Cherished and Spoiled

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[Coming soon: Snowstorm in Early Spring. Please add it to your collection]

[Weibo: @Qiao Ji]

Zhu Huaishu, a leading researcher in Licheng, comes from a distinguished scholarly family. At twenty-seven, S University specially appointed him as a professor. Through his controlling stake in a company, he also became a rising star in business. At thirty, he was still unmarried.

At a family gathering, relatives asked what kind of partner he was looking for.

His little nephew hurried to answer, "A lady, a proper lady!"

Not long after, Zhu Huaishu got married in a whirlwind wedding. Everyone guessed his match must be gentle and generous, or she wouldn't have been allowed through the Zhu family's doors.

-

The Chi family is comfortably well-off and believes in giving their children plenty of freedom. They never let the next generation want for material things, and raised a daughter who started slacking off as soon as she got into college.

They say she hasn't given up her party-loving ways even after getting married, going out clubbing all the time. Compared to the new Mrs. Zhu, she's like someone from the underworld next to a goddess in the heavens.

"Is that so, Chi Rao?"

A tall figure lounged against the sofa's backrest, wearing an impeccably pressed shirt and trousers. A magazine covered his face, leaving only his long, elegant fingers visible. His voice was proper and cool.

Chi Rao glanced down at the open collar of her coat, her pale collarbones exposed and the frill of her off-the-shoulder minidress just visible. She quickly pulled her coat closed.

"Um, Professor Zhu, I bought you a new thermos..."

Zhu Huaishu lowered the magazine, revealing a pair of striking, cool eyes. His voice was tinged with displeasure. "Are nightclubs fun?"

"Write me a five-thousand-word report."

"What do you like about them? Be specific."

-

Her friends all said Chi Rao's whirlwind marriage was a failure. Her husband had money and looks, but not a shred of romance.

Until one day, they saw what happened in a corner.

Chi Rao reached out to touch the man's face, but he caught both her hands and pinned them back.

"Wife," he murmured by her ear, his voice low and magnetic. "You can't just touch me wherever you like."

"You can only kiss me."

Chi Rao: ???

Her friends: ???

| Radiant beauty x cool professor

| One-on-one romance, happy ending, sweet story about falling in love after marriage

| Please don't offer writing advice. The author isn't an expert on the leads' professions.

| Specific content warnings are in the author's note for Chapter One. Please don't mute them.

Please check out my upcoming story, Moonlight Roars

Li Xian is brought back by her biological parents, and the first thing they do is arrange a marriage for her.

Her new husband is the current head of the Meng family, a man of high standing who rarely appears in public.

For most of their marriage, Li Xian lives alone in a hilltop villa. With nothing else to do, she turns over the garden soil, planning to grow some grass to feed the birds. When she glances back, she sees someone having tea in the courtyard, moving at an unhurried pace.

As fine rain falls, she curls her mud-stained fingers and asks, "Mr. Meng, are you staying for dinner?"

The butler replies politely, "Mr. Meng will be leaving shortly. Please feel free to have dinner on your own, Madam."

Li Xian suddenly remembers the first time she saw him.

The private-room door had opened a crack. He sat inside, surrounded by admirers, then turned his head to look at her, lifting his chin and lowering his eyes slightly.

Framed by the door, his shadow fell in layers, making him seem utterly untouchable.

/

After all, Li Xian had spent twenty-five years living among ordinary people. Even after getting married, she didn't give up her job as a tabloid reporter, keeping parrots, or growing wild vegetables. She often had to bend over backward to make ends meet, so she was worlds apart from the wealthy ladies at the same tea parties.

She couldn't fit into their circle because she wasn't capable enough. She wouldn't force it. But she never expected someone as proud and unyielding as Meng Ke to one day travel through the night for her.

Snow dusted his shoulders, mud stained his trouser cuffs, and his voice was tired as he said, "If you don't like it, you don't have to go to those events."

"Just one thing."

"Don't stay away from home."

Little scene:

The marriage alliance between the Meng and Zeng families was widely mocked. She was just an ignorant girl from the common streets, unworthy of her position. The Meng family had money and didn't mind supporting her, but sooner or later her true colors would show. That was what people were saying.

As it happened, Meng Ke lowered his eyes lazily. "You have money and status. Why care what they say?"

A moment later, he remembered something else.

He pressed a fingertip against the kiss mark below her neck. "Though there is one thing they got right."

"You have money, but no virtue."

"We're made for each other."

-

I am a boundless blizzard.

If you look my way, I will melt gently.

Mia Couto | Jerusalem

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