Glass Sugar Cube

[The print edition is now available on major platforms. WeChat: @YouBeiYa] Please add my next book, A Rainy Day Romance, to your reading list~ Tang Li first met Cheng Shaotang in her freshman dorm room. Her roommate came from a world of wealth, nothing like Tang Li's. Cheng Shaotang was her roommate's cousin. As he stood by the window listening to her roommate complain, the man idly toyed with the mug on the desk. He glanced up lazily, sunlight from outside falling across his black hair, and he was utterly captivating. Tang Li said softly, "That's my mug." The next moment, his long, slender fingers, each joint sharply defined, set the mug down. He said unhurriedly, "Sorry." She used that mug for many, many years afterward. While working a part-time job in college, Tang Li stood in the middle of a vast plaza selling flowers for ten yuan a bouquet. She had wrapped every one herself. A light rain fell that day, soaking her thin shirt. Passersby hurried past, paying her no mind. Just as the cold made her teeth chatter, a long, slender hand appeared before her and pressed an umbrella into her hand amid the chilly wind and rain. She said she didn't want it, so he took a bouquet of her sunflowers in exchange. Tang Li looked up amid the crowd and saw his broad-shouldered, long-legged figure walking away, and... Another woman stood waiting for him beneath an umbrella. She had a graceful figure, red lips, and bright white teeth. She accepted the bouquet of sunflowers. They had a secret relationship that lasted ten months, beginning in early spring as all things began to grow and ending in the depths of winter, amid falling snow. After they broke up, he could never get in touch with her again. So, at a family dinner one day, he tried to casually ask his cousin about her. His cousin said, "Cousin, do you mean Tang Li? She changed majors and moved dorms. I heard she's going abroad as an exchange student next semester, for two years." Cheng Shaotang said nothing. It felt as if someone had struck his heart with a muffled blow. No matter how well he kept up appearances, late at night he couldn't help but think... She really didn't want him anymore. Years after parting, they met again. He was a high-and-mighty client, while she was a poised and radiant contractor. Their eyes met briefly amid the shifting crowd. They nodded in greeting, each with their own thoughts. Eight-year age gap / Mutual pining turned into love / Rekindled romance / Neither has been with anyone else The male lead has to win her back Huang Xiyu's boyfriend begged and pestered her to join him on a six-day, five-night photography trip. Their friends all said he had ulterior motives. But shortly before they were due to leave, her boyfriend changed his mind. "Sorry, babe. Something came up, and I can't get away." Huang Xiyu swallowed her feelings and said okay, then went alone. The roads were slick with rain, and the minibus didn't reach its destination until late afternoon. Huang Xiyu was slow getting off, and her solitary figure looked especially forlorn. She had no idea what she was supposed to do or who to talk to. She even regretted agreeing to come paint with her boyfriend. When someone teased that her boyfriend was clearly involved with another woman, she was left speechless. You Ye, seated beside her, took a sip of tea and said meaningfully, "I brought Huang Xiyu here." Even when her boyfriend cheated on her, it was You Ye who covered her eyes with a disgusted look and murmured in her ear, "Don't look. It'll sully your eyes." Huang Xiyu gave up on her boyfriend and broke up with him. When a friend asked how she felt, she pretended nothing was wrong and said she didn't feel anything in particular. Her friend comforted her: "Out with the old, in with the new." She just didn't expect the new to come along so quickly. You Ye, a directing major at Jingnan Academy of Arts, came from a wealthy family. Arrogant and unruly, he was every inch a favored son of heaven. Quiet and reserved, Huang Xiyu never dreamed that someone like him would become so entangled with her... After she broke up with his roommate. The night they wrapped their graduation film. In a dimly lit private room, the mood suddenly turned intimate. You Ye had been drinking. He kissed Huang Xiyu with lips faintly scented with alcohol and asked if she wanted to play a game with him. His kiss left Huang Xiyu trembling, but she couldn't push him away. "What kind of game?" You Ye's voice was low, like a soft spring rain that lingered. His eyes were dark and deep as he said, word by word, "A game of love." At that moment, Huang Xiyu's heart suddenly raced. Her rosy lips parted. "If we're playing, let's make it real." You Ye arched a brow, the corner of his mouth curving up. "It's a deal." This game has no ending. Reading Guide 1. The characters in this story are all flawed. If anything makes you uncomfortable, please stop reading. 2. Bug reports are welcome, but please don't give me writing advice. 3. Anti-piracy protection is 70%, with a 72-hour delay. If you're reading a pirated copy, don't comment on my story. 4. I'll delete or respond sharply to comments that upset me, but I still hope we can all choose peace and love. 5. I'll add more if I think of anything. To be continued. Theme: Staying positive