Painting Spring for Him

Xi Shao was carefree and rebellious, relying on his family background to do as he pleased and acting unpredictably.

The old master arranged a marriage for him and threatened and tempted him into meeting his prospective bride.

Xi Shao deliberately arrived half an hour late. For ten of those minutes, he stood outside, watching his fiancée through a half-open carved wooden door.

She was very beautiful, gentle and obedient, with a graceful air like a jasmine flower.

She belonged to a completely different world from him.

He got straight to the point and said they could just go through the motions. His fiancée wasn't the least bit displeased. Instead, she said she really liked the match.

At first, everyone in their circle was certain Xi Shao would never give in. Later, they realized they were seeing him less and less.

At a long-overdue reunion, his childhood friend noticed a faint handprint on Xi Shao's face and a small split in his lip.

Instead of getting angry, Xi Shao couldn't stop smiling. He even asked how to make a girl like him more.

His friend looked him over and offered advice: "Why don't you try seducing her? Listen..."

Xi Shao dismissed it as terrible advice, but memorized every word.

Jian Jin would sometimes paint things in private that she couldn't show in public. She never expected Xi Shao to see one of them.

The painting showed a young man kneeling, his knees spread apart, his posture submissive. A black collar around his neck added a provocative, seductive edge, and a woman held the leash.

It was obvious who the two people in the painting were.

Xi Shao wasn't angry. Instead, his interest deepened as he kept closing in on Jian Jin, trapping her in the narrow space of his embrace.

"You want me to be your dog?"

His scorching, predatory gaze lowered to her dusty-pink lips.

"I might be willing."

#An unconventional marriage-first, love-later story. They don't get married at the beginning. No niche subculture involved, just a heroine with a vivid imagination and daring art. Both leads are virgins.

Theme: Having the courage to keep moving forward.