Sick Puppy

[Signed for print publication. Follow me on Weibo: @Xiao Yuyu Sire] [My neighboring novel, Ring the Bells, is currently updating. Give it a look if you're interested!] When Jiang Qi was ten, he had black hair, light-colored eyes, and a pale, delicate face. He was often injured, sometimes badly enough to be covered in blood. He was the son of a notorious murderer in Chen Kong Alley. People said depravity ran in his blood, and no one paid him any attention except Zhi Qi. Zhi Qi would often cry as she bandaged his wounds, asking softly, "Why are you always getting hurt? Does it hurt a lot?" Jiang Qi smiled. The aloof, unruly boy was especially obedient around her. "It won't hurt if you comfort me." By high school, he had become Lin Lan's most infamous lunatic, cold and ruthless. Zhi Qi remembered what Jiang Qi had once said: For most of his life, he'd lived like a dog. He'd rather have everyone fear him than let anyone bully him. But even if everyone else feared him, Zhi Qi didn't. Unhappy people spend their whole lives healing from childhood, and Zhi Qi wanted to heal Jiang Qi with her love. When Jiang Qi took her to the rooftop at the very top of their school, she made him a promise in the vast, empty space: "Jiang Qi, stay safe. Once I'm old enough, I can marry you." The boy simply smiled. His clear, pure gaze was like the stars in the sky, and for once, it held a yearning for the future. Zhi Qi had no idea that her promise saved Jiang Qi's life and pulled him out of hell. *To the boy who seemed like a lunatic, every sweet thing in his bleak life had a name: Zhi Qi.* #Content warning: The male lead genuinely has a mental illness. For various reasons, he has served time in prison and been punished by the law. The misunderstandings involved will be explained. Both leads are each other's first love and have no prior relationships. Any entertainment industry settings are entirely fictional and not based on real people. #Saved on September 25 Theme: Pursue your dreams and do what you can