The Spoiled Darling Storms the Northwest, and the Austerely Handsome Engineer Gu Loses Control

[Period setting + Northwest China + An old flame rekindled + Fatherly, aloof genius researcher vs. dazzling, flirtatious little vixen]

When the Shen family falls into trouble, her parents send their just-turned-nineteen-year-old darling, Shen Xingwan, to the Gobi Desert in the far northwest in the middle of the night, entrusting her to their younger brother's sworn friend, Gu Qingzhou, chief engineer at the Northwest Base.

Gu Qingzhou is a notorious workaholic, cool, abstinent, stern, and old-fashioned. He handles state secrets, and in his early thirties, he has never been with a woman.

Looking at the delicate young woman before him, her eyes red as she calls him "Uncle Gu," Gu Qingzhou furrows his brow and says only, "There are plenty of rules at the base. Don't wander off. My only responsibility is making sure you don't starve."

At first, Gu Qingzhou really does treat her like a younger relative.

He confiscates her dresses and makes her wear thick work clothes. He checks her room on schedule and won't let her be picky about food.

Shen Xingwan thinks she can't go on living like this. This old man is a rock that not even warmth can melt.

If he won't make things easy for her, she won't let him have any peace, either.

When Gu Qingzhou draws blueprints under the lamplight, she props her chin in her hands beside him and blows at him. When he lectures her, she throws herself into his arms with red-rimmed eyes and cries sweetly, "Uncle Gu, my leg hurts. Carry me."

Gu Qingzhou pushes her away every time, but his ears grow redder each time as he mutters, "This is completely improper."

Then, at a social gathering at the base, someone introduces Shen Xingwan to a promising young college student. Smiling, she agrees to meet him.

That night, the usually calm and restrained chief engineer loses control.

He intercepts her on the way back and takes her to his quarters, locking the door behind them. Trapping her between his arms, he says, "You've called me Uncle for months. Did you really think of me as an elder? Tonight, I'll teach you what a man is."