Unspoken

Blurb One

In the time it took to eat a meal, word spread throughout Su Zheng Group: a junior designer at Maoshi Exhibitions was Su Baiyi's woman. Her name was apparently Zhou Zhou.

It started when Su Baiyi accepted a drink Zhou Zhou offered him at a dinner. Afterward, someone saw Zhou Zhou get into his car.

Who was Su Baiyi? The true power behind Su Zheng Group.

Zhou Zhou was the first person in years who had managed to get Su Baiyi to raise a glass and drink, then get into his car afterward.

A friend asked curiously, "She's just a pretty girl from some backwater village. How has she stayed by your side for so long?"

Su Baiyi slowly swirled his glass and tugged at the corner of his mouth. "She's... pretty good at cheering people up."

It wasn't a lie. She really was pretty good at cheering people up.

When he was in a bad mood, she'd go to great lengths to make him laugh.

When he couldn't sleep, she'd hum him an unfamiliar lullaby.

On rainy days, she'd pull him under the eaves to sit and listen to the rain.

Only later did he learn that all those things she'd done to cheer him up were things she wanted to do with someone else. She'd gone to such lengths to make him laugh only because his smile resembled that person's.

Blurb Two

No one would ever connect Su Baiyi and Zhou Zhou.

One was backed by the Su and Bai families, with generations of wealth resting on his shoulders. Ruthless and cunning, he could summon storms with a mere gesture.

The other was a wildflower from a remote village, without parents or even the bearing of a sheltered young lady. Even if she had a few alluring charms, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

And yet, these two crossed paths. From gossip magazines to the conversations people had over tea, everyone was betting on how long Zhou Zhou would last by Mr. Su's side.

Zhou Zhou had never imagined things would last between them. He was only a temporary comfort to her. At most, they'd be together for a year before going their separate ways. As for what he thought of her, she didn't know. He clearly despised her, yet allowed her to come close, as though granting her a favor from his position of power.

She liked that attitude of his. No matter how high and mighty he acted, in the end he still ended up in her bed. At least for a moment, his life and death were in her hands.

Zhou Zhou took a secret thrill in conquering Su Baiyi. Sometimes, when she met his unfathomable gaze, she also felt a little anguish and guilt.

But in the end, she discovered that she, too, was someone's substitute.

Reader's Guide:

1. The old house caught fire. He doesn't want anyone to know, so while the flames burn, he keeps throwing water on them.

2. Both are substitutes: the man is a true substitute, while the woman is a false one.

3. Five-year age gap.

Moral: Growth and the passage of time.