Today Is an Auspicious Day to Marry

[Next up: Defeat / Butterflies in My Stomach] Marriage first, love later / Nine-year age gap / An old flame rekindled The first time Xu Chaojin met Jiang Chengyu was at a dinner party. The people around him smiled ingratiatingly and showered him with flattery. He was the center of attention, yet seemed detached from all the glitz and glamour, his eyes lowered as he toyed with the lighter in his hand. At the time, Xu Chaojin was his nephew's fiancée, a byword for good fortune in their social circle. Only thanks to an agreement between their elders had she been able to secure a betrothal to the Jiang family. As drinks were passed around, she glanced back and saw her fiancé laughing and chatting with an actress. Xu Chaojin withdrew her gaze, bored, only to meet Jiang Chengyu's eyes by chance. The dim light made his handsome features look all the more striking. A glowing ember rested between his fingers, his gaze was deep, and his expression unreadable. The next time Xu Chaojin saw Jiang Chengyu was on a rainy night in Jingbei. She had just fallen out with her fiancé and was crouched on the ground, miserable and in tears. A shadow fell over her. A man in a suit stood by her side, holding an umbrella. He carried himself with a distinction few could match. Xu Chaojin looked up and, as if possessed, asked him the question. “Mr. Jiang, would you marry me?” * Those in their circle who knew the rumors assumed the two were married by contract, each with their own agenda. They would probably treat each other with polite respect, then quietly divorce after a few years. Until one day, unrelated to any holiday, fireworks lit up Victoria Harbour through the night. Trees of sparkling lights could be seen even across the Xiang River. The city was bright as day, ablaze with color, and crowded with visitors. The next day, reporters swarmed to interview Jiang Chengyu, CEO of Boyue Group. A reporter boldly asked, “Mr. Jiang, from what we understand, this fireworks display cost tens of millions and was organized by Boyue Group. Was the show to celebrate Boyue's listing on the U.S. stock market?” “No,” Mr. Jiang, renowned across Hong Kong and Macao, replied with an air of distinction. “My wife likes fireworks. I wanted to make her smile.” * The night of the party, Jiang Chengyu saw Xu Chaojin sitting beside her fiancé. He thought that perhaps it was for the best. In the end, he gave her only a flowering crabapple. He never imagined that, amid the tumult of the world and the twists of fate, he would finally find his way into the mortal realm and discover his jade crabapple. Please add my upcoming book Butterflies in My Stomach to your library. *Possessive pursuit / Obsessive, seemingly innocent but secretly calculating man × heiress In his student days, Shen Henian was radiant and accomplished, excelling both in academics and conduct. He appeared at the top of the honor roll and on the podium, tall and straight as a poplar, seemingly beyond reach. Shu Yin had nothing but a pretty face. She was a regular on the disciplinary list, using her beauty to get away with anything. She treated Shen Henian like a dog, summoning him whenever she pleased, and even made him wait outside with an umbrella while she went on dates in the rain. Yet this lofty, untouchable flower was willing to lower his head for her, doing everything she asked, and loving every minute of it. Someone else did her homework, and she enjoyed the envious attention. Shu Yin was perfectly content until she came across the diamond ring Shen Henian had bought with his scholarship money. Only then did she realize she'd gone too far. She fled abroad to study, in a panic. In her seventh year overseas, Shu Yin was summoned home by her parents. Amid the somber atmosphere, she realized the dire situation with a sinking heart. Her family had gone bankrupt overnight. And, in an even more dramatic twist, Shen Henian, her once-impoverished ex-boyfriend, had become the head of a corporation. He wielded power and influence, with a bright future ahead of him. He was now her family's only way out. The night she went to Shen Henian to ask for help with her family's business, rain misted the air. Shu Yin wore only a thin silk dress and shivered in the dark. She waited half an hour before Shen Henian appeared in his suit. His handsome face showed no emotion. After watching her coldly for a long while, he finally bent down. “Yinyin,” he said familiarly, though his voice was indifferent. Shen Henian reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up. In a calm, unhurried voice, he asked, “Why aren't you running away anymore?” *The things he can't have, his love and desire, the butterflies in his stomach, all leaving him restless and uneasy. *The lovesick puppy bites back / Possessive pursuit *The title comes from “have butterflies in your stomach,” meaning to feel nervous and uneasy. Defeat [Childhood friends / Secretly in love with her / Golden boy × Gentle and resilient] Even in the most restless days of adolescence, all their classmates agreed that Jiang Chaobei and Chen Ju shared a completely innocent friendship. There was no other explanation. The gap between them was simply too great. At school, Jiang Chaobei was a golden boy, skilled at everything from competitions to shooting. He was most often seen on the podium or at the top of the honor roll, full of youthful confidence. Chen Ju was his quiet, unremarkable childhood friend, reserved and taciturn. The most rebellious thing Chen Ju ever did was secretly fall for Lin Jianan, a student at the aviation school next door. No one knew, and no one cared. A rare response from him was enough to make her happy for a long, long time. Even after he let her down, she simply nursed her wounds alone and blamed no one. To everyone's surprise, Jiang Chaobei climbed over the school wall and beat the other guy until his face was covered in blood. When he came back with a bandage on the bridge of his nose, he brushed his rough, injured hand against Chen Ju's cheek and wiped away her tears. “Don't cry over him. He's not worth it.” The second dramatic thing Chen Ju did was at the class reunion after the college entrance exams. Her classmates egged each other on, shouting for the top scorer. She stumbled and could barely stay on her feet. Then she kissed Jiang Chaobei, the top scorer, on the rooftop until they lost all sense of time. The next day, she enrolled at a university as far away from Tsinghua as possible and never contacted Jiang Chaobei again. Years later, the World Championships began, and Chen Ju, a rookie reporter, was assigned by her editor to interview Jiang Chaobei. After years apart, her childhood friend was now the shooting team's star athlete, with an impressive record of victories. Even more talked about than Jiang Chaobei's victories was his face. He had a pair of soulful eyes, yet his gaze was indifferent toward everyone. He looked irresistibly alluring under the spotlights, and fans joked that God Jiang could kill with his looks. At the press conference, Chen Ju braced herself and asked a question. “Could you... um... tell us what areas you think you still need to improve in this competition?” Jiang Chaobei, who should have hurried away, suddenly stopped. He looked at the press badge on Chen Ju's chest and answered a different question. “Chen Ju, if I remember right, you kissed me a few years ago and never took responsibility, hmm?” *All his life, he's been proud and unyielding, never willing to bow his head. For you alone, he's willing to accept defeat. Theme: A new era of love and marriage