Confessing in the Dead of Winter

[Thank you for supporting the official release ^^ My other novel, Close Approach Request Failed to Respond, is now underway ovo]

Bright, sincere sweetheart x sharp-tongued, soft-hearted young master

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After the college entrance exams, Zhu Kui was accepted to Jingbei University. Since Jingbei and Huaiyin were so far apart, her father asked a friend in Jingbei to look after her. That's how she met Shen Shubai, whom she'd supposedly known as a child.

Zhu Kui had asthma, so Aunt Xu specifically asked Shen Shubai to take good care of her. Shen Shubai tapped away at his keyboard, his expression cool. "We're all adults."

After the school year began, Shen Shubai's photo went viral on Jingbei University's confession wall. The top comment on the most-viewed post read: "This guy's a world-class jerk, and he wears his B-king attitude on his face. Anyone who likes him is in for trouble."

Later, a girl in a milky-white bubble dress appeared beside Shen Shubai in a post on the confession wall. Her legs were slender and pale, and the thin pink sash cinched her waist.

Someone in the know revealed that Shen Shubai had even told her, "If you're cold, stop nagging me in my ear to get you a jacket."

Only Zhu Kui knew that Shen Shubai had added two more words: "I won't."

From then on, Zhu Kui declared: "I'd sooner believe in ghosts than believe a word out of Shen Shubai's mouth."

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During summer vacation, a delicate-looking young lady came to stay with the Shen family. Shen Shubai's plan was to keep his distance and mind his own business. But after a while, he realized the girl seemed to depend on him quite a bit, and he found he enjoyed being needed.

When Zhu Kui skipped class to go to the amusement park, he went to class for her.

When Zhu Kui forgot her medicine, he ran to the pharmacy to buy her more.

When Zhu Kui got out of class late, he saved her a seat in the cafeteria and bought her food.

The moment a friend called him out on his feelings, he bristled. "She's such a hassle. How could I possibly like her?"

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Zhu Kui was pretty and considerate, and she had no shortage of admirers at university. One of the boys in her class had been going out of his way to court her lately. Zhu Kui had made it clear, more than once, that she wasn't looking to date, but he just wouldn't take no for an answer.

At her wits' end, Zhu Kui told him, "Actually, there's someone I like. You know Shen Shubai, right?"

"He'd rather like his half-dead sunflower than me."

"My name has the same character for sunflower. What's so bad about me?"

"I've got to try harder and replace that sunflower as soon as possible."

Shen Shubai, passing by: ...

He dragged Zhu Kui into an empty piano room and held her slender wrist in his broad palm.

She asked, "Why is your face so red?"

Shen Shubai: "My scarf's too warm."

Zhu Kui: "I don't believe you. Is it because you heard me say I like you?"

"Say what you just said in the hallway again."

Zhu Kui thought he'd heard her talking about his beloved sunflower and gotten upset, so she kept her mouth shut.

Shen Shubai said seriously, "I take care of you like you're royalty. How could you be any worse than that stupid sunflower?"

Theme: Keep growing toward the sun