The Pursuit Problem

An atypical "chasing your wife to the crematorium" story, with mutual unrequited love.

Primarily set in the city, with a little campus life. Modern alternate universe.

1

Back in school, Qing Jiu hated one kind of math problem most: pursuit problems. They had too many conditions, were tedious and fussy, and took forever to calculate.

She had a secret, though. In love, she hated pursuit problems just as much. As a student, she fell for someone but didn't dare tell him. All she could do was awkwardly and clumsily chase after him, always a step behind.

When her family fell on hard times, she spent every last bit of courage she'd saved up to ask him to meet her at the cake shop across from the school on the day she withdrew.

"Miss, we're about to close. Do you really think the person you're waiting for will come?"

"I'll wait a little longer." Her eyes held a stubborn light.

She stayed until the cake shop closed, but never saw the person she wanted to meet appear at the school gate across the street.

She was tired of pursuit problems. Her love life was just like those problems she'd done: B would never catch up with A. So when she ran into Cheng Bingshu again at work, she treated him as an old acquaintance, an old friend, a former classmate, anything but the lover she longed to be close to.

Until one day, she stumbled upon the man's secret. The man who was decisive and unstoppable at work was as awkward as a teenage boy in front of her. He gently wrapped his arms around her and murmured, "Qing Jiu, why don't we start over?"

2

Cheng Bingshu had a secret. Whenever he did practice problems or took a test, he looked forward most to pursuit problems. That way, he'd have an excuse to talk to the quiet, taciturn girl.

He'd missed out on her precious affection because he was young and clueless. He'd thought the wildness of youth would fade with time, but the moment they met again, his heart was filled with joy.

This time, he was determined to solve the pursuit problem.

Little Scene:

Cheng Bingshu: "I've been studying romance on that green website. See if you think I've learned how to be romantic."

Qing Jiu held out her hand, inviting him to give it a try.

The handsome man pinned the expressionless woman into a corner, trapping her between his arms. Their breaths mingled, and the atmosphere grew increasingly charged.

After agonizing over it for ages, the man's eyes turned red with the effort. He punched the wall and gave up. "I really can't do it... Forget it. I can't give you my life, so if you want it, come and take it yourself!"

Qing Jiu: ...What kind of lawless nonsense is that? Is it too late to return him?

1. The heroine looks aloof, but is actually insecure, tenacious, and resilient. The hero is warm-hearted over little things, but a straight shooter when it comes to serious matters, a little moon. They are each other's first love. By "little moon," I mean he looks bright and flawless, but is full of pitfalls underneath.

2. Neither lead is perfect. They learn to get along and grow together.

3. "Why don't we start over?" is borrowed from a certain movie.

Upcoming novel: You Are My Calories

1.

Ji Nanxing, a domineering female CEO, never expected that the personal trainer she hired to build muscle, tone her figure, and get in better shape would be a sharp-tongued jerk who could infuriate anyone.

She bought a box of multigrain bread and sent him a photo as instructed.

Kalu: "Nice purchase. Don't buy it again. This isn't whole grain at all."

Ji Nanxing: "But it's called multigrain bread?"

Kalu: "My nickname is also Big Benefactor."

She sent him a photo of her breakfast.

Kalu: "That's a pretty good meal. You could eat enough to throw up."

Ji Nanxing: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Come on, you wanna fight? .jpg

2.

Kalu is a rich second-generation heir in a nontraditional sense. Unlike those who mooch around waiting to inherit the family business, he has no interest in taking it over. Instead, he combined his passion with his work and founded his own chain of fitness clubs.

Determined to start his own business properly or else go home and inherit the family fortune, Kalu decides to personally look after their biggest client: the legendary female tyrant of Southwest Mall, Ji Nanxing.

He expects a fussy, demanding, cruel shrew of a female CEO. But once he gets past her prickly chestnut shell, he finds a fragile, pitiful, helpless woman who makes it hard not to feel for her.

Just as a warm current unexpectedly meets Murmansk, because of you, my whole world has become an ice-free harbor.

1. A petite, fierce female CEO, hard on the outside but soft within, × a carefree, sunny rich second-generation heir with a roguish streak. They are each other's first love.

Upcoming novel: The Three-Genre Best Actress Changes Careers to Become an Idol

1.

"Major scoop! Triple-crown Best Actress bullies a newcomer on set!"

"A model of virtue and talent?! Her public image is in ruins!"

"Hot-tempered, driving recklessly late at night and crashing into a guardrail, Xie Qingcheng is still fighting for her life!"

In the days before Xie Qingcheng died, she lay covered in tubes in a luxurious intensive care unit, staring blankly at the endless stream of negative news playing on the television.

The man who was about to get engaged to her stood in her hospital room, his voice tender yet chilling. "This is what happens to anyone who gets in my way."

She'd mentored him every step of the way and treated him as both student and friend, only to raise a venomous snake. She could only blame herself for being so blind.

2.

Her spirit floated above her body, and she saw many things she'd overlooked in the past because she'd been so devoted to her career.

The handsome young superstar wore a white suit and held white roses at a concert in her memory.

The workaholic agent who seemed to care only about her professional life drank himself into a stupor day after day.

The owner of a rival company kept a television playing her iconic film and TV scenes in his office while he worked.

Oh, and she also saw Mo Wen, that deep-water wolf. By day, he appeared before the media with red-rimmed eyes and tears of devotion. At night, he held her young assistant in his arms, making her memorial tablet rattle loudly.

Thank goodness she'd never been interested in romance and had never slept with Mo Wen. Just thinking about it made her sick.

If she could start over, she'd make sure that deep-water wolf drowned and never had a chance to rise again!

3.

When Xie Qingcheng opened her eyes again, she was eighteen.

She'd trained as an actress in her previous life, but this time she wanted to take a different path and experience a different life.

An invitation to Hua Entertainment's BLACK livestreaming platform's talent development program arrived in her hands, just as it had in her previous life.

In her previous life, she'd turned it down. This time, starting as a streamer, becoming a trainee at Hua Entertainment, and debuting as an idol seemed like it could be fun.

Fan: "How could my Yu He possibly know a little internet celebrity like her?! Those marketing accounts are just making things up!"

Yu He V: "An amazing beauty blogger, with such thoughtful makeup tutorials. @Xie Qingcheng V"

Onlooker: "Star Entertainment and Hua Entertainment have been at each other's throats for ages. Why would the childhood friend of Star Entertainment's CEO, its star agent, jump ship? If you're trying to stir things up, at least get your facts straight!"

Agent Yu Zhou V: "Pleasure working together. @Xie Qingcheng V"

Everyone: "Hua Entertainment's CEO has a deadpan face and a poisonous tongue. He's destined to be alone forever. How could anyone possibly like him?"

In full view of everyone, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her smooth, fair shoulders. The stunning woman lifted her head slightly and smiled sweetly.

4.

Hua Entertainment boss Fang Yan says: It took me this lifetime to finally bring her into my world. I'll protect her and keep her safe for the rest of her life.

A dazzling starlight, a glory that belongs to her alone.

Notes:

1. Fang Yan × Xie Qingcheng. One-on-one romance; the other characters have one-sided feelings, so don't place bets on them. The heroine is fiercely career-minded. The hero may, perhaps, probably, actually end up being a bit of a background character.

Theme: Change your fate through learning and hard work