At Last, Midsummer [Rekindled Love]

[Work has been keeping me pretty busy lately, so updates may be irregular. This novel will remain free throughout its run.]

Back in college, Xie Yuheng and Sheng Xia were worlds apart.

Xie Yuheng was a golden boy, adored by everyone, confident and flamboyant, with countless admirers.

Sheng Xia was gentle and reserved, keeping to herself.

No one would ever have imagined the two of them together.

Until one day, at a party, Sheng Xia lost a game and was dared to confess her feelings to Xie Yuheng.

Everyone waited to see her make a fool of herself. Xie Yuheng was famously hard to win over, and why would he ever be interested in a Cinderella like Sheng Xia?

To everyone's surprise, Xie Yuheng nodded after hearing her out. "All right."

No one believed in a romance that began on a whim. Everyone expected Xie Yuheng to lose interest, walk away in style, and dump Sheng Xia.

Sure enough, before long, the two broke up.

But Sheng Xia was the one who dumped Xie Yuheng.

Years later, when they meet again, Xie Yuheng has become a rising star in business, the subject of glowing coverage in every financial publication. His eyes are cool, his manner aloof and refined, and his gaze passes over Sheng Xia as if she were a stranger.

Everyone says that a man of Xie Yuheng's standing has long since put his youthful romance behind him.

But no one knows that on a rain-soaked street, Xie Yuheng pins her against the back seat of his car. Her phone keeps ringing with calls from the man she is supposed to meet for a blind date. Years of pent-up fury surge in Xie Yuheng's eyes as his thumb presses hard against her swollen lips.

"Go ahead, answer it. If you don't, how will he know you're fooling around with me, the shameless other man?"

Sheng Xia closes her eyes and softly calls his name. "Xie Yuheng."

Those three syllables make Xie Yuheng tremble from head to toe. "I'm just a fucking fool."

No matter how high a wall of hatred I build, the moment you come near, I panic and search everywhere for the key.

Everyone says Sheng Xia married above her station, going from rags to riches by marrying Xie Yuheng.

Xie Yuheng runs his fingers over the thread on his wrist, tied there years ago after he pulled it from her scarf. His voice is tender and lingering. "Without her, I'd be a stray dog."

"She saved me."

[I wandered for so long in the winter fog, until one day you took my hand. At last, it was summer.]

Both leads have only ever been with each other, and each is the other's first love.

Theme: Everyone is the architect of their own destiny