Moving After Marriage

[Complete. The next novel, Passion, is coming soon.]

When she reached the age to marry, Lu Yi followed her family's arrangements and agreed to a marriage alliance.

The Lin family was one of the top wealthy families in the capital. Their eldest son, Lin Jinshen, had managed the family's overseas businesses while studying abroad. After returning to China, he became the family's new head.

They said he was exactly like his name: rigid and stern, with no sense of fun, a workaholic who knew nothing about romance.

Before agreeing to marry, they'd only met properly twice.

The first time, he wore a dark suit and a Stefano Ricci tie, with a silver tie clip. He was immaculately dressed to the point of being stiff.

His cool gaze fell on her, and his voice was low. "Miss Lu."

The second time, he caught her on a blind date with another man. As he left, his tall figure merged with the night. He weighed the pros and cons, comparing every aspect, and concluded that the Lin family was the best choice.

There was one more thing that others might not be able to offer, but he could.

Lu Yi asked curiously, "What?"

Lin Jinshen answered coolly, "Loyalty to my partner."

-

The people around her couldn't understand Lu Yi's choice. She was looking for a husband, not a father to boss her around. Lin Jinshen only cared about work and profit. If she married him, she'd be nothing more than an ornament.

Lu Yi didn't think it was a bad deal. They would each get what they wanted, and she knew where she stood.

But married life turned out differently from what she'd imagined.

Before the wedding, he'd said he was busy with work and traveled frequently, so he wouldn't have much time for family. In reality, from their wedding night on, he never missed a single time they were supposed to be together.

Business trips just added up the count, and he made up for them in installments after he came back.

Several years into their marriage, Lu Yi asked him for the first time if he wanted to have a baby.

After a moment of silence on the phone, he asked, "Now?"

She said yes. "What do you think?"

His assistant watched the usually composed boss grab his coat and stride out of the office. His low voice asked, "Where are you?"

-

The night Lu Yi remembered best was when she woke in the middle of the night to find Lin Jinshen holding her hand against his jaw. His face held an uncommon tenderness. "There's something I've never told you."

"Getting married was part of my plan. Marrying you was unexpected, the one and only surprise in the world."

My next novel will be Marriage at First Heartbeat.

A month into their marriage, Wen Yao turned to AI for help.

"I took my sister's place in an arranged marriage after she eloped to escape the wedding. My husband is five years older than me, stiff, stern, and cold. I'm a little afraid of him. How should I get along with him after we're married?"

The AI advised her to establish a safe distance, treat the marriage alliance as a business partnership, and take time to observe and understand her partner.

Following the AI's instructions, the couple lived in peaceful harmony for three months after the wedding.

Wen Yao discovered that although Gu Yanshen was cold toward people, he was faithful and constantly showered her with gifts. He really did seem like a good husband.

-

By chance, Gu Yanshen discovered the AI account Wen Yao had logged into on the study computer.

In the chat history, he saw the latest conversation, which began with, "I took my sister's place after she eloped to escape..."

Her questions included, but weren't limited to:

"I'm still really afraid of him. He's like a school principal, always looking so stern and scary."

"What did he mean when he kissed me? Was he punishing me?"

"Why does kissing involve sticking out your tongue?"

"His kissing technique is terrible. How can I turn him down tactfully without hurting his pride?"

"..."

The latest question read: "We've been married for six months without sleeping together. Is he impotent?"

That night, Gu Yanshen held Wen Yao on his lap and asked, "Am I impotent?"

The female lead's little face was flushed. All she could do was nod. "You're fine, you're fine, you're the best."

Before bed, she asked another question: "Twice, for two hours and thirty-five minutes. Does that count as good or bad? I said it was good because I was afraid of hurting his pride."

Gu Yanshen pulled Wen Yao out from under the covers. His usually expressionless face finally cracked. "That's enough. You're not sleeping tonight."

Theme: Break the old to build the new