Is My Fussy Husband a Hopeless Romantic?

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Yuan Xiao was the legitimate son of a Duke's household. He had a face like a peach blossom, was born with incredible strength, and had a fiance.

His fiance was handsome, talented, and especially devoted to him.

Yuan Xiao himself was kind-hearted, so he supposed he could graciously like the other man a little too.

But when they met on the street, the man who'd once claimed to love him more than anyone in the world glared at him and told him to get his head examined.

Yuan Xiao burst into tears and pointed at the heartless man. "I'll never forgive you again!"

"Unless you apologize to me and shout 'I was wrong' ten times when the bell rings!"

Lu Xingchuan, who'd just been accused of bumping into him on purpose: ...Oh, no.

"If you don't love me, I'll just go die right now."

Then he threw himself into Lu Xingchuan's arms.

Lu Xingchuan: ? Dying in his arms, how interesting.

Yuan Xiao: (pouting angrily) (sneaks a look) (Aren't you going to comfort me already?) (meow meow meow)

-

Lu Xingchuan was a notorious bringer of bad luck in the capital, said to bring ruin to his father, mother, and friends. Rumor had it that he was Prince Jin's illegitimate son. For now, he was just an ordinary hired thug in the market district.

One day, a beautiful young man suddenly threw himself into his arms, repeatedly insisting he was Lu Xingchuan's fiance.

Lu Xingchuan frowned. "...?" Without hesitation, he pulled the man out of his arms.

After Lu Xingchuan's cold, heartless response, Yuan Xiao punched him, determined to make him regret it.

Soon, two rows of fierce-looking guards surrounded Lu Xingchuan's shabby little house and insisted on bringing him to the Duke's estate as a guest.

Lu Xingchuan grew wary.

Only after asking did he learn they wanted him to pretend to be Yuan Xiao's fiance!

Is this whole family sick or something?

"No, we're not sick. It's just that the Imperial Physician said my son, at such a young age... Boohoo..."

"Stop!" Lu Xingchuan snapped through gritted teeth.

It was just a matter of pretending to be the fiance of a spoiled young man who had delusions and not much time left to live. Fine, he'd do it!

-

[Bonus Scene]

After recovering from his delusions, Yuan Xiao avoided Lu Xingchuan. Knowing there was no hope, Lu Xingchuan packed his things and prepared to leave.

Yuan Xiao angrily blocked the carriage. "Where do you think you're going?"

Lu Xingchuan: "Didn't you regret it?"

Yuan Xiao was both guilty and defiant.

"Who said I regret it? We'll get married tomorrow. I want to marry you and be your husband. What's wrong with that? Don't even think about running away!"

Lu Xingchuan: "To be my husband, you have to let me touch you and kiss you. Can you do that? If not, then..."

Yuan Xiao pouted and punched him, sending Lu Xingchuan flying several yards.

"If I can't, who can? Who else do you want to kiss?"

--Coming Soon: Eager to Be a Widower's Husband--

Di Miao was a widower who made a living running a noodle shop with his five-year-old son.

Lately, strange things had been happening all around the noodle shop. The Liu family's chickens were inexplicably flying around in the middle of the night, and strange noises kept coming from the Huang family's bun shop...

Di Miao was a little scared when he heard about it, but in front of his son he forced himself to stand tall. "Don't be afraid. Your little dad is here."

Di Xiaosong's eyes were clear and bright. "Huh?!"

That afternoon, the shop boy next door hurried over with a message. "This is bad, Boss Di! Your son has been taken into custody at the county yamen!"

Di Miao was horrified. After asking around, he learned that the strange incidents in the county had all been caused by a group of local children.

And Di Xiaosong was the ringleader.

Di Miao's vision went black. "...Could there be some kind of misunderstanding?"

He hurried to the county yamen to get to the bottom of things, but the newly appointed county magistrate came out to meet him.

His vision went black again. Oh no, why did the new county magistrate look exactly like his late husband?

*

Six years ago, the most rebellious youngest son of Grand Tutor Qin's family ran away from home.

Three years later, Qin Ao returned, but had lost the memories of those three years.

The rebellious Qin Ao became steady and ambitious, passing the imperial examination as a third-place graduate in just three years.

Just as everyone thought Qin Ao would enjoy a smooth official career from then on, with a beautiful wife by his side, he secretly left home to become a county magistrate in a remote backwater.

Grand Tutor Qin: You unfilial son!

On his first day in office, Qin Ao was presented with a major case involving people pretending to be ghosts. He understood immediately: a local strongman was trying to intimidate him...

He promptly sent his subordinates to investigate, and before long, they returned with someone in tow.

Qin Ao looked at the short, plump, round-faced child. "...This is the local strongman you arrested?"

After questioning the child closely, Qin Ao decided there were understandable reasons for what he had done and thought he'd let it go.

He was just a little kid. His family could take him home and teach him a lesson.

But when Qin Ao saw the child's little dad hurrying over, he abruptly changed his mind. "This matter can't be dismissed so easily. The child did something wrong and needs to learn better. How about you bring him to the county yamen every day, Boss Di, and I'll personally see to his education?"

Di Miao, who'd been planning to run away, saw black for the third time. For the first time in his life, he raised a hand to smack his son's little bottom.

Di Xiaosong! What kind of trouble have you gotten us into?

*

With the county magistrate's orders hanging over him, Di Miao didn't dare disobey. He brought his son to the county yamen every day, and when he came to pick him up at night, all he wanted was to hurry home. But the magistrate always had some way of getting the boy to happily stay for dinner.

After enough visits, the subordinates realized that the widower the magistrate had been pursuing without success was the very person he loved!

They cried out, "Sir, being a stepfather is no easy task!"

Qin Ao's face darkened. In front of everyone, he declared that he didn't mind. A stepfather was a father too!

After hearing that, Di Xiaosong flew into Qin Ao's arms like a happy little bird. "Dad!"

Di Miao, standing nearby, looked guilty.

Thank goodness Qin Ao still thought he was only the boy's stepfather...

Theme: Love you, love the world