Pretending to Say I Love You

Don't go provoking a crazy person who seems perfect on the surface.

1.

Su Wanxi married Gu Mu for his money, and because she thought he'd be "easy to handle."

Gu Mu married Su Wanxi because her family was a suitable match, and, more than that, because she "loved him."

In public, he was the perfect husband for a political marriage: handsome, wealthy, and impeccably mannered.

In private, he took her wholehearted admiration for granted and strictly maintained the intimacy schedule he'd set: once a week, without exception, as cool and methodical as if he were carrying out a task.

Then a false bankruptcy story made the news.

When he came home late at night, he found Su Wanxi waiting for him with a pale little face. His heart softened, and he deliberately teased her. "If the company went bankrupt..."

Her tears nearly spilled over as she asked in a trembling voice, "It really went bankrupt?"

He was just about to comfort her when

her expression changed in an instant. She pulled a stack of documents from behind her back.

"Fine, then let's get divorced."

Gu Mu: "...?"

What happened to loving me forever?

Su Wanxi had long planned to ask for a divorce once she'd saved enough for retirement.

When her sugar daddy suddenly went bankrupt, she drafted the agreement that very night: love was optional, but she wasn't about to lose money along with it.

Facing the man's incredulous stare, she delivered one more honest blow.

"It's not like I was lying about everything."

"At least when you gave me money, I really was happy."

Su Wanxi had played the lovesick innocent long enough. When Gu Mu "went bankrupt," she finally tore up the script and handed him the divorce agreement.

He stared at her, his eyes dark. In the end, he simply signed, unhurriedly. "Fine."

She breathed a sigh of relief. So he hadn't cared that much after all.

2.

Not long after the divorce, someone introduced her to a mysterious, wealthy "Mr. Money." She'd planned to turn him down, but when she heard he was tall, imposing, and very well-endowed,

she changed her mind. She'd had enough of gentle, well-mannered men.

On the day of the date, she walked into the private room and her smile froze.

Under the lights, Gu Mu rose calmly and pulled out a chair for her, his manners beyond reproach. "Fancy seeing you again, Miss Su."

"Are you messing with me?"

"I just wanted to see," he said evenly, tapping his fingertips on the table, "what kind of man you like. I can learn to be any type you want."

Furious, she blurted out, "Learn? You can't even fake it! Once a week, you treated it like a chore, and you couldn't even be bothered to kiss me for more than a moment. Who'd want that?"

The moment the words left her mouth, the air in the private room froze.

The layer of warmth on Gu Mu's face peeled away, bit by bit.

He suddenly smiled, stood up, and locked the door. Then he approached her step by step, trapping her in her seat.

His icy fingertips brushed her cheek, and his voice dropped to a terrifying whisper. "You think I didn't try hard enough?"

A chill ran down her back. It was too late to escape.

He leaned down, his scorching breath brushing her ear. Each word sounded as if he were grinding it out between his teeth.

"Since you think I was just going through the motions,"

"from today on, I'll stop pretending."

After that, Su Wanxi couldn't leave the bedroom for three whole days.

The sated man kissed her sweat-damp temples, twining her hair around his fingers as he spoke in a voice both tender and cruel.

"Divorce? A new man?"

"Wanwan, don't even think about running away for the rest of your life. I'll make sure you never have the strength to think about any of that."

Scheming, survival-minded heroine x domineering CEO who is a gentleman on the surface and a madman underneath

□ The male lead has issues and has always held himself back because he was afraid of scaring the heroine. Once she no longer wants him, he goes mad. Just to be clear, the male lead is unusually well-endowed. You know what I mean.

□ I wanted to let loose a little. Neither lead is perfect.

This premise was screenshotted in October 2023.

Theme: Don't go provoking a crazy person who seems perfect on the surface.