The Scrap Collector and His Legal Eagle Girlfriend

Reason has its limits, until she encounters his collection of "useless" old things.

Shen Xin, a top mergers and acquisitions lawyer, is skilled at evaluating every risk and return, but she can't assess Lin Yan, the owner of a cafe. He guards a room full of "junk": a rusted school badge, a faded old photograph, a bowl of glutinous rice balls in fermented rice wine that feels out of place, and the question, "Life isn't a case. Does it need a closing argument, too?"

When Lin Yan's "fortress of memories" faces demolition, she has no choice but to get involved. On one side are cold, efficient business rules; on the other are the traces of time he's determined to protect. She fights for every inch of space for him at the negotiating table, while he holds up a broken window for her on a stormy night.

Then one day, she realizes that in the meticulously running model of her world, there's already no deleting the variable named "Lin Yan." And what they've reclaimed together is more than old things and space: it's the morning light of a future neither dares to speak of.

This is a story about protection, memory, and love. When two worlds collide fiercely, can they find a place for remembrance amid the ruins?

Theme: On the surface, the novel is about protecting a cafe and a few old things, but in truth it speaks to the precious "useless" things we all carry inside us. Perhaps it's a hobby that brings no profit, an ideal that feels out of place, a somewhat clumsy way of dealing with the world, or a few "slow" habits at odds with the fast pace of life. In Lin Yan and Shen Xin's story, we see how to make room for the "impractical" yet authentic self in a utilitarian world. This is a story of modern romance wrapped around a heartfelt concern for real life. It gently reminds us that life is not an endless round of mergers and valuations. True richness lies in whether we can leave a warm light on for the "old things" and "slow moments" in our lives. And that may be the gentlest and most steadfast way to resist the tide of our times.