I Came to You Alone [Rekindled Romance]

[1]

Years after graduation, Jiang Chiqi unexpectedly crossed paths with her ex-boyfriend, whom she'd broken up with seven years ago.

The way these old flames reunited after so long was more than a little awkward...

Who gets picked up by their ex the moment they get back?

Still, she believed a proper ex should be as good as vanished from the face of the earth.

So even when filming a dating show later forced them to spend time together again, Jiang Chiqi was determined to stay polite and keep things brief, wearing the words "We're not close" plainly on her face.

But there was something very, very wrong with her ex-boyfriend.

Jiang Chiqi had recently run into a bit of a tricky problem.

[Help! My ex keeps thinking I'm plotting to get with him. What do I do?!]

Jiang: "You..."

Lu: "Want to chase me? I'm not easy to win over."

Jiang: "I..."

Lu: "If it's you, I might consider it."

Jiang: "...Get lost."

Lu: "Don't be like that."

[2]

Lu Cen's life had gone smoothly, except that he'd stumbled twice over the same person.

The first time was when he was seventeen.

The young master had barely entered the beginner's village before turning into a hopeless romantic.

His best friend couldn't take it anymore and tried to put it tactfully: "Brother Lu, don't you think Jiang's stringing you along?"

Lu Cen's expression shifted several times. He snorted. "A good guy doesn't throw himself at a girl. Got it?"

Then the boy's ears turned bright red. He looked away and added with absolute certainty:

"Besides, why would she string me along and not anyone else? She's obviously into me."

His best friend: "..."

A hopeless romantic. No saving him.

But later, the young master decided Jiang Chiqi was a "big liar."

For a time, he felt that

those fiery, reckless, talked-about years of youth had all been nothing but a noisy dream.

Only then did he understand.

The wildfire had swept across the land, but the celebration had been his alone.

The second stumble came one night after they reunited.

The filming set was dazzling with lights and roaring with voices. It was the much-anticipated late-night truth-or-dare segment.

Perhaps the atmosphere got to him, stirring up all sorts of emotions. Slightly tipsy, he had a faint flush at the corners of his eyes.

In a secluded corner, hidden from everyone, he used the alcohol as an excuse to pin the girl there. Hot tears fell against her neck as he rasped,

"Jiang Chiqi, I found you."

"This time, before you push me away, could you hold me first..."

[3]

On the day they got back together, Jiang Chiqi gave it careful thought and decided they should have a trial period.

But when she saw his face darken instantly, she felt a little guilty and explained softly, "It's been so many years, after all. Neither of us can be sure..."

Before she could finish, Lu Cen interrupted with a laugh of exasperation. "Fine. One of these days, you're going to drive me to an early grave."

Jiang Chiqi thought that would make everything foolproof. She had no idea the young master had already laid a trap for her.

One night, as she leaned against the man's arms, drenched in sweat, something suddenly occurred to her.

Jiang Chiqi pushed him away and reminded him sternly, "Didn't we agree on a trial period?"

Silence fell.

A moment later, before she could react, the world spun around her.

She heard the man chuckle softly beside her ear, his breath burning hot, his tone maddeningly casual. "Baby, isn't the point of a trial period to try everything out and see if we're a good fit?"

Afterward, Jiang Chiqi clutched her sore back and protested: she would never believe a man's sweet talk again.

"Love is accepting you as you are, not as I wish you to be."

Second chances | Reunion after years apart | Mutual healing

Gentle and resilient, occasionally fluffy x Cunning and calculating, truly fluffy

[Reading Guide]

1. The dating-show arc is not the main plot.

2. Both leads are each other's first love, and both are inexperienced. The story opens with their reunion, with flashbacks woven in.

3. Neither lead is perfect. Their character growth may receive special focus, and the pacing is relatively slow. Please skip it if that's not for you.

4. Professional details about their careers are based on online sources, so please don't scrutinize them too closely.

Theme: Growing up well