneously accusing her of infidelity. Shen Nanxi remains steadfast in her goal of independence, rejecting his financial aid and insisting on a clean break. She partners with a fabric supplier, Boss Dong, to open a larger clothing store, aiming to establish a sustainable business empire in the emerging 1980s economy.

The narrative follows Shen Nanxi’s transformation from a despised villainess into a resilient entrepreneur. She navigates the hostile environment of the military compound and the cutthroat business world of Yun City. Her relationship with Huo Xizhou becomes increasingly complex; while he publicly maintains his disdain, his actions suggest a growing obsession and confusion regarding his feelings. Shen Nanxi remains focused on her career and financial freedom, determined to rewrite her fate and escape the tragic ending prescribed by the novel. The story sets the stage for her rise in the fashion industry and the ongoing tension with her family, who continue to plot against her success.