The Delicious Taste of Newlywed Bliss [Gourmet]

Marriage first, love later / everyday food / office romance / sweet

Straight-talking, domineering female employee x polished, mature male boss

To deal with her parents' pressure to get married, Zhang Qianyu hired a temporary actor to pretend to be her boyfriend.

Only when they met did she discover that the actor was her boss.

Her boss took his role as a temporary actor very seriously, and his acting was so good that he won the approval of Zhang Qianyu's entire family.

Except...

The actor seemed to have "gotten too into character" and actually proposed to her after meeting her parents.

At first, Zhang Qianyu refused.

But when he said, "You can grow vegetables in my garden. Grow whatever you like," she hesitated.

Zhang Qianyu didn't have many hobbies. She just loved growing vegetables and tinkering around with delicious food. She thought of the listless, spindly seedlings in the foam boxes on her balcony, then of the fertile soil in her boss's villa garden, and finally agreed.

Before this, Zhang Qianyu was a low-level employee, while Qiao Yi was the president of the group. They had only ever crossed paths at the group's annual gala.

Zhang Qianyu's first impression of Qiao Yi was: handsome, but a little arrogant.

But he had every right to be arrogant. Before turning thirty, he had founded the largest locally based 4A advertising agency. Thanks to his outstanding marketing skills, he had won countless awards at home and abroad. Even the brand clients he worked with, who were technically the higher-paying party, acted as deferentially as contractors around him.

Zhang Qianyu knew Qiao Yi only wanted a wife on paper, and she was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet. After turning the big garden into a "little farm," she focused on her own patch of land whenever she got off work.

The two lived like roommates, sometimes going days without saying a word to each other.

Until one day, Qiao Yi blocked her at the kitchen door and asked, "What am I to you?"

"The landlord?"

"..." Qiao Yi's eyebrow twitched. "Even a landlord collects rent every year."

Zhang Qianyu didn't understand what he meant.

Qiao Yi pointed to the food she was about to carry into her room and slowly asked, "Could we have dinner together?"

Tips:

An everyday food story blending life, work, and travel.

The male lead is from Shanghai, and the female lead is from Shandong, with descriptions of their regional cultures.

The story includes English, Shanghainese, and Shandong dialect; relevant content will be explained in the author's notes.

The female lead smokes and drinks. She will quit smoking, but not drinking.

I'll add more if I think of anything...

Theme: If you like someone, you have to make an effort to pursue them