After the Marriage Alliance

[Blurb] Born into one of the wealthiest families, Rong Xiangxi refused to suffer the same fate as her mother: having her husband caught openly cheating, then being forced to attend a press conference while still recovering from a miscarriage and gently tell reporters, “I’ve forgiven Shaoshan. Our marriage is fine, and I hope the public won’t pry too much into our private affairs.” But that was how an arranged marriage for business worked. Before the wedding, you chose what was advantageous. Afterward, you had to swallow every indignity, no matter how much it hurt. No one would pity you, least of all your husband. ★ The year she took over the family business, Rong Xiangxi finally entered into an arranged marriage. She needed a powerful husband to secure her position as heir. Before the wedding, she set herself one goal: never fall in love with Shang Chengyu. The moment you fell for your husband in an arranged marriage was the moment your defenses completely crumbled. Tragically, in the end, she still fell for a husband whose heart belonged to someone else. More absurdly, the woman he loved was Rong Fengqing, her half sister, born outside of marriage. Her husband and her younger sister stood downstairs, talking intimately and exchanging suggestive glances, as though they were alone in a world of their own. At the top of the ornate, curving staircase, Rong Xiangxi slowly looked away. All she did was bend down and pick up the kitten mewing on the carpet, her expression as calm as still water, before turning away from the landing. ★ In the first year of her marriage, when a reporter pressed her with aggressive questions, Rong Xiangxi smiled softly, her gaze gentle. “Chengyu and I are more than just a business arrangement.” In the third year of her marriage, a reporter teased her, “Chairman Shang said in an interview last week that you’re the perfect wife. Chairman Rong, what do you think?” Rong Xiangxi was still gentle as she replied, “Ours is just a business arrangement.” Away from the cameras, she let the warmth fade from her eyes. Her lips remained curved in their habitual smile, but her expression shifted from tender as water to cold and mocking. In an arranged marriage, if you don’t love me, I won’t force you. I’ll simply draw back, little by little, the heart that never loved you with certainty. Next Book: Lucid Dream [Blurb] Meng Ying had always put self-interest first. To claim the position of head of her family, she walked through a field of thorns, willing to use anything to her advantage, including family, friendship, and love. But life had a way of surprising her, and in the end, she fell for Liang Shuchen. This dazzlingly elegant man was the dream lover of countless privileged young women. He also bore an uncanny resemblance to the person Meng Ying loved most: his features were thirty percent similar, and his mannerisms seventy percent identical. Meng Ying decided to make him hers. After using a few tricks, she got her wish and married Liang Shuchen. At their magnificent wedding, reporters packed the press area. One of them dared to interview the distinguished, refined groom. “Mr. Liang, why did you choose to marry Ms. Meng?” The reporter was clearly a fan of Meng Ying and helpfully offered Liang Shuchen an answer. “Was it because she’s so beautiful, so gentle, and so capable?” At Liang Shuchen’s side, Meng Ying looked elegant and radiant in a pearly white mermaid wedding gown. Holding a bouquet of white roses, she turned to her husband with a warm smile, as if waiting eagerly for his answer. No one knew that beneath the bride’s gentle smile lay a cold disguise. “Because of the baby,” the man said, his voice clear and mild, without a trace of sharpness. He glanced at Meng Ying with a faint smile, but his eyes held no warmth, only ice. Unhurriedly, he said, “Isn’t that right, Ms. Meng?” Everyone present went pale. The reporter began to regret asking. Meng Ying’s gentle smile never left her lips, but clarity slowly returned to her eyes. Because of the baby. No one understood the truth behind those words better than Meng Ying. He had held up the pregnancy test dated for the wrong time, his expression cold. She could still see it clearly. That faintly amused, faintly mocking look was exactly the same as the one he wore now. So that was it. He had been waiting for this day, ready to strip away every last part of her elegant disguise. Their love had been doomed from the start. From the moment they married, it had become a complete joke. Theme: Work hard and live well