Tea-Scented Allure [Marriage Before Love]

Six-year age gap | Powerful man lowers his head | Class divide | Strangers to lovers after marriage

🍭 Gold-digging, two-faced host x clear-eyed heir who falls hard

Zhu Dongnuan was born into poverty. Even her enviably beautiful face could do nothing to change her miserable life, until one calculated attempt to climb the social ladder unexpectedly landed her a marriage into a wealthy family.

Sui Che was the sole heir to the Sui and Qi families, the most powerful clans in Nanjiang. Born at the very top of the pyramid, he and Dongnuan were not merely from different worlds, they were practically different species. And yet, they got married in a flash.

Sui Che was perfect in every way except that he didn't love her. On their wedding day, he proposed keeping their marriage a secret. The next day, a divorce agreement was placed in Dongnuan's hands. They would divorce in a year, and she would receive thirty million in compensation and a luxury mansion. He told her, “Between us, we'll only talk about money, not feelings.”

Sure enough, even if marrying into a rich family doesn't end well, at least you'll get plenty of money!

Sui Che told people she was the younger sister of an old friend. Dongnuan played along obediently, but...

“Big Brother, I want shrimp. Can you peel them for me?”

“Big Brother, why is that lady standing so close to you? Does she have something important to discuss?”

At home, she was a completely different person, all affection and devotion.

“Can I call you my husband when we're home, instead of Big Brother?”

“Darling, I love you. What about you? Did you like me even a little today?”

Love him? Her love was all talk, and wasn't worth a penny.

What a pity that this woman was a host instead of an actress.

Sui Che laughed as he gripped her slender waist. “Mrs. Sui, what's the point of always saying you love me? How about we... put it into practice?”

Dongnuan's smile froze. “We, we don't have to do that.”

He took off the watch on his wrist, worth tens of millions. “One time, and it's yours.”

From then on, Dongnuan's wallet grew fatter and fatter.

Jewelry worth a fortune, luxury goods, and massive transfers...

Sui Che was drained, and so was Dongnuan!

She watched the number in her bank account grow longer and longer, her legs trembling. At this rate, she was afraid she'd have money but no life left to spend it.

She pleaded, her voice breaking. “Darling, I don't love money anymore. Please, let me go.”

Sui Che raised an eyebrow. “Really? If Warmie doesn't love money anymore, then who does she love?”

Dongnuan caught on at once. “You. This time I really only love you, with no money involved. Pure love!”

Content warnings:

1. At first, neither of them loves the other, but eventually they both fall hard.

2. The male lead has rumors surrounding him, and the female lead has an ex-boyfriend.

…Coming soon: The Reckless (Not-Quite Siblings)…

■ Foster care | Not-quite siblings | Healing | Reunion after years apart | Four-year age gap

■ Cool, delicate, and slow-to-the-uptake younger sister x possessive, obsessive older brother

Lu Fang's friends all knew he had two younger sisters at home.

One was his biological sister, whom he treated like a stranger. The other was the girl he wished he could keep by his side twenty-four hours a day, even though they weren't related by blood.

Three-year-old Xin Si and seven-year-old Lu Fang were abducted and taken to a remote mountain village. They grew up under the same roof, and before long, the little boy became her whole world.

He would tell her, “Be good, little sister. One day, I'll get you out of here. I'll send you to school and make sure you get to eat meat.”

At twelve, he began making good on his promise. Taking eight-year-old Xin Si with him, he stumbled his way out of the village and fled to the Lu family in Haicheng.

From then on, she lived in the Lu household, a home where she knew no one but her big brother.

Then, when she was seventeen, her mother found her. She disappeared from Lu Fang's world for good, without a trace.

*

Six years later, at a Western restaurant.

Xin Si had just sat down with her “boyfriend” when a private-room door swung open beside her. A familiar figure she hadn't seen in years suddenly appeared before her. Their eyes met, and after a long silence, she stammered, “Brother.”

Lu Fang still had sharp brows and bright eyes, his whole presence fierce and commanding. But the warmth he once held in his eyes when he looked at her was gone.

“Brother? Are you talking to me? I do have a sister, but she doesn't look anything like you. Miss, are you that desperate for a brother?”

Later, heavy snow engulfed the entire city.

On the rooftop, a layer of pure white snow settled on Lu Fang's shoulders. He stared at her stubbornly. “Sisi, do you know what I hate most?”

Xin Si's nose was bright red from the cold. She shook her head defiantly. “I don't know!”

“I hate you calling me ‘Brother’ most of all. Save that for your ex-boyfriend. He's the real deal now.”

Xin Si's voice caught in her throat, but a cold smile tugged at her lips. “If I call him Brother, what should I call you? Mr. Lu?”

Lu Fang suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, pressing her back against him. He enunciated each word slowly. “Sisi, do you know? Even if we're family, a brother can never be as close as... a husband.”

"Please read before starting"

1. Xin Si was so young when she was abducted that she didn't know which “si” her name used. “Si” was the character Lu Fang chose for her. After her mother found her, her name was changed back to Xin Si.

2. The leads are not related by blood, and they are not registered in the same household.

3. The female lead's “boyfriend” is a misunderstanding from the male lead's point of view.

4. The story opens with their reunion, with flashbacks. Both leads are each other's first and only partners, and the male lead is completely innocent.

[Blurb posted May 14, 2025, and heavily revised April 9, 2026. Screenshots have been saved as proof.]

Theme: Money is what matters most