Those Years We Embraced the Divine

[Coming soon: The Scheming Art of a Secret Crush. Please add it to your list!] Sheng Yi had liked Xu Xingji since she was sixteen. For seven whole years, she hadn't had the courage to say a single word to him. She simply followed him in silence, applied to the same university, and watched him from afar. Whenever people attacked Xu Xingji, she would firmly say, "He's a genius." Even if a genius hides his wings and conceals his brilliance, he's still a genius. The year she graduated from college, a twist of fate led to her family arranging her marriage to Xu Xingji. Everyone in business circles knew that Xu Xingji, the third son of the Xu family, was an illegitimate child who received no respect. He was a spoiled playboy who loved to have fun and flirt... No one wanted to marry him, but to Sheng Yi, this was a dream come true. No matter how many people looked down on Xu Xingji, he was still her dream. But at their lavish wedding, the groom didn't even show up. Sheng Yi became a bride who went through the wedding alone, and a laughingstock in their social circle. It wasn't until the next day that Xu Xingji made a special flight back from abroad and handed her a divorce agreement. "We're just putting on a show for our families." The man sitting across from her at the dining table wore an understated black suit. His handsome features were striking and unrestrained, but his gaze held not a trace of warmth. "Two years, then we end it." Sheng Yi knew she had no right to reject the agreement. She asked just one question: "Did you stay away from the wedding to humiliate me on purpose?" Xu Xingji: "Yes." Only then did Sheng Yi finally admit to herself that he was no longer the dazzling boy she'd fallen for at first sight years ago. The Xu Xingji of old had been pale and beautiful, brimming with talent. Everything he thought, imagined, and created was an astonishing work of art, the likes of which appeared once in a generation. Now... he was lost amid the glitz and glamour, and all he could do was hand his new wife a divorce agreement. 2 After the wedding, Sheng Yi was gentle, considerate, kind, and generous. In everyone's eyes, she played the part of the devoted, gracious wife. She was unmoved by Xu Xingji's frequent gossip-worthy affairs and even helped him coordinate their schedules when the media interviewed them. She could be said to have fulfilled the agreement to the very letter. When the two-year term was up, the woman who had always been as meek as a lamb smiled as she told Xu Xingji three things during their divorce "Actually, I've liked someone since I was sixteen. He's much better than you." "These past two years really were a good deal." "Because when you smile, you look a little like him." *The playboy turns out to be the one who's been in love all along. *You hurt me, so I'll tell you I'm using you as a replacement. #Groveling-chase romance, both leads are each other's first, no change of male lead #The heroine has a secret crush, the heroine suffers first and then the hero does, and she's very good at making people suffer The Scheming Art of a Secret Crush Guan Li went to the cafeteria with his roommate and ran into the Chinese department's campus beauty, who confessed to him. She had a slim waist and long legs, milky-white skin, and was so pure and beautiful it was almost unbelievable. The thing was... he already had a girlfriend, who checked up on him constantly, so he couldn't add her on WeChat. Guan Li's playboy instincts kicked in. He wanted to keep her on the hook, so he calmly gave the girl his roommate's WeChat ID. "Bro, do me a favor," he asked Pei Kanxun. "Just handle her for a few days! We can talk after I've sorted things out with the others." Pei Kanxun lowered his eyes to the friend request on his phone and gave a quiet, "Mm." With her roommate's encouragement, Jian Wu finally worked up the courage to confess to the senior she'd had a crush on for over half a year. She even managed to add him on WeChat. To her delight, the seemingly sunny and outgoing Guan Li turned out to have a surprisingly cute side on WeChat! On WeChat, Guan Li seemed more like a traditional science-and-engineering type. He wasn't romantic and refused to meet her, saying they should try dating online for a while first. He was knowledgeable and helped answer all her questions on WeChat every day. He even helped her write papers, making Jian Wu feel as if she'd gained a "robot teacher." Apart from never getting to meet him, everything was pretty great. After a while, Jian Wu suggested meeting up for a date. To her surprise, the usually aloof "Senior Guan" agreed and arranged to meet her in the campus garden. Jian Wu excitedly arrived at the appointed time and place, only to see Guan Li kissing a voluptuous girl in his arms. What was going on? Just as Jian Wu stood there, stunned as if struck by lightning, a low, cool voice came from behind her "See that?" "He has a girlfriend, and he's never even added you on WeChat." Jian Wu turned around in a panic. It was Guan Li's roommate, Pei Kanxun, the top student who was always quiet and distant. He gave a faint smile, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "The 'senior' who's been dating you all this time was me." #A sweet, slow-burn college romance with a bit of an ensemble cast #Genius oddball male lead with slight communication difficulties x top-student heroine, a lively little ray of sunshine #The male lead has a secret crush on the heroine; the heroine briefly likes the second male lead Theme: Be a good person and keep striving.