Starts November 15
Childhood friends | School to city life | Mutual secret crushes | Happy ending
Tearful sweetheart vs. cocky, obnoxious cool guy
Tu Hua has had a problem since she was little: whenever she gets emotional, the tears just won't stop. Tan Yao has teased her about it plenty of times.
He snatched half her pineapple bun. She glared at him, cheeks puffed with anger, but when tears started to well up, Tan Yao bit into his bread and warned her, “Cry again, and you won't get the other half either.”
“I... I'll tell your dad you're bullying me!”
“Then I'll tell the whole class that Tu Xiaohua is a crybaby~”
She could only force her tears back, silently vowing not to speak to him for the rest of the day.
At first, Tan Yao only liked stealing her snacks, taking sips of her drinks, and deliberately making her cry.
Later, he started pinching her cheeks and messing up her hair from time to time, teasing her without restraint. “Why do you blush so much you could cry whenever you see your big brother Yao?”
Rumors spread around school that Tan Yao liked Tu Hua. Even his friends teased him, asking if he really had feelings for the little tagalong who was always following him around. The boy's lips curled slightly, his air of careless arrogance unmistakable. “Who likes her? She's just a crybaby.”
Tu Hua heard every word from around the corner and ran off.
After that, Tu Hua moved away and transferred schools. The two never saw each other again.
-
Time flew by, and they met again four years later.
That day, the rain was pouring. Tu Hua had just left her part-time job and was running through puddles to the bus stop. Mud splattered onto the hem of her long skirt.
The night was dark. The lights on the bus stop sign flickered, and a chill crept from her ankles up her back as she waited, shivering.
What arrived wasn't a bus, but a limited-edition supercar.
The window rolled down, and a man's face appeared before her eyes. The youthful innocence of the past was gone, replaced by maturity and composure.
In an instant, she froze in place. Her breathing grew ragged, and her eyes reddened.
Tan Yao, in the driver's seat, toyed with his keychain. His eyes were deep, his expression unreadable. “Are you about to get so excited you cry again?”
That night, she had no idea what had come over her, but she got into the car. He drove her to her dorm, then blocked her in a shadowy spot by the stairs just as she was about to go up. His voice was hoarse, tinged with tears. “What do I do? I think you've infected me...”
Tu Hua fell silent for half a second. “What?”
Tan Yao tugged at the corner of his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing twice. “I'm a crybaby too.”
-
[Liking you is like sparkling water on a summer day. Twist off the cap, and love comes bubbling out.]
Reader's Guide:
1. The male lead is all bark and no bite, with a sharp tongue. At first, he teases her without realizing it because he thinks she's cute. Later, he protects her fiercely.
2. There are misunderstandings, but they talk them through.
3. Some details are author-created; don't overthink them.
4. Blurb screenshotted for the record on December 18, 2025.
Theme: I only want to protect you.
