No Playing with Fire

[Main Story Complete, Extra Chapters Updated on the 25th]

[New Novel: A Long Marriage Must End in Union, starts January 10]

Yu Xi and Tang Zeyan were childhood sweethearts, perfectly matched in status.

Tang Zeyan liked girls with long, straight black hair, delicate as white lilies, and gentle as water.

Yu Xi sanded away her rough edges and did everything he liked.

After seven years, all she got was him confessing his love to another girl for the whole world to see, while she became a laughingstock.

Yu Xi couldn't even be bothered to cry.

Every white dress in the house went up in flames, and she permed her long, straight hair into big curls...

Everyone thought she'd been driven to extremes and was acting irrationally.

Tang Zeyan was forced by his elders to come back and apologize. He stood outside her door and said with anguished sincerity, "Xixi, you shouldn't do this for me. It's not worth it."

Inside the room, Yu Xi's lips were red and flushed from being kissed by a man who held the back of her neck. "..."

*

Yu Xi was famous in the industry for being a pretty face with no soul.

The only person whose reputation could rival hers was Pei Du.

Pei Du was ruthless. He could seize power while his own father was gravely ill, and the women by his side were always changing. His blood ran cold.

On the very first day the two of them got together, everyone in the industry predicted how it would end: sooner or later, Pei Du would play Yu Xi for a fool, then cruelly dump her.

Tang Zeyan thought so too.

He believed Yu Xi had gotten together with Pei Du because Tang had hurt her too deeply.

After seeing Yu Xi's other side, he immediately changed course, begging her to forgive him and save her from her misery.

That day, Tang Zeyan went to Yu Xi's apartment building.

He saw Yu Xi get out of a Bentley, reach out to lean against a tree, and cry, "Oh, Mr. Pei, I twisted my ankle."

Her acting was wonderfully transparent.

Pei Du gave her a sidelong glance. His usually icy eyes held a rare tenderness. He walked over and swept her into his arms, laughing softly. "You little liar."

Reading Guide: Both leads are each other's first and only, and the male lead has been plotting to win the female lead over for a long time.

[Both leads are dark and ruthless. Neither is a pushover.] Screenshot from January 24.

Advance Preview: A Long Marriage Must End in Union. Please add it to your reading list.

Shu Yu and Fu Xici got married entirely because of their families.

Before the wedding, they'd only met once, and it was a meeting on the level of a car crash.

A year into their marriage, a friend asked Shu Yu how she'd describe married life.

She thought for a moment, then replied with eight words: "No feelings, just technique."

One is an emotionless artificial intelligence.

The other is a sweet-talking, sharp-tongued little troublemaker.

They're practically different species. How are they supposed to fall in love?

*

Shu Yu had wanted a child of her own for ages, so she'd always been enthusiastic about making one.

Fu Xici said expressionlessly, "Could you, as a woman, act a little more demure?"

After Fu Xici spent half a month working overtime and eating and sleeping at the office, Shu Yu finally couldn't take it anymore and went to find him. She launched into a speech about how a man staying up late while trying to conceive would lower the quality of his genes, leaving her baby a beautiful but stupid little darling who only inherited her looks!

Fu Xici was silent for a moment. "Video conference."

Shu Yu stumbled in her high heels. The next second, she tucked her hair behind her ear and became sweet enough to melt. "Honey, are you tired? You've worked so hard, honey!!!"

After learning that children born to parents without love were unlikely to be happy, Shu Yu gave up on having a baby. As for Fu Xici, he could work overtime or go on business trips all he wanted.

But she hadn't expected Fu Xici to start coming home early and leaving late. Shu Yu was exhausted in body and mind, and said in embarrassment, "Where's your restraint? What happened to being demure?!"

Fu Xici pulled her into his arms. "We're both licensed to do this. Who am I supposed to be demure for?"

Theme: Love yourself before you can love others.