No One Said He'd Make the Fake Romance Real

"First married, then fall in love"

A greedy, flirtatious, ravenous, high-spirited woman * a cool, reserved, beautiful, tragic highborn man

Xu Fanyin transmigrates into the body of a stand-in bride, the kind who tries to kill herself by smashing her head against a pillar on her wedding day.

She thinks her story is over before it even begins. Then the groom appears: reputed to be ugly, to have caused the deaths of two former fiances, and to drink human blood when he has a fit. But, to her surprise, he's breathtakingly handsome.

Cool as the moon, untouched by dust, he's the very picture of a highborn flower.

He says coolly, "I know Miss Xu doesn't want to marry me, and I have no intention of forcing you. Once my grandmother is in better health, I'll petition for a divorce. Of course, I'll also make sure you have enough compensation to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

Xu Fanyin, captivated by his looks: ...? This kind of good fortune actually exists? Then of course I'll say yes!

"It's a deal!"

-

Thanks to the power of money, Xu Fanyin is a model wife.

When people gossip about Shen Wei, she wants to argue with them for three hundred rounds.

When Shen Wei is hurt and bleeding, she cries for him.

When Shen Wei paints a loquat, she climbs a tree herself to pick some for him to eat.

And once she learns that touching him can ease his headaches, she often reaches out her delicate hands to him.

The Shen family: No one can match the young madam's thoughtfulness. Their young master is truly made of stone. We feel so sorry for her, having to spend every day with an iceberg...

Xu Fanyin: Hehe, work for three months, rest for the rest of my life, and get to snuggle up to a gorgeous man. What a wonderful life.

-

Shen Wei had no affection for the bride who dumped a huge mess in his lap on their wedding day.

He made a contract with her, thinking of her as nothing more than a talking ornament in his house. He didn't want to spare her a glance.

At first, he could barely hide his disgust as he went along with their charade. Gradually, he got to the point where a single look between them told him exactly what to do next. Shen Wei slowly grew accustomed to her presence.

Later, when she said it was time to divorce, Shen Wei finally realized that after all those days and nights together, she had taken root in his heart like a fallen leaf settling on a lake, growing into a lush expanse he couldn't give up, even if he had to cut out his own flesh and bones.

He didn't want to let her go.

And he wouldn't.

*I long for nothing, but I want you by my side.*

*Not an overpowering romance. A slice-of-life, farming-style story. An old-school romance with one male lead and one female lead, happy ending.*

*The leads aren't perfect.*

*If you're passing by, please add this to your favorites.*

--- Next historical romance: Embracing the Moon ---

The Lu family of Jinling has been prominent for a century, producing countless renowned scholars and great Confucian masters. Sixth Master Lu Hui is the finest of his generation: a gentleman as refined as jade, radiant in his elegant robes.

He's held up by the great families as the ideal example for their young heirs, and countless young ladies have fallen for him, only to give up when faced with the reality of his unattainable status.

Except for the impoverished young lady lodging in his household, his nephew's fiancee. Her intentions are much too obvious, and she uses some very bold methods, relying on her stunning, alluring beauty.

But Lu Hui has always been proper and restrained. The flirtatious glances that drift his way, whether intentionally or not, leave him unmoved.

*

The Yue family has fallen on hard times, and Yue Hang is living under someone else's roof.

No matter how hard she tries to please him, she can't stop her childhood sweetheart and fiance from changing his mind.

Heartbroken, Yue Hang decides not to waste her life pining over that crooked tree.

Lu Hui once helped her, and she never wanted to set her sights on him. But he keeps blocking her way, leaving her no choice but to make a play for him.

*

Lu Zhan admires spirited, independent women. Unfortunately, the fiancee chosen for him in childhood is proper but not vivacious, like a flower without a fragrance.

He never responds kindly to her demure attempts to please him.

Later, while away on official business, Lu Zhan is injured and nearly bleeds to death. Yet he can't stop thinking of the time he was punished by his family, and she asked him through teary eyes whether it hurt.

He grits his teeth and survives. The moment he returns, he rushes to see her.

Beneath a pavilion by the rock garden, he finds his usually proper and gentle fiancee sitting prettily on a table. Her slender, pale fingers toy with a wolf-hair brush, disrupting the scroll of the man before her. A red mark on her wrist catches his eye...

And his sixth uncle, who never lets a woman near him and is always so particular about proper conduct, doesn't seem the least bit displeased.

Theme: Having met a gentleman, how could one not be glad?