Sleepless in Manhattan

In her first year as a real estate agent in Manhattan, Lin Xiyue, who could barely afford her rent, set her sights on the most difficult client on the Upper East Side: Zhou Lingheng.

The Chinese-American man had a high, defined brow, deep-set eyes, and a pair of dark green eyes that were calm and captivating.

But beneath his exceptional looks lay a reputation for coldness and pickiness.

Everyone in the business said that whoever won him over would never have to worry about money again.

Other agents had all failed, but Lin Xiyue played her cards carefully and finally sold him a luxury mansion.

Only after closing the huge deal did she discover that behind Zhou Lingheng's aloof, distant public image, he was almost pathologically possessive in private.

She'd chatted with a male client for a little too long, and Zhou Lingheng kept her pinned in his arms until midnight.

"We were only discussing work!" Lin Xiyue knelt on the pillow, tears streaming down her face.

Zhou Lingheng gripped her waist, his palm so hot that it made her heart tremble. "But, baby, when you came after me in the first place... weren't you discussing work too?"

Lin Xiyue: "..."

-

After saving up enough dollars and seeing the vast gulf in their social status for what it was, Lin Xiyue decisively cut off all contact with Zhou Lingheng and quietly returned to China.

She opened a guesthouse in her hometown, restarted her career, and began going on blind dates as planned.

Late at night, her blind date politely walked her back to the guesthouse entrance.

After saying goodbye, Lin Xiyue opened the door and stepped inside. Before she could turn on the light, she suddenly saw a man sitting quietly on her bed.

In the dim moonlight, Zhou Lingheng, who should have been far away in Manhattan, looked like a ghost that refused to leave, his whole body radiating a suffocating gloom.

Before she could react, he stood up and stretched out his long arm, locking her in his embrace.

Zhou Lingheng pressed his thin lips against her trembling eyelashes. His voice was low and cold. "You look so happy going on a date with another man..."

"Lin Xiyue, are you acting like I'm dead?"

Blurb written on August 13, 2026, and saved on record as proof.

Theme: Be brave enough to pursue love.