Beijing Snow, Summer Solstice [Marriage Before Love]

▍ Seven-year age gap | Self-restrained, proper, yet unexpectedly dark and brooding 👔 × warm on the outside, cold within 🐰

▍ Blurb:

Xia Zhi got married at twenty. When they registered their marriage, they had met only three times. They also signed a prenup agreeing to divorce after three years.

Her husband, Pei Shujing, was powerful and influential, with countless rumors swirling around him.

Only after they were married did she learn that he was actually gentle and accommodating. He patiently taught her how to handle herself and get along with others, and of course, he taught her about that, too.

He was endlessly tolerant of her every whim and demand, never prying into the reasons behind them.

Everyone around them envied Xia Zhi. Though their marriage had been arranged against their will, they treated each other with respect and courtesy.

Xia Zhi had to admit that a gentle older man was pretty great.

If she had to name a flaw, it was that his health seemed poor. He often needed injections, and considering how busy he was and how rarely he came home, it all seemed rather suspicious.

Still, the best thing about an older man was that his health was poor.

Xia Zhi devoted herself to crossing off the days on the calendar until she could leave.

-

At her graduation ceremony, Pei Shujing rearranged his schedule to attend. Xia Zhi lowered her eyes and quietly asked for a divorce amid the roaring crowd.

Pei Shujing fell silent for a moment, his expression still gentle, then softly agreed.

On the day she was about to move out, she looked around the house she had lived in for so long. Suddenly, every light went out.

-

They say dusk is the hour when demons roam.

Pei Shujing, who had been away from home for a long time, stood in the shadow where light and darkness met, gilded from head to toe.

He deigned to close the door and gently switched off the master light control.

Pei Shujing stopped in front of Xia Zhi, dignified and serene, refined and forgiving. He sighed. "I've already suffered so much holding back, so why would you betray me, baby?"

Night descended in an instant. The enormous villa fell utterly silent; even the metallic clink of a belt buckle could be heard clearly.

Pei Shujing gave a derisive laugh and firmly gripped her chin, his tone as elegant as if he were giving a speech.

"The stray dogs outside are trying to tempt you, hoping to turn you into a stray dog, too."

"So you have to wear it, baby."

Xia Zhi shook her head frantically in terror.

Pei Shujing slowly opened his hand. His wedding ring gleamed between his long fingers, and a priceless necklace swayed there, a family heirloom he had worn close to his body for years.

The Ouroboros serpent pendant was heavy and unsettling, its metal opening blocking her whimpers. Its coldness made Xia Zhi shiver as tears welled in her eyes.

Pei Shujing licked her tears clean and warned her cheerfully,

"The game's about to begin."

"...Unless you call my name, baby, I won't stop, no matter how loudly you cry."

▍ They are both virgins, body and mind.

▍ No non-consensual relationship.

-

Coming soon: My Ex Who Dumped Me Takes My Divorce Case

· A restrained, proper, celibate lawyer × a willful, pampered heiress

· Female lead is experienced, male lead is a virgin | Rekindled romance | She forced him into a relationship, then ran away | Yue Chennian takes the male lead's place as the second male lead | The ex-husband chases after his wife

· The male lead is chaste in body and mind

1.

Li Yang's life was divided into two distinct chapters. Before marriage, she had everything her way, willful and pampered, and many people hated her. After marriage, she devoted herself to domestic life and faded into obscurity for years. When she finally made headlines again, it was because her husband had cheated.

Her divorce case became a sensation. Her husband prepared for battle and hired Yue Chennian's legal team at a high price. Lawyer Yue had an undefeated record.

Years earlier, he had been interviewed as the top scorer on the college entrance exam. His slightly faded school uniform couldn't conceal his refined good looks. Asked about his plans for the future, he had answered methodically, earning him the label of a top-tier hot nerd from online media outlets.

A few years later, he appeared on a law-firm variety show. His profile alone won him countless fans, and his glittering resume was flawless from beginning to end.

Li Yang had neither money nor connections. She was bound to lose.

2.

Outside the mediation room, Li Yang looked haggard, her eyes red-rimmed as she shivered in the cold wind. The lawyer beside her had refined features and a distant air. His long black coat made him look even more imposing, like a demon from hell.

It was Yue Chennian.

Microphones surged toward them like a tide. Yue Chennian gently held them back with his long, elegant fingers and nodded politely. "Ms. Li is unwell, so I'll speak on her behalf today."

"There's been a misunderstanding. I've always been Ms. Li's sole legal representative."

Beside him, Li Yang trembled slightly, her eyes seeming to brim with tears. She looked frail and exhausted, and her legs gave way until she could barely stand.

Yue Chennian reacted instantly, politely and gallantly steadying her by the arm.

Every reporter present was moved. Lawyer Yue really was righteous and kind.

Only Li Yang could hear his warning. Keeping his expression hidden, he spoke in a barely audible voice and taunted her, "Ms. Li, the night before your next court appearance, I'll be gentler."

"Want me to turn it off?"

"Then you'd better listen to me."

3.

His smile was flawless, like the schoolboy in uniform from five years ago.

The glowing red tip of a cigarette traced a faint line through the darkness. Yue Chennian stood up and rested his distinctively knuckled fingers against her forehead. "Miss, times have changed. You can't afford me anymore."

In the long-abandoned attic, dust drifted down as Yue Chennian licked her red tear mole. "What are you upset about? When you tormented me and abandoned me back then, did I cry?"

"I don't want to force you."

"Come over and kiss me now, and I'll let this go."

-

Li Yang's life had been full of twists and turns. She was sharp-tongued and didn't know how to hold back. Many people hated her, and many people sympathized with her.

And Yue Chennian loved her.

For many years.

Yue Chennian thought in silence that there was nothing he could do about it.

Theme: Saving each other.