Tied in Charm

Originally titled Spring of Splendor Cheng Mingyu, the eldest legitimate son of a family with a century of history and head of the Cheng clan, became regent of the Council of State Affairs at a young age. He was its youngest chancellor and was hailed as the greatest gentleman of all time. His only flaw was that he’d outlived two wives in succession and remained a widower to this day. People said his fate was too powerful, his brilliance too dazzling, and no woman could keep him in check. Xia Fu was delicate and soft as jade, with a beauty like a lotus flower. She was the wife of the second young master of the Cheng family’s fourth branch, but her husband fell from a cliff and died in battle. Widowed at a young age, she thought she would spend the rest of her life that way. Then her mother-in-law, hoping to provide an heir for her son, proposed that Xia Fu marry into both branches of the family and secretly chose the head of the family, Cheng Mingyu, as her second husband. On their wedding night, Cheng Mingyu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze cool. “Once you’re pregnant, there will be nothing between us.” Xia Fu was so nervous she didn’t dare look at him. “Once I conceive, I promise not to trouble the family head again.” They both meant what they said. Three months later, Xia Fu became pregnant, and, as agreed, the two stopped seeing each other. That night, Cheng Mingyu had an unusually sleepless night. Note: Both leads are single, their relationship is consensual, appropriate, and legal, and it has a happy ending!!! All plot details and settings are fictional. Please don’t fact-check. Coming next: Breaking Off the Engagement Blurb: Xu Xiyi had been engaged to the third young master of the Duke of Pei’s household since childhood. Now she was over eighteen, and he still hadn’t come to bring her home. Xu Xiyi realized that the Pei family looked down on her humble background and wanted to break off the engagement. Marriage should be about making a match, not making enemies. You can’t force a relationship, so Xu Xiyi went to the capital and called off the engagement herself. Her former future mother-in-law suddenly changed her attitude and insisted that Xu Xiyi stay at the estate, promising to find her a good match so that her visit to the Pei household wouldn’t be in vain. Xu Xiyi knew Madam Third cared about appearances. As it happened, she needed a favor from the Pei family, or more precisely, from their eldest young master: the famous top scorer of the imperial examinations and the youngest third-rank official in the court, Pei Zhaojun. So she stayed. Madam Third was warm and welcoming to her face, but privately worried that Xu Xiyi might run into her son. She ordered a maid to take Xu Xiyi in and out through a side gate every day. The winding path through the side gate was secluded, scenic, and very private. On the first day, Xu Xiyi accidentally ruined a matchmaking meeting for the Pei family’s eldest young master. Pei Zhaojun shot her a cold look but, in the spirit of a gentleman, didn’t blame her. The second time, she ran into Pei Zhaojun as he was fleeing an admirer, looking rather disheveled. Pei Zhaojun couldn’t hold back his temper. “Back to corner me again?” Xu Xiyi silently cursed herself for going out without checking the almanac, but she kept a perfectly composed expression. “That’s right. I’m going to cling to you.” One day, when everything was finally settled, Xu Xiyi happily packed her bags and prepared to ride back to her hometown. But the unassuming eldest young master blocked her path, his face dark. “You ruined my chances of getting married, and now you think you can just leave? Not a chance!” Theme: Hard work never goes unrewarded