Rippling Springtime

Jiang Qingyue's design was selected for an international exhibition. On the day the awards were announced, she trended online thanks to a short interview clip. She looked radiant in the video, with a pair of striking, captivating eyes. During the interview, the reporter couldn't resist asking, “What is your ideal type, Designer Jiang?” Jiang Qingyue: “Someone cheerful, kind, and devoted to family.” A classic trio of ideal qualities. The next day, the icy CEO of a design firm arrived at work with a smile, carrying a kitten he'd found on the road. Before noon, he announced he was going home to care for his elderly mother. His secretary couldn't help reminding him, “Please return the kitten to its mother. Also, your mother is vacationing in Sanya. She's not at home.” The employees all thought their boss had been acting strangely lately. Then, during a meeting one day, the secretary accidentally opened the boss's WeChat while projecting his computer screen. On the big screen, a conspicuous red exclamation mark appeared before a chat message. “I fit your ideal type perfectly.” --Message sent, but rejected by the recipient. * It wasn't long before the whole company heard the gossip that Designer Jiang had turned down CEO Zhou Siyan again and again. That night. Zhou Siyan's clothes were disheveled, and several scratch marks showed beneath his open collar. A storm was coming. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside, while the room grew hot and humid. After a passionate kiss, Jiang Qingyue looked up at the man above her and reached out to caress his cheek. Zhou Siyan turned his head and rubbed against her palm, then took her hand and kissed it. His husky, seductive voice brushed past her ear. “A Yue, tell me you love me. You can even lie.” “A contract lover is still a lover.” A contract romance: she runs, he chases. A bewitching, oblivious female designer X a CEO who's two different people by day and night .*★Coming Soon: Between the Falling Stars. If you like it, please visit my author page and add it to your favorites. Thank you, dears! 1 When Yan Xia was sixteen, her father's plane went missing, and she was sent to stay with the Lu family. Lu Yan was incredibly patient with her. He wiped away the tears on Yan Xia's cheek and pulled her out of the muddy depths of despair. For a long time afterward, Lu Yan was the only person in Yan Xia's world. Unfortunately, Lu Yan was never short of admirers. Yan Xia had seen the drawer full of love letters in Lu Yan's desk, seen girl after girl stop him to confess, and seen him drunk, holding her while calling someone else's name. She knew Lu Yan didn't love her, so she carefully hid all her feelings. But after he sobered up, he wouldn't let her go, rekindling the tiny flame in her heart. The two of them maintained an ambiguous relationship until Yan Xia caught Lu Yan drinking a wedding toast with someone else at a bar. The deafening cheers made her whole body go numb. After noticing her, Lu Yan set down his empty glass and beckoned to her, his voice gentle. “Xiaxia, come over and sit beside me.” His expression was calm, as if what he'd just done were as ordinary as eating or sleeping. That day, a great fire ignited in Yan Xia's heart, burning everything between her and Lu Yan to ashes. 2 Jiang Chengyuan, the only son of the Jiang family, was a notorious troublemaker, defiant and dazzling. People said he wasn't a gentleman or considerate. He rejected confessions without mercy. Girls came blushing and left in tears. No one knew he'd met someone special at fourteen and still couldn't forget her at twenty-four. They met again at a bar. Yan Xia sat on the steps outside, staring blankly at the distant traffic. A jacket carrying an aggressively masculine scent landed on her shoulders. “Your taste has been bad since you were a kid.” Yan Xia looked up and met a pair of dark, piercing eyes. Jiang Chengyuan asked, “How do I compare to him?” 3 Later, when the first snow fell, Yan Xia and Jiang Chengyuan registered their marriage. Her decision was sudden and decisive. Everything connected to her at the Lu household disappeared without a trace. Lu Yan got blackout drunk, bought a bouquet, and went to Yan Xia's home to look for her. A man opened the door, looking languid, with a few red marks hidden beneath his collar. Yan Xia's voice came from inside. “Who is it?” Jiang Chengyuan raised his brows slightly and gave Lu Yan a casual glance. “A delivery guy.” A figure darted out and threw herself into the man's arms. Yan Xia's eyes gleamed as she lifted her head and kissed Jiang Chengyuan's chin. “Where did he go?” Outside the door, only a bouquet of roses remained, scattered across the ground. A heated breath brushed her ear as Jiang Chengyuan wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “Forget him. Pay attention to me, darling.” [You're not Plan B or a backup option. You're my one and only.] * Childhood sweetheart appears out of nowhere + marriage first, love later * Not a typical groveling redemption arc; the male lead is Jiang Chengyuan * A two-faced art teacher who borrows her tiger's might X a free-spirited, unruly race car driver Theme: Be brave and pursue the one you love