Scoundrel’s Game

At eight years old, Yu Wanyi was taken in by the illustrious Yan family of the capital as the orphaned daughter of her parents’ comrade-in-arms. Everyone praised her as gentle and well-mannered, a pure white camellia raised by the Yan family’s eldest son, Yan Tingyun. Only Yan Sui refused to buy it. The top ace on the F1 circuit, he was 190 centimeters tall, with lean, powerful muscles honed by years of intense training. He was extraordinarily gifted, violent, and untamed. Yet the world insisted that Second Young Master Yan was an obedient, devoted brother. After a race, a reporter asked with a smile, “For top drivers like you, who put your lives on the line, how do you usually relieve stress?” He looked at Yu Wanyi with a smile, his voice languid. “I go home and spend time with my family.” The whole internet praised their close sibling bond. Only Yu Wanyi went pale. What did spending time with her mean? Holding her down, pinning her in place, gripping her waist, covering her mouth so she had to swallow her sobs. “Shh. If you’re afraid someone will hear, grit your teeth.” The bedroom door was half closed. The man wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye, smiling with unrestrained abandon. “Focus. Help your big brother unwind.” Later, she left without a word, believing enough time would put an end to a madman’s passing whim. ＊ New Year’s Eve, pouring rain in London. Yu Wanyi worked late into the night. Across the empty platform, a giant screen replayed the season finale. The man who had won the season’s Drivers’ Championship removed his helmet, his black hair damp with sweat, his eyes filled with cold, savage desolation. Even through the screen, he seemed bristling with menace. Her phone rang abruptly. A video. The bedroom was dim, the camera fixed on her sleeping figure. From behind the camera came the faint click of a lighter. It was the place where she lived now. Yu Wanyi’s blood ran cold. Behind her, dress shoes crushed through a puddle. A black umbrella blocked out the sky. The cold metal casing of a lighter pressed against her cheek and slowly slid downward. “Yiyi, you’re sleeping so soundly. Your big brother can’t bear to wake you.” He laughed in a low voice beside her ear, sickly and obsessed. “Hide-and-seek is over.” “You little liar who ran off without a word. Now… it’s time for your punishment.” ＊ “Everyone says you’re like a glass of plain water, Yiyi. I’m the only one who knows you’re wine brewed just for me.” “I love every tear you shed for me.” ＊ Only each other, one-on-one, happy ending. They were foster siblings, but the leads were never on the same household register. There are other reasons behind what happens after their reunion. The leads obey the law and commit no crimes. Also recommending *London Without Snow* At eighteen, Jin Shiyue met Liang Zhiyun for the first time in Mayfair. The lights were dim, the air swirling with the scent of alcohol. The tall, elegant man sat above them, his expression detached and his manners impeccable, like snow glimpsed through mist, his gaze so lofty it seemed beyond reach. At the time, he was Imperial College’s youngest tenured professor and the heir apparent to Hong Kong’s Liang family. She had only just arrived in London, young and quiet, and should never have crossed paths with him. Later, when asked about him, Jin Shiyue always gave the same answer: “We’re not that close.” No one knew that just hours earlier, she had been in his car. The night rain had not let up. The windows fogged, and London’s streetlights blurred in the damp. He gently untangled her hair, pressed his fingertips to the reddened corners of her eyes, and coaxed her softly, “Good girl, relax.” He cared for her generously, taught her as she grew up, and gave her his special affection. He let her burn with the fervor of youthful feelings, but there was one thing he would never give her: a promise of a future together. When graduation season came, Jin Shiyue was the one who left first. She deleted his number, canceled her old SIM card, and finally admitted defeat. When someone in power occasionally lowered his head, it was only a favor. He would never truly stay for anyone. ＊ Everyone who knew Liang Zhiyun said he had an old-fashioned grace that belonged to another era. Born into a prominent family, with an impeccable record, he had made a name for himself at a young age and always remained far above the crowd. So when he resigned from his teaching post, everyone thought it had been inevitable. The academic world lamented, his family approved, and the public praised him for returning to the right path. No one connected it to a young woman. Later, on a night of fierce winds and heavy rain, the observatory raised a No. 8 typhoon signal. Someone saw Liang Zhiyun standing outside the old building, chilled to the bone. Her colleague told him, “Mr. Liang, Miss Jin has already left for the day.” He brushed the rain from his coat, his expression unchanged, and said calmly, “That’s all right. I’ll wait a little longer.” Only later did people slowly understand. He had returned to Hong Kong, joined the Liang family business, attended banquets, and met old acquaintances. Not for advancement, nor for prestige. He would give up every last bit of his good name. All to wait for his moon. Theme: Love and freedom