A Marriage in Name Only

[Full story complete. Weibo: @Shui Yudu. Occasionally takes commissions] Yan Yixian had been in love with his boyfriend for many years, but was forced to break up with him because of an arranged marriage between their families. His ex-boyfriend begged him to stay, even saying he was willing to remain nameless. But Yan Yixian coldly refused, and his ex-boyfriend left the country, heartbroken. After that, Yan Yixian became a pleasure-seeking playboy. Ji Qinghan had secretly loved someone for many years. Unfortunately, that person already had a loving boyfriend, so he could only hide his feelings. It was only after something happened to the Yan family that he got the chance to marry the person he loved. But his beloved looked at him with icy eyes and proposed, at their very first meeting, that they live separate lives after the arranged marriage and stay out of each other's way. It was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over him. Only then did he understand that the person he loved didn't love him, and their marriage was destined to be in name only. After the wedding, Ji Qinghan was forced to watch his nominal wife flirt with other people. But it didn't matter. He was the only one who was her husband in name. Many years into their marriage, Yan Yixian grew tired and gradually settled down. His relationship with Ji Qinghan also grew closer. Then his ex-boyfriend returned to the country. Irresistibly charming, flirtatious, fiery beauty uke x devoted, loyal seme Reader's Guide: 1. Angsty melodrama, marriage first and love later. The plot is messy and the writing is rough. 2. The uke has had partners other than the seme. The uke has always been the bottom. 3. The uke is a long-haired beauty who sometimes wears women's clothing. The story may portray the uke in a way you dislike. (If this isn't your thing, please proceed with caution!) 4. Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting, with many personal worldbuilding details. Readers with strong preferences should proceed with caution. 5. The story is one-on-one for parts of the narrative. The main story has an open ending, while the extras have a one-on-one happy ending. ---------------- Divider ---------------- My next story, "Pheromone Allergy ABO". Please add it to your reading list! Synopsis: Irresistibly charming, adorable sweetheart omega uke x taciturn alpha seme who says one thing and means another Just after starting his freshman year of college, Wen Youxia is told by his family that he has to marry a stranger, an alpha. His parents comfort him, saying, "He's not really a stranger. You two played together as children." Wen Youxia: What's the difference? Wen Youxia had been the center of attention since childhood. He'd had dozens of playmates, if not a hundred. At first, Wen Youxia thinks they can simply go their separate ways after the wedding. But on their wedding night, he discovers to his horror that he and his arranged spouse are both allergic to each other's pheromones. 😱 For the sake of their families' stability, Wen Youxia and his spouse agree to divorce after a year. On the first day of their marriage, Wen Youxia and his spouse keep out of each other's way. On the second day, his spouse is too busy with work to come home, so Wen Youxia throws a party at home. On the third day, Wen Youxia goes into heat and has a one-night stand with an unknown alpha. On the nth day of their marriage, Wen Youxia discovers that the alpha from his one-night stand is his arranged spouse. Seme's perspective: When they meet again, Yu Shaojian sees the unfamiliar look in Wen Youxia's eyes and finally accepts that the other has completely forgotten him. He had thought that a year would be enough time to build a relationship. Even when Wen Youxia suggested they divorce after a year because of their pheromone allergy, he thought it would be fine. And that was exactly how it went. After the wedding, their relationship grew closer and closer, and Wen Youxia changed the polite "Mr. Yu" he'd used at first to "A Jian" Until one sunny afternoon, Wen Youxia's first love showed up and asked to get back together. Wen Youxia's first love was named Zhang Jian. Theme: A secret crush comes true