Waiting for Summer

"Bookmarking reminder: If you like sweet stories, you can stop after Part One"

·Part One: Pure campus romance (happy ending, you can stop here)

·Part Two: Crime investigation romance with angst (bad ending warning)

[The Last Phone Call]

In their final phone call, with a sharp blade before her, she suddenly smiled. When the call connected, the person on the other end didn't even dare breathe.

“A Du,” she said, her voice hoarse and full of helplessness. “I won't make it to summer.”

Nor would she live to marry you.

[Memories Like a Lantern Show]

As her consciousness began to fade, she started remembering their past.

“Then it's a promise. When summer comes, we'll get married, start a family, and have a baby.”

“We promised each other. Don't break your word.”

[Rewind to Their First Meeting]

“You're so handsome. Can I pursue you?” the girl asked with a grin.

The boy only looked at her coolly, finding her rather annoying. He ignored her and was irritated by her, but what happened later?

Later, she became the only ray of light in his world.

“Stop bothering me,” he said coldly.

The girl didn't back down. “No way.”

“You're going to be my boyfriend someday!” She had no shame.

Xu Duzhou's face instantly turned bright red.

[The Paradox of Salvation]

“Xu Duzhou, do you know why you're unhappy?” They were young back then, and never took the things they said to heart.

“Because your world is missing me.”

A joke told at eighteen became a prophecy.

“Then do you know why I'm so happy?”

“Because I met you.”

From the first flutter of attraction and the growing frustration to committing crimes for love,

he went on to protect many people,

but he could never protect her again.

[Parting in Summer]

“Officer Xu, make it home safely.”

His fiancée-to-be, his adorable bride, the light of his world,

faded away in summer, forever.

“Why? I was so close to marrying you.”

“Just one day short...”

He whispered to the number he could no longer call.

Outside, cicadas shrilled deafeningly.

The summer without her

had finally come.

Xu Duzhou, I won't make it to summer.

He was the only one who made it to summer.

People kept trying to set him up with someone. A man as wonderful as him shouldn't spend his whole life alone.

His answer never changed. He took out a photo of Chen Youli. She wore a floral dress and beamed. “Sorry, I'm already married.”

The photo had yellowed with age.

They didn't know that this gentle, strong man had had his shattered soul pieced back together by her, throughout her entire youth.

So his whole life would belong only to his little wife.

(New bonus scene)

A new intern at the police station asked curiously, “Who's that in Team Leader Xu's wallet?”

He ran his fingers over the photo. “She's my summer.”

But snow was clearly falling in his eyes.

"Reader's Guide"

1. Both leads are adults.

2. Content warning: Some scenes later in the story are a little graphic.

3. A blood-soaked salvation / an aloof illegitimate son x a lively orphan

4. Each other's first love / redemptive bad-ending romance / both die, so it's a happy ending

5. Mature themes / some chapters include criminal investigation elements

*No real-life inspiration

Theme: Waiting for a summer