The Feudal Patriarch Dotes on His Sickly Wife

A ruthless patriarch from a traditional family x a frail young master whose parents are both dead

Nian An was promised to the Bai family as a child.

He and Bai Ye grew up together, waiting for the day they could marry.

But when Nian An was twelve, disaster struck both their families.

Bai Ye went overseas to study, and the head of the Bai family became Bai Cang, Bai Ye's uncle.

With nowhere else to go, Nian An moved into the Bai home, where Bai Cang raised him.

Bai Cang wasn't old, but he was ruthless. He held off collateral relatives who wanted power and money, and escaped a bandit den unscathed. Wherever he went, he carried the smell of gunpowder.

Nian An was frightened by that smell. When he first arrived at the Bai home, he felt like a dependent with no place of his own. If Bai Cang so much as glanced at him, he would be so scared that tears pattered down his cheeks.

Even when he was sick, he didn't dare bother the servants to call a doctor.

When Bai Cang came to see him, he would secretly put on a layer of lipstick to hide how ill he looked.

Bai Cang brushed his thumb over Nian An's lower lip, wiping away a hint of cherry pink. He sighed softly. "An'an, I snatched you back from the King of Hell. You're more precious to me than everyone in this household put together."

Nian An gradually realized that Bai Cang always granted his wishes and took special care of him.

He was still afraid of the smell of gunpowder on Bai Cang, but in his heart, he truly saw him as family.

His only elder, his uncle.

When Bai Ye finished his studies and came home, Nian An would be sure to honor his uncle properly together with Bai Ye.

But when the wedding day arrived and the whole house was decked out with lanterns and decorations, news came that Bai Ye had died.

People called Nian An a jinx who brought death to her husband and father. He cried until he fainted several times.

Bai Cang stayed by his bedside and kissed his swollen eyelids. "Don't cry, An'an. Marrying me will be just as good."

Nian An stared blankly at Bai Cang.

The wedding went ahead. Only the groom had changed.

On their wedding night, Nian An wept in Bai Cang's arms just as he had as a child.

But Bai Cang no longer felt sorry for him. He only murmured in his ear, coaxing him gently: "Bear with it, An'an. The first time is always a little painful."

Nian An proved fertile, conceiving within six months of their wedding.

While he was suffering from severe morning sickness, Bai Ye barged in and stared at Nian An's slightly rounded belly. "Which bastard's baby are you carrying?"

Bai Cang gently cradled Nian An's pregnant belly. "Mind your manners. The one in An'an's belly is your younger brother."

P.S. Nine-year age gap. A sweet romance with no cheating.

Theme: Where there's a will, there's a way.