During the height of summer in their senior year, when osmanthus blossoms filled the air, the sun shone on Ji Yaoran alone. A refined, distant young master from a wealthy family, he took the bullied Jiang Yan under his wing on a whim. He had never once looked at the boy huddled in the shadows. To Ji Yaoran, Jiang Yan was no more than an insignificant speck in the mire of the lower classes.
Years later, Ji Yaoran's family collapsed spectacularly, while Jiang Yan rose above the rubble with fierce resolve, reaching heights Ji Yaoran could never hope to attain. Jiang Yan had long since shed his timidity. Ruthless and decisive, with his sharp edge concealed, he offered a hand to the fallen Ji Yaoran. He personally taught him how to navigate the business world and shed his pampered ways, helping him rebuild the family business from rock bottom.
In his crumbling world, Ji Yaoran finally saw how strong and resilient this man was, and found himself falling for him against his will. But their love had been a regret born of crossed wires from the very beginning:
When Jiang Yan looked up to him, Ji Yaoran's eyes were full of disdain. By the time Ji Yaoran gave his heart, Jiang Yan had already been soaked through with pain, left with nothing but numbness and resilience.
The gulf between their social classes and the years that put them out of sync made their love come too late and hurt too much. The past they could never overcome would ultimately trap these two men at opposite ends of fate.
