A Faint, Late-Blooming Joy

Novel adaptation of the Red Guo hit short drama Joy Came Late

The celebrated actress Gu Qingyao has kept a secret in her heart for years. Back in college, she confessed her feelings to her French professor, Yan Ze, only to be rejected. Three years later, they end up as neighbors across the hall. The professor, once a model of restraint and propriety, now keeps crossing the line: fixing her pipes, bringing her hot porridge, and holding an umbrella over her in the rain. Gu Qingyao tests him at every turn, and Yan Ze breaks his own rules time and again. She thinks he's only being kind. He thinks she's long since let go of her feelings. Then an accident after a night of drinking sends their relationship spiraling out of control. Yan Ze, do you really like me, or do you just feel responsible for me? After seven years of unrequited love, who will be the first to say those three words?