Looking Up at the Moon

[A companion story in the series, The Drowned Rose, is now available. Go check it out~]

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Gentle, dazzling fashion designer x roguish, street-smart tech company CEO / devoted, lovesick green tea boyfriend

[Childhood friends / He has a crush on her / Older woman-younger man / Two-year age gap]

1.

Xia Qingyue, the universally acknowledged department beauty in the design program at Jingcheng University, was as captivating as her name: lovely as the moon.

She had a dazzling, bewitching beauty and foxlike eyes that could steal anyone's soul. Yet deep down, she was gentle to the core. To everyone else, she was the unattainable moon in the sky, a flower in the mirror.

No matter how creatively her admirers tried to win her heart, Xia Qingyue would smile and turn them down. The red beauty mark at the corner of her right eye looked like a dab of vermilion. Her gentle voice held a bewitching quality. "I'm not looking to date right now. I'm focused on my studies."

Who doesn't love a beautiful woman who's clear-headed and sensible?

Before long, Xia Qingyue was crowned "the hardest-to-pursue flower on the mountaintop" and placed on a pedestal.

But someone saw a young man corner her in a dark alley, his brown hair resting on her shoulder as he pleaded, "Sis, do you like me?"

For the first time, she was at a loss for words.

Then the young man's identity was revealed: shocking, the kid was the gorgeous woman's childhood friend!

2.

Jiang Ci, a gifted freshman in the information engineering department, was well known at Jingcheng University for his outstanding grades, which left everyone else in the dust.

To outsiders, he seemed carefree and unruly, a bad boy through and through. Who could have guessed that the other side of him was a clingy, green-tea little brat who loved acting cute?

"Sis, this water's so hot. Blow on it for me."

"Sis, I can't eat spicy food. You don't care about me anymore."

"Sis, grow your hair long. I want to see you with long hair."

However wild he was, he went soft the moment he called her "Sis."

Xia Qingyue lost herself in those endless calls of "Sis," falling deeper and deeper for him. His thoughtful care came at her from every direction. In that moment, she admitted she had fallen for him.

What she didn't know was that Jiang Ci had been secretly in love with her for nine whole years.

3.

Later, Xia Qingyue became a renowned designer in Jingcheng, while Jiang Ci founded the city's largest IT company, naming it after her: Qingyue.

The two companies collaborated on a project.

At the banquet, an investor looked around, searching for them.

But in a deserted corner of the back garden, Jiang Ci easily pinned her in place and bent to kiss her.

Heat spread between them. Xia Qingyue instinctively stepped back, the tips of her ears turning red. She pretended to scold him. "Little brother, don't get carried away."

"I'm not your little brother." He gently kissed the snow-white, delicate neck of the woman in his arms, leaving brazen red marks here and there. His scorching breath brushed her ear

"I'm your man."

-You are my moon, my moon alone.

Note:

1. College campus and city romance, one-on-one, both leads are virgins, happy ending. Trust me, it's sweet!

2. The male lead's personality is a bit of a contrast.

Coming Soon: Blazing Night

[The Jingcheng installment of the Jingcheng-Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong series. Please add it to your favorites, dears~]

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Beautiful, willful heiress who uses her looks to get her way and has a wild, rebellious streak x aloof, obsessive king of the Jingcheng elite

[Marriage before love / He pursues her relentlessly after she leaves / Equally matched / Extreme romantic tension]

1.

Everyone in the Jingcheng social scene knew the Que family had only one daughter: Que Zhan.

This young lady had captivating eyes, a delicate waist, and a figure and beauty that exuded sensuality. Her stunning looks could take your breath away, but beneath the surface she was wild and fearless. Spoiled by her family, she had a rebellious streak and lived by her own rules. No one could control her.

Countless admirers wanted to be at her feet, but none of them had a chance.

She was infamous and feared. She had no time for men's flashy tricks. With an imperious glance, she'd toss out, "Do you think you're good enough for me?"

That is, until a press conference announced the engagement between the Que and Xie families. When her friend heard the news, she asked gossipily whether married life was sweet. Que Zhan smirked and scoffed. "Who said there's anything between us? It's a marriage of convenience, in the literal sense."

But when she turned around, she met her husband's gaze.

The lights shimmered around them, the shadows as dark as ink, but she could still see the scorn in his eyes. "You've got some nerve."

2.

The eldest young master of the Xie family, Xie Xianshen, wielded immense power. He was detached and ruthless in the world of high society, and never went easy on anyone.

People said he was untouched by worldly desires, caring only about profit, not love. Outsiders saw the marriage between their families as nothing more than a business deal to strengthen their clans. But Xie Xianshen alone knew that once he'd fallen in love, there was no turning back.

At a glamorous cocktail party, a group of rich playboys pretended they wanted to make friends and tried to get Que Zhan to drink. She curved her lips in a fake smile, wondering how to teach them a lesson, when a warm presence suddenly appeared beside her shoulder, followed by the subtle, cool scent of sandalwood on a man's clothes.

She looked up. It was Xie Xianshen.

The red wine splashed across the floor, and the glass shattered. His expression was full of contempt as he spoke unhurriedly, making his intention to defend her clear. "That wine is too cheap for my wife."

She was the best, and she deserved the best.

3.

A rainstorm swept through in late autumn, spreading a chill through the air.

But inside the villa, Que Zhan was held in a small, confined space. Her eyes were flushed, and without a second thought, she bit a deep mark into his neck. Her soft voice was full of coy reproach. "Xie Xianshen, you jerk..."

As soon as she finished speaking, he turned her around.

"You agreed just a moment ago. Now you're changing your mind?" His broad chest pressed tight against her slender back. He reached around and gripped her delicate neck. In the mirror, his eyes were full of love, but there was obsession hidden in them, too.

"Zhan Zhan, open your eyes and see who loves you most."

That night burned hotter than fire.

-Only you, this cup of strong liquor, can stir my heart.

Note:

1. Two strong-willed leads, neither willing to yield. One-on-one, both leads are virgins, happy ending, and each other's first love.

2. Both come from wealthy families. No bankruptcy.

3. The male lead falls first.

4. Set in a fictional world, with some original details.

Coming Soon: Falling into Dusk

[The Shenzhen installment of the Jingcheng-Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong series. Please add it to your favorites, dears~]

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Quiet and obedient x sharp-tongued, insincere young heir

[She has a crush on him / Second chance romance / Bittersweet tension / Deeply in love with each other]

1.

Back in school, Jin Zexu was flamboyant and unruly, the center of attention. He was the model student who topped the honor roll time and time again, but also the bad student teachers caught smoking and fighting.

Countless girls liked him, including Li Wanyin.

The night she first met Jin Zexu, a thin mist shrouded the whole city.

The stench in the damp, narrow alley was unbearable. Li Wanyin was cornered by a group of vicious young men, with nowhere to run. Just as they began beating her, a tall figure stepped in front of her and put a stop to their harassment. The young man's dark eyes were cold as he looked at the pleading thugs as if they were filth. His voice was devoid of warmth. "You looking to die?"

In one moment, he was brimming with hostility. The next, he sheathed his claws and comforted her. "Don't be scared."

People say that love at seventeen burns brightest.

But hers was only a one-person show.

2.

Li Wanyin thought she and Jin Zexu were complete opposites, two parallel lines that would never cross. When she tried to put everything back on track, she realized it was too late.

Her words, "Let's break up," shattered his pride.

"Li Wanyin." Jin Zexu tried to suppress the turmoil raging inside him, but in the end he still said something cruel. "I never want to see you again for as long as I live."

Years later, after a long separation, they met again.

By then, Jin Zexu still held a position of power, surrounded by people from all walks of life trying to make conversation. He listened to their empty words with an indifferent expression, then got up to leave.

On his way out, he happened to run into Li Wanyin, who was looking for him. He kept a polite distance. His eyes, once full of warmth, now held a cool detachment. "Excuse me, Ms. Li."

Li Wanyin choked back tears. She knew he didn't love her anymore.

What she didn't know was that their reunion had been carefully planned by him.

3.

At the end of December, the first snow fell in Shenzhen.

After a sleepless night, Li Wanyin went to the balcony to admire the view and pass the time. She suddenly noticed a few late-blooming camellias in the greenhouse, flourishing like flawless feathers.

Lost in thought, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. He rested his chin against the side of her neck, his voice low, carrying a hint of desperation. "Don't leave me again."

"Please."

-Of all the flowers in the world, he loves only that late-blooming camellia.

Note:

1. High school and city romance, primarily set in the city. They reunite right at the start.

2. One-on-one, both leads are virgins, happy ending, and each other's first love.

Theme: Love boldly.