The office was buzzing with conversation.
Xie Yijin had just come in when he heard them talking about Chen Quezhou's wife.
They were always saying how wonderful she was and how well she treated him, but no one had ever seen her.
They teased him: "Brother Zhou, with a wife that stunning, you'd better keep an eye on her." The implication was obvious, but he didn't take their jokes seriously.
Her husband, Chen Quezhou, was a reserved, down-to-earth man.
Song Nilan was just like her name: radiant and uninhibited, like the brightest neon glow in the night.
They were complete opposites. He was dull and didn't understand romance, and he couldn't match the dazzling life she deserved.
Their differences in values and lifestyle often caused friction.
And in bed, there was no joy in it. They went through the motions, and it was over quickly.
-
He came back from a business trip. The couple hadn't seen each other in ten days.
As soon as the man wheeled his suitcase into the house, he was pushed against the wall in the dark.
A soft body pressed against him, and a rich feminine fragrance enveloped him. She wrapped her arms around him, pouted and told him how much she'd missed him, then rubbed her cheek against his.
Her lips brushed his prominent Adam's apple. Just once, and his heart was thrown into turmoil.
Her husband seemed very strange today. His body was rigid, and he carried a strong, cool fragrance she didn't recognize.
He pushed her away, and the instant he spoke, the woman was thrown into a panic.
Only when her husband came home did she realize the man had been his good friend and direct superior. Neither of them mentioned what had happened.
During the meal, he kept drifting off.
The absurd scene from earlier came back to him, stirring something inside.
He studied his friend's wife across the table as she laughed and chatted with an easy, graceful charm. Her beautiful face really was gorgeous. She didn't seem like someone his good friend could handle.
-
Her boss asked her to negotiate a business deal with Xie Yijin. They'd crossed paths a few times, he was a good person, and he was her husband's good friend, so she felt confident.
He offered generous terms and looked out for her.
Song Nilan thought he was a good man.
Her husband made a mistake at work. If Xie Yijin hadn't turned things around, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
In his office, Xie Yijin gave him a thorough dressing-down.
Remembering how kind he'd been to her, Song Nilan tried to speak up for her husband. She looked at the tall, straight-backed figure before her.
He tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk and leaned toward her. "You may think I'm easygoing most of the time, but work and personal feelings can't be mixed together."
"Nilan, take my advice. He's not good enough for you."
His gaze was like a poison seeping through her veins. His indifferent words and intimate way of addressing her shocked her.
In truth, she could tell that her husband's friend was behaving in a way that crossed the line.
-
One night, after the worst fight she'd ever had with her husband, Song Nilan stormed out. With nowhere to go, she wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood like a lost soul.
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, regret spreading through her like a rising tide.
Xie Yijin and her husband were complete opposites, but he was someone she couldn't get involved with.
She didn't like men like him. He was too dangerous, not what he seemed.
The man leaned against his car, his long legs stretched out carelessly. It looked as if he'd been standing there for a long time.
He invited her into the car, bent down to wipe away her tears, and asked if she was all right. They were very close, yet kept things restrained and polite. After a long silence, he spoke first: "Are you planning to spend your whole life with that useless husband of yours? Take my advice: get a divorce and find someone better, someone worthy of you."
His words rang out with conviction. "A man like Chen Quezhou isn't right for you."
"Nilan, climb to the top on my back."
"I hope you soar to the highest heights."
Career woman / tech upstart
City beauty ■ aloof, privileged heir
- There is no crossing the line during the marriage, and no cheating.
A romance between ordinary adults. The male lead is attracted to his subordinate's wife at first sight. The female lead has had a physical relationship with her husband, so she is not sexually pure. The male lead has been in relationships before, but is pure in both body and heart.
They are about five years apart in age.
- Focuses on atmosphere and characterization, with tension and back-and-forth in the early part.
Premise: Live well
