Scheming Her Way to the Top [Marriage Before Love]

[Marriage First, Love Later] [Eight-Year Age Gap] [An Old Flame Rekindled] [Guiding Lover] [Living Under One Roof]

[Powerful Conglomerate Boss x News Anchor]

New novel: "Mist [Coercive Love]". A powerful man from Beijing x a college girl. Now publishing.

1/

Meng Yannan, head of the Meng family, was extremely low-key, but unexpectedly went viral after an entertainment interview.

In the interview, the cool, austere background of the Meng Group CEO's office made him seem all the more distinguished. He wore a bespoke suit, its expertly tailored cuff revealing an expensive watch with a restrained, cool metallic sheen.

What drew the most attention, however, was his left hand resting on the documents. A simple platinum wedding band circled his ring finger, silently declaring a tender bond that seemed completely at odds with the chilly office as he turned the pages.

As the reporter asked questions, he would occasionally brush his thumb over the ring without thinking. A trace of softness, almost too subtle to notice, would cross his stern features.

Half the online commenters praised his stunning looks; the other half lamented that such a wonderful man was already someone else's husband. They wondered what lucky woman had married him.

A friend who saw the interview marveled, "Mr. Meng got married at such a young age? It seems like everyone at the Meng Group only just found out, too."

Ni Xia replied calmly, "I don't know. Maybe it was a secret marriage."

Her friend nodded. "Maybe. I'm so jealous of his wife, though. Mr. Meng must be amazing in bed."

Ni Xia nearly choked on her water. "How do you know that?"

Her friend said, "His nose bridge is so high. Haven't you heard that men with high nose bridges are good at it?"

Ni Xia thought of a certain scene, and her face involuntarily turned red.

That night, when she returned to the villa and fulfilled her marital duties, Ni Xia took a deliberate look at Meng Yannan's nose.

Meng Yannan caught her distracted glance. His movements grew more forceful. "If I can still distract Mrs. Meng, I must not be trying hard enough."

2/

Ni Xia and Meng Xubai had been childhood sweethearts, raised together in the Meng household. Their families had even jokingly arranged a childhood betrothal. Ni Xia took the joke to heart, until the day Meng Xubai got married, when she could only wish him happiness from afar.

Later, Ni Xia married Meng Yannan, Meng Xubai's elder brother, in a marriage of convenience. She had thought their old feelings were buried so thoroughly that nothing could disturb them, until one day Meng Yannan found the love letters Ni Xia had written to amuse herself.

Meng Yannan was the head of the Meng Group. There were three brothers in the Meng family, but he alone was born to the principal wife, and he held all the power.

The three brothers were around the same age, and it was time for them to marry. Their elders were anxious, but Meng Yannan was a workaholic who kept women at a distance. The old master issued an ultimatum: whoever married first would receive his shares in the company. The second brother, Meng Xubai, three years younger than Meng Yannan, married the daughter of a well-matched family within a few months. Meng Yannan, however, remained unmoved.

The old master grew furious and threatened that if Meng Yannan did not marry within three months, he would divide the company shares between the two younger brothers. Meng Yannan raised his eyes to the only woman in the family, Ni Xia, and said, "Isn't there already someone right here?"

The old master cursed him for being heartless. How could he make the little girl he had watched grow up his wife? Meng Yannan smiled. "Didn't you say our families had arranged a childhood betrothal? Why shouldn't I?"

At Meng Yannan's insistence, he and Ni Xia married. But Ni Xia knew there was no love between them.

On their wedding night, she meant to sleep in another room, but Meng Yannan stopped her. "I don't want a platonic marriage. Please fulfill your marital duties, Mrs. Meng."

Ni Xia agreed. Men were men; it didn't matter who they slept with. With the lights off, it was all the same.

Until Meng Yannan found the love letter she had once written to Meng Xubai.

The man looked expressionless, and even read the letter aloud in a steady voice. Ni Xia blushed and tried to snatch it back, but he held her fast in his arms. His voice suddenly turned dangerous. "So, Mrs. Meng, who have you been thinking about all these nights?"

After that night, Meng Yannan turned on every light in the house. Again and again, he made the young woman beneath him see who he was and call his name.

3/

Once, while Ni Xia was interviewing a popular actress on a livestream, the actress splashed red wine all over her. She was currently the biggest star under the Meng Group, and everyone thought Ni Xia was in trouble.

To their surprise, Ni Xia picked up the wine bottle and poured it right back over her.

The actress put on a helpless, delicate act. "Ni Xia, what makes you think you can splash me?"

A cold male voice came from behind her. "Why shouldn't she?"

The man strode over, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over Ni Xia. He put an arm around her, shielding her from the cameras, then stared coldly at the actress. "You ask what gives her the right? She's my wife."

The whole internet erupted.

Not long after, the Meng Group issued a statement.

[There is no one for me but you @Wandu News Ni Xia]

The accompanying picture showed two marriage certificates.

4/

When Meng Yannan was young, there were two things he loved dearly. One was painting, but because of his family, he eventually gave it up.

The other was Ni Xia.

No matter how many years passed, Meng Yannan would always remember the day his father confined him at home and the girl risked coming to bring him food.

At the time, the girl had only just come to live under someone else's roof. She was painfully sensitive, yet still disobeyed his father's orders for his sake.

Back then, Meng Yannan had no other thoughts. He only wanted to protect her.

Later, he learned that she liked someone else.

If Ni Xia could like someone else, why couldn't that person be him?

Years later, just as spring was about to arrive in all its splendor, his love finally received an answer.

-

[Reading Guide]

1. One-on-one, both leads are each other's first and only partners. The male lead has no bad habits: he doesn't drink or smoke, has no ambiguous relationships, and is a model of virtue. He adores the female lead.

2. This is not a story about an all-powerful heroine, nor is she a fragile little flower. She has her own character-growth arc.

3. The male lead has a secret crush. With this setup, there will inevitably be some minor misunderstandings from his point of view, but both leads communicate and resolve them quickly. There's no angst at all.

4. This story contains many invented details and is entirely fictional. Please don't read too much into it or project it onto real life.

Theme: Love is written in the stars