I Once Heard the Old Rain

[Older Man + Obsessive Coercive Pursuit + Marriage First, Love Later] Cen Tingnan, the youngest daughter of the Great General Who Guards the North, is the most dazzling and spoiled flower among all the beauties of the capital. So when the famously cold and ruthless Left Chancellor came to ask for her hand, no one thought there was anything wrong with it. Everyone was convinced they were a perfectly matched couple, made for each other. But Cen Tingnan only laughed when she heard that, replying in her crisp voice, “Everyone says he’s cruel and cold, and that no one dares provoke him. All I see is a stiff, boring old man. I’m not marrying him.” Who could have guessed that later, after her father and brothers were framed and died on the battlefield, she would die on the road to exile on the eve of her eighteenth birthday? When she opened her eyes again, Cen Tingnan had returned to the year she was sixteen. To save her entire family, she had no choice but to knock on the Left Chancellor’s imposing gate once more. She would gamble that he had truly come for her. Only after marrying into his household did Cen Tingnan discover that he was nothing like the stiff, boring man he pretended to be! She was determined to tear away his facade and see what he was really like. “I want another bowl of iced sweet cheese! Right now!” “Absolutely not.” He drawled, his gaze roaming over her. “If your palms are itching, just say so.” “Then can I go out and have some fun?” “Absolutely not.” His tone was casual and teasing. “Stay in the residence and wait for me to return from court.” - Gu Yanshi had never imagined that the general’s youngest daughter, whose fame for being both spoiled and stunning resounded throughout the capital, would actually become his wife. He had sought her hand to divide the military’s power. Now they each got what they wanted, and he had never expected their pretend marriage to become real. Before marrying her, Gu Yanshi cared about quelling rebellions, the people, and their livelihood. After marrying her, Gu Yanshi cared about teaching her, keeping her in line... and rewarding her. His dazzling young woman hooked her arms around his neck and pleaded, “Lord Left Chancellor, I was wrong. Why don’t you... punish me?” He lowered his eyes and smiled. “Punish you? Or reward you?” #Now her father and brothers are safe, and the realm is at peace. She spends her days listening to the rain in Jiangnan with the man she loves. She could not ask for a more satisfying life. Reader's Guide: 1. Marriage first, love later + older, fatherly male lead raising the heroine + discipline and growth. 2. The male lead was single in his first life, and sought her hand as part of a scheme. 3. He pursues his wife after marriage. An obsessive, controlling minister of state x a sweet, clever beauty. 4. Both are virgins, 1v1, HE, ten-year age gap (the heroine has reached adulthood). 5. The male lead is obsessive and extremely possessive. 6. If you've read the content warnings, you can't be mean to me anymore, okay? Coming Soon The Prologue to Our Fall Love is a grand fall from grace, and the chapter of our reunion has only just turned past the prologue. [Rekindled Love + Runaway Pregnancy + Coercive Pursuit After Reunion] The next time Wen Yan saw Lu Zhixu was at Jing University’s centennial anniversary celebration. Cool and proud, the aloof man set off a chorus of screams with every move he made. A colleague nudged Wen Yan with an elbow and whispered gossipingly, “Look, that’s the eldest young master of the Lu family, the one who runs the show. He’s trending every other day. You must know who he is by now, right?” Wen Yan lowered her eyes and thought, I really don’t know any of that. But what she did know was something no trending topic could ever tell. For instance, there was a mole on Lu Zhixu’s happy trail. For instance, when he was at his most carried away, he was always saying things that made her blush. And for instance, she had a son who should have called Lu Zhixu Daddy. And perhaps even Lu Zhixu himself didn’t know any of this. After all, she had run away from him eight years ago. - Lu Zhixu was a man of noble bearing and upright character, cold and restrained. In business, he was decisive and ruthless, and rarely gave anyone leverage over him. The one and only irredeemable mistake he made in his life happened on a summer night eight years ago. He accidentally drank the liquor his nephew had prepared for a celebration after the college entrance exams. Thunder roared, tearing through the long night. Lightning illuminated the girl’s pale, stubborn face as she surrendered herself to him. The memory of the girl wrapping her arms around him and calling him Daddy had haunted Lu Zhixu for years. Then, on the day of Jing University’s anniversary celebration, his gaze finally locked once more on the figure he had longed for in his dreams. The man, so noble he seemed beyond reach and untouched by the mortal world, brushed her chin with his fingers and asked with familiar, indulgent affection, “You’re back. Still thinking of running away?” - Later, the colleague who had been gossiping with Wen Yan stared at the trending topic and screamed, “Wen Yan, you never told me this was your son’s father?!” The whole room erupted. “He must be your godson!” Wen Yan paused, just about to nod and agree, when a well-defined hand reached around from behind and cupped her. “Of course he’s my biological son. The kind who can inherit the Lu Group.” “A Yan, how much longer are you going to keep this from everyone?” [The proud, sensitive brat who dares to face the world alone] X [The cool, noble, indulgent daddy who waited] Bonus Scene: Cornered against a wall, Wen Yan said, “...Actually, I have a son.” Lu Zhixu lowered his brows. “Perfect. I wasn’t planning to have one.” Wen Yan kept a straight face. “I’ve spent these years chasing handsome men. My private life is a complete mess.” Lu Zhixu leaned down with a laugh. “What a coincidence. I’ve never touched drink, women, or pleasure. A Yan, show me what I’ve been missing.” Reader's Guide: 1. The heroine is twenty-six, and was already an adult eight years ago. 2. From the male lead’s perspective, it’s coercion; from the heroine’s perspective, it’s consensual and long-planned. 3. The heroine disappeared for eight years to study abroad. With the male lead’s nephew’s help, she concealed her identity and whereabouts. After finding her, the male lead did not disturb her. 4. 1v1, both are virgins, with coercive pursuit after their reunion. 5. Eight-year age gap. Theme: Love means facing the same direction together.