A Green Boat Aboard a Single Oar

The rating is finally here, even if it's a little late! Thank you all for your long-standing support. The story may be over, but our bond remains. ❤️ [Long-planned romance + marriage first, love later + wealthy families + well-matched couple + seven-year age gap + mutual first love + sweet romance with no melodrama] Gu Qingzhou is a quiet, elegant traditional craftsman specializing in the preservation of ancient architecture, an inheritor of an intangible cultural heritage. She seems gentle and serene, but beneath the surface lies a craftsperson's pride and stubbornness. She had hoped to devote herself to restoring ancient buildings and quietly pass her days among timber and stone, but her distinguished family background led her elders to arrange a marriage between wealthy families. Ling Yanchen is the head of the Ling Group and a celebrated, untouchable figure in the world of architecture. Straight-backed as a pine, cool and restrained, and rational to his core, he has devoted half his life to architectural design and never involved himself in romance. To him, marriage was supposed to be nothing more than a respectable alliance between families, but behind the arranged match lay years of careful planning, and he agreed to marry her without hesitation. A marriage certificate bound two powerful people together. He thoughtfully arranged separate rooms, kept proper boundaries, and gave her all the respect and dignity she deserved. In public, she was dignified and composed; in private, she secretly grumbled about how rigid and cold he was. As they spent their days together, affection slowly grew. The aloof tycoon shed his reserve and gave her nothing but tenderness and devotion. She preserves the ancient spirit in wood and stone, while he builds the world with a craftsman's care. Among the countless buildings in this world, Gu Qingzhou alone is his one and only beloved and the home he will cherish for life.