The Female General's Childhood Sweetheart, Gentle as Jade

A marriage first, love later; a gentle, slow-burn romance.

Set in a world where same-sex marriage is legal.

A valiant female general and a gentle, refined young lady from a noble household.

In the tenth year of Jing'an, the Northern Border campaign ended in a great victory. Xie Zhao led her army back to the capital in glory.

After four years of fighting, she had thought she could spend her time traveling and enjoying life once she returned to the capital. But to her surprise, the emperor personally arranged a marriage for her.

The other family wasn't made up of strangers. It was the family of her childhood sweetheart, Su Zhiyun, whom she hadn't seen in years.

As soon as the imperial decree was issued, news that Xie Zhao was to marry Su Zhiyun spread throughout the capital.

Everyone congratulated her. After all, who in the capital hadn't heard of the Su family's beautiful young lady, famed for her gentle nature? The two had known each other since childhood, so the match seemed made in heaven.

Everyone in the capital was happy for Xie Zhao. Everyone, that is, except Xie Zhao herself, who was so glum she even tried to get Su Ruoyun to ask the emperor to cancel the marriage.

It wasn't for any other reason. When she was young, Xie Zhao had once fallen for Su Zhiyun, only to discover by chance that Su Zhiyun had already given her heart to someone else. Xie Zhao had no choice but to part from her, heartbroken.

Sure enough, on their wedding day, Su Zhiyun confessed the secret behind her decision to marry Xie Zhao: she was only fulfilling the wish of her ailing mother, who was nearing death.

Xie Zhao felt utterly crushed. She swore to Su Zhiyun on the spot that she would never force her into anything. If Su Zhiyun later found someone she loved, they could get a divorce.

After the wedding, Xie Zhao never overstepped a boundary and planned for them to live separate lives. But who could have guessed that, one day, Su Zhiyun would change her mind?

She tested the waters again and again, speaking softly and tenderly to Xie Zhao, pressing close to her, and even, when drunk, holding her and whispering sweet nothings.

Xie Zhao couldn't resist her feelings. That night, they whispered and kissed, entwined in each other's arms. Xie Zhao had never seen the usually gentle and reserved Su Zhiyun look so alluring and seductive.

But the next morning, Xie Zhao regretted it deeply. She avoided Su Zhiyun for days, and just as she was about to confess her mistake, Su Zhiyun showed no anger at all.

Instead, she put her arms around Xie Zhao and, in a soft, coquettish voice, bit at her ear and whispered, "A-Zhao... That night felt so good... Would you..."

"Do it again tonight?"

Xie Zhao was stunned. She couldn't help wondering how her usually gentle and elegant Zhiyun-jiejie could say such embarrassing things...

Could she have been possessed?

Theme: Strive to improve yourself.