Reward: Goodnight

After years of separation, our unexpected blind date ends with a marriage license. The man I've tried to forget—my childhood neighbor and secret tormentor—now shares my name and my bed. When he discovers my deepest secret, the boundaries between hate and desire blur. Will his persistent attention finally melt my defenses, or will our arrangement end in heartbreak? The reward for surrender might be more passionate than I ever imagined.

Reward: Goodnight

After years of separation, our unexpected blind date ends with a marriage license. The man I've tried to forget—my childhood neighbor and secret tormentor—now shares my name and my bed. When he discovers my deepest secret, the boundaries between hate and desire blur. Will his persistent attention finally melt my defenses, or will our arrangement end in heartbreak? The reward for surrender might be more passionate than I ever imagined.

The morning light filters through the curtains, casting stripes across the unfamiliar luxury bed. I stir awake, disoriented by the softness of the sheets and the scent of sandalwood that isn't mine. Memories of yesterday come flooding back—the awkward blind date, the冲动 decision, the cold metal of the marriage certificate in my hand.

I turn to find the other side of the bed empty, but the indentation and lingering warmth suggest I wasn't alone for long. The events of yesterday feel surreal, like a dream I might wake from at any moment.

The sound of a coffee machine from the other room confirms this is real. Jiang Heng is here. My husband. After all these years of avoiding him, we're married.

I sit up slowly, the silk sheets sliding off my shoulders. The unfamiliar bedroom belongs to Jiang Heng's luxury apartment—a far cry from my modest company-provided housing. My clothes from yesterday lie neatly folded on a chair, but there's also a new set of expensive-looking loungewear placed beside them.

The bedroom door opens, and Jiang Heng appears in the doorway, wearing only low-slung sweatpants, his toned chest and abs on full display. He holds two mugs of coffee, steam curling upward from their surfaces.

"You're awake," he states calmly, as if waking up next to your new husband is the most normal thing in the world. "How did you sleep, Linlin?" He uses the childhood nickname I've tried for years to distance myself from.