The Wild Swans

Everyone in Hongcheng's business circles knew that Zhou Cike and Yu Shu had been engaged since childhood.

Zhou Cike was unruly and arrogant, the kind of man no one dared cross.

The Yu family's heiress was so beautiful she set imaginations running, but unfortunately, she was a cool and unassuming block of wood.

Asked about the engagement in private, Zhou Cike scoffed. "She's not as fun as the girls outside. Even if we get married, don't expect her to keep me in line."

Unwilling to give up the benefits of an alliance, the profit-minded young master Zhou threw Yu Shu a lavish nineteenth birthday party, planning to propose to her in front of everyone.

He never expected the woman least interested in romance to stand him up for some pretty boy, humiliating him in front of everyone.

.

The Yu family fell from grace overnight, and everyone joined in kicking them while they were down.

Years later, the once-princess-like young woman, who had lived high above the clouds, had struggled through hardship and reached the end of her rope.

A tall man with broad shoulders and long legs held a transparent umbrella over her in the rain. The upper half of his face emerged from behind it, his striking features radiating an intense, almost aggressive charm.

Zhou Cike rested a hand on the frail, pale shoulder beneath her thin clothes and smiled.

"Look at you, all pitiful like this."

"Since you didn't want to be Mrs. Zhou back then... be my mistress instead."

Yu Shu knew he probably still held a grudge and was deliberately taking revenge. But she could only keep him company with care, hoping that once he got tired of her, he would let her go.

.

The Zhou family was still Hongcheng's wealthiest, and Zhou Cike had survived the power struggles of the wealthy elite to seize absolute power.

One day, a woman with a graceful figure appeared by Zhou Cike's side. Her familiar features left everyone stunned.

The princess of old had become her former fiance's canary. Hongcheng's social circles were all waiting to laugh at Yu Shu.

But in the silent hours of the night, the bold and arrogant Zhou Cike lowered his eyes to gaze at the tearful young woman in his arms, his voice tender and low. "Miss, may I ask when I can get promoted to boyfriend?"

.

The position of lady of the Zhou household, coveted by the daughters of the elite, was never going to go to Yu Shu, who had no one to rely on. Everyone was speculating about when Zhou Cike would dump her.

His friends never took Yu Shu seriously. Ignoring her presence, one of them blurted out, "Brother Zhou, want to find a few girls to have fun with tonight?"

Zhou Cike shot him a look. "Shut up. You want me sleeping on the couch or what?"

#So much for not being able to keep him in line after marriage#

#He was already completely under her thumb before they even got married#

[Even beneath the dust, she was still the pearl of his heart.]

Sharp-tongued, soft-hearted rich bad boy x quiet, resilient fallen princess

*** There are no "girls outside," and the "pretty boy" was a misunderstanding.

Theme: Fate's twists and turns can't keep two people who truly love each other apart