Ode to Tomorrow

Strangers-to-lovers arranged marriage / intense push and pull / single-couple romance / neither lead is perfect / healing romance / heroine's character growth / heaps of melodrama

First blurb

The Brand Department's break room was buzzing with gossip about the boss's private life, and Wen Song leaned in to catch a bit of it.

They had heard that their decisive, capable boss had recently gotten married in an arranged match.

Everyone lamented that their boss's marriage had no love in it and speculated about their life together: he probably gave her money and never came home.

So they didn't know whether to envy his wife or pity her. She had money but no love, and no one knew which wealthy family she came from.

Wen Song, standing nearby, shrugged. At first, she'd thought it would be like that too: he'd give her money, stay away from home, and they'd be married in name only. She'd have the place all to herself and be free as a bird. But who could have known that, apart from when he was on business trips, he came home every single day!!

Second blurb

To Wen Song, Shen Xuyan was a source of support. Why he married her didn't matter.

Neither did whether he would be there for a year or two, or three or five.

She only wanted him for a while, not forever.

When his friends asked Shen Xuyan why he had married Wen Song, he thought for a moment and said, “It was an accident.”

She had simply appeared at the right time, and that timing had made him hesitate no longer.

He didn't know how long their mutually beneficial relationship would last: a year or two, three or five, or maybe forever.

A little scene:

Wen Song tried on a form-fitting evening dress. The zipper got stuck, and Shen Xuyan happened to be in the dressing room, so she asked him for help.

Later, she realized that whenever she wore that dress, Shen Xuyan could barely control himself. Sometimes he couldn't even wait until they got home.

So whenever they fought and Wen Song wanted to break the ice, she put on the dress. It worked every time, until one day he got too rough and ripped it. Wen Song felt both happy and disappointed. She was happy she wouldn't have to rely on the dress anymore, but sad that she could no longer use it to get her way with Shen Xuyan.

A few days later, Wen Song discovered a row of identical dresses in her wardrobe.

Shen Xuyan: “Honey, now you can keep getting your way with me!!”

Wen Song: “...”

Reader advisory: Seven-year age gap | Slow burn, domestic-life focused

The workplace details are based on things found online, so please don't take them too seriously.

Theme: Love life, love yourself