No. 18 Haitang Street

A free contemporary romance novella, under 100,000 words. A little unhinged, a little sweet, and a little heartwarming. Here's a little Spring Festival gift for you! If you like it, please follow Xia Xia's author page. Free short stories will drop from time to time in the future =3=

1.

Baird High School is the best private school in Nanan City.

Lou Xiang is a scholarship student at Baird and the top contender for the highest score on the college entrance exam.

In everyone's eyes, Lou Xiang may be poor, but she's truly beautiful and clever, and has risen above her humble circumstances without being tainted by them.

Lou Xiang is quite pleased with this image of herself.

One day, a transfer student joins her class.

With a face that's the very picture of irresistible beauty, the new student lazily pokes the back of her chair with a pen and asks with a grin, "Queen of Haitang Street, got a question for you."

2.

While Lou Xiang's father, Lou Xiao, was alive, Lou Xiang was the second-in-command of Haitang Street.

Her dainty little fists could beat anyone in the world.

She gave herself a title: "Queen of Haitang Street."

After Lou Xiao died, Lou Xiang had to give up her old ways to support her family.

She got into Baird High School with the highest score, becoming the most highly awarded scholarship student in the school's history.

On the first day of senior year, Lou Xiang discovers that the transfer student in her class has become her new upstairs neighbor.

The new neighbor is homeless, dead broke, and has a touch of delusion: he spends all day imagining that his family owns a mine he'll inherit.

Lou Xiang smiles politely. "As long as you don't ask me for money, you're a good classmate and neighbor."

Zong Che, who has a mine to inherit: ...

3.

Lou Xiang's biggest dream is to become a lazy heiress living off compensation from a demolition.

Her notebook has a special section devoted to the demolition-compensation recipients who are making waves these days: the unassuming cleaner at a certain bank, the old man who can't sleep unless he's out selling steamed buns, and the security guard at a certain factory who has a crush on the factory's prettiest flower but is too shy to say a word...

Zong Che, who accidentally flips through it: ...

The boy glances at the girl, bent over her homework, and asks lazily, "Lou Xiang, want me to make your dream come true? I actually have a little spending money..."

Lou Xiang slaps a pile of workbooks down in front of him. "Are you having another episode? If you've got nothing to do, work through a few more sets of problems! Don't tell me you know me if you can't even get into a second-tier university!"

Zong Che, back from taking a leave of absence from Harvard to repeat his senior year: ...

Later, Zong Che really does make Lou Xiang's dream come true.

-

Before coming to Haitang Street, Zong Che was the sole heir to the Zong family, a young master who looked down his nose at everyone and listened only to Britpop.

After arriving in Haitang Street, Zong Che got the nickname "A Qiang." And every year, he has to sing "A Zhen Fell in Love with A Qiang" for a certain queen.

[The cockiest young master VS the poorest queen, who can put on an act better than anyone]

[The future domineering CEO's down-to-earth youth. Fans of Wu Tiao Ren, you're in for a treat.]

Reader's guide: A sweet romance, an inspirational story, and a goofy comedy (as the author describes it). Xia Xia has been writing long novels until her eyes turned green, so this is her unhinged work, written for herself and her readers.

Blurb written on 12/08/2025

Theme: Ah, youth