A Passion That Sinks to the Bone

★The second male lead takes the crown | The "you'll come around" rule | Intense push and pull | Chinese-American mixed heritage

1.

The novel I Really Want the Second Male Lead to Win exploded in popularity overnight, and its rights were bought for a hefty sum.

The outside world was abuzz with rumors: The one who bought the rights from Shi Er was supposedly the eldest young master of the Xie family!

There were also rumors that Xie Jing himself was the inspiration for the novel's second male lead. But the author had written the character as a lovesick doormat, so the eldest young master Xie had returned to China overnight to demand an explanation.

At the script reading, Shi Er clutched the hem of her clothes.

Facing the man's butterfly-wing-blue eyes,

she had nowhere to run. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to tear into her and devour her.

Xie Jing idly toyed with a fountain pen, a suffocating sense of oppression pressing down on her. "Screenwriter Shi, why does the second male lead in this book sleep with the heroine?"

Shi Er forced a smile. "It grabs people's attention..."

He gave a soft click of his tongue. "That does sound exciting."

2.

Xie Jing, the undisputed heir of the Xie Group and president of Huayu Group, was a powerful man who held all the cards. The outside world's verdict on him could be summed up in four words: ruthless and heartless.

He'd spent seven years in the States. Now he'd returned, making his way back from America.

The first thing he did after returning: kick the chairman of the Xie Group off his high horse.

The second thing he did: buy the rights from Shi Er and bring her back to his side.

That night, the Weibo trending topics exploded:

#Young Master Xie storms back to China.

#Young Master Xie returns to win his wife back.

#Xie Jing becomes the new president of Huayu Group.

*

Caged Bird: [All my hunger and thirst were so I could be reborn the moment I met you.]

Shi Er stared at the words, secretly delighted. Caged Bird was her biggest fan and her very first loyal follower. Even after I Really Want the Second Male Lead to Win became a sensation and her Weibo following skyrocketed, she still remembered Caged Bird vividly.

Her photos went viral.

Her bright eyes, elegant nose, and pretty lips caused a sensation online.

Caged Bird: [It began with your talent and ended with your beauty.]

Wrapped in a bathrobe, Shi Er had droplets of water clinging to her fair skin. She found a message from ten years ago, stored in Xie Jing's old phone.

"I should have belonged to the sky, but to see you, I willingly broke my wings and became a caged bird."

Two arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

The man loosened his tie and took off his shirt, revealing lean, enticing muscles and a defined line running down his abdomen.

"Baby, I'm your devoted servant, your caged bird, and the one who shares your bed."

[Read This First: Content Warnings]

1. Both leads are virgins. Completely and utterly.

2. The male lead is a devoted romantic. He pursues his wife through seduction at first, then goes all out trying to win her back. They also live under the same roof later on.

3. The entire novel is finished. I won't let my dear readers down. I'm a reliable author and never abandon a story.

4. The leads have deep feelings for each other, but they weren't together before. They get back together after their reunion, once they slowly clear up their misunderstandings.

----Coming Soon----Suffocating Affection

Older man | Five-year age gap | Pseudo-siblings | Intense push and pull

1.

Jin Yuchen is the power behind the international black market for art and a regular at the high-end auctions.

He was born with blue eyes that could appraise any treasure. The blue-and-silver watch at his wrist was his signature, and the back of its face bore an inscription no one had ever seen.

At an auction, a painting by Rosalie, an artist from China, was brought to the stage.

On the canvas, a man had broad shoulders, a lean back, and firm, well-proportioned muscles. Beneath thick brows, his indigo eyes framed a strong, straight nose.

"Wait... isn't that President Jin?"

"Who exactly is Rosalie? How dare she paint President Jin?"

Jin Yuchen sat in the shadows of the front row. The spotlight skimmed over his lowered brows, and one brow lifted for an instant.

The next moment, he reached out and started the bidding at the highest price.

From that day on, a rumor spread across the glittering, decadent Victoria Harbour.

Rosalie was Jin Yuchen's secret lover.

2.

Ten years ago, after a sudden car accident, Mu Youxi was sent to live with Jin Yuchen's family.

Mu Youxi had pale, delicate skin, a petite face, and striking features. When she smiled, her face lit up. She stood at the door, batting her lashes, a doll in her arms.

"From now on, I have a big brother."

At 193 centimeters tall, Jin Yuchen looked down at her and bent over with a cold laugh.

"Are you really hoping I'll cherish and dote on you?"

Under his stare, Mu Youxi was flustered. Her lashes trembled like butterfly wings. "No..."

"Good."

"From now on, keep at least two meters away from me."

//

"What about when we're eating?"

"Half a meter."

"When we're sleeping?"

"Ten centimeters."

"...And when we're kissing?"

"Not a step apart."

3.

Time passed, and an unexpected, devastating fire tore Jin Yuchen and Mu Youxi apart. After that, Jin Yuchen vanished without a trace.

Over the years, Mu Youxi never stopped looking for him. She became Rosalie, a famous artist in China, and painted many portraits of Jin Yuchen herself, plastering them all over the streets in hopes of finding any trace of him.

When she reunited with Jin Yuchen, they were at the glittering Victoria Harbour. The evening breeze carried the damp, salty air. A Star Ferry passed by, and the lights on both shores blurred into a sea of wavering gold.

The man stood on the terrace of a private club by the pier. Beneath the sleeve of his black suit was a vintage blue-and-silver Patek Philippe watch. He looked down at her with a cold gaze.

"Chinese?"

Mu Youxi frowned.

"Brother Yuchen."

"You don't remember me?"

A friend beside him, sporting a gold tooth, lit his cigarette. The flame reflected in his eyes as Jin Yuchen gave a cold sneer.

"Get lost. I don't know you."

4.

A fierce, scorching kiss landed at the corner of Mu Youxi's lips, its suffocating intensity reaching a fever pitch. The man murmured a few words.

"Nannan..."

"Brother Yuchen..."

Their breaths mingling, Jin Yuchen asked in a daze, "Why did you have to come to Victoria Harbour?"

Mu Youxi lowered her eyes and pressed her forehead to his. "The lights of Victoria Harbour may go out, but my love for you won't."

Theme: Let love grow wild