[Draft in progress]
*The heroine falls in love after marriage | The hero's secret crush comes true | Fake and real heiresses
*Money-grubbing con artist × smooth-talking fake playboy
1.
Lin Xianghe, who proudly calls herself a gold digger, agrees to impersonate a rich heiress and marry someone in her place to pay off a debt of a million yuan.
But on the very first day of her marriage, she nearly blows her cover.
Her new husband, the young master of the Pu family, seems to have it all. In reality, he's not only a little deaf, but also the family's favorite punching bag. His stepmother and younger stepbrother don't miss a chance to mock him, not even over breakfast.
The con artist holds her tongue once, then twice, but eventually can't stop herself from standing up for him. Little does she know, the man sitting beside her has already taken off his hearing aids.
Leaning on his hand, the man says, "The way you stood up for me feels familiar."
Lin Xianghe is terrified. "Familiar with who?"
Pu Jin grins. "My first love."
2.
Everyone in their circles knows that the eldest young master of the Tongbei Pu family is unwelcome at home. But he was born with a smile and a handsome face, making him a magnet for admirers wherever he goes.
People sneer: So what if women love him? He doesn't even have a proper title, and he's a half-disabled illegitimate son. But Lin Xianghe shakes her head.
Because she's seen Pu Jin pretend to be weak while hiding his strength.
The man behind that facade is cold and ruthless, with blood in his veins and a storm in his wake. He looks down on everyone, as if they're all trash.
Lin Xianghe had planned to stand aside and watch the show. She never expected that, in this deal, he would be the first to lose control.
When Pu Jin lowered his head to kiss her, all she could do was close her eyes and call him A Jin.
Behind the door of the dim bedroom, the man's voice turns intimate. "Only people who aren't close to me call me that."
Lin Xianghe stiffens as his hand holds her waist. Her heart pounds. "We're not that close, either."
"Is that so?" Pu Jin leans close to her neck. "Even after sleeping together?"
3.
For six months after their wedding, Lin Xianghe diligently plays her part, putting on an act with her handsome, famous contract husband. They each get what they want.
But she never expected that when her trashy ex-boyfriend returned to the country with the new love he'd been seeing back then, her peaceful days would come to an end.
At long last, her ex and his young girlfriend get what they deserve. But Lin Xianghe also learns the whole truth, and the woman who has always treasured money above all else goes home and asks for a divorce.
For once, the man loses his composure. "Aren't you afraid I'll expose your fake marriage?"
Lin Xianghe sneers. "Weren't you the one who tricked me into marriage first?"
The scheme I thought I had devised so cleverly was your carefully planned pursuit all along.
- "Every wrong turn was leading me to you."
Inspired by this on March 9, 2023
-Adapted from Hermann Hesse
See the end of Chapter One for content warnings.
Theme: Love and freedom
