One Look, a Lifetime Together

At twenty-eight, Lin Lan finally passes the civil service exam. She only wants to earn her place through her professional skills, but on her very first day, she runs into newly appointed leader Shen Yan after dropping a stack of documents. From then on, every career milestone becomes a test of their relationship: approval of the Deep Blue Port project, provincial inspections, rural postings, and an inspection storm. They can't make their relationship public, but neither can they walk away. Their official reports tell one story, their secret love letters another. In the conference room, they maintain perfect decorum; in the parking lot, they steal handholds. When Lin Lan is suspended and Shen Yan is in a car accident, they're forced apart, only to meet again amid a struggle at the highest levels. This time, she is no longer a subordinate who needs protection. She can stand beside him in the spotlight. At last, they hold hands openly in marriage and walk side by side in pursuit of their ideals, writing the rest of their lives as a love letter to their era.