Nine Tales of Time [Rekindled Love]

Mutual pining + second chance after a breakup | The powerful one bows his head

Bookish, socially anxious beauty × gentle, devoted tycoon

Two photos hang side by side in the display case at Mingli High School.

Xiao Yu, the top science student, is the school's star, surrounded by admirers and every bit the gifted golden boy.

Gu Wan, the top humanities student, is cool and quiet, always on her own, and only visible on the rankings board.

They have no connection. On Mingli's gossip forum, Gu Wan never appears among the options in polls for Xiao Yu's most popular couple pairing.

But in a music room outside school, Xiao Yu reverently picks up the rabbit plushie Gu Wan has dropped. His usually composed features are marked by scorching, possessive desire. His long fingers slowly stroke the plushie's soft, snow-white fur, savoring the lingering thrill of having just touched her skin.

A sudden upheaval sends the golden boy tumbling from his pedestal and grinding him into the dust for her sake.

Eight years later, they meet again at their school's anniversary ceremony.

Xiao Yu is now a rising mogul, still carrying himself with the same innate, elegant air that Gu Wan has never been able to forget.

She hears he's about to marry his celebrity girlfriend. In the crowd, Gu Wan graciously congratulates him too. He smiles at her and raises his glass, but his gaze falls on the diamond ring on her left ring finger. His grip on the wineglass suddenly tightens, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Gu Wan thought seeing him once was already more than she could ask for. She doesn't expect him to keep running into her afterward, always appearing just when she needs someone to fill the gaps left by her never-home "husband."

But she's no longer the girl who once kept charging ahead until she hit a wall. She no longer has the courage to turn everyone against her for the sake of love.

One late night, on a dim street corner, inside a stretch limousine, she's still wearing her pajamas as she's pinned between the seats. The man whom all of Yun City treats as an honored guest kneels at her knees, his eyes hazy and alluring. He takes the hand bearing her diamond ring and kisses it, each kiss growing bolder.

"I'm more handsome than him, more obedient than him, and I don't care about having a title.

Please, don't throw me away."

Reader's Guide:

SC/1v1/HE. The male lead is completely devoted to the female lead. The female rival is part of a misunderstanding. The female lead's "husband" is a character in a romance game she created based on the male lead.

A sweet little story next door: What If He's Platonic?

Secret crush from the male lead | Reunion after years apart | Sweet romance

Bright secretary × cold, chaste CEO | The aloof CEO falls from his pedestal and washes underwear for love

1.

Tong Xiaoyan's deskmate in high school had a nasty temper and a sharp tongue. What a waste of a face that looked like Nuwa's graduation project.

Even worse, he was frail and sickly. One day, the desk and chair beside her suddenly sat empty, and afterward she would tell anyone who'd listen that life was precious and nothing lasted forever.

Years later, during a job interview, she discovers that the young Mr. Feng sitting among the interviewers is her "resurrected" deskmate.

After becoming Feng Lin's secretary, Xiaoyan is on tenterhooks, afraid of triggering the 2.0 version of his sharp-tongued System. She even wakes up in the middle of the night to wail, "Why on earth did he hire me?"

Someone pulls her back into his arms from behind. His voice is grouchy from being woken up: "You're my ex. You're useful."

Xiaoyan spots the problem and quickly shakes him awake. "Did you mistake me for someone else? We never dated."

Feng Lin gives her a grumpy, just-woke-up stare. "I'm not your ex? You've been telling everyone I'm dead?"

So that's what he's been holding a grudge over. That's why he's been making her "work overtime" every night!

2.

After the "What if XX is platonic?" meme goes viral, Feng Lin, Yun City's most talked-about cold-faced young gentleman, is unfortunately widely assumed to be the real deal.

The next day, Feng Lin gives an interview and makes a show of casually revealing the wedding ring on his left ring finger.

Everyone: "?!"

Afterward, Secretary Tong confirms that he's married. Asked about the "platonic" rumors, Secretary Tong says, "That's a rumor. Don't believe it!"

Some curious people notice that a ring has mysteriously appeared on Secretary Tong's left ring finger too. She also seems to have lower back pain, rubbing her back whenever there's a break in the interview.

Everyone: "? I think we know what's going on!"

Bonus Scene:

One day, Tong's secret account gets exposed. It's full of handsome men dancing, little boys wiggling their hips, and all sorts of shameless comments from her.

So the proper Secretary Tong is like this in private!

Everyone "condemns" her while enthusiastically checking out her account.

The commotion grows until it reaches the CEO's ears. He summons Secretary Tong to his office, and soon the sound of things crashing to the floor comes from inside.

Everyone starts worrying for Secretary Tong. A while later, the CEO's long-dormant account posts a single line:

"I am Qing."

Theme: Love is the foundation of all my virtues