Marriage first, love later + rekindled romance + devoted one-on-one couple + the powerful one humbles himself + stand-in for the idealized first love.
Marriage first, love later, a slow-blooming romance, sweet at first with a touch of angst later...
Shen Boxu, the proud and pampered heir to a wealthy family, married Wen Ran, who was estranged from her own family.
He thought she was a resilient little flower. He bestowed his affection, and she quietly accepted it; he gradually made exceptions for her, and she relied on him just enough. He became obsessed with tending the flower that belonged only to him, his love surging until it overturned every principle he had
Until he discovered the real reason she had agreed to marry him.
He fell apart, unable to accept that all the beautiful love Wen Ran had shown him was false. No one had ever toyed with him like this, and no one had ever dared...
“Wen Ran, who are you really seeing when you look at me? Have you... ever loved me, even for a moment?”
She raised her eyes, her gaze as calm and distant as when they first met, as if his breakdown had nothing to do with her:
“We didn't get married for love in the first place, did we?”
“Do you need me to love you? If you do, then I love you.”
“If you've come to find that disgusting, then I'm sorry. I can sign the divorce papers whenever you want.”
He broke apart from her just when he loved her most. He wanted revenge; he wanted a divorce. He had his lawyer draft dozens of versions of the divorce papers, and while he hesitated over how to make Wen Ran come crawling back to him...
Wen Ran signed every single one without a moment's hesitation.
The powerful man lost control. “Ranran, whether I'm your stand-in or just a shadow... please, look at me one more time.”
I will lay all my pride at your feet to atone for a love I can no longer tell was real or false.
