Yan Shiqing is in his thirties. He has been married for ten years to a Sentinel in a marriage of convenience. Their feelings for each other aren't very strong, but their sex life is exceptionally harmonious. Their days are uneventful, yet peaceful and comfortable.
Until experts announce a major new discovery: sleeping with a Guide or Sentinel who doesn't love you will, to some extent, shorten your life while extending theirs.
Yan Shiqing thinks: I'm done for. I'm going to die soon.
His Sentinel partner, Su Changxiu, thinks: I'm done for. I'm going to die soon.
To live a little longer, Yan Shiqing's old house catches fire, and he starts trying desperately to win Su Changxiu over. Flowers, diamond rings, luxury cruises: he goes all out, nearly draining the savings he's built up over the years.
Likewise, to live a little longer, Su Changxiu, normally as stiff as a board, starts dancing like crazy and desperately trying to win Yan Shiqing over. He works overtime like mad just to make time for dates, nearly exhausting himself into the hospital.
By day, they give each other professional smiles. At night, they hold each other and silently weep, deeply worried about how many years they have left.
Then some friends, a genuinely loveless married couple, happen to pass by and ask the question that cuts to the heart of it: Why don't you just get divorced?
Yan Shiqing: ...Oh, right.
Su Changxiu: ...Oh, right.
Yan Shiqing: So, should we...?
Su Changxiu: ...No divorce.
* Guide gong x Sentinel shou.
* Mutual pining, sweet romance. No secondary couples. The married friends mentioned in the blurb are only background characters and won't get much focus.
* 1v1, devoted to each other, both pure and each other's first love. No one-sided crushes on either lead from supporting characters.
* Blurb revised on May 12, 2025.
Theme: Say your love out loud.
