A cool on the outside, warm and gentle cat who fiercely protects her own vs. a scheming puppy who wags his tail only for his wife
Shen Ningyu is the daughter of a general. She lives exactly as she pleases, and the only thing that bothers her is her fiance, Wei Yuntong. They can't stand each other and both think the other is a burden. Still, if it puts her family at ease, she can make do with a husband who's less than ideal.
But overnight, her father dies in battle, her mother falls ill and passes away, and Wei Yuntong keeps showing up in the pleasure quarters.
Shen Ningyu decides she's done settling.
Yet just days after breaking off the engagement, she receives an imperial decree arranging another marriage.
Shen Ningyu: "..."
Fortunately, her new husband is decent. Su Jing'an, heir to the Duke of Jing's estate, may be carefree and have someone he once loved, but he's handsome, sweet-talking, and always smiling. He's a better partner for sharing a life with than the stuffy, rigid Wei Yuntong.
Everyone who had once been verbally torn to shreds by Su Jing'an while he joked around stared in shock. "Wait a second, since when is Su Jing'an so sweet and easygoing?!"
Shen Ningyu looked utterly confused. "??? Isn't he?"
An imperial marriage decree made Su Jing'an and Shen Ningyu the laughingstock of the realm, dubbed "a match between the King of Hell and a yaksha." The mastermind behind the arrangement eagerly awaited Shen Ningyu's miserable married life. But after waiting and waiting, they got Su Jing'an, now second only to the emperor in The Outcast, holding the victorious Shen Ningyu in his arms in front of the entire court, whimpering, "Ningyu, you're finally back. I missed you so much!"
*Marriage before love from the heroine's perspective, secret love finally fulfilled from the hero's perspective
Reader's guide:
One-on-one romance, happy ending
The story is full of creative liberties, so don't overanalyze the historical details
There's a little family intrigue and political maneuvering, but they're kindergarten level and only serve the romance
The heroine grows as a person and eventually goes to the battlefield
Theme: Growing through love and protection.
