A Burning, Passionate Love

At the end-of-term exams for the first half of her sophomore year, Lin Lianlian came out of nowhere to claim first place. She decided to celebrate with a trip she had planned with her best friend, but things took an unexpected turn: her dad forced her to take a summer job delivering meals to the new neighbor across the hall for a month.

The new neighbor, Zhang Chi, was six-foot-one, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, and strikingly handsome features. Most captivating of all was a beauty mark at the corner of his eye.

Looks-obsessed Lin Lianlian flooded her social media with posts: I want to live in his eyes.

*

Until the day she saw him beat several street punks all by himself. Even that beauty mark looked fierce.

Timid Lin Lianlian trembled and posted an update: No, no, no. Looking at him too much will make my eyes grow needles.

When the midterms came around, a transfer student knocked Lin Lianlian back down to her usual second place.

Who was this transfer student? When their eyes met, his gaze was as wolfish as ever. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Finally willing to look at me?"

*

One day, word spread across campus that transfer student Zhang Chi suffered from violent outbursts that could strike at any time.

Lin Lianlian would never forget him standing among the crowd, his face pale as paper and the corners of his eyes red, like a stray cat that had been bullied.

Before she knew it, she had pushed through the crowd and run to him.

That day, he obediently followed her home.

*

Zhang Chi suffered from violent outbursts. He had come alone to study in an unfamiliar city, hoping to learn self-control and save himself.

That day, a colorful butterfly flew into his gray life. Bright, warm, and lovely, it broke down the door to his tightly closed heart.

A little bonus scene:

After she and Zhang Chi had been together for ages, Lin Lianlian found an A4 sheet titled "Zhang Chi and Lin Lianlian Compatibility Checklist." The more she read, the more her brow furrowed!

Lin Lianlian likes everything gentle and harmless (I'm gentle).

Lin Lianlian wants to be number one (I'll let her).

The person Lin Lianlian likes (is me).

Lin Lianlian talks to other male classmates (beat him up).

Lin Lianlian gives me the silent treatment (angry, angry, SUPER angry!!!)

Who was that guy who beat people up on the street, made her stay in second place forever, and hid in his room over a single scoop of ice cream? Who was he, huh?!

Theme: Always keep an optimistic outlook and put your intelligence to good use to build a better life.