Poisoned Draught (zhèn)

*Ambitious female celebrity x refined scoundrel, powerful figure in Beijing circles
*Mature men and women / status difference / six-year age gap / HE

When Han Rao was nineteen, she became an overnight sensation, hailed by insiders as a rare talent in acting.
Everyone thought her future would surely be bright and star-studded, but three months later, she was brutally blacklisted.
It was said that she had offended the powerful backers behind the scenes, who devoured her without leaving a trace.

Four years later, Han Rao came to terms with it. Under her agent’s arrangement, she stepped into a dinner party, feigning politeness among those vile men.
That night, she was dead drunk. After leaving the drinking party, she pointed at Zhao Jichuan’s nose and cursed him out loud.
Zhao Jichuan stubbed out his cigarette and, in a rare good mood, gently patted her cheek. “Did I offend you?”
Han Rao gave him a disdainful glare. “I fucking hate the rich. Happy now?”

Zhao Jichuan laughed at her insult. In all his years, this was the first time he’d been treated like this.

That night, Han Rao was taken back to the hotel by Zhao Jichuan.
He said, "Follow me, and I'll support you from now on."

-
Han Rao was very clear-headed; she stayed by Zhao Jichuan's side because it was beneficial.
She had endured enough of the hard days with no prospects, needing resources and money, desperately trying to make a comeback.
And he needed a beautiful woman, a compatible partner.
This woman appeared obedient on the surface, but was actually wild and untamable.

For three years, they traded with each other, each getting what they needed; their relationship was simple and innocent.

But Han Rao sadly realized that she seemed to have fallen in love with him.
And he was gradually neglecting and distancing himself from her.
After making inquiries, it was found out that he had recently been entangled in a mess of troublesome romantic affairs arranged by his family.
So, as soon as the contract expired, Han Rao decisively packed up and left, parting ways with him completely. No matter what methods he used to try to win her back, she remained unmoved.

Zhao Jichuan realized too late that she had already found a new partner. The new romance was all over the internet, and the person was the male actor she had worked with in her previous project.
Zhao Jichuan didn’t understand why she just didn’t have feelings for him, why after being together for three years, they still couldn’t develop feelings through acting.

At the celebration banquet, the man cornered her, exasperated, and said, “You’re ruthless.”

-
He thought they would go their separate ways from then on, until one day, Han Rao was caught up in scandalous rumors, and a flood of malicious attacks poured in online.
She looked at the half-true, half-false comments on her phone and bitterly said to him, “What they say is true, we really aren’t innocent.”

Zhao Jichuan tenderly held her in his arms, "Let's get married."

The onlookers waiting for a clarification letter or a lawyer's notice were instead met with her marriage certificate, and the rumors were disproved without a word.
It was only then that she realized he truly loved her.

— "Two refined egoists willing to bind each other through marriage, how could that not be love?"

Reading Tips:
1. Mature men and women, both morally ambiguous / He
2. Personal preferences, many triggers, caution advised
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