Ling Xicheng, eldest son of the Ling family, was as bright and refined as the moon, cool and distinguished. As soon as he returned from abroad, he became chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, drawing the elite ladies of Shanghai like moths to a flame, all hoping for a chance to win his favor.
But at the birthday banquet for Old Master Ling, the eldest daughter of the Hang family, Hang Jingyan, was photographed leaving the Ling residence with her clothes in disarray.
Not long afterward, the Ling and Hang families announced their engagement.
The society ladies gossiped, saying the Hang family had resorted to underhanded means to resolve its cash-flow crisis, while the Ling family had simply behaved honorably. Miss Hang might have won the man, but not his heart. Their marriage was sure to end in tragedy within two years.
But instead, they saw headlines about Ling Xicheng proposing in a romantic candlelit dinner, offering his beloved private art gallery as a wedding gift along with a rare ten-carat blue diamond.
He personally took her to school every day and kissed her goodbye with devotion.
For his wife's favorite snacks, this tall, distinguished man squeezed into the crowded streets of a run-down neighborhood to wait in line.
He watched her eat happily with an indulgent smile, gently wiping the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
At a weekend get-together with her girlfriends, Hang Jingyan arrived late.
Her good friend Jingran teased her, saying she'd been so happy in her handsome man's arms that she'd forgotten all about home.
Hang Jingyan pounded her aching lower back. "Don't even ask. Ling Xicheng is a dog of a man who doesn't know when to stop. I'm going to be drained dry."
Jingran laughed. "That's what you call a sweet burden."
Hang Jingyan said, "Keep this up and I'll be prematurely aged and dead within ten years."
As the two friends merrily complained, Ling Xicheng came up behind her and murmured gently, "Seems my dear doesn't have much faith in me. I'll have to work harder to prove myself."
The sharp-tongued, scheming Young Master Ling and the spoiled, theatrical Miss Hang
Content warning: The male lead has a first love.
The male lead is nine years older than the female lead.
Both leads are virgins.
Forthcoming novel: A Heart's Desire
Ji Ninghua and Qin Haozhou first met at an auction in Geneva.
She had traveled all the way from England for the Sunrise Ruby and was determined to win it.
As the auction went on, the other bidders gradually dropped out. Just as she thought victory was assured, Qin Haozhou entered the final bidding war against her.
The man's clear, resonant voice rang out in the quiet auction hall, making Ji Ninghua turn around.
He had striking features and an elegant British air. Ji Ninghua was instantly captivated.
In the end, she won the Sunrise Ruby for more than thirty million over her budget.
At the entrance to the hall, Ji Ninghua stopped Qin Haozhou, hoping to make up for the thirty million she'd lost.
After one wild night, she fled.
She thought their paths would never cross again, but at her grandfather's eightieth birthday banquet, he planned to introduce her to her arranged-marriage match.
She saw Qin Haozhou again. Thinking he had come to cause trouble, Ji Ninghua pulled him into a secluded corner and threatened him.
The man, acting completely out of character, cornered her against the wall. "Miss Ji, what are you afraid of? That your grandfather will find out about us, or that he'll find out you're a woman who doesn't keep her word?"
"Who do you think would believe you? You're a nobody, coming to the Ji family to make trouble. If you cause a scene, you'll regret it."
When her grandfather introduced her to her arranged-marriage match, she saw him slowly approaching and realized she'd provoked a very powerful man.
The man she'd mistaken for a proxy bidder was Qin Haozhou, the head of the Qin Group, ruthless and merciless in business.
"Miss Ji, it's been a while." Qin Haozhou raised his glass and clinked it against hers.
He leaned close and whispered, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Did anyone believe what I said, my fiancée? We have a long future ahead of us. We can settle our score slowly."
She'd meant to be a heartless woman who used and discarded men. She never expected to be forced into an arranged marriage with her one-night stand.
After the wedding, Ji Ninghua tried every way she could to avoid him settling their score. She found him a ruby even bigger than the Sunrise and offered it in exchange for a divorce.
The man looked at the agreement, smiled tenderly, and tore it to shreds bit by bit. "Darling, you really think one ruby makes us even? How naive."
Theme: A woman's journey to find herself and pursue her dreams
Great, the flowers are finished.