Zhou Xia

The summer Xia Zhou turned twenty-eight, her monotonous, repetitive life was suddenly turned upside down.

1. Outwardly gentle but inwardly tough, sophisticated Eastern woman x gentlemanly, scheming Western executive

Boss and subordinate | Not both virgins | Power games | Independent personalities

Xia Zhou calls the soon-to-be-appointed returnee director a "capitalist's dog." After seeing his handsome photo, she says, "A Doberman."

He's arrogant, picky, difficult to deal with, and coldhearted, not to mention his long list of romantic scandals.

In the office in the middle of the night, pressure overwhelms her reason. Just to get under his skin, she confesses to the man in power.

From then on, things spiral out of control.

2. Softhearted, fiercely protective older woman x innocent, obsessive younger man

Living under her roof | Male virgin | Husband material | Ten-year age gap | Bearing burdens

Xia Zhou never imagined that her cousin, ten years younger than her and living under her roof, would harbor such romantic feelings for her. She flees in a panic, afraid to go home, hoping she can just ignore the situation until it goes away.

He corners her on the sofa and confesses, "I fell for you the first time I saw you."

A chaste, cherished first kiss shatters the fragile boundaries between them.

3. Insecure, sensitive secret admirer x gentle, seemingly perfect crush

College alumni | Not both virgins | A young woman's secret feelings | Psychologist | Slow burn

Xia Zhou was nineteen when she first fell in love, secretly pining for a senior one year ahead of her for three whole years.

Seven years later, they reunite at an alumni matchmaking event. He's still dazzling, and still has no idea who she is. She accepts it with grace and smiles as she greets him.

The story should have ended there, but the moonlight begins to chase her.

[Content warning: Three romantic storylines, with 1 and 2 taking place at the same time. All characters are adults, and they are not all each other's firsts. Everyone is morally complex, with obvious flaws. See the author's note in Chapter 1 for details.]

Theme: Love isn't everything in life