A Tender Fairy Tale

[A proud, pampered little peacock x a mature, dependable boyfriend with youthful energy]

Two-year age gap | Mutual crush | Living under the same roof | Slow-burn sweet romance

When Xu Tianwu was fifteen, she was sent to live with the Lu family. Her pretty face was vivid and bright, with delicate cheeks and rosy lips, and she looked incredibly well-behaved. Dragging her suitcase, she looked up and saw a boy standing on the second floor.

The light and shadows of an early-spring afternoon were pure and soft, with a few rays falling across his profile and outlining his smooth jaw. He lowered his eyes to look at Xu Tianwu. There was not a ripple in his gaze behind his glasses. His expression was calm, and he seemed refined and spotless.

One of the Lu elders introduced them: "By family seniority, Tianwu, you should call him Uncle."

Out of politeness, Xu Tianwu smiled and obediently called him, "Uncle."

It was only natural to feel awkward when staying in someone else's home for the first time. Xu Tianwu was hungry in the middle of the night but didn't dare disturb anyone. She was just about to drink some water to stave off her hunger when she ran into Lu Yusong, who had come downstairs for a drink.

She was about to smile and say hello, but her stomach growled first.

Xu Tianwu, meeting Lu Yusong's eyes: "..."

That night, Lu Yusong cooked her a bowl of noodles. Through the steam rising from the bowl, his features looked hazy as he asked, "What's your name?"

Xu Tianwu answered enthusiastically, "Uncle, my name is Xu Tianwu."

In Xu Tianwu's eyes, Lu Yusong was outstanding and capable of anything. He was also gentle and treated her well, so she loved being around him.

But as they grew closer, Lu Yusong began to manage her every move, down to the smallest details. Only then did Xu Tianwu suddenly realize that beneath his gentle exterior lay a surging desire for control.

The last time, she and Lu Yusong had a huge falling-out over something. The last thing Xu Tianwu said to him was, "Don't ever try to control me again."

Lu Yusong watched her without a word, his expression indifferent, then got up and left.

After moving out of Lu Yusong's villa, Xu Tianwu lived a carefree life.

But after a while, she could no longer smile.

The Lu family arranged blind dates for her, and every match they found was worse than the last. Xu Tianwu suspected Lu Yusong was behind it, taking revenge on her.

To get out of the blind dates, she had no choice but to find Lu Yusong and put on a smile that was painfully stiff. "Uncle, could you do me a favor?"

Lu Yusong looked up at her, his tone gentle. "Didn't you say you didn't want me to control you?"

Xu Tianwu could be flexible when it suited her. "As long as I don't have to marry one of them, you can control me however you like afterward."

Lu Yusong smiled. "All right."

A day later, Xu Tianwu stared at the Civil Affairs Bureau in front of her, her voice trembling slightly. "What does this mean?"

Lu Yusong unfastened her seat belt. He seemed perfectly reasonable as he spoke in a low, gentle voice. "My family gave me an order, and I can't disobey. But to help you, I thought of a compromise."

"You can marry me."

One day after their wedding, Lu Yusong failed to get a goodnight kiss. He rubbed his clean, pale fingertips over her rosy lips and sighed gently. "Wu Wu, I feel like you're not as enthusiastic as you used to be."

Xu Tianwu flushed with embarrassment and snapped, "...Because you weren't this clingy back then!"

Reader's guide:

1. Both leads are each other's one and only, and each other's first love. A dreamy, sweet romance fairytale. The male lead has been plotting for a long time, and his schemes are deeper than a black hole.

2. Though she calls him Uncle, the leads are not related by blood, and their age gap is only two years.

3. Neither lead is perfect, but their relationship is loving from beginning to end. At its heart, this is a pure romance about relying on and accompanying each other, and cherishing one another.

4. Detailed content warnings are in the author's note for Chapter One. A thousand readers will have a thousand different interpretations of a story. I can't guarantee that everyone will like the characters, plot, or writing style. Reading should be fun, so if it's not your thing, just run! Let's keep things peaceful!

Upcoming novel, Springtime in the Begonia Garden, please add it to your collection!

A gentle, clear-headed beauty x a powerful man

Second male lead takes the lead | Marriage before love | The powerful man bows his head | Sweet romance

Ji Tangyuan has a secret: she loves her childhood friend, Gu Tingzhou. She has loved him for seven years, but he has always kept her at arm's length, leaving her caught between hope and disappointment.

Fortunately, Ji Tangyuan eventually gets engaged to Gu Tingzhou, just as she wished.

The bittersweetness of seven years turns into sweetness, and Ji Tangyuan thinks Gu Tingzhou is finally beginning to care for her. Just as she happily makes preparations for their engagement, Gu Tingzhou's unrequited love breaks up with her partner. One phone call from her is enough for Gu Tingzhou to abandon Ji Tangyuan, who is in the middle of a wedding photo shoot, and rush off to comfort his old flame.

She calls Gu Tingzhou again and again. When she finally gets through on the eighteenth call, all she receives is a cold response: "Tangyuan, I'm busy. Be good and don't make a fuss."

Exhausted by her love for him, Ji Tangyuan tells Gu Tingzhou she wants to break off their engagement.

Gu Tingzhou frowns and agrees at once, assuming Ji Tangyuan is being childish and throwing a tantrum.

His friend tells him to go comfort her, but Gu Tingzhou only sneers. "Leave her alone. Once she's finished throwing a fit, she'll come crawling back on her own."

-

No one knows that on the day Ji Tangyuan ends her engagement, a discreet luxury car worth a fortune is parked outside her apartment.

The spring rain falls in a gentle, endless drizzle, as if a soft-focus filter has settled over the surrounding scene. The man in the car is strikingly handsome, with chiseled features, like a cold moon in the sky, remote and untouchable. His dark eyes are warm and languid as they look over at her, meeting Ji Tangyuan's gaze directly.

Ji Tangyuan recognizes him: Xu Zhixu, the head of the prestigious Xu family.

He smiles faintly, his voice low and magnetic. "I'm very interested in Miss Ji, and I'm also looking for a wife. Would you be willing to marry me?"

Standing in the rain, he slowly bends and holds out his hand. "I'll protect you from now on."

Ji Tangyuan reaches out and takes it. "Mr. Xu, I look forward to working with you."

-

A month passes, and Ji Tangyuan doesn't look back. She cuts off all contact with Gu Tingzhou and disappears completely. This time, Gu Tingzhou panics for real.

When they meet again, it's at a banquet. Ji Tangyuan wears a custom-made gown, looking elegant and poised as she smiles while talking on the phone, affectionately calling the person on the other end "hubby."

Gu Tingzhou loses control and demands, eyes red with anger, "Ji Tangyuan, who gave you the nerve to fool around with another man?"

A cool, magnetic voice speaks from behind him, full of pressure.

"Mr. Gu, who gave you the nerve to lay a hand on my wife?"

The crowd parts, and people greet him respectfully. "Mr. Xu."

Xu Zhixu takes Ji Tangyuan's hand and gently reassures her. "Darling, let's go home."

-

The head of the Xu family is dignified and refined, and keeps his distance from women. He is known as a true gentleman, so everyone assumes that Ji Tangyuan, whose family has fallen on hard times, went to great lengths to bring untouchable Xu Zhixu down from his pedestal.

At that moment, Xu Zhixu is seated at an auction, bidding on the final pink diamond, worth hundreds of millions, for Ji Tangyuan.

Ji Tangyuan blinks and looks at the man beside her, asking softly, "Was I the one who seduced you?"

Xu Zhixu's eyes are tender as he chuckles and whispers, "I'm the one who wants to seduce you, darling."

Theme: Love