[Scheming, secretly passionate, aloof, and lazy × All bluster on the outside, stubborn but softhearted]
[Plant designer × Former internet industry wage slave]
Just as her career hits a rough patch, Lin Jiangchu receives a wedding invitation from her sworn enemy.
Furious, she flees to an island to clear her head.
Who would have thought she'd run into her ex, Sheng Jing?
Her ex seems to be doing even worse than she is.
A graduate of a top university, a brilliant star who could shake the entire campus with a single stomp back in college, and the object of countless girls' adoration.
...Now reduced to driving for an obscure island guesthouse.
Lin Jiangchu feels deeply sorry for him, while also feeling a tiny, complicated sense of satisfaction.
That is, the satisfaction of seeing her ex doing worse than she is.
With that in mind, Lin Jiangchu makes sure to keep showing up in front of Sheng Jing during her time on the island.
Including, but not limited to:
Sending him inspirational posts from a public account: "Men, Get Back Up Where You Fell! Don't Give Up!"
Sheng Jing's response: .
Taking him to the shore to unwind, and showing off her magnanimity along the way: "Don't worry. Even though we used to date, I won't look down on you because of it!"
Sheng Jing: ..
She even has a flash of inspiration and tells him to rent a car and a suit, pretend he's doing great, and accompany her to her sworn enemy's wedding.
*
At her sworn enemy's wedding, Lin Jiangchu and Sheng Jing make their entrance together.
The crowd erupts.
After all, back at school Sheng Jing was a famous, untouchable heartthrob and campus celebrity. No one had ever seen him get close to any girl.
When people ask how Sheng Jing and Lin Jiangchu fell in love,
Sheng Jing answers without missing a beat: "I pursued her."
When people ask about Sheng Jing's recent work,
Sheng Jing replies with perfect composure...spouting a string of terms Lin Jiangchu can barely understand.
In an unnoticed corner, Lin Jiangchu tugs at Sheng Jing's sleeve and can't help praising him: "You're such a good actor."
Sheng Jing humbly replies: "Thank you for the compliment?"
Late at night, Lin Jiangchu wakes from her drunken haze and hears people talking by the slightly open door.
After Sheng Jing and an unfamiliar man exchange a flurry of words in French, English, and other languages, the man on the other side grows impatient: "When are you coming back to work? Does having money mean you can do whatever you want?"
Sheng Jing leans lazily against the doorframe and chuckles. "Give it a little longer. I haven't won her over yet."
Lin Jiangchu tumbles out of bed.
Wait.
Who has money and does whatever he wants?
Who's pursuing someone?
Who is Sheng Jing pursuing?
* A tough-talking heroine who pretends to be strong × A hero who will always catch her
* Chaotic and heartwarming
[Every time I think of you, it's like the sky clearing after the rain / I see a butterfly flying past the ruins / So beautiful, like a miracle / That helps me rise from where I fell, David Tao, "Butterfly"]
*Blurb revised on September 22, 2025
Theme: The clouds will eventually part, and then the sunlight will pour through.
