The story only climaxes around chapter 60+ when the MC makes a drastic decision to leave. There is also 4P in this story, how it happens is rather.. interesting and tragic... I won't give away too much.

The last 10+ chapters are actually extras after a time skip.

We later come to know that, he tolerated everything just for the safety of his mother, especially when he was being threatened by the Shen Family before his marriage.

The weight of his situation becomes even more heartbreaking when he discover the truth about his mother's death, after two whole years. It's even more heartbreaking considering how his mother actually died. In his childhood, a young Sanxi stumbled upon his sixth aunt's lifeless body in the courtyard well, having chosen to end her own life. Tragically, history repeated itself when his mother followed suit, also succumbing to the well's depths. He recalls that his mother, in moments of despair, had expressed that if not for him, she would have long jumped into the well. This traumatic childhood memory leaves an indelible mark on him, especially as he knows the emotional burdens borne by wives in the household. This awareness became an intimate part of his own existence as he, too, experienced the same emotional burden as a wife especially being a "kao" in this society.

Despite the ab*se and heartache, Sanxi holds on, driven by a belief that he could ensure a life of luxury for his mother. He clung to the notion that she harbored resentment towards her life and, possibly, towards him for being a "Chang Ren" rather than a "Xie-Kao" like his fifth sister. The hope that his prestigious marriage to the Xu family would bring prosperity to his mother shattered when the harsh truth emerged. Eventually, burdened by the weight of reality, Sanxi makes a heartbreaking decision—to follow in his mother's tragic footsteps and plunge into the river.

In a pivotal moment, he chooses to separate from his overbearing husbands, selfishly trying to paint himself as an ungrateful person, even knowing the situation. However, a deeper depression ensues, triggered by the revelation of his baby's gender as a "kao" like himself. This leads to his ultimate decision to break free from his three husbands and pursue his childhood dream of becoming a merchant, seeking meaning in a world beyond his constrained existence.

During his two years separation from his husbands, he still faces some nightmares,

interesting like the times, when he faces a severe illness, the pain he was going through can be parallel to the pain that his husband

Xu Changfeng was probably experiencing as we learned that he was tortured by the enemy and lost his eyes!

At the end, Sanxi realizes he still loves his husbands. He returns after two years immediately after hearing about He lang healths. The ending unfolds as a poignant and bittersweet moment. Much like years ago when Sanxi crafted a piece of art resembling a goldfish – although Xu Yanqing mistook it for a lotus flower – this artwork now hangs as a cherished heirloom. The reunion is touching, not only reuniting Sanxi with his child but also bringing him face to face with Xu Yanqing.

Growing up, Xu ChangFeng faced challenges because, as a Chang Ren, he wasn't the automatic heir to the Xu Family. His mom, wanting him to achieve more than even the Xie brothers, pushed him hard, making him handle big responsibilities from a young age. Unlike the Xie brothers, who were scholarly, Xu ChangFeng chose a path in military—maybe as a way to break free from his mom's overwhelming ambitions.

His identity becomes a source of manipulation by Lady Yu, his mother, who orchestrates his life from childhood to adulthood, compelling him to achieve greatness for her own selfish motives.

She also forced him into marrying his first wife and fathering a daughter, all part of her design. Furthermore, Lady Yu includes him in a marriage with Sanxi without his consent. Originally meant to marry the Xie brothers, Sanxi becomes entangled in Lady Yu's greed.

Lady Yu's hope is that the child born from their marriage will be a son and a Xie, who can be the heir of Xu family.

She puts Xu ChangFeng through all this because he wasn't born a Xie, and thus, not a potential heir for the Xu family. It's genuinely disheartening because, despite his best efforts and attempts to understand and sympathize with his mother, she remains dissatisfied.

At first, he was kind of asshat to Sanxi, never doing it face to face and neglecting him, using him as a source of "duty" to bear an heir. This might have stemmed from his upbringing, surrounded by cunning people, leading him to assume Sanxi was no different. As the story progresses, Xu ChangFeng, initially cold and indifference, begins to thaw, and gradually, he opens up emotionally to Sanxi. For the first time in his life, love takes hold of him. This newfound emotion prompts him to take control of his own life, confronting his controlling mother, and, most importantly, becoming a protective person for Sanxi.

Before the Xie Family annexation, he was still a beast with lease around his neck. I mean yes, he was remorseful for assaulting Sanxi, and asked for consent the next time, but he still didn't shed his jealously nor impulsively when he ask Xu Changfeng to give Sanxi as some kind of object for his next heat.

Following the Xie annexation, Xu Yanqing's maternal family faces exile due to their connection with Empress Chen's poisoning orchestrated by Concubine Xie.

This association made Madam Xie guilty, who sacrifices herself for the sake of the Xu family and her son. This devastating loss shatters Xu Yanqing, causing him to revert to his beastly nature, leading to harm inflicted on Sanxi as an outlet for his anguish. Amidst his depression, Xu Yanqing decides to let Sanxi go, recognizing the need for both of their well-being. It is said in the novel that, both of them never had a conversations or physical contact for months onwards after the incident and the last time, they did was when Xu Yanqing cried in his knee holding Sanxi, as Sanxi was about to leave the Xu residence.

However, he would still visit Sanxi with their baby in his arms to make the baby and Sanxi closer and possibly help Sanxi postpartum depression. And at the end, it's just so heartwarming cause Sanxi finally accepts his baby and Xu Yanqing with the goldfish-lotus flower chiming in the air!

I find it really cute that when Sanxi has some disagreement with one of his husband, he would just take his little baby and go into his own small courtyard and relax. And in this world, where having multiple concubines is normal, Sanxi remains the primary one legitimate wife of the three husbands.

It was when his remaining maid, whom he treated as a friend, confessed that she was pregnant with one of his husbands. It was also amidst the time of their family's repeated downfalls. Imagine having just received throws of stones, and when you're bruised, black and blue, this sudden news is similar to sprinkle of salt to your wounds.

I defend on him. At first Changfeng he do MC from back don't want to see each other face. I think he didn't mean he don't want to see MC face but he don't want MC to see uncontrol/emotional image of him. Try hard to keep cold and no feeling when he older anyway.

Yanqing, he always regret what he did but he cant control his emotion and mc's hard on him? So they keep hurt each other again and again. So sorry for both of them

MC met his brother after so many years. From the moment his past started to play flashbacks, It seemed as if MC got infected by flue and was hallucinating all the flashbacks, running away suddenly without details, drawning in water and being held captive by suddenly all three brothers sitting around him at the same time. And [

At this point I couldn't quite believe uf I read accurately; was everything actually real. Everything was so rushed and author seemed wanted to finish story as soon as possible and with a happy ending with that. But how to be happy after what MC went through.

Of course send him away. Stabilise his mentality by strolling around the country. Make him see few scary nightmares and forget his past get back to his husbands' house again. And that's it. The End.

Responsibitlity really was one of his strongest strait, he withstood all that physical and emotional ab*se but prevailed for his mother, for the pride that he could bring to her and to the Shen clan (a**holes as they are). He did not run away with the person who might have truly loved him, due to his sense of duty as part of the Xu family.

Although gugu remarked that his sister was the wilfull one while he's meek and submissive. I think they actually resembles each other a lot. While his sister's defiance was expressed directly, Sanxi's rage burned cold, silent, and resilient. Xu Yanjing was the only one who saw that defiance in him when they married, which was why their relationship was so tumultuous. He both loved and hated Sanxi for that spark of fire that only ever burned so fiercely when facing against him. Oh yeah, that's why I was the biggest Xu Yanjing hater when I first read ever but I had to admit he was the only one who could get Sanxi to express himself so openly (possibly the only one who was willing to communicate among the 3 gongs but this time it was Sanxi who did not want to communicate hah!)

The 4P s*x scene was so delish but good s*x scene aside, that was one of the most well-written climax of a tragedy I've ever seen in danmei genre. This was the first time Sanxi had ever bared all of himself to the Xu bros, all the scorns and bitterness he had endured no longer held in but turned into nails and bites that stripped his husbands to their lowest most powerless state. Sanxi said that it was a game where all were lost, but from a spectator's pov I think this was the moment Sanxi overthrew the balance of the game. From that moment onwards all the way til the ending and clearly shown in the extras and sequel about their future, Sanxi became the figure of power in the 4's relationship, he's the one to say the final word on a matter and his husbands listen to him.

Was gonna end it here but I need to add in on the Xu YanJing's defending party. Given his education and how well he treated his exs (that courtesan who was arranged to live gud iirc), I think we have to give him the benefit of the doubt when he said he did not do it with the maid. Ugh one of those part where I wished we could have seen from the husband pov and not Sanxi gahh