A Fleeting, Faint Heartbeat

Blurb:

Ni Ao's greatest regret was not seeing Shao Youqin's true nature sooner.

At first, this man always appeared just when she needed help most, pulling her out of the fire.

Ni Ao was deeply grateful to him.

But later, the unmasked passion in Shao Youqin's eyes made her uneasy.

Ni Ao loved her boyfriend. No matter how wonderful someone else was, it had nothing to do with her.

Then the truth came out.

By the time Ni Ao learned what he was really like, he had already pinned her hands down and pressed her against the wall of a luxurious villa, kissing her without restraint.

Under the dim yellow light, madness and obsession gleamed in the man's diamond-bright eyes. He savored Ni Ao's soft lips, then finally sighed with satisfaction. "Ni Ao, I don't want to treat you like this."

"If you push me too far, I don't know what I might do."

"Ni Ao, stay by my side and behave."

On countless nights no one knew about, Ni Ao was trapped in his arms as he kissed her all over, leaving no part untouched.

Until Ni Ao found a chance to escape.

Shao Youqin had used every means at his disposal to approach Ni Ao for his own purposes. At first, he thought she was nothing more than a pawn.

But after spending time with her again and again, he fell for her without even realizing it.

He secretly schemed to destroy Ni Ao's relationship with her boyfriend. Once he had finally done everything it took to make them break up, he appeared before Ni Ao, hoping to break through her defenses.

But just as he was about to succeed, Ni Ao learned the truth and left in a fury.

No matter how he tried to win her back, Ni Ao refused to turn around.

At last, he tricked Ni Ao into his villa, gathered her into his arms, and refused to let her leave again.

One day, Ni Ao came home from work, ready to shower and rest. She happened to glance toward the sofa and saw a pair of long legs crossed together. In the shadows, a finely sculpted face was barely visible.

A familiar, cool voice slowly broke the silence. "Duoduo, you haven't been home in a long time. Had enough fun?"

Ni Ao instantly froze. Her heart gave a reflexive, violent spasm. Then the person on the sofa stood and walked toward her with steady steps, pulling her into his arms. His voice was gentle, yet full of menace, as he spoke slowly. "Even if you haven't had enough fun, it doesn't matter. I can always find you."

"Duoduo, if anyone takes you out again and you can't find your way home, I'll break his legs. How does that sound...?"

Coming next, contemporary romance pre-release: "My Ex Says He Doesn't Love Me Anymore." If you're interested, dear readers, please tap the little star!

Blurb:

Pei Qingyu, a small-town girl, has one great wish: to get into a good university. But with the town's poor educational resources, getting into one seems impossibly difficult.

A handsome, icy transfer student named Jiang Yuming joins her class. In several exams, he easily takes first place in the whole school, leaving Pei Qingyu, the runner-up, far behind.

To improve her grades, Pei Qingyu decides to ask him to be her study partner. But Jiang Yuming acts as if his eyes are on top of his head and ignores her completely.

Determined to get into a good university, Pei Qingyu grits her teeth and decides to pursue him!

-

She begins her conquest, showering him with sweet words, acting sweet and pitiful, arranging chance encounters, and pursuing him wholeheartedly. She thinks Jiang Yuming will be tough to crack and prepares herself for a long campaign.

But she never expects the aloof top student to fall for her so quickly. As they spend time together, he becomes gentle and clingy, indulging her in everything.

By day, they discuss their studies and work through exam papers together. At night, the boy climbs over from the neighboring balcony. In the cramped, stiflingly warm room, the young couple kiss passionately, but the boy always holds back from going all the way.

Pei Qingyu gets into the university of her dreams, then breaks up with him. His eyes bloodshot, he grips her wrist and demands to know why.

Pei Qingyu leaves him with one sentence: "So I could get into university."

-

Years later, Pei Qingyu has established herself in a big city through her own efforts.

The company she works for is acquired. She hears that the buyer is Jiang Yuming, heir to the Huanyu Group and a rising tech mogul, a low-profile but formidable figure who is one of the hottest names in the capital.

Jiang Yuming? Probably just someone with the same name, she thinks.

On the day the new boss takes over, Pei Qingyu spots the ex-boyfriend she once abandoned. She feels as if she has fallen into an icy abyss. He stands among a crowd, glancing at her.

Someone asks, "Mr. Jiang, do you know her?"

Jiang Yuming looks at her with the contempt one might show a piece of garbage. "No."

Pei Qingyu sees him pretend not to recognize her and finally relaxes a little. She thinks he's long since forgotten her, and probably won't hold her old lies and abandonment against her.

-

At a company retreat, after several rounds of drinks, Pei Qingyu is sent to her room in a daze. Once she comes to a little, she sits up and notices someone seemingly sitting on the sofa.

When the person sees her wake up, he rushes over and tackles her onto the bed, gripping her throat hard. Dark light glimmers in his eyes, filled with hidden madness and fury.

"Pei Qingyu... you'll never be able to repay what you owe me in this lifetime..."

"You'll stay by my side for the rest of your life and pay your debt..."

Later, one of Jiang Yuming's friends asks him why he would keep a woman who hurt him by his side.

Jiang Yuming takes out a cigarette and lights it. White, poisonous smoke swirls around him as he says coolly, "I spent eight years trying to prove I could forget her, but the moment she appeared, those eight years became a joke..."

Theme: Love requires mutual respect