Almost Ripe [Secret Crush]

A man with a longtime crush / stealing someone else's partner / grown adults dancing around each other / the heroine isn't the male lead's first Brand Strategy Director x Head of Tourism Development / Gourd Carving [Blurb] Zheng Guanyi returned to Xicheng on a business trip, thinking only of getting things over with and leaving as soon as possible. She hated Xicheng. She hated the cicadas, the muggy heat, the plane trees lining every street, and the old-fashioned people of Xicheng most of all. And yet the project's investor was You Ren, from the class next door back in high school. At the meeting, You, whom their classmates called “not interested in women,” pressed her at every turn, asking questions he already knew the answers to. But that night, he showed up outside her hotel. Mr. You, who had been so aggressive at the meeting, was the first to ask for a truce. Feeling guilty, she said quietly, “It really was my fault for pretending not to know you.” Something flickered in You Ren's eyes. His voice low, he said, “It's not like this is the first time.” Zheng Guanyi froze, but he offered no explanation. - The Xicheng project wasn't too painful, and neither was spending time with You Ren. He passed by, bought her medicine, and brought her coffee, always passing it off as habit. She played along, treating him in return or bringing him coffee, and calling it a favor on the way. They went back and forth, neither crossing the line, and both crossing it. Until he caught sight of her boyfriend of five years, a relationship that had long since become a sham. The attentive gestures that had once been so carefully measured became impossible to miss. He couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. One time, Zheng Guanyi joked with him, “Is this the exclusive after-sales service for classmates?” You Ren rarely sounded so serious. “Zheng Guanyi, do you really have to find an excuse for everything I do for you?” He looked at her and waited a few seconds before speaking. “I want to do it for you.” - Later, the usually composed Mr. You finally lost his cool. When they had drained the last glass of wine, he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. Zheng Guanyi didn't pull away. Instead, she cupped his face and smiled with a hint of exasperation. “You, aren't you supposed to know me so well? How did you not know I've been single for two months?” You Ren's pupils contracted, and he clasped her wrist. Zheng Guanyi leaned closer, her breath brushing his lips. “Some things can't be done by imagination alone...” You Ren lowered his head and kissed her. * [Before You Read] 1. He steals her away, but doesn't force or take her by any means. It's a slow burn, with a leisurely pace. 2. The first three chapters set things up, and the tension starts in chapter four. He doesn't officially steal her away until after chapter twenty. 3. The heroine is career-minded. She stays with the second male lead out of habit, not insecurity. * Theme: Always be grateful to those who have made us feel loved.