After the Hopeless Romantic and the Clingy One Married

The End. Thank you so much for all your support. Mwah~ [My other novel, Notes on a Springtime Escape, is now underway!] ● A friendly reminder: Don’t let romance make you lose your head in real life, or I’ll chase you off with a forklift. [Blurb] 1. Ye Jueqiu is famous in their circle for being a cool, distant beauty, like a bright moon hanging in the sky: lovely to admire from afar, but not to be sullied. Shang Shixu is equally famous for his restraint and propriety, always cool and self-possessed. His shirt collar is forever buttoned to the very top. These two people, who could hardly have been less suited to one another, were brought together in marriage by their families. Everyone sighed over the match, figuring that a life shared by two people like them would be as dull as a stagnant pond. What was the point? 2. Until one day, Shang Shixu was invited out for drinks by a friend. “Autumn’s almost here. Want to find somewhere for an outing and unwind?” his friend asked. “Autumn? What’s wrong with Qiuqiu?” Shang Shixu replied. “All the leaves have fallen off those trees.” “Leaves, leaves, Ye…” “Get a grip!” Later, another friend happened to see Shang Shixu taking his little darling to class. Ye Jueqiu hooked an arm around the man’s neck and coaxed, “Kiss me, and then I’ll go.” The man bent his head and gave him an indulgent kiss. “Can I have one more?” Ye Jueqiu asked. 3. Ye Jueqiu knew that his original arranged-marriage partner was supposed to be Shang Li. But Shang Li had fallen in love with Ye Jueqiu’s younger brother, and was now making a huge fuss about breaking off the engagement. As it happened, Ye Jueqiu didn’t want to marry Shang Li either, and was about to go along with the breakup when Shang Li’s cousin, Shang Shixu, appeared before him. “The Shang family has more than just Shang Li. Would you consider marrying me?” [An outwardly restrained, seemingly celibate gong who gradually becomes obsessed with his wife VS a cool and proud shou in public who’s actually clingy and loves to act spoiled] [PS: The gong isn’t a hopeless romantic from the start. He becomes one because he falls for the shou, and it takes time~] [Reader’s Guide] 1. Marriage first, love later | extreme possessiveness (no) | both leads’ first relationship | age gap | mostly everyday life | partially fictional setting 2. Please don’t accuse me of plagiarism or post off-topic comments without evidence. Don’t overinterpret the text or make subjective assumptions to find fault. Please don’t bring other authors or their works up in my comments, and don’t mention me under other authors’ works. Let’s show each other respect. Thank you~ 3. Please read with a clear head. The characters aren’t based on real people, so don’t bring up actual people. This is fiction: don’t try to map it onto reality or use it to judge the author’s values. 4. Inspired by an online comment: hopeless romantics and clingy sweethearts are made for each other. 5. The leads’ names come from the poem “Climbing a Lonely, Desolate Fortress” in Zhu Ma Zi. 6. Everyone has different tastes, and it’s impossible to write something everyone will love. You don’t need to tell me if you drop the story~ A grateful bow in advance! ● Thanks to the artist who designed the cover. The cover elements come from the artist’s stock library and may be reused. If you see the same elements elsewhere, that’s perfectly normal. Screenshot taken on 2023.3.20. Do not steal. Coming soon: Notes on a Springtime Escape Early the next morning, Lin Xihuai opened his eyes to find a strikingly handsome man lying beside him. The man had an arm affectionately around his waist. They looked like the most intimate lovers in the world. But in reality, they had only exchanged names in bed the night before. They say traveling brings plenty of romantic encounters. Lin Xihuai found out firsthand what it meant to meet someone truly “ravishing” at first sight. [A melancholy, flirtatious beauty who’s candid about his desires, the shou VS a refined rogue and “menace” of a gong who knows how to turn the tables and flirt right back] (Here, “menace” refers to someone skilled at stirring up confusion and turmoil in another person’s heart.) Theme: Life may not be perfect, but it’s still worth loving with all our might.