In the summer of 1991, Shen Shuwen had just graduated from the University of Political Science and Law when he was sent to the Northeast for a stint of hands-on experience.
His superiors worried about his love life and introduced him to one prospective match after another.
It was only when he could no longer avoid it that Shen Shuwen had to attend the carefully arranged "Hongmen Banquet" set up just for him.
At their first meeting, Shen Shuwen's impression of Zhu Wan was that she was proud and aloof, like a blooming tree peony.
In the cafe, he looked at Zhu Wan in her flamboyant, eye-catching outfit and said coolly, "Miss Zhu, I have no plans to get married at the moment. I hope you find someone wonderful."
The woman parted her red lips. "What am I supposed to do? I've taken a liking to you."
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Zhu Wan had a special background, and all sorts of questionable people were always hanging around her.
Even she could not tell who was sincere and who was pretending.
That was until she met Shen Shuwen.
He was her father's right-hand man, a handsome and polished young man, and a privileged young gentleman from Beijing.
After a dinner arranged by their elders, the two ended up married through a series of coincidences.
At first he was gentle yet distant, attentive yet unfamiliar. Then one day, her car broke down on the road. She called her father for help, but accidentally dialed the wrong number.
When Shen Shuwen heard what had happened, he drove for four or five hours through the night to reach her.
Seeing that she was safe and sound, Shen Shuwen pulled her into his arms and said, still shaken, "Thank goodness nothing happened to you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."
Zhu Wan gave a bitter smile and deliberately asked, "Were you afraid something would happen to me and you wouldn't be able to answer to my dad?"
After a long pause, Shen Shuwen replied, "I was afraid of losing you."
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* Married first, fell in love later
* Proud heiress vs. steady, old-school official
* The story begins in 1991.
Theme: Love built on honesty
