His Blush, Not For Me

Zhou Jibai was my tong yang fu¹.

He did the laundry, cooked the meals, and cleaned the house every single day, but he never allowed me to touch him.

I always thought he was holding out for a proper title, for public recognition.

Until one day, I saw him blush after a girl brushed against him, and a stream of text scrolled across my vision:

『The male lead is so innocent! He blushes from a simple touch.』

『Leave the female side character already and give us some sweet, steamy scenes with our female lead!』

『Good thing the side character raised him to be so handsome and pristine. But does she really think she can marry him?』

I calmly handed him a set of divorce papers and vanished without a trace.

Years later, I returned to the country for a conference.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I was kidnapped.

The man in charge, the mastermind behind it all, cried as he kissed me.

“Wife,” he sobbed, “don’t leave me.”

Footnote:

1. Tong yang fu(童养夫):A traditional, now rare, arrangement where a boy is raised in the family of his future wife. Often, this was to secure a marriage pact or because the boy’s family was too poor to raise him. In a modern context, it implies a complex dynamic of being a dependent, a house-husband, and a fiancé-in-training, all in one.