Marriage Alliance Is Fine, but I Won't Be the Bottom

[Marriage first, love later / affection grows over time / cool-headed, scheming, always-top dominant x clingy bottom who dreams of being the top]

Shen Lai was one of the many illegitimate children of the wealthy Shen family of Pingcheng, ranked eleventh.

Being an illegitimate daughter had its perks. The family's greatest expectation of her was simply that she wouldn't start a business and would live as a spoiled rich kid.

Shen Lai spent her days dancing, flying all over the world, and occasionally taking a role in a TV series on a whim. She was living the good life.

But an illegitimate daughter had her uses too: the Shen family arranged a marriage for her.

Shen Lai immediately went berserk. She was a lesbian, and a top. She'd never be with a man in this lifetime!

She'd already bought a ticket to flee abroad and was at the airport when her seventh older brother called: “Why are you running? Has Chi Yanqing wronged you? If she weren't a lesbian too, do you think you'd have been chosen for the marriage alliance with the Chi family?”

“You should've said so sooner. What a fuss over nothing.”

Shen Lai turned around on the spot and went back to her penthouse apartment. That evening, as she soaked in the tub and sipped wine, she zoomed in on a photo of Chi Yanqing attending a meeting on her phone:

A young woman in a light beige suit sat on a sofa, legs crossed, her cool expression as she spoke with others. A pair of silver-rimmed glasses brought her aloof, abstinent air to the height of perfection.

Those long, straight legs encased in suit trousers made Shen Lai restless, even as she soaked in the bath.

A match made in heaven!

Shen Lai went along with her family's arrangements, and the wedding took place as planned. That night, she watched the woman remove her glasses and pat her waist. “Lie down.”

Shen Lai: ???

This isn't right!!!

-

The supporting actress Shen Lai played unexpectedly became a hit, taking her straight from the bottom ranks to the second tier. Her interviews were so blunt that she gained a horde of haters, who diligently trashed her on Weibo every day.

Shen Lai jumped into the fray with her verified account to argue back, often getting screenshotted and landing on another trending list of scandals.

Her manager begged President Chi to rein her in. Chi Yanqing said nothing and simply kept taking down the negative trending topics.

One day, a huge trending topic broke: “Rising star's romance exposed!”

In the blurry footage, a beautiful woman who looked just like Shen Lai was pinned against a car door and passionately kissed by a tall woman in a suit.

Comment: “I knew it! No wonder she's suddenly getting such great opportunities. Having a sugar mommy makes all the difference, huh?”

Shen Lai's verified account replied: “She's my wife, you little hater.”

The topic trended again, and the comments grew even wilder as everyone tried to guess who the other woman was.

“Do you think Shen Lai is the top or the bottom?”

“I'm docking you points. Watch the video again.”

“Shen Lai, say something! You're online but not talking. Are you a top or a bottom?”

Shen Lai, who usually couldn't stand being provoked for even a second, went completely silent on Weibo for an entire month.

“It's all your fault. I want to be the top!”

“Tomorrow I'll let you. Come on, lift your leg higher.”

-

* Both first-timers

* Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting.

* An unconventional entertainment-industry story, with not too much focus on showbiz.

Theme: Know your own limits.