Sleepless in Broad Daylight: Marriage Before Love

[Some things are gone in the blink of an eye, so I hope you won't let the chapters pile up before reading~ Updates are steady and ongoing] Next book: Exclusive Possession. Blurb below~ Blurb: Xie Songbai, head of the Xie Group, is a formidable name overseas and has always kept a low profile, avoiding cameras. But a fleeting shot of him at an overseas press conference unexpectedly set off a heated discussion back home. Amid all the talk marveling at his stunning looks, a blurry screenshot of his ring finger quickly rose to the top comment: [Is that a wedding ring? Is President Xie married???] While everyone wondered who the woman was, Qiao Mian couldn't spare a thought for anything else. She hurriedly opened their chat and typed: [Who told you to wear a ring in public!!!] That night, Qiao Mian was woken from her sleep. His scorching breath drew near, forcing her back step by step. His clear, low voice was indistinct: “Put it on me.” Only after a long while did the person on the sofa focus her gaze on the silver band on his ring finger. In a hoarse voice, she said, “You’re already wearing it.” It wasn't until he guided her hand over that she realized what he meant by “put it on.” I After three years of marriage spent more apart than together, Qiao Mian decided to get a divorce and focus on her career. Then, out of nowhere, rumors spread that she had interfered in an award-winning actor's marriage. In an instant, she was caught in a storm of public opinion, with wave after wave of abuse flooding in. Just then, a gossip blogger broke the news: [The affair rumors are fake. Actress Qiao Mian is married, and her husband is that stunningly handsome big shot from the other day.] After the post went up, the comments were predictably full of mockery. The top comment even read: [LOL, if it's her, I'll believe it.] Under the topic #QiaoMianSecretlyMarried, the post was pushed to the top. As the controversy grew, a post from a new account appeared on the trending page @User9683129891: [@QiaoMian When are you going to make our marriage official?] Netizens thought it was another account trying to ride the wave of attention and were ready to tear into it. Then the Xie Group's verified account reposted it: [Asking on behalf of our boss @QiaoMian, Boss Lady, when are you going to make it official? [Pleading]] Netizens, only now catching on: ??? Two minutes later, @User9683129891 posted again: A screenshot of a netizen's comment. [You still haven't told me what to eat.] Public opinion turned around in an instant: That's how you protect your wife! Some quick-fingered netizens even discovered on Baidu: Xie Songbai's birthday: 1996-08-31 Qiao Mian's birthday: 1998-09-01 So it wasn't just some default ID for a new account after all!!!! [Spoiled, radiant actress x deep, disciplined, courteous big shot] Reading Guide: 1. Both leads are pure, devoted to each other, and in a one-on-one romance. 2. Secret marriage. 3. For specific content warnings, see the author's note in Chapter One. Blurb saved as a screenshot. Blurb for the next book, Exclusive Possession: Shen Yuanhe had never felt that her life was so full of drama: 1. Her identity as the Shen family's eldest daughter was fake. She had been adopted. 2. Her childhood sweetheart wanted to break off their engagement and marry the real Shen heiress instead. Before people in their social circle even had time to laugh at her fall from grace, news suddenly broke that she had married and registered her marriage with Fu Yuanshen, head of the Fu family. Rumors flew in every direction. Some even claimed Shen Yuanhe couldn't accept being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, so she had borrowed his uncle's name to save face. Everyone knew that Fu Yuanshen, head of the top-tier Fu family, was young, ruthless, and used to having things his way. He kept women at a distance, so how could he possibly be interested in a down-and-out internet celebrity? While everyone waited to see her make a fool of herself, a photo quietly surfaced. In the photo, Shen Yuanhe stood in the light and shadows. Beside her, the usually distant and aloof Fu Yuanshen looked at her with patience and tenderness as he held an umbrella over her. The wedding ring on his ring finger, wrapped around the cold metal handle, shimmered faintly. And with that, the matter was settled. As soon as the hired paparazzo left, the couple, who had been acting like loving spouses, immediately put distance between them. The soft figure in his arms pulled away. Fu Yuanshen's eyes remained impassive. “Don't get too caught up in the act.” Shen Yuanhe was brushing droplets of water off herself. At his words, she looked at him and said, “Don't worry. I'm not interested in men six years older than me.” His dark eyes turned toward her, bringing an invisible pressure with them. Realizing she'd said what she truly thought, Shen Yuanhe remembered that she needed his help. She handed him a packet of wedding candy and feigned intimacy. “Happy wedding, hu, sband.” “...” After the wedding, Fu Yuanshen and Shen Yuanhe rarely appeared together. Some even speculated that their marriage was just for show and that they had already divorced. At an interview after an event one day, her management team spotted a personal question, “Is there anything you'd like to say to your partner?”, and was about to cut it, but Shen Yuanhe stopped them. Meeting her manager's puzzled gaze, Shen Yuanhe casually raised a hand to cover her swollen lips and called over the makeup artist for a touch-up. After the interview, someone picked her up and carried her toward a room. “Did I not take good enough care of you?” Shen Yuanhe's reply was swallowed up by the turbulent night, breaking apart before she could get the words out. “No...” Fu Yuanshen wouldn't let it go. “Then why did you tell them I was rough?” She bit her lip, forcing out a sentence through pursed lips. “You call that gentle?” As soon as she finished speaking, she felt his chest rumble, accompanied by a low, melodious laugh. He leaned down, clasped her wrist, and pulled her toward him. “I'm six years older than you, after all. I was afraid you'd get bored.” “...” His handsome face and warm breath surrounded her at close range. “Do you like it?” Theme: Dare to love.