Let Me Have a Taste

The print edition is now available for preorder. Details on Weibo: Fu Yuan_

--

On the day the Jiang family moved away, nine-year-old Gu Xiang and twelve-year-old Jiang Che clung to each other in the hallway, sobbing their hearts out. The adults had to work hard to pry them apart.

Three years later, when Gu Xiang moved back in across the hall from Jiang Che, she looked forward to seeing the big brother Jiang Che she remembered. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with Jiang Che, now a high school student who had shot up in height, stood taller than her dad, and was cold as ice.

Maybe all high school boys go through a phase of acting cool. Every morning, he would swagger out on his skateboard, looking dashing and as if he didn't care about anyone. She could only scurry along after him, looking a mess, calling, "Jiang Che, Jiang Che!"

Luckily, Gu Xiang was lazy and had a little pride. By the third day, she'd given up. She pocketed the small coin her dad gave her, hopped on a three-wheeled taxi, and sped off, leaving him with a look that said their friendship was over.

So on the fourth day, Jiang Che obediently switched to a bicycle and waited for her at the entrance, with a deluxe jianbing stuffed with apology hanging from the handlebars.

--

After Gu Xiang's secret relationship with Jiang Che was accidentally exposed to his parents, she brought him home that very night to come clean. At the dinner table, she announced, "Dad, I'm dating someone."

Her dad flew into a rage. "You've barely been in college, and you're already dating? What kind of shady, no-good person have you found?"

Gu Xiang could only explain, "He's not shady. I've known him for ages..."

"That doesn't mean he's any good. I've met all your middle school and high school classmates," her dad said, then turned to the other person. "Jiang Che, you're with her all the time. Have you ever seen her boyfriend?"

Jiang Che thought for a moment, then replied, "...I suppose I have."

Gu's dad said, "Good. I trust your judgment. What do you think of him?"

Jiang Che replied, "...He's all right."

"What's his name?"

"...Jiang Che."

"..."

- What to Do When Your Childhood Friend Turns into a Jerk After Grade School

- How to Pretend I Don't Like That Silly Little Kid Who Grins All Day During Puberty

- A slice-of-life campus romance, three-year age gap, one-on-one, each other's first love

- Blurb first posted on May 21, 2020

--

Blurb for the next book, Bandit Stone:

Song Xiujun heard the name Tang Xiu from Old Master Tang all the time. While playing chess, while watering flowers, from the time he was little until he grew up.

Whenever the old man finished showing off his granddaughter, he would sigh with regret. "What a pity you're a little too old. Otherwise, you'd really make a fine grandson-in-law."

In Tang Xiu's third year of college, he filled in for his advisor and moved back to an apartment near campus.

After becoming her roommate and spending more time with her, he realized the old man's praise wasn't without reason.

She really was wonderful, and her little dog was adorable too, fluffy and impeccably mannered.

He loved taking her poodle out for a walk at five-thirty every morning.

Song Xiujun decided he loved her dog because he loved her.

Until someone got there first.

--

Tang Xiu had been secretly in love since childhood with an older man: exceptionally handsome and refined, a lofty flower to be admired from afar but never plucked.

With such a paragon in mind, she'd never dated anyone before a sports student named Cheng Xuanyi confessed to her.

The athlete was sunny and handsome, with an eight-pack. Tang Xiu thought it over for two days and realized she had no reason to turn him down.

Who knew that as soon as they started dating, things would change?

After a mixer, Cheng Xuanyi walked her home and happened to run into Song Xiujun, who was taking his dog out in the middle of the night.

He gave them a cold look, picked up the dog, and walked over, radiating the air of the rightful partner and effortlessly outclassing the competition. "Tang Xiu told me about you. You're the boyfriend she just started dating."

"But that's enough. It's her curfew now. Let go of her hand."

On a holiday date, Tang Xiu received ninety-nine bright red roses.

At breakfast the next morning, Song Xiujun arranged flowers on the table. Hearing her praise the bouquet, he smiled and said, "Really? You brought red roses home last night. I was worried you wouldn't like the white peonies."

Gradually, Tang Xiu noticed someone's strange behavior. He was working out enthusiastically, dressing with care, constantly giving her gifts and fussing over her, like a peacock showing off its feathers. Still, she always found a way to explain it away.

Until one night, Song Xiujun came home from a work event after two glasses of red wine. His ears flushed red as he took her hand and asked:

"Do I still have a chance?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't control myself just now... but you're so good to him."

"When are you two going to break up?"

- A pampered, ditzy beauty x a lofty, old-fashioned gentleman

- Also known as The Lofty Flower Goes Crazy for Love and Steals Someone's Girlfriend

- Seven-year age gap

The blurb for the esports novel after next, Tequila Sunrise:

After the self-taught game streamer "Tequilalala" repeatedly climbed to the top of the Korean server, TKK, a powerhouse with a glorious past and a recent slump in the LPL, offered her an olive branch, ready to hang their hopes on this crooked little tree.

Three months later, news that TKK's new jungler was an eighteen-year-old girl exploded across the scene. That night, fans flooded the official account with thousands of comments saying, "TKK is doomed."

In the first match of the spring split, newcomer Tequila's debut earned her the MVP title.

In the post-match interview, the host asked, "As a talented player who's joined a top team right at the start of her career, what are your hopes for your professional future?"

The girl in the black team jersey thought for a moment and gave a plain, straightforward answer. "Since I'm already here, I might as well win a world championship before I leave."

--

Before You Yang joined TKK, Shi Yu was already one of the LPL's highest-paid championship ADCs.

She'd watched many of his matches. On camera, the man was focused, calm, and never smiled; even his post-match interviews were utterly formal.

She'd thought he was a lofty flower, someone to admire from afar but never touch, until she became his teammate.

Then she heard the lofty flower do everything he could every day to get carried by her:

"T, can I have your red buff?"

"TT, leave the Rift Herald bot. Help me get fed."

"TT, come bot and gank for me. The other team has no manners."

You Yang's daily routine in response was nothing but:

"Take it, take it, take it..."

"It's yours, it's yours, it's yours..."

"Coming, coming, coming..."

- TKK_Tequila, a wild-card jungler who thinks up ways to make the other team work for her every day, x TKK_FOUR, the world's best bot-lane carry, who can carry the game late no matter how hard he has to play safe early

- Also known as The World's Best ADC Care Guide and What Do You Do When Your Bot Lane Is This Greedy? Spoil Him, of Course

- Content warning: The heroine breaks up with the hero midway through the story to focus on her career

- One-on-one, each other's first love, happy ending

Theme: A student's first priority is studying!