After My Husband Discovered My Secret Identity

[Five-year age gap / marriage before love / rekindled romance / male lead has a secret crush]

Steady, cunning man in power x naive, adorable third-rate writer

1.

When Chen Wensong was twenty-four, the Chen family went bankrupt, and the pampered young heiress who'd once been surrounded by admirers became an indebted heiress everyone in high society avoided.

Before Chen Wensong had time to feel sad, she was dragged into marrying a man she'd never met.

The elegant, refined man handed her a contract. His voice was cold and distant as he asked Chen Wensong to pretend to be his wife to deal with his family. In return, he paid off her debts.

After they married, they treated each other with polite respect. In public, they put on an act; in private, they barely knew each other. When her best friend asked if she'd ever thought of winning over her domineering husband, Chen Wensong simply said, "He's done so much for me. I can't repay his kindness by taking advantage of him."

Even so, Chen Wensong knew she was starting to fall for Xie Xiyu's tenderness. To keep herself from falling any deeper, she left behind divorce papers and ran away, promising Xie Xiyu she would pay him back.

But when Xie Xiyu got home and saw the divorce papers, the usually cool and gentle heir to the Xie family was so furious his eyes turned red. He tore the papers to shreds.

By the time he saw Chen Wensong again, she'd become a famous author. Every novel she wrote was a hit, and she'd even landed a copyright deal.

Chen Wensong had become famous by writing novels based on Xie Xiyu, earning plenty of fans and signing a number of deals.

That night, Xie Xiyu cornered her at the door, gazed down at her, and said in a low voice, "I've come to collect my debt."

2.

Xie Xiyu had always loved the young lady from the Chen family. As soon as he learned her family had gone bankrupt, he proposed a marriage of convenience.

After they married, he was afraid she'd feel uncomfortable, so he deliberately kept his distance and made sure she never felt pressured or awkward. Then one night, Xie Xiyu found a notebook Chen Wensong had forgotten to put away in her study.

The files all had his full name on them, and inside were novels with him as the male lead. When Xie Xiyu closed the computer, a blush spread across his face.

He'd thought Chen Wensong liked him too, but before he could ask her how she felt, he received divorce papers. Her promise was utterly sincere: after all the kindness he'd shown her, she would definitely pay him back.

Xie Xiyu secretly bought the rights to every one of Chen Wensong's novels and cornered her at the door. His voice was gentle as he asked, "Weren't you curious whether I'd make any other expressions when we're doing it? Want to find out?"

Chen Wensong laughed awkwardly. "How did you know?"

"Guess who bought the rights to your novels?"

Bonus scene:

Late at night, rain fell, beating against the roses in the garden.

Xie Xiyu wrapped his arms around Chen Wensong from behind. It felt as if he held her heart in his hands as she listened to him pant and whisper her name over and over in her ear.

Lost in the moment, Chen Wensong finally realized she'd fallen into Xie Xiyu's trap. He'd fallen in love with her at first sight three years ago.

Theme: Building a beautiful life together.