Miscalculation

Complete | I couldn't accept my fate without sharing something extraordinary with you.

(Next book: I Love You Most)

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, snow fell at night in the capital. Her whole family was celebrating, while Lu Lijin stood on an empty street, singing for money.

She sang "Dark Surge" in terrible Cantonese, and was off-key the whole time. Her bright, beautiful face was the only thing carrying the performance. When she sang, "My fate, my fate," her eyes reddened and her voice trembled with tears.

Chu Huaiyan had just finished drinking. Surrounded by people, he stepped outside and looked up at the sound. He waved everyone away, brushed the scarlet from his fingertips, and listened for a while.

That night, bewitched by some impulse, he suddenly decided to do a good deed. Coolly, he asked, "How much for a night, singing like that?"

*

A fine drizzle fell over the capital. Chu Huaiyan lounged in a grand armchair, watching the performer onstage toss her water sleeves with carefree grace, her voice melodious as an oriole's song.

Lu Lijin's final costume that night was Guanyin. She hadn't finished singing when she was pulled into his arms, but her voice didn't stop at all.

The opera house was spacious, the rain pattering outside.

"A little louder. I like listening," Chu Huaiyan whispered into her ear, not bothering to pretend he didn't know. "Little Guanyin, why are you being so wanton with me?"

*

The day Lu Lijin resolved to leave, heavy snow fell over the capital. The expressways were closed and flights were grounded.

She took a high-speed train to a neighboring city, planning to fly from there. After many setbacks and detours through several places, she finally managed to board a plane.

Chu Huaiyan sat lazily in front of the surveillance monitors, watching her go. It seemed that all the patience he had in his life ran out during the ten minutes she kept looking back before entering the cabin.

At an altitude of tens of thousands of feet, a flight attendant announced in a warm, clear voice: "We wish Ms. Lu Lijin a bright future and every happiness."

This was a birthday greeting reserved for holders of the airline's top-tier Platinum card. Lu Lijin was neither a member nor celebrating a birthday.

The last words Chu Huaiyan ever said to her that year came through someone else's mouth, without a trace of emotion.

So carefree, and as cold-hearted as ever.

At the time, he never imagined that he would one day be unable to live without her.

Suave scoundrel × clear-headed sweetheart

Capital circle big shot × Central Conservatory of Music student

Both are each other's first, happy ending, happy ending, happy ending

Synopsis screenshot saved from 2021.2.9; latter half from 2022.1.18

Opening line from Kay Tse's "Our Genes" | In this story, the airline is controlled by the male lead's family.

-- I Love You Most --

Chu Zhao is the only girl among nine generations of the Chu family. With three older brothers, the little princess is the apple of everyone's eye.

She hasn't been spoiled, either. She's a model girl: hardworking in her studies and diligent in everything she does. She firmly believes that if she can't get something, it's because she hasn't tried hard enough.

On her first day of university, Chu Zhao fell for Yan Shujue.

Yan Shujue lived up to his name. In his youth, his brilliance was truly unmatched.

He was firmly established as the campus heartthrob and famous on and off campus for being aloof and refined, and for turning down love letters.

Chu Zhao offered him a black card, and he gave her a second-ring school-district apartment in return.

Chu Zhao flew to America to get an athlete's autograph for him, and he showed her a whole room full of merchandise bearing his own signature.

When her looks didn't work, she tried improving herself. After three months of hard work, Chu Zhao still couldn't beat Yan Shujue's history grades, and she was crushed by him in a debate competition.

There's someone you really want to pursue, but he doesn't need money, gifts, or admirers.

Chu Zhao gave up on the spot. Liking one person was exhausting. Liking ten was much more fun.

On the first day she gave up, Yan Shujue felt very uncomfortable. He even asked around to find out if something had happened to her, since she hadn't shown up.

On the second day, Yan Shujue went to wait for her outside her dorm. Chu Zhao chatted and laughed with her roommate, pretending he wasn't there.

On the third day, he sent Chu Zhao a voice message, only to have her hang up on him twice in a row.

On the seventh day, Yan Shujue saw Chu Zhao run over and throw herself into a young man's arms. He began to ponder how to steal her away.

He had just come up with a plan to steal her away, but hadn't put it into action yet, when Chu Zhao was about to get into someone else's car.

Plans couldn't keep up with the changes. Yan Shujue stopped her in the street, using his fiercest tone to make his most heartfelt confession: I was wrong before. If you don't give me a chance today, I'll come back tomorrow, and the day after that. I have a whole lifetime to confess to you and steal you away.

Chu Zhao fell silent for a long moment, then pointed to the expressionless man behind her and told Yan Shujue to call him "big brother" along with her.

[You're the person I love most in the whole world.]

[Adorable little princess × cool, charismatic rich playboy]

Theme: Things can't always go your way, but you should at least have a clear conscience.