Taking Advantage of Your Favor

Cold and aloof yet secretly tender heir × bright and clever merchant’s daughter | Married first, fell in love later, a sweet romance

The imperial edict arranging her marriage caught Su Mingnian completely off guard.

As the youngest daughter of the Chancellor’s family and heir to the You family, the foremost merchants in the realm, she seemed sweet and delicate on the surface, but in truth controlled the trade routes across six provinces south of the Yangtze. When she heard she was to marry Xie Shicheng, the famously cold-faced top scholar, she pursed her red lips. “I wonder which is harder: handling the court’s memorials or balancing my account books.”

Xie Shicheng remembered this “delicate little thing.”

When they were children, she once got lost and stayed at the prince’s residence for a while. Before she left, she refused to let go until he gave her a kiss. Now he was determined to restore order at court, and marrying her was merely a matter of convenience.

Who would have guessed what would happen on their wedding night?

The beauty beneath the veil gazed at him with sparkling eyes. “Brother Shicheng, did you have this phoenix crown made especially for me?”

His fingertips trembled. “...Yes.”

No one had told him.

How could she have grown even cuter?

(???〃 )

Later, when she caught a chill, he kept watch over the medicine stove with painstaking care. He brewed a bowl of medicine, hoping only that she would recover soon.

Sometimes, she would get drunk and wrap her arms around his neck. “Why are your ears red, husband?”

He gritted his teeth and pulled her into his arms, restraining himself as he stroked the nape of her neck. “...Su Mingnian, behave yourself.”

-

Many years later, Xie Shicheng finally ascended the throne. After their wedding, she had secured his promise, and after giving birth to a son and daughter, she left the palace in carefree fashion to continue her life as the realm’s foremost merchant, beholden to no one.

She only occasionally thought of him, her husband of convenience.

A Little Extra: Reunion

When news arrived from a merchant caravan beyond the frontier, Xie Shicheng was reviewing memorials.

“Her Majesty’s caravan has reached Qinghuai Pass.” The eunuch carefully handed him a letter. “They say... she’s brought back three ships of treasures from the Southern Seas.”

His fingertips paused, and the cinnabar ink bled across the paper in a dark streak.

Three days later, the imperial procession stopped on the main road. In the distance, wheels rolled softly. Su Mingnian hopped down from the carriage and lifted their now even chubbier little boy high into the air.

“The Emperor came to meet me himself?” Mingnian remembered to turn around even as she played with the child, smiling brightly. “I’ve only been away from the capital for... half a year?”

He swept them both into his arms, his voice hoarse. “Six months and seventeen days.”

“...Silly.”

“Have you mapped all the trade routes?”

“Mm.” She pulled out a map. “I’ve taken care of everything.”

A cool breeze swept past, but he lowered his head and slipped his personal seal into her palm. “Then next time... take me with you too.”

※ The stern heir is always on the verge of eating his words

※ An utterly career-minded, super-sweet girl

Reader’s Guide:

1. One-on-one romance, both leads are each other’s first and only, happy ending, with a plot

2. Cold on the outside, tenderhearted heir × bright and clever merchant’s daughter

Coming Next ↓

When Chen Qingli was ten, her family moved to Shangzhou because of her parents’ job transfer.

The neighbors across the hall were her father’s colleague and his family, including a son six years older than her.

At the time, Chen Qingli hid behind her mother, watching him timidly with her big eyes.

Her father told her that he was Zhou Shushu’s son, Zhou Rangqu.

Later, the two families ate together. Qingli sat beside the older boy. Too shy to eat much, she still longed for the sweet glutinous rice cakes her grandmother made, and kept sneaking glances at them until someone used the communal chopsticks to put one on her plate.

From then on, Zhou Rangqu had a little shadow following him around.

–

When Zhou Rangqu first met Chen Qingli, he thought she was adorable, like a little doll carved from jade, secretly watching him with round, bright eyes. He didn’t mind listening to the adults and looking after her.

And Zhou Rangqu did indeed stand up for Chen Qingli many times over the years

When she had just transferred to a school in Shangzhou, a boy in her class pulled her braid apart. Zhou Rangqu fixed it for her, then warned the boy in his capacity as her “parent.”

Knowing she had someone to back her up, Chen Qingli lived up to expectations and grew into a little menace in ways no one could have predicted

When Zhou Rangqu got into Beiming University at eighteen, Chen Qingli took a megaphone to the property management office and played the announcement on repeat. When Zhou Rangqu entered the film industry during his sophomore year and started his own company, Chen Qingli covered her room with his posters.

She thought things would keep going smoothly, but while Zhou Rangqu was swamped with work, his little shadow started dating someone too soon

Chen Qingli experienced her first crush and fell for the most handsome boy in school, her deskmate, only to be cheated on. Fortunately, her career was taking off.

Chen Qingli led a fulfilling life, until one day she went to a bar to pick up her completely drunk friend and ran into her big brother. Afraid she wouldn’t be able to explain herself, Chen Qingli downed a bottle of Budweiser and pretended to be drunk.

Zhou Rangqu carried her on his back and took her home. The familiar feeling of his broad shoulders was like being a child again.

Chen Qingli was half asleep when she suddenly felt him stop walking. Beneath the streetlight, Zhou Rangqu seemed to sigh. “Qingqing, your big brother has actually liked you for a long time...”

Behind him, Chen Qingli’s eyes snapped open. She met Zhou Rangqu’s gaze as he turned around.

1. Childhood friends, older brother has a secret crush. Qingli’s romance won’t begin until she is an adult.

2. A nurturing romance. Brother Rangqu is incredibly gentle and doting.

3. First love comes back to chase her, and suffers for it.

Theme: Each follows their own path with diligence; though a thousand miles apart, they share the same wind.