Let Love Begin at Sunrise

Bright, sunny sweetheart with a haughty wild-rose streak * broken, loyal tough guy secretly in love, live

Not-quite siblings / rekindled love / path to healing

"I saw a rose

plant herself in hell with her own hands

The rose took root

And then

Hell began to look like heaven"

1

After graduating from high school, Shi Lan went to a class reunion at a karaoke bar.

It was pouring that day. Zhu Yuan didn't know he was busy, so she called and asked him to come pick her up.

She couldn't stop relying on Shi Lan. That dependence had seeped into her bones little by little, becoming almost an instinctive, ingrained habit.

Unfortunately, Shi Lan had accidentally put the call on speaker, and everyone in the room heard her.

His friends' teasing laughter hadn't even died down before they said, "We were going to set you up with someone. Didn't realize you already had a girlfriend."

Shi Lan picked up his coat and put it on. His voice was cool and clear. "She's not my girlfriend." He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice softened with a tenderness no one else had ever heard from him.

"She's the girl I like."

2

The year Shi Lan was in his final year of high school, his father, Shi Antao, was released from prison.

The time bomb finally went off, and his peaceful life was suddenly smashed to pieces.

Shi Antao was like a parasite, feeding on his flesh and blood.

He didn't want Zhu Yuan to see any of that ugliness.

He could only leave.

The sobs on the other end of the phone still lingered. Shi Lan's fingertips turned white as he gripped his phone, his voice so cold it held not a trace of warmth, as if tempered in ice. "Have you finished crying?"

In the brief silence, only Zhu Yuan's soft, choked sobs could be heard.

Shi Lan closed his eyes, suppressing the bitterness churning inside him. Each word was decisive and cruel.

"When you're done crying, hang up."

-

Zhu Yuan never gave up on Shi Lan during the darkest period of his life.

Her fingertips gently brushed the pale pink scar on Shi Lan's wrist, a mark left by a cigarette burn in childhood. It had remained icy cold all these years.

She leaned forward slightly and pressed her warm, soft lips to the scar, like a promise both precious and burning.

Her breath brushed his skin. She looked up at him, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze resolute.

"If you're afraid, don't face it. Let me take you away. Will you?"

-

Several years later.

The evening breeze blew softly, carrying a lazy warmth.

Shi Lan had spent the past month busy with graduation. When he saw Zhu Yuan, the tension in his body finally eased. He walked up to her, bent down, and slowly rested his head on her shoulder.

Because of the difference in their heights, he had to bend over and lower his neck just to lean against her shoulder.

He closed his eyes. A faint sigh escaped his throat, his voice hoarse and dependent. "I'm so tired. Let me lean on you for a bit."

Zhu Yuan stiffened but didn't move. Five seconds later, her voice came out like a thin layer of frost. "Finished leaning?"

Then she turned around without hesitation. "If you're done, let's go."

The next second, she was pulled into a warm embrace. Shi Lan's voice came from above, vibrating against his chest. "Still holding a grudge?"

He hugged her even tighter, shameless as ever. "I'm not letting you go."

3

The first time Shi Lan drank, he passed out immediately.

The next day, Zhu Yuan sat down beside him with a glass of water. Her tone hesitant and tentative, she turned to look at him. After agonizing over it for a long while, she finally asked, "Do you know what you said to me after you got drunk yesterday?"

Shi Lan rubbed his still-heavy temples. His hangover was making him feel awful. His brow furrowed slightly, but his tone remained calm. "No."

"You really don't know?" Zhu Yuan sounded a little disappointed and a little angry.

How could he say it and then just forget? That was so irresponsible!

She'd been ready to ignore him, but then she realized how unfair it would be if she were the only one who remembered what had happened.

So she decided to throw caution to the wind and looked him in the eye. "You said you liked me."

The air went still for two seconds. Shi Lan looked up and met her gaze. Seeing Zhu Yuan's stubborn, earnest expression, he curled his lips as if he'd expected this, showing not the slightest hint of panic. He gave a casual "Oh," his voice tinged with amusement.

"I wasn't drunk yet."

4

It was summer in his memory.

The morning mist had yet to clear, and the salty sea breeze gently stirred the hems of their clothes.

At last, they reached the seaside where they had agreed to meet.

A first ray of golden light pierced the clouds above the horizon. The orange-red sun slowly rose from the sea, and the air was warm.

Shi Lan turned his head, his gaze falling on Zhu Yuan's profile, bright in the morning light.

The sea breeze lifted the girl's hair. She was glowing.

Then the sun came up.

"Let's fall in love," Shi Lan said.

Let love begin at sunrise

Theme: Becoming each other's light