A Branch Becomes a Match Made in Heaven

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When Zhou Yunwen was young, she once met a boy.

He had sharp brows and bright eyes, and his dazzling smile stayed in her memory for years.

They first met when she was troubled and fed up with the noisy, tedious banquet. She had hidden beside the stream in the back garden, hoping for some peace and quiet, but accidentally startled his fish.

He didn't scold her. Instead, he broke off a willow branch by the riverbank and gently placed it in her hand, then said something that made little sense to her at the time.

"Most people see only the surface. Even scions of great families can worry over these so-called heavenly matches."

Later, Zhou Yunwen came to understand.

The good fortune others saw in her future was something she didn't want at all.

So, for once, she dared to be bold:

If the marriage came calling to claim her, she could simply run away first.

The young woman resolutely packed her things, keeping it secret from her parents and elder brother, and fled the Zhou residence. She left Runan and bravely set off for Luoyang, a city of countless blossoms.

Luoyang was lovely, but the city was too small, and its law and order too good.

At the city gate, she stopped an ox cart, her face dusty and her eyes brimming with tears.

"Kind sir in the cart, might I ride with you for a while? Your humble servant has nowhere else to turn."

A corner of the curtain was lifted, and the young woman looked straight into a pair of deep-set eyes.

He looked just like the boy she had met when she was little.

The boy stared at her darkly as she climbed into the cart, then suddenly spoke.

"Uncle Bian, change our route. We're going to Runan."

Zhou Yunwen: "?!"

·

People know Wang Xizhi of the Langya Wang clan as the Sage of Calligraphy, handsome as a jade tree and debonair. No one pays any attention to his elder brother, Wang Jizhi.

Even the marriage alliance with the Zhou clan of Runan is considered by everyone to be meant for Wang Xizhi.

Wang Jizhi understood from childhood that with a younger brother like his, everything he did would be compared to him.

He had thought that at least his long-arranged marriage would give him the edge over his younger brother.

That is, until the young lady appeared before him and said she was being forced to honor her betrothal, asking him to take her to Luoyang.

The very man she was running away from: "? How can that be!"

"You want to run away from our wedding? Then I definitely won't let you have your way."

*A few words spoken in youth can stay with someone for a very long time.

She was his sweet date, a ray of sunshine in those gloomy years when nobody took him seriously.

He couldn't let her go, and didn't want to.

Pursuing his wife isn't easy. Wenbo still has a lot to learn.

#I laugh at him for being bound by convention, he blames me for being unreasonable. We really are made for each other#

*Set in a partly fictionalized Eastern Jin, with some historical references. Certain details have been adjusted to suit the plot.

*The story is a slow burn, focused mainly on family life, with a little domestic intrigue and political maneuvering. The historical timeline has been compressed and adjusted. Wang Xizhi barely appears, since this story was never about him. No immortal can cater to everyone's tastes, so if this isn't your thing, please don't read it. I hope everyone finds a story they love~

**Reader's Guide

1. One-on-one romance, both leads are sexually inexperienced, happy ending. Pure historical romance with no reborn or transmigrate elements, set in an ancient society with its own values. Includes a little domestic intrigue, but is mainly about everyday family life, with political maneuvering. The male lead has a secret identity. A slow-burn, gentle romance that takes its time. If you don't like a slow pace, please read with caution.

2. Many details are fictional, so the story cannot match real history perfectly. The historical timeline is only a reference, and many events have been compressed. History buffs, please read with caution. This is not a historical novel! This is not a historical novel! It is a historical romance with many, many, many additions based on the author's imagination.

3. The male lead is Wang Jizhi, Wang Xizhi's older brother, and Wang Xizhi barely appears. For plot reasons, the male lead is two years older than his younger brother, and the leads have a two-year age gap. [Important! Highlighted! Pay attention!]

*There was a typo in an earlier version, which has now been fixed. To clarify, the second male lead is one to two months younger than the male lead, and two years older than the heroine.

*An engagement arranged before birth means the betrothal was agreed upon before either party was born. It is even earlier than a childhood betrothal, and does not mean the couple was born in the same year.

*The heroine is the legitimate daughter of the Zhou clan of Runan. Her real name is not recorded in history, so her name in this novel is fictional. Please don't scrutinize it too closely.

4. There are countless good stories out there. Reading is for fun, so please be tolerant. No need for nitpicking.

*Other content warnings: None.

**There's also a related novel coming soon in my author collection, My Wife Is a Little Scatterbrained. Please add it to your favorites if you happen to pass by~ Thank you, dear readers~

[Blurb last revised on 2023.02.03 and archived. Please do not repost.]

*Weibo: Gu Yunyuner

Theme: Lovers will finally be together