I Don't Envy the Far-Off Capital

This novel will definitely be finished before the end of August. It will remain free throughout serialization.

A domineering Beijing tycoon x a beautiful Jiangnan woman

An ultra-sweet, brainless little story. Read for fun, and if it's not your thing, don't read it!

Happy ending. The male lead is a devoted gentleman who fully respects and cherishes the female lead.

[This story is entirely fictional. No need to investigate, and there are no real-life inspirations.]

When he visited the company's Nanjing branch for an inspection, he went for a stroll along the Qinhuai River and met a young woman sketching.

She was an art student there to gather material, gentle and lovely, like a beauty stepping out of a portrait of a court lady. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to glisten as they swept across his face.

A ripple stirred in his heart. In an instant, it was as if the Buddha had opened his eyes and a lotus had gently bloomed.

A Beijing man like him flicked the cigarette in his hand, captivated by the sight.

That first glance by the Qinhuai River sealed his fate for life.

She gave him an incomparable summer.

He gave her an unforgettable autumn.

Later, fate tossed them about, and she returned to her hometown. For a while, their story turned toward parting.

But after all the twists and turns, he still bought a plane ticket. He had to go back. He needed her.

"It's not the muse who needs the artist. It's the artist who needs the muse to save him."

Even the air in Jiangnan seemed to hold more romance and tenderness than the air up north. It really was a wonderful place that made it impossible for him to harden his heart.

In the bustling Qinhuai night market, only the little corner that belonged to them was quiet.

Even their kisses seemed to hold endless things left unsaid.

In his arms, she cursed him in the Jiangnan dialect, calling him a bastard.

In Beijing dialect, he replied in a solemn, measured voice, "Then let me show you what a bastard I can be."

His name was Han Jiangning. He was from Beijing, though Jiangning was an old name for Nanjing.

Her name was Ding Beiping. She was from Nanjing, and her name meant that her mother hoped her precious child would be safe.

Beiping, the old name for Beijing.

Perhaps this fated romance had been doomed from the start to cling on relentlessly, never giving up until death.

Love had to serve as the judge, giving it the dramatic color of a decisive, no-holds-barred sacrifice.

So be it. Who can truly understand the affairs of this mortal world?

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An ordinary love story. I won't spoil the twists that come later.

The present-life arc has a happy ending; the past-life arc has a tragic ending.

The happy ending is sweetness with shards of glass mixed in.

The tragic ending is a giant knife with sugar mixed in.

The male lead is a devoted gentleman.

(1) Present-Life Arc

This seemingly cocky man owns a barbecue restaurant.

He's 24, with a buzz cut, a fondness for black tank tops, an eight-pack, and tattoo sleeves.

His girlfriend was introduced to him by their families. They'll get married in a couple of years.

To outsiders, the owner and his wife don't seem to have much affection for each other.

He grills while she works the register.

Even when they're busy, they barely speak, each focused on their own work.

But what they don't know is that the taciturn man hides in the restroom to smoke. As soon as he hears the woman's footsteps, he immediately stubs out his cigarette.

She came closer, caught a faint whiff of smoke, and smiled as she touched his flushed face. "If I catch you again, you'll have to sleep in the restaurant."

The man lowered his head and kissed her like a big dog.

Carefully, reverently, tenderly.

Later, some hooligans caused trouble at the barbecue restaurant, harassing girls who had come for a late-night meal.

The man rushed over to protect them and was hit on the head.

He went blind.

Everyone thought the owner's wife would immediately run off with the money.

But the woman remained calm. She simply took his hand, and together they strolled slowly through the passing years.

She said, "This time, I'll be the one to lead you. Don't be afraid."

Oh, right.

The man in the story was named Huang Lian. The first time she heard his name, she thought it sounded so bitter.

The woman was named Tang Guo. Whenever he repeated those two characters, sweetness spread through his heart.

A person's life is no more than a bitter journey of cultivation.

And a surprise is just like Huang Lian meeting Tang Guo.

(2) Past-Life Arc

"Our passionate love will never die, not even in death."

"Even if the road ahead is covered in thorns, I'll walk through them with you."

"If this life is too bitter, in the next one, I'll risk everything to become your salvation."

"Remember the tattoo on your second brother's body, darling. Don't mistake me for someone else in your next life."

"I love you very much, in this life, the next life, and every life to come."

Theme: Beautiful love can heal anything