A Damp Dawn

*Pre-release works: Full Marks for Heartbeats [Marriage Before Love] and Crossing the Line. Please add them to your reading list!* The Jing family went bankrupt, and its chairman died suddenly from an illness brought on by the shock. Jing Mian, the Jing family's only daughter, was instantly buried in debt. To pay it off, Jing Mian tried everything, but no one was willing to help her. Even her fiance, Xie Changqing, chose that moment to break off their engagement. Overnight, Jing Mian became a laughingstock among the socialite circles. People mocked her to her face and behind her back. Jing Mian sat on the steps outside the hospital, wondering if she should simply follow her father and end it all, when a pair of black leather shoes appeared before her. A man in a suit draped his coat over her, shielding her from the wind and rain. He lowered his head slightly and said, "I'll give you a choice: become Mrs. Pei." * Pei Zhixu took over the Pei Group when it was on the brink of collapse. In less than three years, he successfully took the company public again and became someone every family wanted to win over. Among the daughters of wealthy families, one saying was widely repeated: "If you won't marry Pei Zhixu, you may as well not marry at all." So it came as a shock when everyone at a banquet saw a wedding ring on Pei Zhixu's finger. When a curious guest stepped forward to ask about it tactfully, the ruthless new business tycoon was seen walking warmly toward someone. Everyone turned to look... Was that Jing Mian, whose engagement had been broken off so publicly not long ago?!! * In Jing Mian's eyes, Pei Zhixu had married her to rescue her from a desperate situation. Once everything was settled, she should set him free. But the moment she brought up divorce, the man before her didn't even lift his eyelids. Instead, he asked, "Could you really bear to?" Jing Mian: "..." #I admit it, I can't bear to, either# CEO x bankrupt heiress *Many personal touches. The logic and plot serve the main couple, so don't overanalyze! *Marriage Before Love / heroine's growth / a saintly hero *Weibo: Cong Li *Find my completed works in my profile. Pre-release work Title: Full Marks for Heartbeats, Marriage Before Love Synopsis: The Yu family found their long-lost daughter and celebrated in grand style for several days. But as soon as the reunion festivities were over, they hurried their newly reunited daughter to the Qin family's door, demanding that the families honor the childhood betrothal arranged by the older generation. Her intended was the Qin family's younger son, a notorious name in their circle. Spoiled beyond reason since childhood, he was a bona fide little devil. The night he found out he was being forced into an arranged marriage, Young Master Qin ran away. In the end, he was dragged back, tied up, and delivered to the bridal chamber. Yu Man had grown up in a small town, living in drafty houses and wading through icy rivers in thin clothes in winter. She was stubborn to the core. She thought life would get better once she returned to her family, but never expected to be sent away like a piece of merchandise. On their wedding night, Young Master Qin said with a dark expression, "Three rules: this is a marriage of convenience, and we'll divorce when the agreement expires." Yu Man expressionlessly kicked him out of the master bedroom. Young Master Qin: ? He had never suffered such humiliation in his life! * On their hundredth day of marriage, Yu Man was taunted by the Yu family's adopted daughter, who told her that even after coming home, she would get nothing, and that marrying Qin Lixing would only end with her being abandoned. Just then, the Qin family's young master pushed the door open with a cigarette between his lips. Through the smoke, he asked, "Are you done talking? I'm here to take my wife home." Late that night at the Qin residence, Qin Lixing pulled Yu Man, jolted awake by a nightmare, into his arms. His face held a tenderness and concern she'd never seen before. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you." Yu Man was like a lone traveler crossing the desert, until one day she found an oasis that belonged only to her. Stubborn girl x spoiled rich heir Pre-release work Title: Hurricane Butterfly, Reunited After Years Apart / Reconciliation After a Breakup / The Ice-Cold Beauty Turns into a Mad Dog Synopsis: As a teenager, Liang Bai was a poor student who couldn't care less about studying. She was brash and outspoken, and couldn't stand those top students who dressed like perfect specimens and excelled at everything. Xie Jinyan was the one she targeted the most. Everyone at school knew the two of them couldn't stand each other, but no one knew that on the evening after the college entrance exams, Liang Bai had stood on tiptoe and kissed him carefully in a dim alley. As an adult, Xie Jinyan transformed into the CEO of the Xie Group. He carried himself with aristocratic poise and lived an ascetic life, an untouchable figure on a high peak, until he saw the bad girl who had had her way with him and then dumped him. But as an adult, Liang Bai had shed her sharp, brash edge. She went with the flow, faded into the crowd, and became one of millions of unremarkable people. At a gathering, a coworker asked what the boldest thing she'd done in over twenty years was. Liang Bai thought it over. "Dumping my first love?" The coworker asked what other bold thing she'd do. Liang Bai fell silent for a moment. "Dump him again?" Someone passing behind them let out a cold laugh. Everyone looked over: it was their business partner, Xie Jinyan. * Late at night, Liang Bai had barely stepped inside when someone wrapped her in a tight embrace. The person behind her held her firmly around the waist, resting his chin in the hollow of her shoulder. His voice was even as he asked, "Liang Bai, am I someone you call whenever you want and kick away whenever you don't?" Liang Bai: ... Liang Bai: Could you let go of me before you say that? Theme: Stay positive and embrace life