Episode1

Rain tapped lightly against the tall windows of the Li family residence, casting ripples of shadow across the living room's polished marble floor. A vase of peonies sat on the center table, their soft pink petals drooping under the weight of time—just like Li Wei’s heart.

He sat on the edge of the velvety couch, hands folded tightly in his lap. His father, Li Jiansheng, stood before him, arms crossed and voice stern.

“You will marry him, Wei. The contract is already signed.”

Li Wei’s soft eyes widened in disbelief. “What…? I thought—I thought the arrangement was with the Zhao family’s daughter…”

“There is no daughter,” his mother interrupted, voice gentler but resolute. “Zhao Yan is the heir. And the Zhao Group is in trouble. So are we.”

Li Wei’s heart sank. Not only was he being married off like some commodity, but to a man. And not just any man—but Zhao Yan. The man he once saw on a magazine cover and found too handsome to be real. Cold eyes, sharp jawline, business genius, and infamous for being heartless.

“But he’s… straight,” Li Wei murmured, his voice barely audible. “He won’t agree to this.”

“He already did,” his father said with finality. “He’s marrying for the merger. And so are you.”

Li Wei looked down. His chest ached. The air around him felt heavier by the second.

“This isn’t love. This isn’t even… fair.”

His mother sat beside him and took his hand gently. “Sweetheart, life isn’t always fair. You don’t have to fall in love. Just get married. Make it work. Do it for the family.”

Li Wei turned his head away, blinking rapidly. He had always known he was different. While his classmates in university talked about crushes on actresses, Li Wei quietly fell for a man two years above him—Chen Yuze. He had never told his parents about the heartbreak, or the late nights crying in silence. And now, he was being thrown into a marriage with a stranger… again without being asked.

---

Across the city, in a sleek black office overlooking the skyline, Zhao Yan removed his tie with a sharp tug.

“So it’s settled?” he asked.

Zhao Qingshan, his father, nodded. “The Li family agreed. The wedding will be in a month. You’ll sign the documents next week.”

Zhao Yan’s jaw tightened. “I’m marrying a man.”

“Yes, and that man comes with a controlling share in Li Studios, the art company with national reputation. You want expansion into cultural markets? This is your fastest way in.”

Zhao Yan scoffed, pouring himself a drink. “And what does he get? A lifetime of being ignored?”

His father’s expression hardened. “He gets the Zhao name. A future without financial struggle. That should be enough.”

“I’m not gay,” Zhao Yan snapped.

His father’s lips curled. “This isn’t about your orientation. This is about legacy. About survival.”

Zhao Yan downed the drink in one gulp, but said nothing more. For a man who had climbed corporate ladders with brutal precision, emotions were distractions. Love, least of all, was irrelevant. If marrying Li Wei saved the Zhao Group and made his empire stronger, then it would be just another transaction.

---

Back at the Li residence, Li Wei sat in his bedroom, hands curled around his sketchbook.

He had once drawn Zhao Yan’s face, after seeing him in a business magazine three years ago. Sharp eyes, unsmiling lips, and an aura of distance. Back then, it was a silly crush. Something unreachable. Safe.

Now, that same man would be his husband.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

---

A week later, the two families met at an upscale restaurant for the official engagement dinner. Li Wei dressed in a soft cream suit, his curls falling gently over his forehead. He looked beautiful, like a fragile porcelain figurine. But his heart thudded nervously in his chest.

Then he saw him.

Zhao Yan walked in like a storm in a tailored black suit. He didn’t even glance at Li Wei. His eyes were on his father, his assistant, the documents. Not once did he look at the man he was supposed to marry.

Li Wei’s stomach twisted.

So this is what it feels like—to fall harder for someone who hasn’t even noticed you exist.

---

“Zhao Yan,” his father said, “this is Li Wei.”

Zhao Yan turned to him for the first time. His eyes flicked over Li Wei’s delicate frame, his soft gaze, his trembling hands. He said nothing.

Li Wei bowed slightly, forcing a smile. “It’s… nice to meet you.”

Zhao Yan gave a small nod, impersonal and cold. “Likewise.”

That was it. No compliment. No warmth. No curiosity.

Li Wei bit his lip and looked away.

The contract was signed that night. A quiet celebration followed with expensive wine and hollow smiles. Zhao Yan didn’t stay long. He left before dessert was served, stating work as an excuse.

Li Wei watched him walk away, and whispered to himself, “He really doesn’t want this.”

But the worst part wasn’t that Zhao Yan didn’t want this marriage.

It was that Li Wei did.

Even if it meant hurting alone.

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