A Heart Ablaze

[Prepublication: Can't Escape This Heartbeat, please add to your favorites~] Xia Wan is beautiful, poised, and elegant. Together with Shen Jing Shi, the eldest young master of the Shen family, she's the couple everyone envies, a match made in heaven. Before the two of them had even defined their relationship, people were already joking that it was only a matter of time before they got together. Xia Wan thought so too. It wasn't until Shen Jing Shi left her birthday party after a phone call from his ex-girlfriend that she realized just how badly she'd misjudged things. Devastated, Xia Wan sank into despair. But no one knew that, that very night, she'd accidentally gotten involved with a younger guy. She assumed they'd never meet again, until her best friend set her up on a blind date. The man she'd been expecting never showed. She looked up and saw a young man jogging over, a wrist guard on his arm. He still had a hint of youthful energy about him. His sharp features were bold and carefree, and after his workout, he carried the clean, crisp scent of hormones. She met his deep, dark gaze. "Sorry, he's busy, so I'm taking his place on the blind date." Her friend got angry, but Xia Wan held her back, smiled at the young man, and agreed. "Sure." The dinner was awkward from start to finish. Afterward, Jiang Ji pinned her against the wall, his breath teasing and his voice seductive. "Do you remember me? The guy you held down and kissed that night." "..." * Shen Jing Shi had once had a girlfriend, the first love from his youth he could never let go of. After their relationship ended abruptly, he waited for a chance to take advantage of the situation, but the chance never came. Instead, he lost the girl who'd been by his side for two years. That night, he thought of all the ways Xia Wan had been good to him and knocked on her door. The door opened. Jiang Ji glanced at him nonchalantly, his collar open, revealing a suggestive red mark on his Adam's apple. "What do you want?" Shen Jing Shi's eyes instantly reddened. #The one you lost was the burning heartbeat that dazzled me for a lifetime# * A regretful ex who can't win her back, and the second male lead takes the spotlight * Male lead: Jiang Ji. Younger man and older woman romance, three-year age gap * Both are each other's first, with a happy ending, one-on-one romance - Prepublication: Can't Escape This Heartbeat Ming Siyao had barely returned to the country when her father arranged a blind date for her. Unless something unexpected happened, she'd be marrying into the Pei family as the second young master's wife. That second young master of the Pei family was a notorious playboy, forever chasing women and attracting admirers. He was no suitable match. Ming Siyao refused, but it made no difference. To get back at her family for rejecting her refusal to marry, Ming Siyao came up with a plan. She set her sights on the Lu family, who had a grudge against the Mings. The Lu family was the Ming family's fiercest business rival in all of Jiangcheng. In particular, the Ming family always came out behind whenever they competed for a project. Her family had never liked the Lus, and whenever her father talked about them, he was so angry he couldn't eat. If she dated their son, wouldn't that drive her family crazy? It was a great plan! She really was the Ming family's good daughter! * Lu Mingjing was a prominent figure in Jiangcheng's business world, decisive and ruthless, with no regard for others. When it came to women, he was hopelessly clueless, cold to the extreme. A friend told her, "Winning him over is basically hard mode from hell." Ming Siyao refused to believe it. She was determined to drag this prickly, aloof beauty down from his lofty pedestal. Unfortunately, no matter how many tricks she tried, the man remained completely unmoved. At last, the young woman ran out of patience. With the alcohol going to her head, she tugged down his gold-rimmed tie and planted a hard kiss on him. Once sober, Ming Siyao panicked and fled the city in the middle of the night. Later, her family arranged another blind date for her. Before Ming Siyao could even agree, the cold and aloof man blocked her way inside the elevator. Lu Mingjing cornered her in the cramped elevator. His long-fingered hand gently lifted her chin. To her astonishment, the man who never fell easily for anyone now had a stirring, intoxicating yearning in his usually icy eyes. He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "You kissed me and ran? Don't you want to take responsibility?" Ming Siyao blushed, her heart in a flutter. "Th-then what do you want?" The man's voice was low. "I don't make bad deals. To make things fair, this time I get to kiss you back." A trembling heartbeat, a tender kiss. Only he knew it: He, too, couldn't escape this heartbeat. Theme: A woman is most beautiful when she loves herself.