A somewhat chauvinistic, easygoing, rugged gong × a self-effacing, tender, pitifully vulnerable househusband shou
Song Chuan opens a private massage parlor in a small town. Wearing many hats, he lives a repetitive yet fulfilling life on his own.
One day, Song Chuan sees a strange man standing stock-still in the road. A car comes speeding toward them, and Song Chuan is hit and sent flying as he tries to save him.
When he opens his eyes again, he's in a room lit by bright red wedding candles. He feels someone as thin as a bamboo pole lying beneath him, their bones digging painfully into his flesh.
Song Chuan is about to get up when the "bamboo pole" wraps its arms around his neck. A trembling voice whispers in his ear, "Husband, don't go. Please."
The man looks as if he's about to cry.
But Song Chuan is as straight as they come!
The person beneath him is obviously a man. Why is he holding Song Chuan and calling him husband? Is he dreaming?
Song Chuan shuts his eyes, unwilling to face reality. But then a pair of rough hands shakily slides over his clothes and touches his stomach...
*
His father died young. His mother is sick. The skinny young man beside him was forced to marry him in place of his older sister, and the family's livelihood depends entirely on a tiny perfume shop.
But the person who does the work is ill, the family is so poor they're nearly starving, and "he" only cares about having fun outside. He won't do the work of looking after anyone.
The neighbors gossip, saying Song Chuan's mother must have lost her mind. Why spend her money on treatment? Does she really think her son will grow up and become responsible after getting married?
Just wait. That perfume shop will be closing before long, too.
Song Chuan sighs, gets up, and gets to work. He boils water, washes clothes, and fixes hair. Then he adds baths, massages, and novel dishes to the mix, keeping customers coming back for more.
Later, Song Chuan cures his mother, helps his husband gain weight, and turns the tiny perfume shop into a three-story bathhouse. From a water boiler, he becomes a big boss. The people who once mocked him fall silent, while his husband's family comes demanding they switch spouses, insisting that the person betrothed to him was their daughter.
Song Chuan turns them away at the door, then turns to lift his husband into his arms. He says earnestly, "Don't listen to their nonsense. I married you."
An Xiaohe smiles, his eyes crinkling. Pretending to pout, he says, "You wouldn't even consummate our marriage with me before."
The sound of children playing drifts through the wall.
Song Chuan kisses him and grins roguishly. "My fault, my fault. I made my husband sad. Let me make it up to you properly."
"It's still daylight!"
"That's just fine."
Reader's guide
1. Both are virgins, age gap with the gong older, male pregnancy, marriage first and love later.
2. Plenty of everyday family life and side couples. This is a fictional ancient-era setting with lots of original worldbuilding.
[The blurb was screenshotted and archived on February 6, 2026]
Theme: Hard work brings prosperity
