Newlywed Husband, Please Show Some Restraint

[Marriage first, love later, an older husband and younger wife, mutually exclusive devotion, a gentle and sweet romance]

The year Wen Shu turned twenty-three, she married Pei Mingxu, who was ten years older than her.

Her new husband seemed easy to talk to, but he spoke and acted as if following a preset program, boldly and bluntly.

To her, this marriage was a farce, liable to fall apart at any moment.

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The year Pei Mingxu turned thirty-three, he married Wen Shu, who was ten years younger than him.

His new wife seemed obedient and lively, but she never did things by the book and often broke his rules.

To him, this marriage was an unavoidable responsibility.

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Everyone was pleased with this well-matched marriage except the two people in it.

They thought they could get by treating each other with polite respect, but one of them was the first to upset the balance of this marriage of responsibility.

Wen Shu warned him calmly, "Husband, you're crossing the line."

But Pei Mingxu clutched her hand, his eyes red. "Wen Shu, I regret it. My feelings for you have never been just a husband's duty."