Falling into the Fog

[Complete] [Please add my next novel, You Once Came Treading on Moonlight, to your reading list~] Pei Xiwen once had a brief encounter in a small town in Jiangnan. He first met Lin Jianlu on a rainy day. Her white dress was soaked through, and she was shivering under the eaves as she took shelter from the rain. Feeling sorry for her, Pei Xiwen gave her an umbrella. When her clear, sparkling eyes met his, he was momentarily dazzled, and an inexplicable tingling spread through his chest. She asked for his contact information so she could return the umbrella someday. But she wasn't really his type. Pei Xiwen gave her an amused, knowing look, then tossed her his suit jacket to cover the marks showing through her white dress. "Keep the umbrella." Perhaps it was fate that they met again a week later at the town's summer fireworks festival. Lin Jianlu stood with him beneath the sky full of fireworks and made a wish. Perhaps the romantic atmosphere was too intoxicating, because when she looked up, he didn't pull away. Instead, he deepened the kiss himself. - Pei Xiwen was mature, handsome, and rich. He had affairs everywhere but never gave anyone his heart. One glance from him could brim with passion, yet when he walked away, he was cold and merciless. To him, their encounter in the town was nothing more than a diversion from his busy life. Before long, he left. Back in the capital, Pei Xiwen was dragged to a bar by his rowdy friends. There, he unexpectedly spotted a woman in the dance floor crowd, with red lips, long wavy hair, and a tight spaghetti-strap dress, dancing away. She had never looked like that when she was with him. Later, Pei Xiwen discovered that the name she used when they dated was fake, her age was fake, and even the sweet, innocent persona that had captivated him was fake. When he asked why she had lied, Lin Jianlu smiled innocently. "We were just having fun. Did you really take it seriously?" Only then did Pei Xiwen realize that he had fallen into a trap Lin Jianlu had laid long ago. He was the prey. -The most skilled hunters often appear as prey. If you know it's a trap, would you still dare to walk into it? They were both hunters, and yet both were prey. - [I willingly stepped into your web, but the more I try to leave, the more I lose my way. Love is a blue haze.] - "Blve" *The protagonists' names are taken from a line in Li Bai's "Visiting the Taoist of Dai Mountain but Not Finding Him": "Deep in the trees, a deer appears; at noon by the stream, no temple bell is heard." Please read the following content warnings before starting: 1. Neither protagonist is a virgin, and both have a history of being playboys. They have extensive romantic histories. Readers who want chaste protagonists, please don't read!!! 2. Ten-year age gap, 20 and 30. 3. The small-town section is told from the male lead's perspective. After they return to the capital, the story switches to the female lead's perspective. There will be a separate bonus chapter from her point of view for the small-town section. 4. Neither protagonist is perfect; they have plenty of flaws. If you want perfect protagonists, please look elsewhere. 5. Please don't attribute the characters' values and statements to the author. 6. Happy ending. Next novel: You Once Came Treading on Moonlight The season three finale of Song of Voices has come to a close. New singer Song Jinghuai emerged as a dark horse, beating out numerous veterans in the music industry to win the annual championship. People were captivated by his singing, but also by his flawless good looks. That night, #SongJinghuai rose to the top of the trending searches. Clicking on the topic brought up a photo of a man singing softly with his eyes lowered. Strong brows and bright eyes, with a naturally tender air. Qin Zhike was the most popular controversial actress of the moment. She was a master at flirting with men and moved among one male star after another, making her the bane of every female fanbase. Recently, a new escape-room variety show had taken the internet by storm. Qin Zhike and Song Jinghuai were among the regular guests. Even though Song Jinghuai's fans objected, the production team stubbornly went ahead and filmed the first episode. But on the day of filming, viewers noticed the strange tension between them. They seemed to be at odds, competing over who could solve puzzles faster and sabotaging each other during solo missions, until they both managed to trap themselves in a two-person escape room. Song Jinghuai wanted to go left, while Qin Zhike wanted to go right. They not only argued but got physical. Just as the production team was about to stop filming, Song Jinghuai suddenly hoisted Qin Zhike over his shoulder and carried her left, saying in a lazy drawl, "What a temper. You're so stubborn." Production team: ...Can we air this? - Later, gossip accounts dug up that Qin Zhike and Song Jinghuai had known each other for years and were childhood sweethearts. Netizens joked, "They'll have a hard time explaining this if they don't get married." A few days later, during a media interview, Qin Zhike admitted openly, "We've known each other for years, but we weren't childhood sweethearts. We have a blood feud." The reporter asked, "Why?" Qin Zhike replied, "We used to fight every time we saw each other as kids. I knocked out four of his teeth, and he split my head open. See this scar by my temple? He gave me that." One netizen was puzzled. If they had such a blood feud, why were they so sweet on the show, holding hands and hugging, and practically kissing? Qin Zhike quickly replied: [It was all scripted.] Just as netizens were feeling disappointed, Song Jinghuai himself replied to her comment. [What script? Let me see it.] - 1. Both are virgins, bickering lovers, childhood sweethearts. 2. A genuine blood feud at first, then a full-on sweet romance. 3. The female lead really hasn't been moving between male stars, nor does she flirt with men. Gossip accounts and haters have maliciously spun the story. -- Theme: Love each other well and work hard at life.