Faint Affection [Marriage Before Love]

[The playboy illegitimate son] X [The true heiress who bravely pursues love]

A companion novel to Threads of a Fluttering Heart, telling the love story of the older sister and brother-in-law

Pregnant before marriage, marry first and fall in love later, both are virgins

Blurb:

The night twenty-five-year-old Xu Nian was set up, she saw Ji Xin again, the man she had longed for day and night.

Determined to put an end to the unrequited love she'd been unable to let go of for eight years, she worked up her courage and stumbled into his arms while drunk. She expected him to coldly push her away, but instead, her wish came true: they spent one passionate night together.

Afterward, she resolved to forget Ji Xin. But fate had other plans: she became pregnant. After much inner turmoil, she finally chose to keep the baby.

News that the heiress of a prestigious pharmaceutical company was pregnant out of wedlock spread like wildfire. Gossip swirled through society that she was carrying a "bastard."

With her reputation in tatters and her family disgraced, she prepared to raise the child alone as a single mother.

But in the quiet of a private hospital, Ji Xin, dressed in a crisp suit, said, "Let's get married," and Xu Nian fell completely for him.

Ji Xin, the illegitimate son who had spent years away from the Ji family, was now a rising star in the industry. Though he looked harmless, he was decisive and merciless in business, a man everyone feared.

The business marriage between a rising star and the eldest daughter of a prestigious pharmaceutical company was a powerful alliance.

Even the "bastard" in Xu Nian's belly, once too shameful to mention, became the cherished eldest grandson of the Ji and Chu families, set to inherit a fortune before he was even born.

On his wedding day, Ji Xin stood beneath the altar, full of confidence.

All the prominent figures in the business world were invited and dressed to the nines. Amid the clinking glasses and lively chatter, only two tables of guests seemed out of place.

There had long been rumors in their circle that Xu Nian had an unforgettable first love, the reason she had insisted on staying in the country for university.

Unfortunately, he had died young, and Xu Nian had never recovered from the heartbreak. Ever since, she had kept several pretty boys around her, each with a delicate face and seductive eyes, all resembling her first love to some degree.

Now, a table full of her ex-boyfriends looked like a family reunion, or a gathering of old friends. But anyone who looked closely would notice that they all bore some resemblance to the groom.

The groom, for his part, was well known for his womanizing ways. Ever since returning to the Ji family, he'd played the part of a "playboy," flirting his way through life. His ex-girlfriends were all different types, and their table looked like a beauty pageant. Every one of them was unforgettable.

Watching the newlyweds onstage, who seemed more like partners in name than in heart, everyone bet their marriage wouldn't last more than a few years.

Reality proved them wrong. After reclaiming his family's assets, Ji Xin put his wild days behind him and became a devoted family man who never stopped talking about his wife and child.

For his wife's birthday, he gave her jewelry bought at auction. When she gave birth, he gave her shares and property. He held a huge giveaway on social media so everyone could celebrate the baby's arrival.

But even the most perfect illusion of happiness will eventually be exposed. When they didn't love each other, they played the perfect couple. But once they fell in love, the past became a thorn lodged in their throats, hurting even when they breathed.

"Ji Xin, let's get divorced."

Ji Xin, who had been working tirelessly for his wife and child, completely panicked.

Why, when they were so happily married, did his darling wife suddenly want to leave him?

Note:

1. Both are virgins

2. The male lead is a "playboy" in personality and has a sharp tongue, but he doesn't sleep around

3. Those "ex-girlfriends" were decoys the male lead used to confuse his enemies while fighting for power

Coming soon: A Tired Bird Returns to Its Nest [Staying Under One Roof]. Please add it to your collection~

[Career-minded ballerina] x [Love-struck, icy CEO]

Both are virgins, second chance romance, a good horse loves to return to its old pasture

After graduating from high school, Jin Shuran moved to the capital alone for university. Her uncle arranged for her to stay with the Meng family.

During her four years at university, Jin Shuran secretly dated Meng Yanzhi, the eldest grandson of the Meng family, for three years. They kissed recklessly in the empty corners of the house and danced freely in the sunset by the sea.

In their most passionate moments, Meng Yanzhi pleaded with her again and again: "A Ran, can we go public? I want to hold your hand in front of my parents, openly and proudly."

But every time, Jin Shuran brushed him off with one excuse or another.

Shortly before graduation, Meng Yanzhi planned a grand proposal. But the ceremony never saw the arrival of its leading lady. Instead, he was dumped without warning.

At twenty-two, Jin Shuran moved out of the Meng family home without hesitation and went abroad. She became the prima ballerina of a world-renowned dance company. Her debut was an instant hit, earning rave reviews and launching a multi-country tour. She became a rising star in the ballet world.

At twenty-nine, Jin Shuran broke her left leg in a car accident. Old injuries that had built up over the years flared up in her ankle and knee, making it impossible for her to return to the stage.

The career she'd pursued her whole life was taken from her in an instant. A newcomer replaced her as prima ballerina, and she was cut from the tour entirely. The setbacks left Jin Shuran in agony. She began binge eating, and for the first time, drank herself into a stupor, trying to escape the pain.

In the dim bar, Jin Shuran leaned against the counter, nearly falling off her barstool several times because she was drunk.

That night, the weary bird that had soared for seven years before having its wings clipped was taken back to the familiar nest once more.

Holding up the engagement ring she'd happened upon in the bedside table, Jin Shuran asked softly, "Does this ring still count?"

Meng Yanzhi's face was cold, but his voice trembled. "Jin Shuran, what makes you think I'd foolishly wait for you all my life?"

Meng Yanzhi and Jin Shuran's wedding was grand and lavish. Seeing how affectionate the two were, the Meng family sighed with relief. "We thought Yanzhi would be alone for the rest of his life. Who knew that after all their twists and turns, he'd still choose Shuran?"

With her beloved's devoted care, Jin Shuran made excellent progress in rehabilitation. When she was able to return to the stage, she invited her husband to come see her perform.

Leaning against Meng Yanzhi, Jin Shuran tugged on his tie and coyly asked, "You'll come, right?"

Meng Yanzhi kept his face straight, never taking his eyes off the documents. "We'll see."

That night, Meng Yanzhi appeared right on time in the front row of the audience, holding a bouquet of Jin Shuran's favorite lilies. Just like every performance over the past seven years, he sat below the stage and watched attentively, never missing one.

Theme: Husband and wife working together to build a beautiful future