[Blurb]
A scheme forces a little-known concubine-born daughter to take her elder sister's place and marry Xie Yan, heir to the Marquis of Huainan.
Cui Zhiyi set aside the perfunctory apology letter. "This marriage is meant to bind the Cui and Xie families together for profit..."
"When the time is right, I'll ask the heir for a divorce. Then we'll leave here together."
By then, she would have enough money to support herself and no ties left to either the Cui or Xie family. She could buy a house and estate, and live freely for the rest of her life.
After they married, she realized her elder sister had seen clearly.
Xie Yan was handsome, but sharp-tongued, and his misunderstanding about what had happened before made him despise her.
On their wedding night, when his friends teased and congratulated him, he gritted his teeth and made a harsh declaration.
"Only a dog would like her."
Now that the marriage was settled, that little concubine-born girl would surely throw herself at him, doing everything she could to win his favor.
Just like when she'd served him tea, she'd pretend to be weak and aggrieved, putting on a pitiful look to lure him into her trap.
He was going to get his revenge on Cui Zhiyi!
Who could have guessed that days would pass and she would stay quietly in her little courtyard, making no effort to approach him?
Even when he mocked and taunted her, Cui Zhiyi only pressed her lips together and said nothing.
When she was drugged with an aphrodisiac and her whole body went limp, she still forced herself to move to the side-room door, keeping as far away from him as possible.
Xie Yan: ...
As time went on, Cui Zhiyi never went to the study. Instead, he found himself visiting her courtyard more and more often.
Later, Xie Yan even searched through every romance story he could find, just to figure out how to cheer her up and mend their relationship.
Beneath a sky full of fireflies, the two embraced tenderly.
Another couple, spying from behind the courtyard wall, couldn't help sighing at the sight.
"Someone's become a dog."
Sharp-tongued, brazenly flirtatious, handsome young marquis x mild-mannered, conflicted little concubine-born daughter
[Little Scene]
Once, Xie Yan had a quarrel with her and stormed off in a rage.
Cui Zhiyi assumed he would sleep in the study that night.
But that evening, Xie Yan came into her room and, without a word, spread his bedding on the floor.
Cui Zhiyi stared at him in surprise. "You're sleeping here?"
"What married couple in the world sleeps separately just because they traded a few sharp words?"
Xie Yan quickly fluffed his pillow, then looked at her. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor. Don't even think about kicking me out."
[Reader's Guide]
1. The setting is entirely fictional. Please don't nitpick the history.
2. Marriage first, love later + sweet romance as he wins her back.
3. One-on-one romance, and both leads are each other's first and only.
4. The blurb was revised on June 23, 2026, and a screenshot has been saved.
Theme: Fate brings people together.
