Arranged Marriage, Then Love | The Husband Chases His Wife | Substitute Bride | Both Are Each Other's First | Happy Ending
[She runs, he chases. She can't get away.]
Xi Ting, head of the Liaoshi Hall, has only one wish in life: to save up enough money to roam the martial world freely and enjoy herself.
One day, a masked man comes to her with a generous offer: take his younger sister's place and marry Cen Xun, an official in the Ministry of Justice.
The deal lasts three years. If Cen Xun falls in love with her by then, her payment will be doubled.
For the chance at double the reward, Xi Ting rubs her hands together, eager to give it a try, and pulls out her prized copy of The Handbook for Winning Over Handsome Men.
Method One: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Xi Ting serves up a bowl of chicken soup so dark you can't tell what it is. Cen Xun merely glances at it, then orders his page to take it away at once.
Method Two: Give him a hand-sewn sachet to show your affection.
Xi Ting, who grew up wielding swords and knives, picks up a needle for the money. Cen Xun doesn't even touch the sachet before ordering his page to put it away.
Method Three: Follow him around every day until he gets used to having you there and can't live without you.
Xi Ting: Easy. You just need to be shameless.
Cen Xun frowns at her. Can't you go do something else?
A year later, she can't stand facing that cold expression every day. Out of basic consideration for the original bride, she leaves a divorce letter and runs away.
*
Cen Xun passed the civil service examination before he was twenty. Born into a prestigious family, he is aloof and refined, with handsome features that have won the secret admiration of countless young women in Chang'an.
Yet he always keeps his distance from the noble ladies who try to approach him.
Then an imperial decree arrives, and Jiang Yaoyin, the second daughter of the Jiang family, becomes his wife.
It isn't long before his wife leaves a divorce letter in a fit of pique and runs off. After agonizing for several days, he goes to the Jiang residence to find her in person.
The Jiang family does give him a Jiang Yaoyin, but even though she looks nine-tenths like the woman he remembers, he knows she isn't the Jiang Yaoyin he's looking for.
Later, after searching for three years, he finally finds his wife in the ghost market.
Taking advantage of his official position, he brings her back to his residence as he had hoped.
But he never expected his wife to sneak into his room while he was bathing and steal the prison keys to rescue another man.
He catches her with his upper body bare and pulls her into his arms, whispering temptingly in her ear.
"A Xi, we've been married for years and still haven't consummated our marriage, have we? Why don't we do it today..."
As Xi Ting tries to make an excuse, her hand accidentally brushes his firm abs. The feel is pretty nice, she thinks. Since there's no harm in enjoying the opportunity, she gives them a few more strokes.
Desire surges in Cen Xun's eyes as he lowers his head and kisses her warm lips.
"A Xi, I don't want to hold back anymore."
When Xi Ting finds another chance to run, she catches sight of an unbelievably ugly sachet lying quietly on Cen Xun's disheveled clothes nearby.
Xi Ting: Why does it look so familiar?
Concept drafted in August 2024. Blurb written on February 5, 2025, and screenshot saved as proof.
Theme: Life is short. Enjoy yourself while you can.
