Butterflies in Captivity

Second chance at love / Marriage of convenience / Intangible cultural heritage inheritor of traditional incense-making

[Cool, devoted CEO x sweet, gentle incense artist]

The day Jiang Yan was dumped after falling on hard times, she picked up her ex as a rideshare passenger.

He sat upright in the back seat, dressed in a tailored suit. His dark eyes were stern as he looked toward the driver’s seat in the dim light.

Jiang Yan turned her face away, pulled up her mask, and switched off the interior light, afraid he would recognize her.

After all, he was no longer a poor boy, and she was no longer the rich girl she used to be.

They were still worlds apart, but now their positions had reversed.

Even though her heart still stirred, she could never reach his level.

Jiang Yan sold off her clothes and jewelry to keep herself afloat and fund her incense-making business.

Unexpectedly, her stepmother barged into her incense studio, splashed tea all over her, and wrecked her equipment and incense materials.

Just as she was at her most miserable, Song Yun appeared before her, impeccably dressed.

He drove the hysterical mother and daughter away and personally bandaged her wounds.

He even handed her a marriage agreement.

Everyone in the know said Song Yun was out for revenge.

She had trampled his pride underfoot back then. How could he still love her? He was bound to pay her back in kind.

Then one day, they appeared together on a cultural promotion show.

Throughout the program, Song Yun’s gaze stayed fixed on her, love lingering in his cool, dark eyes.

Only then did everyone realize that Jiang Yan was the butterfly Song Yun had gone to such lengths to keep for himself.

Some details are fictionalized. The female lead is an incense artist, and information about traditional incense culture comes from books and online sources. Please forgive any mistakes. I’ll do my best to correct anything inappropriate.

Theme: Promoting traditional incense culture