Enemies to Lovers After Marrying in Germany

Sharp-tongued, rigorous Chinese-Canadian PhD top x Sensitive, hot-tempered, haughty straight-guy bottom

Ying Wensen (In) x Qiao Jia

The biggest regret of Qiao Jia's life is coming to Germany to study.

In his first year in Germany, he had a huge fight with his impossibly demanding graduate-school senior, and became the target of his harsh treatment from then on.

In his third year in Germany, his family went bankrupt, making the degree he'd chosen to inherit the family business completely useless.

In his fifth year in Germany... he still hasn't graduated!

The life of a young master came to an end, and Qiao Jia began the miserable life of a broke international student working part-time.

He thought there couldn't be anyone else in all of Germany who was better at saving money than he was.

Then, while filing his taxes this year, he suddenly spotted something on his tax return: a single-person tax!

Single people pay several hundred euros more in tax than people with families!

What the hell? That's so unfair. Qiao Jia wanted to blow up whoever came up with the rule.

A friend heard him complain and generously offered to find him a part-time gig.

What kind of gig? Marrying someone.

"Come on, the other guy needs it, and you're broke, aren't you?" his friend said. Don't worry, he's handsome, a German citizen of Chinese descent, raised in Germany, and has a PhD from a prestigious university.

Qiao Jia said no, but his actions told a different story. He sold himself anyway.

After all... he was desperately poor.

He got the man's contact information and asked bluntly why he wanted to get married.

The reply: I need a partner who can make emergency decisions on my behalf if I lose consciousness.

...What kind of person gets married because he's afraid there'll be no one to sign the papers if he's dying?

Qiao Jia arrived at their meeting spot with that question on his mind, took one look, and froze.

It was a man! And...

White shirt, suit pants, slicked-back hair, silver-rimmed glasses, and that impeccably dressed look that seemed awfully familiar...

Wasn't this the idiot senior he'd fought with and been tormented by for two years?!

Qiao Jia was horrified and turned to leave, but the other man called out to him.

"Qiao Jia?"

"..." Qiao Jia forced himself to turn back through the embarrassment, then walked over.

Ying Wensen saw him and raised an eyebrow. "Please sit down."

Qiao Jia refused to sit. He just stood there.

The other man didn't press him and let him stand.

One sitting, one standing, the two fell silent, making quite a sight in the coffee shop.

In the silence, Ying Wensen suddenly spoke his second sentence.

"Joe, still haven't graduated?"

This time, Qiao Jia turned and walked away for real.

*

Later, his friend asked, "What's it like being married to Dr. In? Does he help you revise your papers?"

Qiao Jia fell silent, remembering the night before in the study...

Ying: How did you write it like this? Did you plagiarize your undergraduate thesis?

Qiao: Mind your own business!

Ying: I have the right to mind your business now. Legally.

His friend asked again, "At least you don't have to worry about filing your taxes or getting a refund anymore, right?"

Qiao Jia fell silent, remembering filling out his tax refund form last month...

Ying: You filled out your VAT refund form incorrectly.

Qiao: ...Could you stop staring at my tax forms all the time?

Ying: You're my spouse in the eyes of the law. Your tax issues could affect my credit rating.

Qiao: I'm done with this stupid marriage!

Ying: Fine. The penalty is three thousand euros, plus any tax fines.

Qiao: ...

His friend was stunned. Finally, he asked, "Then why did you agree?"

Qiao Jia thought, it definitely wasn't because Ying Wensen was handsome and rich. It definitely wasn't because he was smart and highly educated. And it definitely wasn't because he had a huge house with a garden...

In the end, Qiao Jia let out a long sigh and said, "Because I'm kind-hearted."

Not punching Ying Wensen when he suspected him of cheating and pinned him to the bed to kiss him was definitely proof of his kind heart.

#A story about a rational, rigorous PhD who goes crazy for love and turns into a scheming, green-tea man#

One-on-one, happy ending, both leads are each other's first, marriage before love, three-year age gap with the top older, set in Germany

An academic slice-of-life with a humorous daily-life feel, talking about ideals and love

Dedicated to the sunshine of Germany.

Theme: Rationalism or romanticism