Marriage by Contract

Yue An had carried a secret love in her heart for years. Because of him, she refused to obey her parents and marry, putting it off until she was eighteen.

That same year, her father was promoted to a post in the capital, and Yue An went there with her parents.

At a banquet with his colleagues, her father ran into an old friend and arranged a marriage for her.

Cui Yi, the only son of the Minister of Rites, was born into a distinguished family and had a graceful, refined air. He was her age and had placed third in the palace examination that year.

He was the jade-like gentleman all the young ladies in the capital admired.

But Yue An still refused. She made a scene at home, but got nowhere.

Fortunately, fate was on her side. Cui Yi still cared for his former fiancée, who had been demoted to commoner status, and he didn't want the marriage either.

The two immediately hit it off and went home to argue with their elders, only to discover that both families were utterly unyielding.

With the marriage settled and no other choice, the two came up with a different plan: a marriage of convenience.

They would truly wed but pretend to be a couple. Three months later, they would help his former fiancée enter the household as a co-wife, and after a year, they would divorce.

Yue An happily married into the Cui family and counted the days until their divorce.

The Cui family was small, her parents-in-law were kind, and her husband was noble and courteous. Yue An was comfortable in her new life.

The only problem was Cui Yi. Steeped in Confucian teachings, he was rigid about rules and often tried to lecture her, his pretend wife.

Yue An wouldn't put up with it and always talked back.

He disapproved of her lazy habits, but Yue An let his words go in one ear and out the other. Cui Yi, treated like background noise, could only retreat awkwardly.

He said she defied convention, and Yue An readily admitted it, adding that she'd do it again.

He complained that she was distant and cold, nothing like a wife. Yue An pulled out their contract and made him read it again and again.

But they were becoming less and less like a couple in a marriage of convenience.

His rigid rules gave way to boundary-crossing, and they began overstepping in their daily lives, even breaking the rules they'd agreed upon to save face.

Whenever she brought up helping his former fiancée join the household, he would either drag his feet or turn cold.

Yue An couldn't figure him out, so she decided to keep her distance.

One day, Yue An finally heard that the man she loved had come to the capital. She was about to have a carriage prepared and go find him when Cui Yi, hurrying home from work, stopped her in the residence.

"Where are you rushing off to, my lady? Don't forget, I'm your husband."

He was still wearing his official robes, breathing unevenly, his expression strained.

He looked just like a husband who had caught his wife cheating.

Reading Guide

A sweet romance with a focus on feelings.

A carefree, pleasure-seeking young lady vs. a principled, conscientious gentleman.

The male lead is a virgin, and both leads are pure in body and heart. His wish to continue his engagement to the second female lead is not romantic, and he never falls out of love with anyone.

Synopsis written on April 7, 2025.

Theme: Make rational judgments about love.