Kindling the Flame [Marriage Before Love]

(Pre-release novel: "Lost in the Mist of the Capital" [Marriage Before Love], blurb at the end~) [Complete] [A full subscription costs no more than a cup of Mixue, please support me~] [Marriage Before Love | Forced Possession | Fake Siblings] [Moody, unhinged heir x cool, stubborn little white flower] 1 The day Wen He was adopted into the Bo family of Hong Kong, she knew one thing: Bo Sui was someone she could never afford to offend. As the head of the Bo family, he was known to outsiders as handsome and taciturn, as gentle as jade. Only Wen He, whom he had raised, knew that Bo Sui was obsessive and gloomy, cold and domineering. Wen He feared him most, but she never expected that, with the old master gravely ill and the inheritance up for grabs, she would have to marry him, even though she had left the Bo family long ago. "Everything will be just as it was before. The only difference is that you can't call me your brother anymore." Bo Sui gazed quietly at her, tenderness coloring his dark, cold eyes. The first time she slept beside Bo Sui, Wen He didn't dare open her eyes. Then Bo Sui hooked a finger around hers and pulled her into his arms. It was an unmistakably possessive embrace, but the burning heat of his chest and the beat of his heart beside her ear made her feel sheltered and protected. They would be happy. Wen He almost truly believed that Bo Sui was the best husband in the world. Until, at an art exhibition, Bo Sui paid ten times the price to buy a painting inspired by her, created by a friend. The young artist's nose was broken by Bo Sui, and he was secretly sent away from Hong Kong. Wen He tried to speak up for her friend. With a crisp snap, the priceless painting was exchanged for a blaze of fire. Amid the drifting ashes, Bo Sui's gentle smile turned sinister. "He was thinking of you. With every stroke, he was thinking of you. Wen He, perhaps I should hide you away." Wen He was forced to become Bo Sui's shadow, never allowed out of his sight. Angry and resentful, she deliberately stopped speaking to him, only for him to find ways to make her pay at night. Her clothes were torn away. His scorching kisses burned as he bit at her heart. "It hurts!" Wen He still ended up crying. She begged Bo Sui to be gentle, but all she got was an even fiercer punishment. He pressed her down and forced her to respond. Only at daybreak did she hear the man's voice, his kiss brushing her ear. "Wen He, if you're naughty, you'll be punished. Do you want to kiss me?" No! Wen He bit him, filling her mouth with the taste of blood. But Bo Sui only held her tighter. Wen He let go, wanting to hate him, yet his gentle touch and care that allowed no refusal softened her heart again. Bo Sui was a hedgehog. 2 On the surface, Wen He became more obedient. She not only smiled at Bo Sui of her own accord, but kissed him and fell asleep in his arms. Wen He seemed to have learned to love Bo Sui, and the bodyguards outside the villa gradually dwindled. One night, while Bo Sui was out at a business dinner, Wen He took all her identification and fled to the airport. Once she had boarded and taken her seat, she saw the clouds and thought she would soon be free. Only when the plane landed did she realize that every flight had been turned back. She was back where she started. Beyond the plane window, in front of a black Maybach, she recognized the familiar figure. She remembered Bo Sui's warning: "Wen He, when you're chained to the bed, you'll understand how precious freedom is." The cabin door opened, and Bo Sui walked toward her, step by step. Wen He began to regret that she had once refused the only chance Bo Sui had given her to leave. Reader notice: The leads have no blood relation and are not on the same household register. There is no romance while their sibling relationship remains in effect. Both leads are pure and devoted. Pre-release novel: "Lost in the Mist of the Capital [Marriage Before Love]" is coming next~ If you're interested, check out my author page~ [Marriage Before Love | Stealing Someone Away | Secret Crush | Long-Planned] [Self-restrained, principled heir of a capital family x cool, stubborn cultural relic restorer] 1 Song Zhishui never imagined she'd discover her arranged-marriage partner cheating at their engagement banquet. And on that very same day, she would impulsively agree to marry someone else. Her new arranged-marriage partner was Shen Zhuoyuan, the eldest son of the Shen family. The Shen family was one of the most prestigious and powerful in the capital, and Shen Zhuoyuan was the brightest jewel in its crown. He had a face as flawless as jade and the bearing of a man untouched by worldly troubles, yet his methods were as swift and forceful as thunder. Outsiders praised him, but they also feared and respected him. Song Zhishui had called him "Brother Zhuoyuan" after her older siblings since childhood, but she knew they came from different worlds and had never dared to claim kinship with him the way her siblings did. But that day, the scandal surrounding the arranged marriage came to light at a banquet. Song Zhishui became a laughingstock, and even her older siblings avoided her. Her palm, slick with sweat, could only reach the hem of Shen Zhuoyuan's clothes. Her voice was faint, and despite her humiliation and distress, she copied the way her siblings addressed him: "Brother Zhuoyuan..." The man turned around. His striking, radiant eyes seemed to look straight into her heart. Song Zhishui panicked and let go, only for someone to clasp her hand tightly. The scent of sandalwood curled around her nose. Along with the soft voice beside her ear, it gently stirred ripples in her heart. Shen Zhuoyuan: "He's the one who isn't good enough for you, Xiaoyu. Marry me, okay?" 2 She had thought their marriage of convenience would simply serve both their needs, but she hadn't expected it to become so entangling. After one passionate night, Song Zhishui found herself becoming Shen Zhuoyuan's personal assistant, still dazed. A cartoon lunchbox, prepared especially for her, was placed in the back seat of his black Maybach every day. When they went out for business dinners, Shen Zhuoyuan personally intercepted the drinks offered to her. Song Zhishui, so thoroughly cared for by Shen Zhuoyuan, could hardly tell anymore: Which of them was the assistant? She secretly stole a glance at Shen Zhuoyuan, who was witty, funny, gentle, and devoted. Song Zhishui couldn't help wishing that this marriage would last a lifetime. Until her former fiance showed up, clinging to her with a "chasing-my-wife-after-losing-her" script. That night, Shen Zhuoyuan became disturbingly agitated. A silver bracelet was clasped around Song Zhishui's wrist like a prisoner's shackle. The outer corners of Shen Zhuoyuan's usually aloof, noble eyes were clouded with drunkenness. "He cheated on you, and you still pay attention to him?" His tall, straight nose pressed against the hollow of her neck. His voice was unexpectedly fragile. "Song Zhishui, you can only look at me." [Extra scene] On the day Song Zhishui agreed to the arranged marriage, her fiance was secretly taken to Shen Zhuoyuan's estate. Shen Zhuoyuan looked him up and down with disdain, then flicked ash onto his face. Shen Zhuoyuan: "You have one day to get out of her life." [Calling your name on a wild night is the sum of all my love and desire to possess you.] Both leads are pure and devoted. Theme: Walk toward the light, and someone will love you.