Rusty Night [Marriage Before Love]

[The premise has changed. My sincere apologies. Please feel free to collect it. Thank you for understanding!] [Married first, fall in love later | Older man | Each other's first love] [Career-minded, catlike heroine x love-minded, doglike hero, archaeologist x company CEO] For a long time after they got their marriage certificates, Jiang Lian felt that her marriage to Yu Zeyan had started for no apparent reason. It was the most chaotic period of her life. She was wrapping up her thesis, her research institute's project was short on funding, and she had to endure frequent downpours at excavation sites. On top of that, her family was making trouble by setting her up on dates. She had finally managed to get in touch with Yu Zeyan, who was willing to discuss funding. On her way to meet him, her pushy blind date kept calling. Fuming, Jiang Lian answered and snapped, "Are you that impatient? Planning to get married right away and be reborn or something? Don't make me bury you with one swing of my shovel." There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by an unfamiliar but steady, calm voice. "...So we're meeting for a blind date, not to discuss funding?" - Jiang Lian never thought their marriage of mutual convenience would last long. Until one day, as she was packing her bags, Yu Zeyan blocked the doorway. His collar was slightly open, his gaze intense, his anxiety unmistakable. "What's wrong?" "I found out where the artifact you've been searching for is." "...Send me the address." Yu Zeyan lowered his eyes, wrapped his arms around her, and buried his face in her neck. "Then don't move out yet." Jiang Lian: "..." Well, she was only going on a short business trip. - Yu Zeyan never imagined that one day Jiang Lian would be standing in his study, pulling a book stuffed with notes out of a corner. She asked, "When did you start reading my thesis?" He was silent for a moment, then said, "Before you ever came to me." Back then, he knew only her writing and her reasoning. He never imagined that one day, from so close, he would fall in love with her heart of gold. Screenshot saved on 2026.8.3 Theme: Artifacts find their way home, and love finds its way back