Soft Voice

Blurb:

The year Gu Ye transferred schools in his senior year of high school, he met a little desk mate.

At first, he didn’t like this little desk mate at all.

All she did was hunch over her desk and work on practice problems. She never smiled.

She didn’t talk much, either, like a little mute.

How could anyone be so boring? he wondered.

But after his desk mate broke his cup, she quietly handed it back to him with “I’m sorry” written in neat, adorable handwriting.

When she scalded herself fetching water, she was in so much pain she was nearly crying, yet she kept blowing on her hand and holding back her tears.

When another boy confessed to her in person, she actually gave him a proper bow before turning him down.

That was when Gu Ye started thinking his little desk mate was absolutely adorable!

The girl was a little clueless. Give her a piece of candy and she’d follow him around.

Later, Lin Cheng kept reminding him:

“Stop smoking.”

“Don’t drink.”

“Did you memorize what the teacher assigned yesterday?”

Gu Ye, getting a little impatient, leaned close to her face and said coolly:

“You really think being with me means you can keep me in line?”

Lin Cheng pressed her lips together and took the initiative to change seats. From then on, she stayed away from wherever Gu Ye was.

Four years later, they met again.

Gu Ye waited outside Lin Cheng’s dorm and saw a gentle, steady young man walk her home.

His eyes reddened. His voice sounded rough as if full of sand. Pointing at his chest, he said quietly, “You might as well stab me here instead of punishing me like this.”

Lin Cheng replied without warmth, “Have you forgotten that you stabbed me once, too?”

/When Gu Ye first met her, all he noticed was how sweet the girl’s voice sounded. Only later did he realize she was just as sweet herself.

The husband-chasing crematorium trope.

Reserved top student and well-behaved girl + x + arrogant, willful boy

Reading guide:

1. The male lead is cocky and outgoing. At first, he’s immature and doesn’t care about anything. He’s not a scumbag, is completely devoted, and loves the heroine more than anything.

2. The male lead will suffer a little later on, but overall it’s very sweet.

3. Readers who prefer both leads to be each other’s first and only can give this a try.

[Preview blurb for the next story]

++#RichGirlPretendsToBePoorToPursueAGuy##SheTriedToBreakIntoAnInternetCafeAndEndedUpMeetingARealEstateTycoon##TheyAgreedToStayAwayFromEachOtherSoWhyTheHellDidSheFallForHimAgain#

++Beautiful, brainy sweetheart x foul-mouthed, bad-tempered internet cafe owner who can’t say what he means

In her sophomore year of college, Guan Chu fell for a man.

So she cut off her long curls, dressed herself up like a sweet, well-behaved girl, and went to apply for a job at the internet cafe where he worked.

Every day, she greeted him sweetly: “Good morning, boss.”

Lin Chunan would only glance at her coolly, not even bothering to reply.

Later, after Guan Chu had worked there for a while, the only things Lin Chunan said to her were instructions about what to do.

Guan Chu: ...So after flirting with this guy for so long, I got absolutely nowhere?

Guan Chu quit on the spot. Looking back, apart from his face, Lin Chunan was just a guy running a shabby internet cafe.

-

After graduating, Guan Chu’s first job was designing the interior finishing plan for a residential development.

The department manager smiled as he introduced the man behind him. “President Lin, this is our designer. She’s young, but, ”

Before he could finish, Lin Chunan looked up and smiled.

“No need to introduce us. We’re old friends.”

Once they were alone in the room, Guan Chu tilted her head and asked in confusion, “I don’t think we’ve ever been friends.”

Lin Chunan was silent for a few seconds. He lowered his eyes and looked at her intently. “Are you playing hard to get with me?”

-

A gathering of old acquaintances.

Lin Chunan’s lips curled slightly as he listened to the men around him talking.

Suddenly, someone called out to him. “Lin Chunan.”

“Another New Year’s is almost here, and you’re still a virgin, you bastard?”

The others immediately burst into laughter. Lin Chunan lazily lifted his eyelids and calmly said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you.”

“I’m not anymore.”

2020.1.8

Theme: Young men and women shaped by their families of origin continue to believe in the beauty of the world