A Life Adrift [Rekindled Love]

Rekindled romance | mild coercion | powerful man loses control | old flames reignite | eleven-year age gap | first love for both Powerful man × college student | master strategist × clear-eyed, independent woman 【One fleeting glance is unforgettable, and from then on, beauty throws life into chaos】 When she was little, a volunteer teacher asked Jiang Wenqiu, “What do you dream of becoming?” Sitting atop a high mountain, Jiang Wenqiu looked out at the endless range. She thought of the red walls and golden tiles in her textbook, the heart of her country. It took Jiang Wenqiu twenty years to make her way from a mountain village to Beijing. The day she met Yin Dong. It was the autumn of her second year in Beijing. She'd just finished class and was on her way to her part-time job when she heard someone call, “Qiuqiu!” A black sedan had stopped beneath a ginkgo tree. Her roommate stood beside it, waving at her. “Where are you going? I can give you a ride!” A man nearby finished his call and came back. Her roommate hurriedly introduced him: “This is my maternal uncle!” Jiang Wenqiu looked at him and smiled politely. “Hello.” He smiled back. “Get in.” She sat in the front. Unable to resist, she stole glances at him in the rearview mirror. Beijing was so big. And this was the first time she'd ever met a man like him. He was refined, elegant, and impeccably mannered, born to wealth and privilege. He was smiling, yet somehow felt impossibly distant. Just like autumn in Beijing. Gentle, yet deep and detached. As she stared, the man in the back, who'd been looking at his phone, suddenly raised his eyes. Their gazes unexpectedly met in the rearview mirror. From the start of their relationship, Yin Dong set the rules. No feelings. They each got what they wanted. Jiang Wenqiu had always known what she wanted and what kind of life she was after. So she willingly stayed with Yin Dong for two years, with no title and no promises. She might not have contributed much, but at least she'd done her part faithfully. But the days and nights they spent together made her greedier. She wanted more than a future and money. She even began to long for his heart. Or perhaps she'd fallen for him first. One time, in the middle of their lovemaking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and couldn't stop herself from saying, “Yin Dong, I love you.” He paused. After looking at her quietly for a moment, he merely wiped the sweat from her temple. His voice was as gentle as ever. “Qiuqiu, you've broken the rules.” The day they ended things, she got dressed and climbed out of bed. After taking one last look at the red walls and golden tiles not far beyond the window, she softly made one final request: “I want to study in New York.” He was silent for a long time. He didn't try to stop her. He only said, “All right.” The day she left Beijing, it was autumn again. Like a withered leaf, she flew far away to New York. It took her a long time, but at last she decided to start over. A few days before her wedding, her fiance rang the doorbell. The neighbors said she hadn't gone out all day, but no one came to answer the door. They didn't know that just on the other side of the door, Jiang Wenqiu was pinned to the sofa with nowhere to run. She endured the man's forceful kisses, her hands pushing blindly against his chest as she tried to get away. “You're going to marry him?” Yin Dong restrained her struggling hands. Her eyes were defiant. “Qiuqiu.” Yin Dong held her waist and moved with greater force. Even his usually calm voice had gone unsteady. “Then what am I?” Neither lead is a good person. 2025.10.23 Theme: Believe in love