My Wife Hopes to Be Widowed Every Day

A traditionalist's wife x a timid young woman who can't stand up to her mother Modern setting where same-sex marriage is illegal Marriage first, love later; feelings develop over time Your mother calls and says she's got a surprise for you. You believe her. The doorbell rings. The surprise is here. You open the door and see a beautiful woman. “May I ask who you are...?” The woman bows respectfully. As she raises her hand, you notice she wears the same bracelet as you. You vaguely remember your grandmother once laughing as she told you that the bracelets were tokens of a childhood betrothal. You'd always thought it was a joke, but today you've met the other half of the pair. Huh? This woman you've never met is actually your wife. “This can't be right, can it?” “You're right. It isn't proper.” The woman shyly looks away. “I shouldn't have met you before I was formally married into your family, miss.” That's not the point! Your “wife,” Xie Enze, is a wonderful cook. She doesn't seem to have a job, and she keeps the house spotless every day, taking a load off Jiang Heqing's mind after the young miss moved out of her old family home to live independently. But Jiang Heqing still feels that something is wrong. Very wrong. Has the whole world gone mad? Why has everyone from her mother to her friends accepted this so easily? Is she the only one who remembers that same-sex marriage is illegal in China? Is she the only one who thinks arranged marriage shouldn't exist in the twenty-first century? “I understand how you feel, miss. You must be troubled, since we don't know each other yet.” Jiang Heqing is relieved. At last, someone else thinks this is wrong. Of course Xie Enze, the other person caught up in this farce of a marriage, would understand how she feels best. “So let's go on a date this weekend. I hope you'll fall for me before the wedding.” No, no, you haven't understood at all! No matter how unwilling she is, Jiang Heqing is pushed into this marriage, which isn't even legally valid. Actually, living with Xie Enze isn't so bad. The woman can do just about anything. At home, she takes care of all the daily chores; at work, she helps Jiang Heqing sort through the details. As time goes by, Jiang Heqing gradually gets used to this life. Until one day, she sees her wife's search history. “Can long-term dish soap residue be fatal?” “How to use slow-acting poison” “How to dispose of an animal carcass weighing around a hundred pounds at home” Huh? This isn't some traditional, submissive wife. She's a murderous poisoner! To protect her life and property, when Xie Enze leans over to serve her food again, Jiang Heqing jumps up from the table in fright. “There's no need for that. Slavery was abolished in New China!” Xie Enze has never imagined separating from Jiang Heqing. Because from the very beginning, their bond was never based on love. So when she can no longer bear it, she can think of only one choice. She doesn't hate Jiang Heqing, but on many nights as they lie together, she can't help looking at her sleeping face and thinking: If only you weren't here. The following is a blurb for an upcoming story. Visit my profile if you're interested. As a seasoned fanfic fan, I can rattle off classic fanfic tropes I've never gotten tired of: A room you can't leave unless you kiss Growing pains Room Number Nine Hanahaki disease Cake and fork But I never thought I'd have to experience them myself one day. I'm just a city mouse getting by on a monthly salary of three thousand. Who could've guessed that I'd wake up in a strange, blank room? A few words appear plainly on the big screen: A room you can't leave unless you kiss. And standing beside me is none other than my high school crush. My first love didn't taste like lemon. I liked a pretty, smart girl in my class. Someone took the love letter I never meant to give her and read it aloud in front of everyone. While the whole class laughed at me, my crush frowned, annoyed that I'd dragged her into such an embarrassing scene. I never expected that our reunion years later would be just as awkward. Cool goddess x socially anxious shut-in A barrage of cheesy tropes. Blurb to be revised Character names to be decided Theme: Perseverance