Halfway Through Spring in Nantang

Jiang Qingye x Nan Yi

Weibo: @Chi Chi Que Yin

Before moving in with the Jiang family, Nan Yi lived in her hometown in a house where only the first floor had been renovated. Every day after school, she had to endure a two-hour bus ride home, then transfer to a motorcycle for another twenty minutes before she finally arrived. After she moved in with the Jiangs, a private car picked her up and dropped her off at school every day. It drove straight into the large garage of the Jiang family mansion, and from there it was just a short walk home.

A car accident left Nan Yi's mother in critical condition. After decades of hardship, the woman had nothing to leave her daughter except a healthy kidney. Once the transplant was successful, Nan Yi moved into the Jiang home at her mother's request.

Jiang Qingye was deeply hostile toward this unexpected outsider. She had the shabby air of someone from the countryside, carried a faded handkerchief, and spoke timidly without daring to raise her head. Taking her out would only embarrass the Jiang family. At school, people teased Jiang Qingye about having a little sister from the countryside. At home, he was told to take good care of Nan Yi, and she was always keeping an eye on him. It made Jiang Qingye furious, so he went out of his way to make things difficult for Nan Yi every day.

Cruel Jiang Qingye loved picking on Nan Yi, and Nan Yi loved to cry. Whenever she did, everything turned red: her eyes, lips, cheeks, and neck. Her whole body seemed to radiate the dewy freshness unique to girls from the south, which only made Jiang Qingye want to tease her more.

"Nan Yi, could you stop crying? I'm starting to become immune to those tears."

Like a puppy that had found a sweet, gentle little treat, he was fiercely possessive. No one but him was allowed to bully Nan Yi.

But he couldn't stop himself from bullying her.

Jiang Qingye always assumed Nan Yi had clawed her way into this comfortable life. He had no idea that she studied as hard as she could, went to college, and pursued a graduate degree, all so she could escape a life dependent on someone else's charity.

The day Nan Yi moved out of the Jiang home, Jiang Qingye flew into a rage and smashed everything in her room. He snarled, completely out of control, "If you leave, don't ever show your face in front of me again!"

Less than half a month later, he showed up at the university Nan Yi attended. With red eyes, he pinned her against the bed and demanded, "Nan Yi, do you really see me as nothing but a stepping stone?"

"Nan Yi, I want to tear away that facade of yours and see just how hard your heart really is."

Even after being tamed, the puppy's fangs were still sharp. Jiang Qingye bullied Nan Yi until tears streamed down her face, leaving her sobbing too hard to speak. He held her tightly, his eyes bloodshot, and apologized in a low voice. "Nan Yi, I'm sorry. I'm an asshole. Please stop crying, okay?"

Nan Yi had never been loved. She needed love and longed to be loved.

Jiang Qingye loved her, but he wasn't very good at showing it.

The heroine has a condition that makes her cry uncontrollably.

There is melodrama.

There is a one-on-one romance.

There is sweetness.

There is angst.

There is groveling to win her back.

There are classic old-school romance tropes.

The hero is a sharp-fanged puppy who gets tamed.

There is a happy ending.

Theme: Be brave in love.