I Married My Friend's Professor After Going Bankrupt

My next novel, He’s So Good at Romance, Is Starting Soon~

The one after that will be Eye Pact. If you like the premise, please add it to your favorites~

The completed novel is ready to binge~ Thanks for supporting the official release~

I posted the explanation about the ex in the author's note of the second-to-last chapter. If you have any questions, please take another look.

Sensitive, reserved shou x gentle, guiding older gong, ten-year age gap

The day after his family went bankrupt, Yu Sheng got up early and went to fill in for a friend in an elective class, unable to resist his friend's pleas. His friend only needed someone to sign in for him, but Yu Sheng had also overslept after learning the day before that his family had gone bankrupt.

The moment he slipped into the classroom just before class began, the silence inside was almost frightening. Yu Sheng heard only a deep, magnetic voice calling out his friend's name. Standing in the doorway, he reluctantly answered, "Here."

As the only student to arrive at the last minute, he spent the entire class under the professor's watchful gaze. Yu Sheng figured he had successfully made himself memorable to the professor.

Professor: "Zhou Chenran, right? I'll call on you again next class."

Yu Sheng said through gritted teeth, "Yes, Professor. Have a good day."

In his heart, he silently worried for his friend, while also lamenting his own terrible luck.

Maybe all his family's good fortune had flown away with their money. Not long after class, he was informed that his family had arranged a marriage for him. On his way to meet his prospective spouse, he nearly got into a car accident, too.

By the time he reached the private room, both families were happily chatting together. Everyone except him, that is... He was covered in dust, his clothes torn, looking like a beggar.

But Yu Sheng didn't care about any of that. He stared wide-eyed at the person seated at the table.

The man wore a perfectly tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes were fixed on Yu Sheng, a faint, teasing smile on his face.

A bolt of lightning struck Yu Sheng right in the head.

Could someone tell him why his friend's elective-course professor was here?

Yu Sheng's father led him over to the man. "Xiao Ren, this is my son."

Ren Ting nodded. "I know. His name is Zhou Chenran, right?"

Yu Sheng: "..." He died of embarrassment on the spot and wished he could crawl into a crack in the floor.

Yu Sheng knew Zhou Chenran was marrying a man ten years older than him, but Yu Sheng stubbornly refused to say who. So Zhou Chenran teased him: "Hey, he's ten years older than you. If you two get together, will your life... be harmonious?"

Yu Sheng's mouth twitched. He picked up his coffee and took a casual sip. Zhou Chenran kept probing. "Hey, you never answer me. Who is it, anyway? Who managed to win our Yu Sheng over?"

As they spoke, a figure approached. Seeing Ren Ting, Zhou Chenran quickly sat up straight and said formally, "Hello, Professor."

Ren Ting nodded, then sat down with his coffee. After a moment of silence, Zhou Chenran asked, "Professor... do you also think the view here is nice?"

Ren Ting tapped the rim of his coffee cup with a knuckle, then glanced at Yu Sheng, who was trying to crawl into his cup. "I'm here waiting for my husband."

Zhou Chenran: "...Professor, you're married? Has your husband arrived?"

After asking, he saw Yu Sheng, who had been quiet all afternoon, slowly raise one hand while holding his coffee cup in the other. "Pardon me, your husband is right here."

Zhou Chenran: "..."

Zhou Chenran: "!!!"

"How did I not know my friend had become my professor's spouse?!"

[Reading Guide]

1. Ten-year age gap, in a world where same-sex marriage is legal. The gong and shou aren't directly connected when they first meet; they're complete strangers, at least as far as the shou knows.

2. The gong teaches an elective, so he doesn't have many classes. After getting married, he'll gradually teach less, and later return to campus to give a speech as a company CEO.

3. A sweet story. Sensitive, reserved shou x gentle, guiding gong. Both are each other's first and only. Healing themes.

4. The gong has an ex. Someone confessed to him a long time ago, and he thought he might as well give it a try. When he later learned about his arranged marriage, they parted amicably. He has only ever had this one partner.

5. The gong has always liked the shou. The things he says to the shou are based on their being married and living together. In fact, it was only after meeting the shou that the gong understood what it meant to like someone. (P.S. It was love at first sight.) In other words, that brief relationship he had before wasn't really a relationship at all. He only agreed to see how things went.

If you like it, please add it to your favorites~

Theme: Never give up in the face of difficulty. Face challenges positively and keep striving.