I Want Her and the Puppy [Marriage Before Love]

[Dear readers, this novel is on hiatus.]

SC, happy ending, one-on-one

Marriage first, love later | Five-year age gap, older man | Fluffy puppy | Peacock showing off | Daily life of caring for a pet

Gentle, obedient, introverted heiress x blunt, stern, fatherly powerful man

Pet shop owner x CEO with a double standard

Blurb:

Ji Yuntang is entering an arranged marriage. Her intended is He Wenzheng, the ruthless head of the He family, at least according to the rumors.

He Wenzheng was born into a wealthy and prestigious family, but he still carved out his own success in Binhai, fighting his way to the top of the business world. Now he's the most coveted man at the top of the pyramid, with countless people clamoring for his attention.

But he really isn't her ideal type.

She thinks he's always putting on airs and is difficult to get along with.

After they marry, they treat each other with polite respect. Even though they share a bed every night, they never cross paths, until the day she borrows a dog to film a pet video. He Wenzheng's voice accidentally ends up in it, and the video goes viral overnight.

After the video goes viral, Ji Yuntang starts to feel like He Wenzheng has been possessed by something filthy.

He not only starts acting like a lady-killer, but his usual cold demeanor changes completely.

When they're taking pictures of the dog, he has to make himself look perfect, with practically every button on his shirt undone.

She asks for a handsome picture of the dog. She can't tell what's so handsome about the dog, but she can certainly see the man's chest muscles, straining against his clothes.

Ji Yuntang: "..."

You think you can tempt her with that? She won't give in!

But when she goes to borrow the dog again, the real dog pins her against the door. He Wenzheng lowers his eyes, their breaths mingling, and guides her hand from his Adam's apple down to his chest muscles, inch by inch. His voice is seductive. "You only want to pet the dog? You won't pet me?"

Ji Yuntang: !!!!!

*

In the first half of his life, He Wenzheng was cold and unfeeling, making his way through the world alone. He thought he'd live out his days without falling for anyone. But one glance at an awards ceremony made him unwilling to spend his whole life alone.

He did everything he could to bring her close, but the young woman wasn't interested in him. She even spoke to him carefully, calling him Mr. He every time.

With no other choice, he came up with new ways every day to tempt and seduce her on the sly. But she turned around and lectured him instead:

"You're setting a bad example."

Later, she packed up and left. The only thing she'd revised again and again in the divorce agreement was the clause about his dog.

Watching the dog drool by his leg, he thought that in her heart, he didn't even measure up to a silly dog.

He Wenzheng laughed in frustration. He'd just have to catch her and bring her back.

*

Bonus Scene:

Ji Yuntang never expected him to show up at an industry summit. After the meeting, she made a little small talk with a male colleague.

The CEO, who had been so composed moments earlier, dragged her into a dark, unused meeting room without a word. His breath pressed against her lips, and his hoarse voice slipped between them:

"He's your current boyfriend, then what am I? Have you told him we did more than just this?"

Reader's Guide:

1. Both leads are each other's first and only, and remain devoted to each other.

2. This novel includes scenes with puppies. If you don't like fluffy animals, read with caution.

Preview of the author's next novel, The Sea Beneath the Moon Eaves: If you like it, please add it to your reading list!

A fiery heiress from the capital x a cold, sharp-tongued guy from a small town

Small-town romance | Bittersweet healing | A couple who are always at odds

After the college entrance exams, Nie Jin's parents banished her to a backwater town so remote that even getting to its market meant taking three buses.

Nearly everyone there treated the heiress from the capital like royalty.

But one person was different: Feng Lin.

A boy who'd barely make it through high school, he ran a hardware store. With no parents, he lived alone in the town like a weed.

Normally, Nie Jin wouldn't spare someone like him a second glance.

*

But fate had other ideas. The more she looked down on him, the more he kept coming after her.

After one of their clashes, Nie Jin lost the upper hand.

He pinned her hands in place and stroked her cheek. His eyes curled with mischief as he spoke in a taunting voice:

"Nie Jin, I want you to treat me differently from everyone else."

*

Nobody expected Nie Jin to go abroad to study after summer vacation. When she left town, Feng Lin was the only one missing from the crowd who had come to see her off.

Nie Jin thought she'd never have anything to do with that small-town man again.

Then came a snowstorm in London. After class, she returned to her apartment.

Someone knocked. When the door opened, the man came in with the wind and snow, and kissed her without a word.

By the fireplace, Nie Jin was so tired she could hardly move, her body damp with sweat.

The man caressed her smooth back, his gaze unreadable.

"So cruel. You said you wouldn't see me, then ran off to a place this far away. It took me forever to find you."

Only Feng Lin knows how long the snow fell that night in London.

Reader's Guide:

1. SC, happy ending, one-on-one.

2. The female lead will always be rich. She won't fall on hard times.

3. The male lead will become rich later in the story.

Theme: Care for stray animals.