The Hundredth Thing

Her secret crush comes true | He pursues her in vain | He only wins her back at the very end, after an agonizing pursuit

“That secret crush that should have ended bloomed anew, and the one who should have died was given a new life.”

I.

Chu Jing had thought that the day Lin Yajing arrogantly told her, “He would never like someone like you,” her untimely love for Yue Shutong had already ended in the most devastating way.

But when they met again, he became the one who knew he shouldn't, yet did it anyway.

II.

Yue Shutong's life had always gone smoothly. The greatest hardship he'd ever faced was being rejected over and over by the girl he'd fallen for at first sight.

He swallowed his pride, turned over a new leaf, and stayed by her side as she slowly emerged from the shadows.

Even if she used him up and tossed him aside, even if their relationship had no name, he was willing.

As long as he was the only one in the running.

But could someone tell him, who was this mysterious savior who'd appeared out of nowhere?

Someone who had silently loved Chu Jing for four years, saved her, and given her a second chance to choose.

His feelings were no less deep, and his debt of gratitude ran deeper still.

At last, he understood that being the first to fall in love didn't necessarily mean losing. After all, the two years when Chu Jing loved him first had become a chasm he could never cross.

Reader's Guide:

1. The male lead has an ex-girlfriend, but she won't be described in detail. Please skip this if that bothers you.

2. The female lead once suffered from depression and has some flaws in her personality, but she will get better.

Secretly in love with her | Long-planned pursuit | Mutual devotion | Gentle, scheming photographer male lead × slow-to-warm, chatty programmer female lead (Starts in July, please add it to your favorites)

“She thought their first meeting was their first meeting, but it was actually a long-planned reunion after years apart.”

I.

Autumn rain fell endlessly over Rongcheng. By the window of Class Three, there was always a girl gazing at the rain with a distant expression.

Meng Hesong often wanted to ask her, “Do you dislike rainy days?” Was it because her name had the character for rain in it?

“Why do you always keep your head down? Why not smile more?” She looked so lovely when she smiled!

But though the school radio station played “Only Memory” over and over, he never once went up to talk to her.

In the seventh year of his love for her, he defied his family's objections and went to Nancheng to open a photography studio, naming it “Only Memory.”

This time, he came prepared, taking it slowly and carefully, all for her alone.

II.

Lin Muyun discovered a secret about Meng Hesong.

The Meng Hesong idolized by the Class of 2016 at Rongcheng No. 2 High School wasn't the crybaby she'd thought he was?

She'd assumed he simply cried easily, but it turned out that whenever his emotions ran high, he cried!

So he even cried when he was overwhelmed with pleasure?

The first time they were together, he braced his lean arms on either side of her. Frowning and gritting his teeth as he held back, he gently covered her eyes and whispered hoarsely in her ear, “Mumu, don't look at me.”

Lin Muyun thought he was afraid she'd see his helpless expression as he lost himself in his feelings.

But she didn't expect warm, wet droplets to fall one by one onto her chest.

She knew it wasn't sweat. It was tears!

Afterward, while he slept, she stared at his profile and typed into the search bar: “Is a condition that makes you cry uncontrollably an illness? Does it need treatment?”

Little Scene:

One of Meng Hesong's tricks for winning her heart:

After watching Your Name, as they left the theater, Meng Hesong pondered for a moment before suddenly asking her, “What did Taki write in Mitsuha's palm? His own name?”

Lin Muyun blurted out, “Suki da.”

Then, apparently worried he wouldn't understand, she repeated it in Chinese: “It means, ‘I like you.’”

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the man in front of her curl his lips into a smug, satisfied smile, as if his plan had worked. “Mm. Got it.”

Only after Meng Hesong's figure disappeared around the corner did it dawn on her that she might have fallen for his trick.

Reader's Guide:

1. The male lead has secretly loved the female lead for seven years and has been carefully planning his pursuit.

2. Both leads are each other's first love. The female lead liked the second male lead in high school, but they never got together.

3. The male lead cries easily because he has a condition that makes him cry whenever he gets emotional, so he cries during certain activities too (cue the doge meme).

Theme: Keep saving yourself from danger, over and over, and become your own light