My Husband Is Gentle, but Does He Have Someone He Loves?

Xiao Yu, the Imperial Grandson, was noble of birth, handsome, and accomplished in both letters and arms. He was the unattainable dream of the noblewomen of the capital.

Because of a distant family connection, Lu Jianing had known Xiao Yu since they were young, but had always thought of him as an older brother.

After all, Lu Jianing secretly liked a young general. And Xiao Yu, it seemed, had a sweetheart living somewhere outside the palace.

Alas, things did not go as they wished.

At a palace banquet, the Empress Dowager matched this familiar pair, who had no romantic feelings for each other.

After their wedding, they appeared deeply devoted in public, but at night they shared a bed while dreaming separate dreams, a married couple in name only.

As time passed, Lu Jianing gradually realized that Xiao Yu seemed gentle on the outside, but was cold and indifferent within. He wore two faces, one in public and another in private.

Fortunately, he remained as considerate and tender toward her as ever, so she relaxed, thinking she could go on getting along with Xiao Yu like a brother and sister.

That was, until the young general she liked returned from the border, and her husband, who had always been gentle and proper with her, showed a rare flash of forcefulness.

Inside the carriage, Lu Jianing lifted the curtain and kept looking toward the young general in the distance. Xiao Yu watched in silence for a long while, then finally couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her over, pressed her into his arms, and kissed her fiercely.

"Ningning, stop looking at him. Look at me."

*

The current emperor was old, and the struggle for the throne was simmering beneath the surface. Xiao Yu, whom the emperor had named Imperial Grandson at the age of fifteen, was surrounded by danger on all sides.

Wearing a mask of warmth and benevolence, he responded calmly. He had no interest in love, but after spending day after day with his consort, he fell in love with the woman who should have meant little to him.

[Beautiful and lively, a pampered young lady who's soft on the outside but resilient within vs. a gentle and aloof, reserved and calculating Imperial Grandson]

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*A marriage-first, love-later story. An ordinary little romance.

Written in plain language, with a fictional setting that mixes everything together.

Note: I replaced the original blurb because I wasn't feeling it for the time being. If you don't like this new setup, dear reader, please feel free to pass on it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Theme: Stay by each other's side through adversity and strive for a better future together