[Complete. Next novel: Summer Fields, launching November 1. Visit my author page to add it to your favorites.]
Ning Yan, a big name in private equity, greets everyone with a smile and has warm, flirtatious eyes. But everyone knows there's a thunderous hand behind that gentle gaze.
The industry says there's no project Ning Yan can't land, until a formidable woman named Zhou Xi appears.
Queen Zhou has the face of a Jiangnan beauty and eyes as alluring as spring waters, but she takes on the toughest challenges, handles the most difficult projects, and makes the most money.
The two clash again and again, trading blows as they compete to manage a trillion-yuan SP fund.
People in the industry sigh that the two have met at the summit: kings don't meet kings, generals don't meet generals, and neither will rest until the other is defeated.
No one knows that in the quiet of night, they hold each other close, looking down at the river of headlights and sleepless neon below as they share a long, lingering cigarette.
In a nutshell: They fight over business by day and fight over the blankets at night.
Theme: Take your career seriously and love well.
[Before you read]
1. A workplace story set in investment banking, with a focus on venture capital. For the technical details, you can read the author's notes alongside the story.
2. A strong heroine and hero, mature adults, and a battle of equals. They match each other in their careers, and their romance is a back-and-forth, not a story where one person dominates the other. It could also be called The Love Story of Two Investment Banking Titans, The Cool Guy Who Loves a Straight-Shooting, Badass Queen, Battling All Day and Sweetly Fighting at Night, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Investment Banking Edition. I made those up, of course.
3. Both leads are non-virgins. If that bothers you, please don't start reading.
4. If you come across any tropes you dislike, feel free to skip them. Please don't get into a heated argument with the author.
New novel: Summer Fields [Campus | Mutual pining | Reunited after a separation | Second-chance romance]
In high school, Ning Anran was quiet and kept a low profile; Zhou Siyuan was the center of attention, making a big splash every day.
A competition brings their paths together, even though they should have been moving forward in parallel. Soon, rumors of romance between them begin to circulate at school.
When Ning Anran hears their names linked together, she feels a secret happiness, but stays clearheaded and restrained, keeping her distance from him.
Then, on the day before summer vacation, Zhou Siyuan leans against the flagpole and tells her, “Ning Anran, let me set the record straight. I like you. It's not a rumor.”
Behind the young man, the sun is about to set, painting half the sky red.
He smiles at her and asks, unhurried but earnest, “What about you? Do you want to set the record straight too?”
After the last college entrance exam ends, Zhou Siyuan, having turned in his paper early, takes Ning Anran's hand outside the exam hall without a hint of hesitation.
Their relationship makes everyone envious throughout their four years at university. Ning Anran thinks they'll go from school uniforms to wedding dresses, but reality has him breaking up with her unilaterally and vanishing without a trace.
Then, seven years after their breakup, on a stormy afternoon, a colleague sent to rescue her grabs her from behind as she nearly slips into a deep ravine in the Gobi Desert.
Ning Anran turns around, unable to thank him before she sees a face she hasn't seen in years but knows all too well.
Their eyes meet as rain pours down like a waterfall.
Through the curtain of rain, Ning Anran looks down and makes out the number on the chest badge of the man's rain-soaked blue uniform: 0.
Project Ask the Heavens, commander No. 0.
“On the road to chasing the stars, there are fierce winds and torrential rain, and lonely, silent nights. But I have never been afraid, because someone has always been by my side, shining a warm light.”, Zhou Siyuan
Content note: Everything serves the plot. There are many fictional details, and this is not professional. Please don't take it as real. If it's not for you, feel free to move on. Thank you.
Second upcoming novel: Those Reckless Dreams of Yours
The first year Wu Ying likes Ji Yutong, she taps his shoulder with a book. “You're a kid. Focus on your studies, and no dating.”
The second year, she rises on her toes beneath a sky full of stars and kisses his cheek. “Happy birthday. Welcome to the adult world.”
The third year, she takes his restless hand, laughter glinting in her eyes. “You don't know how? That's okay. Big sister will teach you.”
2.
From the first moment he sees Ji Yutong at seventeen, Wu Ying never takes his eyes off her. Unfortunately, there are too many people and things in her eyes and heart.
Ten years fly by. They each shine in their own right, becoming decisive executives in the investment world.
When they meet again, she openly declares her love and keeps pressing him from every direction. He pretends to yield, leading her on step by step.
At last, in the still darkness of night, Ji Yutong pins her to the sofa. “Have you forgotten me already?”
Wu Ying lowers his gaze, hiding the surging feelings in his eyes. “I came back to get married.”
Ji Yutong glances at the ring in his palm, his proof. She lowers her head and leans toward his ear, speaking with a smile in her voice. “Junior, I might not be able to fit into the ring you proposed with six years ago anymore.”
The next instant, Wu Ying grips her waist and rolls over, pinning her into the sofa. Gazing into her eyes, he tempts her: “You've been playing with me for so long, senior. How about we play all the way to the end?”
#A sly older woman who makes herself the prey vs. a true wolf-dog younger man pretending to take the bait#
“Those reckless dreams of yours, I'll go crazy with you for them.”, Lin Junjie
Theme: The world is a desert, and you are the oasis.
