Actually, I Want to Understand You Better: Marriage Before Love

[My next novel, I Don't Mean I Don't Miss You, is coming soon. Please add it to your reading list!] Xie Qingli was adopted by the Xie family of Ningzhou when she was young. She grew up in luxury, the apple of everyone's eye. When she was twenty-five, the Xie Group's investments failed, leaving it deeply in debt and desperately in need of outside support. The surest solution was a marriage alliance. Xie Qingli had no right to refuse. Her intended was Jiang Xingye, the second son of the Jiang family, a playboy who lived for fun and had romantic entanglements everywhere. A man like him was never going to make a suitable husband. Her aunt said, "It's not some terrible flaw. Once he's married, he'll settle down." Xie Qingli had never believed that a playboy would change his ways. He wanted an honest woman like her to take over his mess? No chance. * At a grand reception aboard a cruise ship, Xie Qingli accidentally fell into the sea. Someone rescued her: Jiang Jinheng, who came from a distinguished family. In full view of everyone, Jiang Jinheng gave Xie Qingli CPR. That night, the man gently wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. "Don't be afraid." Those two short words were enough to put her at ease. Later, Xie Qingli mustered her courage and looked up at the man before her. "Mr. Jiang, you kissed me. You have to take responsibility." Jiang Jinheng smiled, his gaze fixed firmly on her. "What kind of responsibility do you want me to take?" Xie Qingli couldn't answer. The man asked, "Marry me?" Blushing, Xie Qingli said, "All right." "When do you want to register our marriage?" "How about tomorrow?" * They had been married for nearly six months when Xie Qingli decided their marriage should come to an end. "Divorce? Have you forgotten how I kissed you right here the night before last?" Jiang Jinheng drawled. His long fingers rubbed her collarbone, his touch gentle but utterly possessive. Xie Qingli was at a loss for words. That night, the man made her revisit that gesture more than ten times. Half-asleep in the middle of the night, the man gently bit her ear, his voice lazy and low. "Don't ever bring up those two words again. Do you understand?" A faint blush spread across Xie Qingli's face. She buried her head against his neck and softly murmured, "Mm." Theme: In the end, we will get everything we wish for!