Blurb: (Dream big: if the collection reaches 300, I'll start early!)
Xu Tingling noticed something strange: her husband had changed.
He used to be cold toward her, rarely smiled at her, and scolded her whenever anything displeased him. Even in the bedroom, they were intimate only two or three times in half a year, and every time it felt like a routine, without the slightest tenderness or affection.
Now, he would hold her and softly call her his wife, tuck flowers into her hair, and make love to her every night...
Xu Tingling still had her doubts, but her husband saw right through her worries. Holding her, he whispered gently in her ear, "I was wrong to take all you did for granted. Only now do I understand how wonderful you are, my dear. I'll make up for everything I owe you, little by little."
She murmured her assent.
Her husband treated her so well now. This was the kind of life she had always wanted.
Two years later, she and her husband were admiring the flowers in the courtyard when someone appeared at the gate. He looked exactly like her husband, and insisted that he was her real husband. He even called her unfaithful and rushed at her, ready to hit her.
Terrified, she hid in her husband's arms. He put an arm around her shoulders and fixed the intruder with a fierce glare, but soothed her in a gentle voice. "Don't be afraid, A Ling. He's just a lunatic. We'll have him thrown out."
*
Meng Zhuojun and Meng Hengcheng were twins. From the day he was born, Meng Zhuojun, the younger brother, was forced to become his elder brother's shadow, hidden away in the estate and ready at any time to sacrifice himself for him. No one but their parents and elder brother knew he existed. He had even chosen his own name.
One day, Meng Hengcheng suddenly told Meng Zhuojun that he would be leaving for a while. He ordered Meng Zhuojun to take his place and make sure their parents and Xu Tingling noticed no difference.
He knew Meng Hengcheng was running away with a woman, the sweetheart he had loved even before marrying. He had been forced to marry Xu Tingling.
So Meng Zhuojun did his brother this favor and followed his instructions.
But he couldn't do what his brother had said about keeping his distance from Xu Tingling. After all, on the wedding day, he had stood in his brother's place and exchanged bows with her.
"If I'm taking your place, does that mean I should take your place as your wife's husband, too?"
Blurb written on September 16, 2026, and saved.
Theme: A good life is something you have to fight for.
