Drinking Mountain Green in Spring

[Updates 3–4 times a week, following any rankings. Come on in!] [Next up: The Elephant Tower: Daybreak. Follow the Elephant Tower series, including the completed novels In Search of the Wind and A Woven Dream.] ◎ Childhood sweethearts / reunion after years apart / wooden-headed woman and peacock of a man / cool girl and her devoted puppy ◎ The wonderful ensemble cast of Green Mountain Tea Bookshop! Also known as A Literary Youth's Guide to Traveling West Lake ◎ Shen Zhiyun × Cheng Jichuan Sharp-tongued, cool bookshop owner × jerk of a devoted puppy, just back from studying abroad After her parents died unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyun lost all interest in studying literature. Heartbroken, she fled Shenpu, a place where tears had no place, and returned to Hangzhou, moving back into the run-down old apartment on Shuguang Road where she had grown up. A serious illness left her utterly broken. Once she recovered, she looked at the mountain of books and research materials her parents had left behind and decided to open a bookshop to store all that literary junk. After going around in circles, she still couldn't find a place she liked. One afternoon, Shen Zhiyun had just woken up and opened the door when a handsome face appeared in front of her. He had striking features, a high nose, and a sharply defined jaw. His long-fingered hand gripped the doorframe as he asked, “Looking to rent? Two thousand a month, utilities for commercial use paid separately, and a renovation allowance. Handsome landlord. Interested?” Thinking she was still dreaming, she slammed the door shut. How could such a great deal, and someone like him, just show up at her door? After a dizzy spell, she steadied herself against the door. The blurry face she'd glimpsed gradually came into focus, grew familiar, and turned into Liuer. It had been many years since she'd last seen him. She opened the door again. Before she could say, “Not interested, get lost,” he cut her off. “It's a fair price. Look all over Hangzhou. Can you find another landlord who's this good-looking and this affordable?” That stumped her. She opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing. Cheng Jichuan's lips curled into a smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked at her. “If you don't object, that means yes, right?” · “Shen Zhiyun, I fixed your air conditioner. There was a problem with the coolant. No wonder it kept blowing hot air.” “Okay.” “Shen Zhiyun, what do you want for dinner? Not hungry? Come on, what about a late-night snack?” “…” “Shen Zhiyun, if you get up at noon, does the shop even open in the morning? Isn't that a waste of rent?” “Can't get up.” “Fine, I'll open it for you. Sleep until you wake up naturally.” Shen Zhiyun didn't reply. She had no idea why Cheng Jichuan was always clinging to her, always trying to put on a show in front of her. He'd been like that since they were children. She'd always known they were different. She'd grown up as a model good girl, living the kind of life that made her the perfect child in everyone else's eyes. Being well-read and well-mannered was the highest praise anyone could give her. He, on the other hand, respected neither teachers nor rules. He had more schemes and tricks up his sleeve than hairs on his head. He skipped class, got into fights, and peddled contraband. Even when the teachers called his parents in, he could still grin and tell them it was the family business, that he was a born champion of hooliganism. · Rain had just fallen over West Lake. Mist rose from the water, and mountain haze swept across the landscape like ink, transforming the lake and hills. In a world like this, it was hard to tell the Wei and Jin dynasties from the Tang and Song, or a returning traveler from a passing stranger. The damp air misted Shen Zhiyun's hair. She thought of so many people and things. She turned around. Cheng Jichuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he asked whether so many things were still just as they had been when they were children. “Yes.” She nodded, her lips red as a dab of rouge. “Actually, you're the same too. You're still just like you used to be.” “What am I like?” Shen Zhiyun said nothing. Cheng Jichuan stepped forward and gently gathered her hair. Yes, he was still the same. He had always hated playing by the rules, hated being told what to do, and hated anything people called a standard. But he'd also always cared for a sharp-tongued little scholar, losing himself in those eyes, as captivating as the waters of West Lake. He went on, unprompted. “I'm still just as good to you.” Raised amid the lake and hills, the people of Wu breathe in the lake's beauty and drink the green of the mountains. Love holds a landscape of lake and hills all its own. · “She decides to turn her bookshop into a recycling center for literary junk.” “He decides to accompany her through the snow in search of spring, keep the lamps burning through the night, and share a drink of Green Mountain Tea.” Tips: ① The heroine is Shen Zhiyun, a master's graduate in classical Chinese literature from Shenda, maker of literary youth's sharp-tongued chicken soup, owner of Green Mountain Tea Bookshop, and a cool, scholarly girl. The hero is Cheng Jichuan, a UCL business graduate back from studying abroad, a devoted fan of hooligan literature, a rich second-generation heir to the family business, and a one-of-a-kind devoted puppy. ② Childhood sweethearts, reunited after years apart. The hero has been in love with her for a long time. ③ The story shares a setting with Glass Water. Shenpu is an international metropolis in the Yangtze River Delta. After years of writing, the author is still a newcomer. Come on in! ④ Green Mountain Tea Bookshop is open. Membership gets you 20% off. Theme: Love holds a landscape of lake and hills all its own.