Newlyweds Three Years Later

Married first, fall in love later | A baby is on the way | Wife-pursuing arc within the marriage | Lighthearted and sweet Proud, beautiful heroine x taciturn hero The story opens in the third year of their marriage Yun Jincan was steeped in poetry and propriety from childhood. Her graceful, composed bearing made her a model of an aristocratic family, flawless as jade. A marriage pact betrothed her to Jiang Lian, the only prince in the dynasty who did not share the imperial surname. He was made a prince in his youth, his military achievements unmatched at court, and his power supreme. After their wedding, the two treated each other with respect. In public, they were courteous and affectionate, praised as a perfect pair. In private, they followed a routine. Even in bed, they were restrained and proper, careful with each other, as if observing another strict ritual... Just kidding! As the eldest daughter of the Yun family, Yun Jincan had suffered under the weight of rules. If she married Jiang Lian and bore him a child, earning her family his protection, she would no longer have to be a jade figurine put on display. Jiang Lian was naturally taciturn and busy with military affairs. Yun Jincan had chosen him precisely because her husband would often be away from home, leaving her free to enjoy herself. Who knew that beneath his taciturn nature, he had no tenderness whatsoever, only endless brute strength? Even with his busy schedule, he always managed to find time. Claiming that he couldn't neglect his wife, he would wear her out at least three times a night, only disappearing again at dawn. Yun Jincan was utterly miserable. She even wanted to find a few erotic picture books and make him study them before letting him into bed. Luckily, he was young, strong, and vigorous. Barely three months after their wedding, Yun Jincan discovered she was pregnant. Her task was complete, and her hard days were over. * Jiang Lian had initially felt indifferent about the marriage. His wife was gentle and docile, and his son was clever and well-behaved. He was tied up with military affairs, while she kept the entire household in perfect order. Whenever he managed to come home, he would see her waiting by the door. When he left at dawn, her eyes would be filled with tears. Jiang Lian knew she had him in her heart. Until one day, Jiang Lian returned from the northern border half a month early. His servants stammered, and only then did he learn for the first time that there was a place in the capital where noblewomen could privately gather for tea and music. He saw his wife sitting barefoot on a brocade cushion, raising her cup in a toast. He heard her laughing and drinking with the others. "That dullard Jiang Lian is such a bore, strong as an ox and clueless about romance. If I didn't need to get pregnant quickly and report back to the family, who would put up with him night after night?" The beaded curtain swayed with a crisp clatter. Jiang Lian emerged slowly from behind it, his gaze icy and his face livid. "Is that so? I had no idea I'd made my wife suffer so much all these years." * Later. Yun Jincan was trapped beneath the bed curtains, subjected to an endless interrogation. Jiang Lian bent down and caught her earlobe between his lips, his breath searing. "Do you enjoy it here, my lady, or here?" "If you don't speak, how am I supposed to know how to please you?" "Or perhaps you don't like any of these." Jiang Lian looked down at her from above, his lips curving with delight. "That's all right. We'll keep going until you like it. Think it over, and don't forget to tell me." Theme: When the clouds have cleared, radiant splendor will finally appear