A Wandering Snail Kisses the Rain-Soaked River

Xu Hehuan (programmer) x Chi Xingwei (lawyer)

A brave, scheming puppy x a devoted, stubborn, sweet kid

The first time Xu Hehuan saw Chi Xingwei at college, she thought she was an easy-to-read little fool.

Every emotion was written in her eyes, and she thought she was doing a great job hiding them.

At Christmas, Xu gave her an apple. Chi clearly hated it, but squeezed her eyes shut and forced it down. When Xu tried to stop her, the girl only took even bigger bites.

In just a few bites, she had eaten the whole thing, leaving nothing but a bare core.

After they got together, Christmas came around again. Before a certain someone could even open her mouth, Xu wolfed down two big apples in one go. Silly girl, Xu could eat them for her.

After all, they would be together forever. Santa would only have to make one trip to bring presents for both of them, right?

Later, Xu Hehuan finally realized she had never understood Chi Xingwei at all. Everything had been nothing but wishful thinking on her part.

Why was the one time she took the initiative to break up with Xu?

Why had all that love turned out to be fake?

Far from home, in another country, Christmas came around again.

Xu Hehuan ate two apples as usual.

Had even her dislike of apples been an act?

Xu wondered bitterly.

Chi had blocked every way to contact her when they broke up, but Xu could save up for a plane ticket.

What did a first love amount to? They had never even held hands, while Xu and Chi had been together for years.

Wait, Chi hadn't lied, had she? Had they held hands after all?

Wicked woman.

If Chi showed even the slightest sign of heartbreak or regret, Xu Hehuan would give herself one more chance to reach out and win her back.

But clearly, she didn't. The wicked girl looked much more carefree and happy than before.

Had that little island appeared? Damn it, how had Chi hidden it so well? Xu had never run into her there, not even once.

Later still, no matter which train ticket Xu bought, she couldn't find Chi Xingwei.

Could someone please tell her how a living, breathing person could simply vanish from the face of the earth?

Standing before Chi's gravestone in the cemetery, Xu Hehuan looked at the huge platter of bright red apples in front of her and laughed in spite of herself.

You said you didn't need me. So why did you die?

How could you...

My ex-wife's little sister, I don't want anything anymore. Please, just stay alive, okay?

-

In countless midnight dreams in Country A, Xu Hehuan would always revisit that brief summer in her mother-in-law's hometown.

By the pond, the breeze lifted Chi Xingwei's orange hair and the ribbon on her straw hat.

The reeds swayed as she earnestly scratched at a mosquito bite on her cheek.

As if possessed, Xu moved her wrist aside and leaned in to lick the bite.

She was just about to say, "Grandma says saliva can stop the itching," when she saw Chi freeze in place, smiling with deep little cat-like creases. "I just put on some mosquito repellent."

Oh, no wonder it tasted bitter.

Just like now.

[Reading Tips]

1. College life in the early chapters, workplace life later on. A slow-burn, everyday-life story.

2. AG. A story about girls growing up, but not an all-female world. The main characters and characters whose genders aren't specified are all women, with male extras in minor roles.

3. Bittersweet, with a true happy ending.

4. All reasonable criticism is welcome. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions. I look forward to your reading and comments.

5. Blurb written on 2026.01.14, revised on 2026.03.07.

6. Mostly pure romance, occasionally twisted.

7. I'm terrible at writing blurbs, T_T, but I'm working hard to improve.

Premise: Pain should not be used as a weight on the scales.