A Bright, Sultry Midsummer

Moody, gloomy girl × older, fatherly man Lu Xunzhi, the founder of Bosheng Technologies, once went through an extremely difficult period in his youth. His friend Zhao Weiming helped him out, using his little sister’s need for tutoring as an excuse. Back then, Zhao Weiqing was only seven. She was the sort of child who had more money than she could ever spend and wanted nothing but more love, yet somehow everyone hated her. His impression of her: she looked obedient and timid, but was actually gloomy and twisted. Precocious and world-weary, she couldn’t stand seeing people smile, so she was stubbornly determined to make them cry. A headache to deal with, but sometimes… someone you couldn’t help but pity. “Don’t be so pessimistic. Once you grow up, everything will get better,” he told her, comforting himself at the same time. “Will it?” she asked without much hope. “What if things don’t get better?” He was at a loss for words. The kid was precocious and didn’t believe in fairy tales. She wouldn’t even pray at temples. But she had no qualms about cursing him: “Lying to a kid will bring you bad karma.” “I’m not lying. Things will get better. If they don’t, come find me then. I’ll be like Aladdin’s magic lamp and grant you three wishes.” At the time, he thought that perhaps he’d be in a position to help her by then. And if he couldn’t, at least he could give her something to hope for now, as repayment for his friend’s kindness. The kid was pretty clever, too. She made him write it down and sign a promissory note. Years later, when Zhao Weiqing came to him with that piece of paper, her eyes held the same vulnerability, gloom, and stubbornness as they had all those years ago. “Growing up is no good at all. Will you marry me? If you say no, I’ll die in your house and become a ghost that haunts you for the rest of your life.” Lu Xunzhi held the yellowed paper and thought, I really shouldn’t have lied to a kid. Now the payback has come. - Later, Zhao Weiming described the relationship between his sister and brother-in-law like this: an evil spirit had been adopted by a saintly father figure. - Reader notes: 1. Ten-year age gap, HE, one-on-one romance. 2. No angst, it’s actually a sweet story about falling in love after marriage. 3. The romance begins when she’s an adult. Coming next: Ripples When Xu Lianyi’s family was desperate, the Xie family gave them a huge sum of money to tide them over. Even though they had paid it back long ago, the Xu family would remember that kindness for the rest of their lives. Their families were worlds apart, and there wasn’t much the Xu family could do for the Xies. Still, every Spring Festival, they would visit a few days early and bring some local specialties from home to show their appreciation. That year, Xu Lianyi came of age. Her father told her, “Go and get to know the place. As long as they don’t mind having you, you should visit every year from now on.” Xu Lianyi nodded, made her way there, and knocked on the door of the villa. But this year, the atmosphere was tense. The Xie family’s eldest son had lost his sight. He sat in a wheelchair, his expression blank. The space within a one-foot radius around him seemed frozen solid. She swallowed and quietly greeted them. “Hello, Uncle and Auntie… Hello, Brother Jiaheng.” The couple treated her graciously. As she was leaving, she overheard them discussing sending Xie Jiaheng to a countryside nursing home. He was in a foul mood and had a terrible temper. His doctor had suggested a change of surroundings, but he kept frowning and refusing to go. Xu Lianyi hesitated. “The scenery around our place is quite lovely. If you don’t mind, Brother Jiaheng, you could come stay for a while. I’m on break right now, so I can… I can look after you.” And so Xu Lianyi followed the Xie family’s three luxury cars, escorting Xie Jiaheng back to the countryside. Xu Lianyi was ready to work hard without complaint, but the young master seemed a little too obedient… You are the ripples in my eyes, the ripples in my heart Reader notes: 1. His blindness will be cured. 2. They fall in love and try their hand at farming. Theme: Love life and embrace the good things in it.