A Jade of the Capital, Hard to Find

(Contract cohabitation + a touch of coercive romance + the heroine always has the upper hand emotionally + the hero gets put through the wringer) A resilient, laid-back heroine × a scheming hero who spends every day begging for a proper relationship “With one contract, you’re with me. I’ll take care of every problem from now on.” And so began their secret cohabitation, bound by three rules. From the moment Cheng Jiu’an signed the contract, she was already plotting her escape. From the moment Jiang Shixu signed it, he had never intended to let her go. They lived together for nearly a year, until everything Jiang Shixu had done was laid bare before her. That night, Cheng Jiu’an casually tossed the ring from her ring finger onto the table. “I’m done. This contract ends here.” She turned to leave, only to discover that the door had been locked at some point. “Now that you know everything I’ve done, what makes you think I’ll let you go?” Jiang Shixu rose and slowly approached her. “Cheng Jiu’an, unless I say we’re over, you’re not leaving.” Just as expected, Jiang Shixu kept her under house arrest. To get away, she even threatened to take her own life, forcing him to let her go. Jiang Shixu agreed. So she booked a one-way flight abroad and left without looking back. Until they met again. Jiang Shixu knelt before Cheng Jiu’an, one arm gently around her waist, his forehead resting against her knee, his shoulders trembling. His tears fell onto her knee, dampening a small patch. His voice was pleading. “Could you... show me some tenderness, too?” [Cheng Jiu’an, this is the eleventh year I’ve loved you.]