Winter Blaze

* Originally titled Whale in a Night Dream [Secret Crush] [Childhood Friends] Wen Xi has kept a secret for ten years: she has a crush on her childhood friend, Zhou Shiran. From the first stirrings of love to the maturity of adulthood, she watches him flourish and watches him fall deeply in love. As his best friend, she gives him the most insincere blessing she can. Just when Wen Xi thinks things between her and Zhou Shiran will stay this way forever, a slip of the tongue after a few drinks reveals the secret she's hidden for ten years. Zhou Shiran leans against a streetlight, his face hidden in the dim night. The cigarette between his fingers glows and fades. "I'm sorry. I only think of you as a friend." * Her secret crush began at fifteen and came to an abrupt end at twenty-five. After her confession is rejected, Wen Xi leaves the place she knows in humiliation and builds a wall around her heart. When they meet again, she's lying in a hospital bed after a car accident, hesitating over whether to ask a coworker for help. A hand with long, distinct knuckles takes her phone. She looks up to see Zhou Shiran, his white coat soaked through, raindrops dripping from his hair, his face frighteningly dark. "Who else were you going to call?" - A secret crush is like a lonely whale. He is bold and carefree, yet never belongs to my world. - Childhood friends Theme: Stay positive and pursue love bravely