The Dizzying Sea

"I need an embrace as sure as the wind,

and a kiss like the sea." - Luis Cernuda

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Mutual pining | Reconciliation after a breakup | College memories

Independent, self-reliant heroine vs. devoted male lead with a surprising side

If you asked what Xu Nianhe and Xiang Chen were to each other in college,

the answer would be a kiss that almost happened.

In the dimly lit campus, they weathered many sleepless nights side by side. Even the tedious work of coding and tuning models felt easier with each other's company.

Looking into Xu Nianhe's eyes, which seemed to hold a pool of soft moonlight, Xiang Chen believed there was no reason to doubt their future together.

Then everything changed. Xiang Chen was caught up in a scandal over taking a coveted spot in an important competition away from Xu Nianhe's team. A sudden upheaval in her family also forced Xu Nianhe out of the university's ivory tower to struggle alone for a living and fight for her future. In her classmates' eyes, she became cold and distant.

Worried about where she would find money for next month's living expenses, she had no room to care for a love that was only just beginning to bloom.

Years later, they meet again at a class reunion on an island.

Someone suggests a boy-girl pairing game, and men and women who are in love or had feelings for each other back in college pair up hand in hand.

Watching Xiang Chen talk to another girl, Xu Nianhe, prompted by an emotion she couldn't name, takes his car keys and casually says she has to leave.

A little knitted fish hangs from the key ring.

Xu Nianhe lowers her eyes and thinks, His girlfriend must have given that to him. Then come after me and take back your girlfriend's gift. Do one good deed for me and let me escape this unbearable memory.

As she wanders aimlessly along the shore, an unexpected tsunami suddenly strikes.

In the churning sea, Xu Nianhe sees Xiang Chen rushing desperately toward her.

Then, in a small corner untouched by the tsunami or the noise, Xu Nianhe hears a confession she will never forget for the rest of her life.

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Reader's Notes:

* Both leads have only ever loved each other, and this is each one's first love. The male lead has not dated anyone during their separation; that was a misunderstanding.

* The heroine took part in a career-focused dating reality show. The story opens after filming and its broadcast have ended. There are no scenes of the heroine flirting with anyone else on the show.

* Because she appeared on a variety show, the heroine is something of an online celebrity, but showbiz content appears no more than twice.

Theme: Good love is never too late