Pragmatism

Jiang Yan became a maid in the Cheng household when she was very young. At first, there were a lot of things she couldn't understand.

For instance, you had to work before eating breakfast. You had to work for a whole month before getting paid for that month the next one.

Why couldn't you eat your fill before working, or get paid before you worked?

She disliked anything that put things in the wrong order, but the eldest young master was devoted to it.

The young master firmly believed in "passing the imperial exams first, then studying for its own sake."

He studied whatever might appear on the imperial exams to death, and didn't even glance at anything that wouldn't.

The young master never took a detour, so he passed the highest imperial exam at a young age and was very pleased with himself.

Jiang Yan flattered him to his face, but despised him in her heart. The young master could fool other people, but he shouldn't fool himself. What did he mean by studying for its own sake? Now that he'd passed, would he ever open a book again?

As expected, after passing, he devoted himself to pursuing fame and fortune, rising ever higher in office without reading a single book.

The young master was a fraud.

Later, the young master told her, "A Yan, since you ruined my engagement, you have to make it up to me. Marry me!"

Jiang Yan didn't understand. Marry? What kind of marriage? Did they even have feelings for each other?

"First we get married, then we fall in love," the young master said.

Jiang Yan refused. She didn't believe that putting things in the wrong order could ever lead to true feelings.

"Then how about we have a child first and get married afterward? We can have a shotgun wedding."

"I'd rather die first."

"That works too," the young master agreed.

Jiang Yan couldn't win against him. She still wanted to live, so she might as well get married. After a lifetime of working before eating, she could endure anything.

If things got really bad, she could kill her husband first and become a widow afterward!

[One-on-one, first time for both, both tsundere, both sharp-tongued, both tough on the outside and soft within]

Theme: Love, and dogged persistence