Hiding Joy at Dusk

Weibo: Tian A Kui

Main story complete | Daily extras | Please add my next book, Only You, to your collection!

++++[Reserved and restrained ice prince vs. dazzling, outspoken heiress]

Ruan Xingheng had excellent grades and good looks. He was Ningda High School's pride and joy, a top student everyone envied.

Jiang Li pursued him for four whole years. Everyone thought they were worlds apart, but somehow, the heiress really did manage to pluck this ice prince from his lofty perch.

Who could have guessed that barely a month into their relationship, the heiress would casually break up with him, then hurry off to her next party?

At the same time, while people around him complained indignantly, Ruan Xingheng pressed his lips together and said nothing as he boarded a flight to London alone.

They met again at the family's year-end banquet. By then, Ruan Xingheng had returned after completing his studies and become a highly sought-after medical PhD in Jing City.

Jiang Li, meanwhile, was trapped in an inescapable family-arranged marriage.

On a bitterly cold, snowy night, pale and frightened, she hid behind him, seeking the warmth she had once cherished as a girl.

Ruan Xingheng stood coolly by the roadside. His distant, icy gaze made her shiver even more than the snow.

After a while, he slowly walked over.

His long, slender fingers played with the red velvet ribbon at her neck, their touch cold as he traced her chin with his index finger.

"Want to run away from your wedding and become my bride?"

In their first year of marriage, a friend complained that he was too cold and warned him not to drive her away.

Ruan Xingheng gave a low laugh, casually unfastened his metal cuff links, then reached into the covers and grabbed a pale jade foot by the ankle.

"Are you going to run?"

Jiang Li obediently shook her head. He had thoroughly tamed her rebellious streak.

Later, she fell seriously ill and decided to see the sea one last time, then never see him again.

During the days she recuperated at Qingtan Temple, she vaguely saw Ruan Xingheng kneeling before the Buddha, praying devoutly.

Eighty-one scrolls of scripture lay before the statue, with a piece of silk on top.

It read: May my wife be safe and well.

Later, during an interview, the usually reserved Ruan Xingheng unexpectedly spoke at length about his secret crush as a teenager.

"She always liked counting my eyelashes. I didn't dare open my eyes back then, because I was afraid she'd notice my heart racing."

Ruan Xingheng suddenly turned his head, his eyes brimming with deep affection.

"But now I want to tell her..."

"I've been deeply in love with her for a very, very long time."

Reading guide: 1. Rekindled romance | Marriage before love | She openly loves him, he secretly loves her

2. Both are each other's first love, and the hero is very principled about fidelity

3. They fall in love during university. There is no intimacy while they are underage.

Next book: Stars Don't Speak. Please add it to your collection! [Sharp-tongued, dominant bad boy vs. sweet-talking little fairy]

Zhu Mian had only two regrets in her life.

First, falling out with Jiang Yuli after they became such close friends that they could talk about anything.

Second, applying to be the nutritionist for a certain A-list celebrity who preferred to remain anonymous.

Especially since that celebrity turned out to be Jiang Yuli!!!

Jiang Yuli debuted at sixteen and was hailed as a prodigy in the entertainment industry. His hit song, "Stars Don't Speak," made him a top-ranked composer.

But he never appeared in public, and apart from singing, he had all but vanished from the public eye.

Until one day, he suddenly liked an ordinary person's vlog on Weibo.

There, his fans keenly picked up on a hint of romantic sweetness.

For instance, at mealtimes, the ordinary vlogger would smile at him and chat about all sorts of interesting things.

And Jiang Yuli, who never spoke, would actually respond gently, lowering his head to listen carefully as she talked.

Fans: I'm kind of shipping them...

But in reality, Zhu Mian was earnestly listing twenty delicious ways to cook cilantro for Jiang Yuli!

And without a word, he had pulled out the fresh cilantro she'd planted in a flowerpot!

#What? The whole world thinks we're sweet together?#

We're sworn enemies!!!

After Jiang Yuli became famous, his signature work, "Stars Don't Speak," went viral online. The final draft was worth a fortune.

One day, Zhu Mian happened to find a gift Jiang Yuli had given her when he was eighteen.

It was an old demo.

She put it in the record player. Just as the song reached "The stars don't speak, but they love you so much," it abruptly stopped.

Three seconds later, the music started again.

Jiang Yuli's voice came through.

"I'm Jiang Yuli."

"I really like you."

Zhu Mian: You really had a crush on me???

Jiang Yuli gave a soft snort. "You've been sleeping with me for five years. Shouldn't we make it official?"

Theme: The sky will eventually brighten, and everyone will gain what they love