When the First Snow Falls [Marriage Before Love]

Marriage first, love later | Complete strangers | Five-year age gap | He falls first

A cool, beautiful woman focused on her career x A mature, gentle older man who's rational at first and hopelessly lovestruck later

Blurb:

At twenty-seven, Ji Rou's family arranges a marriage for her. She is to marry a complete stranger.

Her prospective husband is the eldest son of the renowned local Pei family, a hot new star with a bright future ahead of him.

Ji Rou only wants to focus on her career, and sees Pei Siyan as a marriage partner in name only.

She figures they'll appear together when necessary to deal with their elders, then go their separate ways and leave each other alone the rest of the time.

Pei Siyan calls to remind her, "Miss Ji, newlyweds shouldn't live apart."

Fine. It just means having another roommate.

That night, Ji Rou goes to Pei Siyan's place. While she's trying to figure out how they'll sleep, Pei Siyan picks up his pillow of his own accord. "You take the master bedroom. I'll sleep next door."

Newlyweds don't live apart, but they do sleep in separate rooms.

They reach this understanding without even having to discuss it.

*

As a man and woman who barely know each other share a roof, Pei Siyan treats her with consideration, patience, and respect, never crossing the line.

Until one snowy, windy night, Ji Rou takes care of her "roommate" out of a sense of responsibility when he gets drunk. But the man grabs her wrist and kisses her.

The next day, Ji Rou acts as if nothing happened, but Pei Siyan brings it up himself.

Ji Rou says sternly, "Mr. Pei, I'll assume you were drunk."

Pei Siyan's stern face slowly draws closer, and he kisses her again.

"And now? Rou, I'm perfectly sober."

A few days later, Pei Siyan stands at the master bedroom door, pillow in his arms. "It's snowing tonight. It's too cold to sleep alone."

Ji Rou looks at him in confusion.

Pei Siyan changes his argument. "Miss Ji, newlyweds shouldn't sleep in separate rooms."

One day, Ji Rou is away on a business trip.

That evening, she gets a video call from Pei Siyan.

The man who used to be so distant and detached looks utterly pitiful on screen as he says, "Honey, I can't sleep without you."

- When the first snow falls, I'll kiss you.

- Married life with an emotionally steady husband who works in government.

* Both are each other's first and only | Happy ending | Everyday life

* No references or allusions to special privileges or anything of the kind. The focus is primarily on the relationship between the leads. This is entirely fictional, with many invented details. Please don't compare it to real life.

* No need to tell me if you drop the novel. Let's respect each other.

Theme: Give voice to the times.