A Marriage Pact

[The simplified Chinese edition under the same title is now available from major platforms.] The Xiang family falls from grace. The head of the family goes from being a respected, upright official to a corrupt one whom everyone condemns. Xiang Yi is left helpless, struggling to get by with her young siblings. She digs up an old engagement agreement with Tan Ting, the eldest son of the influential Tan family, and personally goes to their door. As soon as word gets out, everyone mocks the Xiang family's daughter for scheming and currying favor with the Tan family, saying she has no shame at all. ... ... Tan Ting has never met his betrothed, the daughter of a corrupt official. The first time he hears of her is when she shows up at his door with their marriage contract. He isn't particularly fond of Xiang Yi, but readily accepts the match all the same. After they marry, they have nothing to say to each other. He watches as she observes the Tan family's strict rules for the principal wife: paying her respects morning and evening, managing the household, caring for the clan, and carrying on his family line... She never shows any emotion, so he has no interest in finding out what she thinks. He figures that as long as she isn't as insatiably greedy as her father, he can go on living with her like this. Then one day, he sees Xiang Yi laughing and chatting with someone else. She is dressed simply, with barely any jewelry, yet a gentle light shines in her bright eyes. Standing quietly among the crowd, she looks both pure and radiant. Tan Ting freezes for a moment. But the instant she sees him, the gentle smile on her face vanishes... [Neither of them will say no to the other, and neither will give in.] Reader's Notes: ★ An angsty-sweet historical romance, one-on-one, both leads sexually inexperienced. Marriage first, love later, with face-slapping and a husband chasing after his wife. ★ Not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy, but a story about the everyday nuances of a relationship. ★ Fictional historical setting. [More completed stories of this kind] Visit the author's page → A similar upcoming historical romance about marriage first, love later, titled A Perfect Match. Visit the author's page → Blurb: Deng Ruyun comes from the countryside and has a humble background. Who wouldn't say she hit the jackpot, marrying the youngest general in Xi'an Prefecture? How could she be so lucky? Deng Ruyun only smiles at these remarks and never explains. Her husband certainly has a bright future. Still young, he has seized control of the military through his own efforts. He is also handsome and heroic. Whenever he rides through the streets, everyone turns to look. Deng Ruyun once gazed up at him from the roadside, too dazzled to look away as he returned victorious, red tassel on his hat and seated high on horseback. She even felt the faint stirrings of a young girl's heart for him... ... Now she is married to him. Yet when he wins a battle, rides up to her door, spots her at once, and strides toward her, she quietly slips to the back of the crowd. How could an ordinary country girl truly become the wife of a young general with such a promising future? This is nothing more than a contract, one he doesn't even know about. The contract binds them in marriage, and once it ends, their ties will be severed and they will part. She will leave behind a divorce agreement, walk out of his life, and quietly disappear into the crowd. * Theme: Love means letting go of prejudice.