London Without Snow

At eighteen, Jin Shiyue first met Liang Zhiyun at Mayfair.

The lights were dim, and the air shimmered with alcohol. The tall, refined man sat above the crowd, his expression cool and his manners impeccable, like a snowfield beyond the mist, his gaze seeming too distant to reach.

At the time, he was Imperial College's youngest tenured professor and the unspoken heir to Hong Kong's Liang family.

She had just arrived in London, young and quiet, and they should never have crossed paths.

Later, whenever anyone asked, Jin Shiyue would only answer, "We don't know each other very well."

No one knew that just a few hours earlier, she had been in his car.

The night rain hadn't let up. The car windows had fogged over, and London's streetlights blurred in the damp. He gently untangled her hair, pressed his fingertips to the corners of her reddened eyes, and coaxed her softly: "Be good, sweetheart. Relax."

He showered her with care, taught her as she grew up, and gave her special treatment. He let her young heart burn with fervor, but he would never let her ask him for a future together.

When graduation season came, Jin Shiyue was the first to leave.

She deleted his number, canceled her old phone plan, and finally gave up. An occasional dip in status from someone in power was only an act of charity. He would never truly stop for anyone.

*

Everyone who knew Liang Zhiyun said he possessed an old-fashioned elegance that didn't belong to this era.

Born into a prominent family, with an impeccable resume, he had become famous at a young age and always sat high above the clouds.

So when he resigned from his teaching post, everyone thought it was only a matter of time. Academia regretted his departure, his family was pleased, and the public praised him for getting back on track.

No one connected it to a young woman.

Later, on a night of fierce winds and driving rain, the observatory was under a Signal No. 8 typhoon warning.

Someone saw Liang Zhiyun standing outside the old building, cold all over.

Her colleague told him, "Mr. Liang, Miss Jin has already left for the day."

The man brushed the rain from his coat. His expression didn't change as he said calmly, "That's all right. I'll wait a little longer."

Only later did the people around him slowly understand.

He returned to Hong Kong, joined the Liang family business, attended banquets, and met old acquaintances. Not for status or influence.

He was willing to cast aside all his good reputation.

He was only waiting for his moon.

*

Both leads are each other's first and only. This story is full of personal headcanons.

The leads attend different schools and study different subjects and fields. They are not in a teacher-student relationship! There is no academic evaluation relationship between them.

Please don't offer writing advice.

Recommending my other ongoing novel, Villain's Game, a hardcore domineering-dog story.

At the post-race group interview, cameras and microphones were aimed at the F1 ace who had just won the championship.

Incredibly talented and viciously reckless, he was the most fearless madman on the track.

A reporter asked about his private life: "With your intense training schedule, how do you usually relieve stress, God Yan?"

The man smiled casually. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on a gentle, slender figure in the corner.

His voice was languid, inviting speculation. "I go home and spend time with my little sister."

The whole internet praised Second Young Master Yan for being devoted to his sister.

Outside the camera's view, Yu Wanyi went pale.

At eight, she was taken into the Yan family of Jing City as the orphaned daughter of one of their fallen comrades.

By day, she was a pure white camellia, brought up by the eldest son of the Yan family. Gentle, well-mannered, and quiet.

But at night, her bedroom door was left half-open, and the lights were dim.

Yan Sui taught her to keep him company as he held her down, forced her to stay still, and covered her mouth, making her swallow even her cries.

"Shh, if you're afraid someone will hear, bite down." He bit her earlobe and laughed, utterly unrestrained. "Focus. Didn't you say you wanted to help your big brother relieve stress?"

Later, she left without a word, thinking time would be enough to erase a madman's passing whim.

*

On New Year's Eve, heavy rain poured over London.

Yu Wanyi worked late into the night. Across the empty platform, a huge electronic screen showed Yan Sui, fresh from winning a race. The man took off his helmet, a savage, desolate look in his eyes.

Even through the screen, he seemed bristling with menace.

Her phone rang without warning.

A video.

The bedroom was dim. The camera stared silently at her, asleep beneath the covers. From offscreen came the faint click of a lighter.

It was the place where she lived now.

Yu Wanyi's blood ran cold.

Behind her, leather shoes crushed through a puddle.

A wide black umbrella blocked the light above her head. The cold metal casing of a lighter pressed against her cheek and slowly slid downward.

"You were sleeping so soundly, Yiyi. Big brother couldn't bear to wake you."

He laughed softly and hoarsely beside her ear, sick with obsession.

"Hide-and-seek is over."

"You little liar, running off without a word. Now... it's time for your punishment."

*

"Everyone says you're like a glass of plain water, Yiyi. Only I know you're wine brewed just for me."

"I love every tear you shed for me."

Theme: Love and freedom