A Lover Before It's Too Late

The penniless senior he once supported is now the client holding his company’s lifeline!

Zhou Licheng is a handsome guy who just can't catch a break. A family crisis dragged him away from his carefree life overseas and forced him to rush home to take over his struggling family business.

At his first business dinner, he ran into his senior from university, Ye Lan.

Ye Lan had once spent Zhou Licheng's money, lived in his house, and then stolen his girlfriend. Five years later, Ye Lan had shed his former impoverished image and become an industry heavyweight.

Sitting in the seat of honor, he swirled his wineglass and said with a teasing smile, "Then how about singing us a song, Mr. Zhou? Liven things up."

Zhou Licheng gritted his teeth. "I'll sing."

For the sake of the company and his father, he drank with clients, put on a smile, and came whenever he was called. He was less a boss than Ye Lan's lackey.

It wasn't until they traveled to Africa for a business trip that Ye Lan seemed to become a different person. He brought lunch when Zhou Licheng was nearly fainting from hunger, left soothing tea outside his door when he couldn't sleep, and discreetly offered advice at the negotiating table.

After fifteen days together, never apart for a moment, Zhou Licheng almost forgot their old grievances.

He couldn't tell if these tender gestures were the prelude to revenge or a genuine attempt to reach out, but he was already growing addicted to them.

Back in Nancheng, a secret kiss one night completely threw Zhou Licheng's heart into disarray.

Ye Lan looked at him with watery eyes. "Xiao Zhou, I really like you. Could you give me a chance?"

Zhou Licheng's heart raced, but he stubbornly put up a front. "I'll give you a three-month trial period. Let's see how you do."

Ye Lan smiled and nodded. From then on, he indulged Zhou Licheng in every little thing.

But eventually, after getting drunk, Zhou Licheng blurted out, "If Ye Lan weren't Baisai's vice president, why would I be with him?"

Only then did Ye Lan come to his senses: the love he'd long hoped for had been nothing but wishful thinking.

His eyes bloodshot, he shoved away the man he'd loved since they were young and left for a faraway place.

Zhou Licheng caught up with him, clinging to his sleeve with tears in his eyes. His voice was hoarse. "Senior... could you give me one more chance? Please."

But can a broken heart really be mended by a single "please"?

[Sharp-Tongued but Softhearted Bottom x Devoted, Restraint-Driven Older Top]

In this tangled romance, you'll find:

An intense push-and-pull for the main couple; a sweet and loving side couple;

a gloomy, ghostlike second male lead; and an adorable, fiery younger brother.

And Zhou Licheng, who goes from stubborn denial to falling hard. He's pitiable and exasperating, but deserves to be loved.

* Realistic setting, somewhat slow-paced.

* Flawed characters.

Blurb for the new novel, Misaligned:

Reunited after a breakup / Ex-chasing crematorium / Rented-room literature

Arthouse film director gong (scheming, flirtatious) x B&B owner shou (sincere, sunny)

When he sees his ex-boyfriend again, the man has become an internationally renowned director, while He Yu is a mess, having just crawled out of the sands of Hexi.

The sandstorm stings his eyes. He puts on his sunglasses and runs.

When he gets to his B&B, he discovers that the high-profile tenant his staff have been talking about is none other than his college sweetheart, Qin Xiao.

Back then, He Yu had chased after him shamelessly, but it hadn't ended well.

Five years later, He Yu has learned his lesson. He collects the room fee and keeps out of Qin Xiao's way whenever he can.

But the man who once tossed him aside like garbage has suddenly changed. When He Yu goes out to scout locations, Director Qin quietly follows his car. When He Yu cooks at the inn, Director Qin washes up and makes the meal. When He Yu goes out to watch the stars, Qin Xiao has to come stand beside him and ask, "Are you cold?"

He Yu is horrified, and the faint scar on his face starts to ache again.

At last, unable to stand it, he snaps, "Are you possessed or something?"

Qin Xiao's eyes turn lonely. "Can we get back together?"

He used to be a top finance student at Haida University, the singing champion of the Southeast region, and a handsome man who turned heads. Qin Xiao, on the other hand, was an artsy young man who'd dropped out to pursue his dreams, so poor he could only afford a basement room, and yet he wouldn't even spare He Yu a glance.

Now He Yu has nothing, and Qin Xiao has found success and won't leave him alone?

He Yu looks at him in alarm. "I have no money, no looks, and no connections. What are you trying to trick me into now?"

Back in 2008, He Yu was a freshman, a reckless young man brimming with passion. He hid his identity and sang at a bar. There, he met Qin Xiao, a mysterious, pretentious artsy type: a handsome man who was gentle and doting, yet lived in poverty. He Yu fell head over heels and plunged into his first love, unable to climb back out.

Time passed. Their youth slipped away in a blur. As graduation approached, reality could no longer be ignored. Only then did He Yu understand what Qin Xiao's indulgence had always meant:

He didn't care. He wouldn't take responsibility. He wouldn't commit...

All so he could say, as they parted, "You chose this yourself, didn't you?"

On a rainy night in Haicheng, He Yu was working hard to secure his future when his life hung by a thread. Then he saw Qin Xiao walking by with someone else, wearing a smile He'd never seen before.

Qin Xiao's angry, decisive words from a few days earlier rang in his ears: "Get lost. From now on, whether you live or die has nothing to do with me!"

He Yu's cry for help caught in his throat. He could never again call the name he loved so much. A flash of a blade, and he realized he wouldn't escape tonight. It had been fated from the moment he met Qin Xiao...

But he didn't know that Qin Xiao had smiled because, for the first time in days, someone had mentioned He Yu to him. He'd said:

"It's probably for the best that Xiao He left. I'm not good enough for him."

* A realistic story about youth and dreams, love and not being loved.

* Flashbacks interwoven throughout.

* Flawed characters.

* Includes a little showbiz, all fictional.

The novel is expected to start around September 20!

If you're interested, please add it to your collection~ Thank you!!

Theme: True affection is precious. Treat each other with honesty.