I See a Sunny Day

The story is complete. My next book is Old Dreams Out of Reach.

When they first meet, Jiang Qiwang guesses who Li Jiang is without needing an introduction. Her features resemble those of the man in a photograph his mother treasured, so his first impression of her is poor. For a long time, he treats her with cold indifference.

But he never expects that, on the night he is caught in a fire, Li Jiang will risk everything to smash open the door and carry him out.

As for Li Jiang, she is fostered by the Jiang family and initially hopes only to get along peacefully with Jiang Qiwang. Later, she secretly falls for him, never imagining that one day he will say to her, "I like you. Don't tell me you can't feel it."

The first time Chen Wei disciplines Jiang Qiwang is because he causes Li Jiang to sprain her ankle.

The second time is when she hears him call Li Jiang "wife."

"How far have you two gone?"

"We've done everything there is to do."

Chen Wei slaps him across the face.

They part on a rainy day. Li Jiang holds an umbrella and smiles with easy grace. "If it was a mistake, then let's leave it in the past. I wish you all the best in your career and hope you become an even better person."

Jiang Qiwang looks at her without blinking. A moment later, he gives an equally faint smile. "You're right. People have to look ahead. I hope everything goes well for you, and that your life only gets better."

-

Their reunion is an accident. In a dim hotel corridor, their eyes meet without warning.

That one glance spans six years.

Li Jiang was the one who asked for the breakup. Now Jiang Qiwang treats her like a stranger.

Feeling guilty, Li Jiang decides to play along and act as if they've never met. But when she turns around, he blocks her at the stairwell. "Long time no see. Want to talk?"

They sit face-to-face. Li Jiang sees a ring on Jiang Qiwang's left ring finger, its brilliant gleam stinging her eyes.

Noticing her look, Jiang Qiwang says calmly, "Not much has changed in the past six years. I just got engaged."

Li Jiang pauses. "...That's good. I wish you happiness."

"Thanks. You said that six years ago, too."

Their reunion after six years ends with Li Jiang hurrying away in disarray. She doesn't know that, as she walks off, the man behind her is looking at her with a possessive intensity, almost madness in his eyes...

[Bonus Scene]

On a noisy afternoon filled with cicadas, the fragrant smell of braised pork ribs drifts up from downstairs.

On the second-floor balcony, Jiang Qiwang, driven wild with desire, traps Li Jiang in a corner and kisses her until she can hardly breathe. The girl rumored to be his "blind date" is right next door, and is about to come out...

Terrified, Li Jiang bites him in a panic. Jiang Qiwang stops in pain and carries her back into the room before the person next door can come out.

Only after he's taken all he wants does he gaze at her in silence. "Li Jiang, I don't need your guilt. Think carefully about what I do need."

Happy ending, first loves for both, no actual engagement. It was fake. The leads only ever have each other.

--- Next book: Old Dreams Out of Reach ---

[Coming in June]

Five years after their breakup, Qiao Yinmeng runs into Jiang Chengzhou in a hotel elevator. Now the head of the Jiang family, he is cold, dignified, and untouchable, with the rumored girlfriend standing beside him. His gaze passes over Qiao Yinmeng without a flicker of recognition.

When his friends hear about it, they advise Jiang Chengzhou to stay away from Qiao Yinmeng and not forget how she dumped him. Jiang Chengzhou says coldly, "I won't make the same mistake twice."

But then news breaks that Qiao Yinmeng is about to marry into the Su family, and Jiang Chengzhou, usually so calm and restrained, can no longer stay composed. He finds Qiao Yinmeng and holds her captive in his arms. "Why did you say yes?"

Qiao Yinmeng smiles as if nothing could touch her. "Because he can give me what I want."

Jiang Chengzhou answers at once, "Call off the engagement. Whatever he can give you, I can give you too."

Qiao Yinmeng looks straight at him. "Anything?"

Jiang Chengzhou: "Anything you want."

"All right." Qiao Yinmeng says without hesitation, "I want you."

Jiang Chengzhou is determined not to let Qiao Yinmeng leave him again this time. Whether they love or hate each other, they are meant to be entangled for the rest of their lives. But a twist of fate keeps him from receiving Qiao Yinmeng's call, and that night, as he holds her in his arms, her blood stains his hands through the thin white fabric...

-

"Qiao Yinmeng, the big star? You know who she is, right? As it happens, I gave her a ride once," the taxi driver says as he drives.

The man in the back seat is cold and dignified. His voice is indifferent. "I don't know her."

The driver continues, "She wasn't famous back then. I don't know what happened, but she just started crying in the car."

The man pauses. "When was this?"

"Two years ago. That day... I remember now. Yes, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon was just like it is tonight, bright and round. She sat right where you are and cried her heart out."

The man's throat tightens. "Why was she crying?"

"I asked her that too. At first, she just shook her head. Later, she said it was her lover's birthday, but they'd been apart for a long time."

The man's hands at his sides tremble slightly. His thoughts drift back to this day five years ago. They hadn't broken up yet. She sat on his lap, arms around his neck, smiling brightly. "Happy birthday, Jiang Chengzhou."

Theme: After weathering the storm, the sun will shine again.