Contract Marriage to Chosen Love

This flow traces how a financial arrangement between Su Xiangcheng and Lu Xun gradually becomes an emotionally committed marriage.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Five Hundred Million Bargain

A Marriage of Necessity The bargain Su Xiangcheng accepts a marriage tied to five hundred million because the Su family needs rescue. Lu Xun treats the arrangement as practical protection rather than romance. The hidden cost The contract gives both parties leverage, but it also places Su Xiangcheng inside Lu Xun’s private world. Her supposed freedom immediately becomes entangled with his expectations.

Secret Household

A Private Wife Hidden status The marriage remains concealed while Su Xiangcheng moves through public life as if she were independent. Lu Xun, however, expects the intimacy and obedience of a conventional wife. Unequal meanings For him, secrecy protects a fragile arrangement; for her, it confirms that she is being used. Their daily domestic closeness therefore deepens rather than resolves their mistrust.

First Emotional Crack

Care Beneath Irritation Physical vulnerability Fever and exhaustion expose how much Lu Xun watches over Su Xiangcheng. He feeds her, arranges treatment, and remains near her even when she resists him. Emotional contradiction She recognizes his care but refuses to call it love. The marriage begins to shift because tenderness is now visible, even though neither partner can safely name it.

Birthday Reconciliation

A Birthday Built as an Answer The celebration Lu Xun arranges travel, family encounters, music, gifts, and a replacement Dance Dress. His preparation answers wounds that Su Xiangcheng had never directly asked him to repair. A fragile surrender The celebration does not erase their disputes, but it makes his investment undeniable. Su Xiangcheng begins responding to him not as a creditor but as a husband seeking permanence.

Marriage as Choice

Choosing to Return The new house Lu Xun creates a residence modeled on Su Xiangcheng’s childhood home and promises that marriage will carry duties rather than temporary possession. The decision Moved by his willingness to protect her even when she is difficult, Su Xiangcheng stops treating escape as her only future. Their relationship becomes a chosen attachment, though still marked by control and fear.

early in the story

after the marriage

after Su Xiangcheng's illness

around Su Xiangcheng's twenty-first birthday

near the later middle of the story