Not Quite So [Marriage Before Love]

“A newly launched series! Please give it a little bookmark. The blurbs are below.”

[She Is Wild] (Ye Yining x Shi Yu) Proud Little Heiress from a Powerful Family x Steady Young Master of the Capital Circle

[Story Blurb] [The full text has been revised several times. Thank you for your support.]

Bookish-family academic ace who spends her days digging holes and turning soil x Powerful heir to a top-tier family empire, expanding his territory across the globe

Six-year age gap | Marriage before love | Guiding lover | Romantic tension | One-on-one, single-couple | Happy ending

1.

At twenty-one, Shu Yi met Shen Yan for the first time.

At twenty-two, they quietly got married.

From the time they met through the first two years of their marriage, Shu Yi devoted herself to academic research while Shen Yan was busy expanding his empire. They spent barely more than two or three months together in all.

Shen Yan came from a prominent family and was disciplined and impeccably mannered. He never used their marriage to restrict her freedom. They treated each other with courtesy, and Shu Yi said she was quite happy with things as they were.

2.

In a private room at a club, Shu Yi sat among Shen Yan's friends.

Someone asked her, “Shushu, you're so young. What made you decide to get married?”

At the time, Shu Yi was studying the cards in her hand. Hearing the question, she nodded without thinking. “Right? I do kind of regret it.”

The door behind her opened, and Shen Yan's tall figure appeared in the doorway. His expression was unreadable, but his deep-set eyes seemed to be rimmed with ice as he stared grimly at her slender back.

He walked over and sat down beside Shu Yi.

The heavy pressure radiating from him made Shu Yi sit up straight at once.

She sighed softly, took Shen Yan's hand as naturally as could be, and lightly traced her fingertips across his palm. “Good timing. Come help me out, will you? I've lost so much.”

Hearing the coaxing in Shu Yi's voice, the man replied in a low tone, “It doesn't matter. The family has plenty of assets, enough for you to spend as you please.”

Shu Yi thought Shen Yan hadn't taken her words to heart.

But when they got home that night, a strong hand suddenly seized her wrist. She looked up in surprise and met his fathomless gaze.

“Shu Yi, do you... regret marrying me?”

3.

As livestreaming became all the rage, Shu Yi was chosen to livestream an archaeological excavation and introduce the local culture, scenery, and specialties. Her witty, engaging explanations of ancient writing and history drew viewers in, and she quickly went viral. Online, a steady stream of viewers started calling her their wife.

Netizens repeatedly asked if Shu Yi was single, but she just smiled and changed the subject.

One day, a senior student on the same project cornered Shu Yi outside her dorm and wouldn't stop confessing his feelings.

“Senior, I got married young.”

“They all say some old man is keeping you, but I don't care. I'm young, ambitious, and talented. I can give you a comfortable life, too.”

Shu Yi stared in shock at the senior, whose once-gentle, courteous face had twisted into something ugly. She didn't know what to do.

A low male voice suddenly came from behind her.

“She said she's married. Can't you hear?”

Shu Yi turned. In the dim light, Shen Yan approached with a stern expression. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against his side, his possessiveness unmistakable.

“Who are you?”

“I'm the old man you mentioned, Shu Yi's husband.”

Shu Yi tried to hold it in, but couldn't help bursting into laughter.

At the same time, a post swept across the top ten trending topics.

“Shen Group: Happy third wedding anniversary to our CEO and his wife @Shen Yan @Shu Yi”

“Mr. Shen, I thought we agreed to keep our marriage private?”

The once-distant, distinguished man cornered her in a space barely big enough for the two of them. His breath was hot, his voice husky.

“Mrs. Shen, as a married couple, are you the one who's ashamed to be seen, or am I not good enough for you?”

On the day they got their marriage certificates, Shu Yi held up the freshly issued red booklet and smiled brightly in the sunlight.

“Shen Yan.”

“In ancient writing, the character for ‘marry’ can mean a woman leaving her family home to join her husband's, making that home her destination from then on.

”

“But I think it should mean a woman making a home of her own.”

She pointed to the photograph on their marriage certificate.

“Our home.”

[New Series]

Proud young heiress from an old family x Steady young master of the capital circle

Three-year age gap | Flirtatious push and pull | Long-planned romance | Childhood friends | Single-couple, one-on-one, happy ending

1.

At eighteen, Ye Yining used the wine she'd been drinking as an excuse to kiss the man's lips. It was also the first time in her life that she called him by his name instead of calling him “big brother.”

“Shi Yu, I like you.”

The man froze for a moment, then pushed her away.

“Xiao Si, you're drunk. We'll talk after you've sobered up.”

The next morning, when Ye Yining woke, the man was already gone from the empty room. She turned and left without hesitation.

2.

Seven years later, when she saw Shi Yu again, Ye Yining smiled, but her eyes and demeanor were distant.

“Brother Shi Yu, long time no see.”

At a gathering one day, someone asked Ye Yining what she wanted in a partner.

She drained her glass, then raised the chin of the man beside her with a slender finger and laughed freely. “Sunny, cheerful, lively, adorable. A younger puppy-like guy.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she met Shi Yu's dark, unreadable gaze from the doorway.

After midnight, everyone left. Ye Yining walked unsteadily toward the parking lot and spotted an SUV parked so tightly in front of her car that she couldn't get out.

Shi Yu stood by the vehicle, danger lurking in his eyes. “You like younger men?”

Ye Yining kept herself calm. “Who doesn't like someone young and beautiful?”

A smile suddenly touched Shi Yu's lips. “True. Young and beautiful...”

3.

One drunken night of recklessness.

Ye Yining woke in the man's arms and stared at him in disbelief. “Shi Yu, we were both drunk last night. We can't take what happened seriously.”

Before she could react, Shi Yu threw off the thin blanket, rolled over, and pinned her beneath him. His voice was husky. “Ye Yining, you stole my kiss seven years ago, and now you've claimed me. You have to take responsibility.”

Ye Yining furrowed her brows, then lifted her chin with an air of nonchalance. “You want me to take responsibility? Fine. Get down on your knees and beg me.”

The man, always proud and distinguished, slowly rose. As Ye Yining watched in shock, he dropped to one knee.

He lifted his head and gazed at her earnestly.

“Yining, please.”

“...Love me.”

“Shi Yu, I might never get married.”

“Yining, the wind is free, and so are you.”

[Coming Soon]

[Overflowing] (Ruan Qiao x Huo Tingchen)

Free-spirited, mischievous creative girl x Reclusive business titan who commands the commercial world

Five-year age gap | Ambiguous attraction | Unconditional indulgence | Guiding lover

1.

Ruan Qiao first met Huo Tingchen at seventeen. At the time, he was one of the men ambiguously involved with her cousin.

Wearing an oversized school uniform, she walked toward them like a child who had wandered into the adult world, completely out of place amid all the glamour.

In one corner of the garden, an elegant afternoon tea spread was laid out. Ruan Qiao stood in front of the ice cream machine, studying it with a frown. Suddenly, a pair of large, well-defined hands reached around from behind. They picked up a dessert cup, pressed the button, and dispensed a perfectly shaped ice cream.

Ruan Qiao followed the hand with her gaze and saw Huo Tingchen looking down at her, his dark eyes deep and fixed on hers.

When she didn't take it, he held the ice cream out a little farther.

Ruan Qiao took it, stunned. “...Thank you, cousin's... brother-in-law?”

The man's eyes paused on her. In a low voice, he said, “You're welcome, little sister.”

2.

Years later, Ruan Qiao stared in disbelief at the cool, distinguished man sitting across from her.

The cousin's ex-boyfriend, one of who-knew-how-many, was now her blind date. What kind of hellish coincidence was this?

Under pressure from her family, Ruan Qiao had no choice but to discuss it with Huo Tingchen.

“Mr. Huo, since we're old acquaintances, why don't we play along and get our families off our backs?”

His eyes deepened as he gazed at her. “A pleasure doing business with you, Miss Ruan.”

3.

Huo Tingchen was stern and reserved, with a detached temperament. In business, he was decisive and ruthless, and he hated trouble more than anything.

But after meeting Ruan Qiao, it seemed every one of his principles was broken.

Ruan Qiao sought inspiration for her writing by enthusiastically trying out the roles she created around him. Huo Tingchen was willing to go along with her and indulge her. The man who hated people prying into his private life even began appearing online at her side again and again.

Then one day, Huo Tingchen noticed that Ruan Qiao was gradually distancing herself from him and intended to end their relationship unilaterally.

At a banquet, Ruan Qiao's male companion had just left when someone quietly approached and cornered her.

“Ruan Qiao, who was that man you came in with?” Huo Tingchen's expression was dark as he stared coldly at her.

Ruan Qiao forcefully broke free of his grasp and smiled faintly. “Mr. Huo, what are you to me? Why should I tell you?”

Huo Tingchen gave a cold laugh and spoke slowly. “Your boss, your friend, your family's old friend, your blind date... If you want, by tomorrow morning I'll be your legal husband, too.”

Ruan Qiao froze at his words. Her eyes slowly grew misty, and her voice carried a hint of grievance. “Huo Tingchen, your true love has come back. Why are you still tangled up with me?”

“Ruan Qiao, in your stories, men always indulge women without limits, letting them do whatever they want and take whatever they please. Why is that?”

“What else could it be? Of course it's love!”

“Ruan Qiao, so this is love. I love you.”

Theme: Be self-reliant and independent, and move forward together.