Gu Mian had stayed by He Tingyun's side for five years. Only when his long-adored first love returned did she realize she was nothing but a disposable stand-in.
The day the real deal came back, she was thrown out.
In the chilly autumn rain, He Tingyun's good-for-nothing friends watched leisurely as she was driven out of the He family, utterly humiliated.
They had always looked down on her, and now they mocked her as if enjoying a show.
The cold rain soaked the woman's clothes, outlining her curvy figure.
Gu Mian didn't spare those rich young men so much as a glance. She stood in the wind and drizzle with her suitcase, her back straight as she waited for a car.
Suddenly, an umbrella tilted over her head. Gu Mian looked up and met a pair of deep black eyes, impossible to read.
The man was exceptionally handsome, his features cool and distant, yet seeming to hold tenderness at every turn. Born into a distinguished family, he was He Tingyun's close friend, Shen Xiao.
Third Young Master Shen was as famous for his sharp tongue and high standards as for his playboy ways. Yet women still flocked around him like moths to a flame, dreaming of winning his favor.
Gu Mian and Shen Xiao had never seen eye to eye. She knew that seeing her in such a miserable state would surely earn her another round of his cutting remarks.
The beautiful woman curved her red lips. Her mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes shimmered, and her voice was cool, edged with hostility.
"What can I do for you, Young Master Shen? Come to watch me get kicked out of the He family?"
For once, the man didn't fire back. He firmly pressed the umbrella into Gu Mian's hand, leaned close to her ear, and said softly, almost tenderly, "If you can't go on, you can come to me."
Gu Mian frowned and said nothing.
Later, Gu Mian lost a role to someone else and nearly got bullied. She called him, crying pitifully.
Before long, the tall man found Gu Mian at the stairwell, looking as pathetic as an abandoned kitten.
He didn't care that she was a mess. He pulled her into his arms, wiped away her tears as if she were precious, and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry I came late. It won't happen again."
Gu Mian cried even harder.
*
After Gu Mian left, He Tingyun kept feeling as though something was missing. He was often distracted, even at work.
At last, he decided to look for Gu Mian, only to be told:
"Miss Gu is getting married. Her future husband is your good friend."
He Tingyun: ???
Proud, radiant wild rose x possessive, refined man pretending to be a playboy | He gets to enjoy a sharp-tongued wife, then faces a hellish pursuit | Adorable sweetheart x shameless tease
P.S.
1. Readers who require chaste characters, please don't read. Let's spare each other! The male lead is Shen Xiao.
2. The male lead has slept around, the female lead hasn't. He only pretends to be a playboy, and he's still never had his first kiss.
3. The cover background image is from artist Yue Mian of BS.
Theme: Live freely and face the sun. Someone will always love you.
