My Partner and I Are Racing to See Who Lives Longer

[This story is also known as I Planned to Meet You All Along, a title suggested by a clever little sweetheart.] Qin Jin is the young master of the Qin family in the imperial capital, recently brought back into the fold. The Qin family once adored him, but he was taken away by Qin Jin's father, the Qin family's live-in son-in-law. He spent years wandering far from home. Others assumed that without the Qin family's upbringing, Qin Jin would be a pitiful little nobody, nowhere near as capable as his peers. But when Qin Jin returned, he was gracious and well-mannered, with top-notch academic credentials and all-around excellence! Everyone: ?? This isn't how the story is supposed to go. Let me take another look. After coming back, Qin Jin's first priority wasn't to fit into the imperial capital's social circles. Instead, he began pursuing one of the capital's most powerful and influential figures. Lin Yuan, known as Fifth Master Lin, is in his thirties, aloof and abstinent, and rich enough to rival a nation. He had never understood love, but then a young man ten years his junior began pursuing him with reckless determination. And just like that, the old house caught fire, and he fell for him completely. The imperial capital was stunned that Fifth Master Lin, old enough to be their grandfather, had married a young relative of the Qin family. What was he thinking? And how could that junior be so shameless as to make a move like that? But Qin Jin knew this wasn't love at first sight. He had planned it all along. Many years ago, on a snowy night, that man had lifted him out of the snow on a foreign street and given him the warmest days of his life, only to disappear afterward. Because of that, Qin Jin gritted his teeth and clawed his way out of hell. He worked day and night to become better, hoping that one day he could confront Lin Yuan and ask why he had abandoned him. Did he think Qin Jin was covered in grime? Did he think he was dirty? When Qin Jin was twenty-seven, he concealed his identity as the second most powerful person in The Outcast, a country where he had influence everywhere, and returned to the imperial capital disguised as an ordinary young relative. Seeing Lin Yuan again, he adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and gave him a practiced smile, saying that he had fallen for him at first sight and liked him. This time, I am no longer empty-handed. I have countless cards up my sleeve, and I will take my time playing along with everyone. * Older man/younger man, sweet romance, mutual healing. The synopsis was rewritten three years after the story was first published, and the writing is very different from the author's current style. The author is always improving. Looking back now, the author is astonished by the writing in the story, staring wide-eyed and wondering, "Did I really write this?" But in the author's memories, this story has always been a beautiful presence, a white moonlight that accompanied the author throughout all three years of high school and took three years to conceive. * The author signed a contract shortly after coming of age, and their outlook has changed greatly over the years. Some past comments and writing choices may now seem inappropriate to the author. Please be understanding. The author loves this story very, very much, as it means a great deal to them. Core message: I feel my way through the darkness, and you are the only light in this life, the one I hold tightly in my grasp.