A Weary Bird Returns to Its Nest [Staying Over]

[Career-minded ballerina] × [Love-struck ice-cold CEO]

Both are each other's only partners. Second chance romance, and even the best horse likes to return to its old pasture.

After graduating from high school, Jin Shuran moved to the capital by herself to attend university. Her uncle arranged for her to stay with the Meng family.

Over the four years of college, Jin Shuran secretly dated Meng Yanzhi, the eldest grandson of the Meng family, for three years. They kissed recklessly in secluded corners of the house and danced to their hearts' content in the glow of the setting sun by the sea.

In their most passionate moments, Meng Yanzhi asked again and again, "A Ran, can we make our relationship public? I want to hold your hand openly in front of my parents."

But every time, Jin Shuran brushed him off with one excuse or another.

Just before graduation, Meng Yanzhi prepared a grand proposal ceremony. But the heroine never showed up, and he was hit with a sudden, brutal breakup.

At twenty-two, Jin Shuran decisively moved out of the Meng household and went abroad. She became the principal ballerina of an internationally renowned dance company. Her debut performance was an instant sensation, earning widespread acclaim. She embarked on a tour across several countries and became a rising star in the ballet world.

At twenty-nine, Jin Shuran broke her left leg in a car accident. Old injuries that had accumulated over the years in her ankle and knee flared up, making it impossible for her to perform onstage again.

The career she had pursued all her life was abruptly taken from her. A newcomer replaced her as principal, and she was dropped from the tour entirely. One setback after another left Jin Shuran in agony. She began binge eating and drinking, getting completely drunk for the first time in an attempt to escape her pain.

In the dim bar, Jin Shuran leaned against the counter. Drunk, she nearly fell off her barstool several times.

That night, the weary bird whose wings had been broken after seven years of soaring was brought back to the familiar nest once more.

Holding the engagement ring she had accidentally found in the bedside table, Jin Shuran asked softly, "Does this ring still mean what it did before?"

Meng Yanzhi's face was cold, but his voice trembled. "Jin Shuran, what makes you think I'd foolishly wait for you for the rest of my life?"

Meng Yanzhi and Jin Shuran's wedding was grand and lavish. Seeing the two of them so intimate, the Meng family sighed with relief. "We thought Yanzhi would be alone for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that after all their twists and turns, he would still choose Shuran?"

With her lover's devoted care, Jin Shuran made excellent progress in rehabilitation. Once she was able to return to the stage, she invited her husband to watch her perform.

Jin Shuran nestled against Meng Yanzhi, tugging on his tie coquettishly. "You'll come, right?"

Meng Yanzhi remained expressionless, his eyes never leaving the documents. His tone was indifferent. "We'll see."

That evening, Meng Yanzhi appeared on time in the front row of the audience, holding a bouquet of Jin Shuran's favorite lilies. Just as he had at every performance over the past seven years, he sat below the stage and watched attentively. He had never missed one.

Note:

1. Both leads have only ever been with each other.

2. Both leads have their own ambitions. At different points in life, their priorities will change, and they will hesitate, regret things, and suffer. Neither is perfect.

3. The male lead loves her deeply and keeps abandoning his principles for her. He's completely love-struck.

Theme: Someone who loves you will love you thousands upon thousands of times.