Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Marriage Alliance?

Xu Zhi was beautiful and proud. When she was young, she never made the first move with anyone, except Jiang Xu. Unfortunately, her passionate feelings were met as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her. Time passed, and the past was long since buried. Even the flutter in her heart from those days had faded away. Their two families arranged a marriage: one was the aloof, distinguished CEO of Tianshi Media, and the other was still a dazzling, headstrong princess. It was a marriage of convenience, and no one believed in it, including Xu Zhi herself. She often reminded herself not to get attached, and not to be fooled by Jiang Xu's handsome face. But later, the cold-hearted Jiang Xu gradually strayed from his own path... [Bonus Scene] Xu Zhi and Jiang Xu attended a classmate's wedding together. After the greetings, everyone began talking about their former handsome student council president, who had since gained weight. Everyone sighed over the change, and Xu Zhi couldn't help glancing at him several times. Under the table, the hand Jiang Xu was holding suddenly tightened painfully. "Pay attention," he said in a cool voice beside Xu Zhi's ear. Xu Zhi couldn't help smiling. "What is it, are you jealous?" "There's no need." Jiang Xu replied calmly. After a pause, he added, "You made the right choice not to accept him back then." Xu Zhi shot him a sidelong glance and said, "Oh? You even know he pursued me?" Jiang Xu: "..." He said nothing, but couldn't help rubbing Xu Zhi's slender fingers between his own. * Both leads are each other's only partner, body and soul. * A slow burn at first, followed by the hero pursuing his wife. * Neither lead is perfect. The hero seems cold, but is possessive and obsessive inside. * Updates before 11:30 p.m. * More to come... Coming soon: Mistaken Blind Date Yuan Xiaogu is outgoing online but slow to warm up in real life. Yet she fell in love at first sight with a man she met on a blind date. But the man clearly hadn't been interested in her at first, and treated her coldly. Yuan Xiaogu relied on her shamelessness online to pursue him relentlessly for three months, until she finally won him over. The night they made their relationship official, Yuan Xiaogu called her mother, whom she hadn't spoken to in three months, to share the good news. Her mother immediately blew up. "You stood him up that day, and you still have the nerve to call me?" Yuan Xiaogu: "..." She silently hung up. Then she looked up at the man cooking in the kitchen and was overcome with confusion. Who was this guy? After all that effort, had she really pursued a stranger whose name she didn't even know? Yuan Xiaogu did something foolish and ran away. * Not long after fleeing, Yuan Xiaogu went to the hospital with back pain. She lay on her stomach as the doctor pressed her back a few times, bringing tears to her eyes. She asked timidly, "Doctor, will my back ever get better?" "It won't." The doctor's voice was clear and pleasant, and terribly familiar. Yuan Xiaogu nervously turned around and saw that familiar, handsome face. Zhao Qi leaned down close to Yuan Xiaogu's ear and said in an unfriendly tone, "That's what you get for leading someone on and then abandoning him." A friend's novel. If you like the blurb, add it to your reading list. It will be released soon: Author: Wo Shi Feng Zai Deng Ni, Cousin's Second Marriage In her previous life, Li Shuen was tricked and lost her reputation. She then went to great lengths to marry her cousin, but married life wasn't nearly as perfect as she'd imagined. She spent ten years alone while her husband kept a mistress for the whole decade. After ten years, she had seen enough of life's joys and sorrows. Looking back, the foolish feelings she'd had as a girl seemed ridiculous. Given another life, she would never make the same mistakes. This time, she would live life on her own terms. She would leave the Hou residence, where schemes lurked beneath the surface, and marry the sickly son of a concubine. "Zhao Suli, what can you do to me?" "Zhao Suli, let's go our separate ways. We have nothing to do with each other anymore." ~ Zhao Suli never imagined that the cousin he'd been engaged to since childhood would marry someone else, defying even the wishes of the head matriarch to rush into the arms of a dying man. What had gotten into that once-destitute young woman who used to follow him around, begging for his attention? Why would she throw herself into danger and court death? Yet he never expected them to be so loving after their marriage. He was so jealous he wanted to steal another man's wife. ~ Bonus Scene: On the way back to Yangzhou, Zhao Suli took Li Shuen along a mountain path. They unexpectedly ran into two wild beasts and were trapped in a cave. Inside the cave, the firelight was dim, and they sat far apart. After a long silence, Li Shuen looked up and calmly asked, "Will you keep your word, Cousin?" Zhao Suli: "?" Li Shuen: "That my son will become the future heir." Zhao Suli stared into the fire, thought for a moment, then said, "I, Zhao Suli, always keep my word. You don't need to worry." "Good. I risk my life today to thank you, Cousin." Li Shuen gave a mocking laugh, stood up, and rushed out of the cave. She wanted to use herself as bait to lead the beasts away and let Zhao Suli live. Then her anguished screams echoed through the cave. "Li Shuen, are you crazy? I, Zhao Suli, may be useless, but I don't need you to save me... Is the title of heir really worth this to you?" Theme: Stay true to yourself, and you'll find the happiness that's meant for you