My Husband Is a Hopeless Romantic

Her mother had been dead for barely a year when her father eagerly promoted his concubine to wife. From then on, Cheng Yan had to scrape by under her stepmother's roof, living a hard life as a dependent. The betrothal arranged in her childhood became her only lifeline, her chance to escape the pit she was in.

She grew up following every rule, constantly on edge and afraid the engagement might fall through.

Fortunately, the Duke of Yue's household kept its word. When she came of age, they sent a matchmaker to her home to set the wedding date.

Only after their marriage did Cheng Yan learn that Yue Huan had loved another woman. He'd married her only because of their childhood betrothal, and had been forced to part from the woman he loved.

On their wedding night, Yue Huan treated her coldly and warned her not to do anything improper.

Cheng Yan felt wronged, but said nothing and agreed to everything. After their wedding, they treated each other with respect. Their days were uneventful, but peaceful enough.

*

Yue Huan, heir to the Duke of Yue, was gifted and accomplished. He held an important official post at a young age and was the object of affection for countless young noblewomen in the capital. Unfortunately, his engagement had been arranged long ago, leaving those women to sigh in regret.

Yue Huan had known since childhood that he had a fiancée, the daughter of his mother's close friend. His mother often said that his aunt had suffered a miserable marriage, and that the vile couple she'd married into had tormented her to death while she was still young, leaving behind an only daughter with no one to rely on. She frequently reminded Yue Huan to treat his future wife well.

His mother had drummed it into him so often that he found it deeply annoying, but he'd never planned to break his promise. Then he overheard that his fiancée had been throwing her weight around outside, using the Duke of Yue's name to bully people. Yue Huan sneered to himself, convinced she was vain and status-hungry.

After the wedding, Yue Huan saw Cheng Yan's modest, gentle manner. Every day, she attended to his grandmother in the morning and evening, and diligently handled the household affairs without ever slacking off. He thought that if she kept behaving herself and stopped using the family's status to bully people, they might be able to make their marriage work.

It wasn't until an investigation dragged her father-in-law into a case that Yue Huan learned what kind of life his wife had once endured. The more he learned, the more his heart ached for her. Only then did he realize he'd already fallen for her.

But Cheng Yan wanted nothing more than a peaceful life. She treated him considerately only because he was her husband, not because of who he was. For the first time in his life, Yue Huan tasted defeat.

Bonus scene:

Yue Huan often complained that his wife never spent time with him. But to maintain his image, he never brought it up in front of Cheng Yan. Instead, he took it out on his personal attendant. “My wife hasn't come to see me in three hours.”

“Do you think she doesn't love me anymore?”

The attendant rubbed his forehead helplessly and had no choice but to remind him, “Young Master, the Young Madam accompanied the Madam to burn incense today. She's not at the estate right now.”

The attendant thought his master would be displeased by the honest answer. Instead, Yue Huan looked satisfied. “So she isn't at the estate. No wonder.”

The attendant couldn't bear to watch. He wondered if his master was really all right.

Gentle, lonely girl x lovesick young heir

One-on-one sweet romance, marriage first, love later.

Synopsis dated 2023.12.13

Next story: Older Sister

Theme: Love can overcome every obstacle