Who’s Bullying Whom?

[My new novel, If I Had Never Seen Mountains and Rivers, is now underway. Check out the author's page if you're interested!]

[Blurb]

Shi Yan was a prodigy from a young age, studying under ninth-dan professional Go player Zhan Liangchou. He earned his professional rank at twelve and won so many Go tournament trophies he could barely keep count.

As the daughter of a professional Go player, Zhan Xinglu had never once beaten Shi Yan at Go, so she disliked him at every turn. In everyone else's eyes, Shi Yan was a handsome, refined Go prodigy, as poised as a pine tree, distinguished yet modest. But in Zhan Xinglu's eyes, he was a hypocritical, devious... Go prodigy.

Whenever Zhan Xinglu lost a game as a child, she would angrily toss the Go box onto the floor. Whenever her mother heard the clatter, she knew the little one had lost again and was throwing a tantrum, so she would call upstairs, "Xinglu, don't bully Shi Yan!"

Zhan Xinglu would lift her little chin and shoot Shi Yan a sideways glare, retorting indignantly, "Who's bullying whom?"

Later, Shi Yan pinned Zhan Xinglu to the table and kissed her until she could barely breathe. The Go box was knocked over, scattering the stones across the floor.

Hearing the noise, Zhan's mother called upstairs again, "Xinglu, don't bully Shi Yan!"

Clutching Shi Yan's clothes to steady herself, Zhan Xinglu blushed and muttered in protest, "Who's bullying whom...?"

Zhan Xinglu knew Shi Yan was good at setting traps for his opponents on the Go board. She never imagined that he would be just as good at setting traps away from it, luring her into one so she would meekly let him have his way with her.

A cool and sweet, aloof girl x a bright, quiet, and pure boy

*No real-life models

Now underway: If I Had Never Seen Mountains and Rivers

When Lin Xiyuan learned that she liked Wuda University's campus heartthrob Ling Chuan, her friends urged her to turn back before it was too late.

"Everyone at Wuda knows that Ling Chuan, the handsome, aloof senior in the architecture department, has had girls chasing him for all four years of college. They could circle the track... well, no one's counted how many laps. Every type of girl has tried, but he hasn't paid a single one any attention. What do you think that means?"

Lin Xiyuan thought for three seconds. "It means he's virtuous and won't settle for less."

"What the heck do you mean, virtuous and won't settle for less?" Her friend rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Rumor has it he likes men."

Lin Xiyuan: "...? No way!"

Her friend: "Think about it. Why did he go up to your younger brother and your young uncle when he saw them?"

Lin Xiyuan was led astray by the question. "He, he was interested in...?"

Ling Chuan, who happened to pass by and overhear the entire conversation, was speechless...

His roommate beside him held back a laugh and teased, "Hey, tell us, why did you go up to them?"

Ling Chuan: "..."

Go up to them, my ass. He was trying to get them to leave. He'd thought they were his love rivals!

Theme: Keep your goals in mind and move forward bravely