Pretending Turns Real [Marriage Before Love]

The main story is complete. Extra chapters are updating.

[Next novel, now available to pre-save: [The Oriole in His Palm]. Still a marriage-before-love story, with a mature older man and a sweet, well-behaved girl. If you're interested, please add it to your collection!]

[Two-faced bad woman × man who takes the act seriously]

1.

Everyone in Beijing's social circle knows that Pei Yushi, the second young master at the top of the city's social pyramid, flits from flower to flower and has no scruples about his lovers. But what he hates most is actors.

Song Wanyan scoffed at that. "What, did an actor dig up his family's graves?"

When they met, Pei Yushi lazily held a cigarette between his lips, looking like a shameless rogue as smoke billowed across the beauty's face.

"Well, well. Our Best Actress Song is really good at bending with the wind, isn't she?"

Song Wanyan didn't bat an eyelid. She leaned forward, took his cigarette between her red lips, and smiled frankly.

"After all, actors are shameless and heartless. We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

2.

When word got out that Song Wanyan, a Best Actress in the entertainment industry, wanted to climb into the good graces of the second young master of the Pei family, who knew how many people were waiting to laugh at her.

But no one expected the two of them to reveal a marriage certificate, skipping straight past dating.

After getting married, the usually wanton and unrestrained second young master Pei reined in his womanizing ways and practically put Song Wanyan on a pedestal.

Everyone wondered what tricks she'd used to tame a playboy and turn him into a lovesick man.

Only Song Wanyan knew the truth: he was the one taming her,

using all of this to make her perform a love scene with him in earnest, until she truly fell for him and couldn't get away.

-

On the day the two agreed to divorce amicably and part on good terms, Pei Yushi lit a cigarette and smiled nonchalantly.

"That ungrateful little thing learned everything she could from me and ran off. I spoiled her until she doesn't know how big the sky is. Maybe she needs to run into a few walls out there."

But when Best Actress Song became President Song, and a new romance rumor surfaced, all his stubborn words came back to slap him in the face.

3.

Not long after the two split up, they got back together, and rumors quickly spread like wildfire.

In the villa, Pei Yushi carried Song Wanyan downstairs on his arm and gave a lazy, amused chuckle.

"We ought to let those people see what it looks like when someone who's supposedly climbing the social ladder is still hanging from her sugar daddy's neck at noon, sleeping in."

Song Wanyan lifted her sleepy head. Her soft kiss extinguished the man's anger.

"This is the balance of last night's tuition. Be a good boy, big brother. You chased me down yourself, so you'll just have to put up with me."

[In this lively performance, is the one who falls in love first the one who loses everything?]

[Yes. So I fell in love first, and I lost utterly.]

[Reading Guide]

1. A little face-slapping, both leads are each other's first love, happy ending

2. No real-life inspirations

3. The male lead falls first. The female lead is a little heartless!

-- Blurb for upcoming novel [The Oriole in His Palm] --

"Steady" mature man × cautious "good girl" | Possessive older man × sweet, well-behaved girl | Marriage before love | Age gap

Yu Nianying was adopted by the Fu family of Beijing when she was three.

The once-destitute girl gained a family background everyone envied, along with a flawless older brother.

In the eighteen years she grew up in the Fu household, Fu Xunyan was beyond reproach.

He personally arranged her meals, clothing, and daily routine, took an interest in every little thing in her life, cared for her when she was ill, and kept her company when she was lonely and upset.

Even though the upper class looked down on acting, he spared no effort in supporting her career as an actress because she loved it, becoming her protector.

Fu Xunyan was there for every moment of Yu Nianying's growth.

Until the moment she wanted to leave him.

-

Fu Xunyan withheld her application to study abroad, dragged her off to register their marriage, shut the heavy bedroom door, and took back her right to be pampered unconditionally.

"You can't cook, you don't know the prices of things when you shop, you're so picky and delicate that a slightly bad meal gives you a stomachache, you can't fall asleep when you're sick unless I hold you, and you need me to help you put on anything complicated. Sweetheart, how are you going to live without me?"

His burning fingertips gently caressed the soft, trembling skin beneath his hand. The man lingered, unable to let go. His eyes held what might have been self-mockery or disappointment as he sighed softly. "Since you don't like me granting your every wish, from now on, you'll have to trade for what you want."

Only then did Yu Nianying suddenly realize how much unspoken darkness had been hidden in the gaze of the man who had always been by her side.

He could pamper her endlessly, grant her every wish, and even tolerate her leaving his side for a while.

He had just one request of her.

She had to love him too.

[Reading Guide]

1. Both leads are each other's first love, and the male lead falls first. Neither lead is perfect.

2. The male lead is controlling at first, but will learn to respect the female lead.

3. No real-life inspirations

Theme: Don't give up when you encounter difficulties