Indulging in Pleasure (Married First, Love Later)

A gentle, celibate professor & a bewitching, unruly heiress

(I)

Ruan Tingyan, a rising starlet and a universally acclaimed scene-stealer, is known as the nation's enchantress. With skin like fine porcelain and a curvaceous figure, she won the Best Actress crown at a young age. Three years into her career, she has had no scandals and is the one-of-a-kind treasured idol in her fans' hearts.

As long as she doesn't open her mouth and reveal her bold, untamed nature, she's the most beautiful sight in the world.

Ruan Tingyan wholeheartedly agreed with the first half. After all, her marriage to Bo Siyan was a marriage in name only. In three years of marriage, the closest they had ever been was being printed on the same little red marriage certificate.

On the night they decided to divorce, she had a champagne tower set up to celebrate their return to single life, then dragged Bo Siyan along for drinks all the way to the bedroom. The next morning, the doorbell rang loudly.

The crew of Your Heartbeat, a reality show featuring celebrity pretend-dating, went live as they showed up unannounced. Facing the camera's dark lens, Ruan Tingyan stiffly hooked her arm around Bo Siyan's:

"Yes, this is the civilian who'll be partnering with me on the show."

(II)

Bo Siyan is a renowned history professor at Jing University. Immersed in academia all year round, he's a gentle Bodhisattva who, according to his students, has no earthly desires and is on the verge of ascending to heaven.

No one in their circle thought his marriage to Ruan Tingyan would last. Their personalities were worlds apart, and their values completely different.

One had been learning since elementary school whether Dior's autumn-winter couture dresses went better with emerald earrings from Zambia or with emeralds from another source.

The other had been learning to read with An Introduction to Ancient Chinese History in his arms from the moment he could speak, skipping grades all the way to becoming a doctoral advisor.

They had never been on the same wavelength. Sooner or later, they'd get fed up with the pressure of this family-arranged marriage and choose divorce and freedom.

Until a show called Your Heartbeat aired.

Bo Siyan stood before a wall of bookshelves, impeccably dressed in a shirt, introducing the yellowed ancient texts that had long since fallen dormant.

Off camera, another male celebrity handed coffee to the alluring woman and used the opportunity to hit on her.

Bo Siyan frowned, stepped forward, and pressed down on the man's wrist, blocking his probing gaze. His gentle expression took on a hint of forcefulness. "My wife is allergic to coffee. Please keep your distance, sir."

Fans: Aaaaah, the celibate professor x the enchanting beauty I ship are actually real!

Their friends: What does a coffee allergy have to do with him?!

[Bonus Scene]

Before the show began, the pretend couples took a compatibility quiz.

Question: Write down three things your partner likes most.

Everyone else: They glanced at each other and wrote down random things.

Ruan Tingyan: All kinds of books that can put you to sleep.

Bo Siyan: A 200-degree curling iron, 10-centimeter heels, and an orange nightlight.

In the final episode, the guests had to write a letter to their past selves.

Ruan Tingyan: [Bo Siyan, how about I sneak you out of class so we can watch the last fireworks of the New Year by the river?]

Bo Siyan: [Classmate Ruan, could we stay a little later by the river to watch the last fireworks that year?]

#Marriage first, love later

#The male lead has been plotting for a long time, and his secret crush comes true

Theme: Waiting is beautiful