Xie An (top) & Lin Ze (bottom)
The late-autumn breeze swept plane-tree leaves through the night, as two lives that should never have intersected collided in the shadows of a dilapidated old alley.
Seventeen-year-old Lin Ze was all alone, burdened with debt and a chronic stomach illness, fighting to survive in the cracks at the bottom of society. Xie An, the favored son of heaven, arrived under the cover of night. One sweep of headlights, one glance, and he was lost.
“I like you. I liked you from the very first time I saw you.”
The passionate, impulsive boy barged into his life, carrying all his affection and bringing warmth to his barren world. But the gulf between their families and the weight of their homes stood in their way. Torn apart by insecurity and reality, Lin Ze could only bear the pain and let go.
“Xie An, let's break up.”
One spring rain severed two years of tender love. One of them curbed his ambitions and took over the family business, shutting his heart to love amid the noisy crowds. The other weathered the storms alone, gritting his teeth as he fought life's hardships and illness.
Two years later, they met again at an industry conference. Misunderstandings from the past, all they had kept inside, and love that had never faded surged back to the surface.
“Why did you break up with me two years ago? I want the truth.”
When the long-buried reasons finally came to light, the walls between them at last crumbled. The boy had outgrown his youthful innocence and was ready to weather every storm, rushing to the person he had always longed for.
The evening breeze wanders on, and year after year they find their way home. Despite all the hardships and conventions of the world, they found each other again and, after all their twists and turns, did not let each other slip away.
Theme: Bittersweet romance
