Completed. [The heroine is not a virgin, while the hero is; devoted-dog hero + age gap + contract marriage. The heroine is clearheaded and doesn’t wallow in self-doubt: if someone crosses her, she hits back. The hero has no shame and begs for cuddles. The chase-your-husband-back arc is a glorious one.] The day Ye Ying’s husband died, her mother-in-law took her hand and offered to find her a match.
Her younger brother-in-law was ready to marry.
Her mother-in-law gave her two choices: marry someone else and hand over the bride price to her brother-in-law, or marry the brother-in-law herself.
Ye Ying chose neither. She wanted to wait for her university admission letter.
Zhu Jiang, her husband’s best friend, came to pay his respects.
He presented her with an IOU for an astronomical sum.
Only then did Ye Ying learn how her husband had been supporting his parents and younger brother all these years.
She said coolly to Zhu Jiang, “I have no money to give you. If you want me, I’ll marry you.”
She assumed that Zhu Jiang, a man of such high standing, would refuse.
To her surprise, he agreed, and even silenced her in-laws and brother-in-law.
Only later did Ye Ying discover that all those letters her husband had written to her had actually been written by Zhu Jiang.
With red-rimmed eyes, Zhu Jiang accused her of having no heart.
She regretted what she had done and began chasing after him.
She thought Zhu Jiang would never forgive her for using him.
But she hadn’t even managed to speak. She had only looked at him with guilt in her eyes when Zhu Jiang said, “Wife, let’s have a child. Otherwise, I won’t feel secure.”
Ye Ying: ...
