Wu-Nong's Soft Words

A master schemer of a director VS a graceful beauty with a soft-spoken charm

To prepare a special feature for the tenth anniversary of the Grand Canal’s successful inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site next year, the national media specially invited internationally renowned director Gu Chi to film a section of the canal in Jiangnan.

Gu Chi of the capital’s Gu family could have coasted on his looks and family fortune, but instead he made his own way.

The year he graduated from university, he made international waves with a documentary about human nature.

After becoming famous, Gu Chi disappeared from public view.

No one knew what he had been doing over the past two years.

The next time anyone found a trace of him, it was in Sucheng.

Yan Man studied screenwriting at Su University. All her classmates knew that she came from a family with a rich cultural heritage.

Her grandmother had once been invited to perform the song “Sheng Sheng Man” on national media, her gentle, lilting voice unrivaled across the country.

Yan Man inherited her lovely voice from the grandmother who had raised her.

*

The first time Gu Chi saw Yan Man,

she was wearing a dark teal, flat-cut qipao, with an ordinary black hairpin tucked into her hair.

But every step she took landed lightly on his heart.

As he listened to her soft, lilting voice flow from her lips,

and watched the warm smile spread across her delicate features,

Gu Chi knew he was done for.

*

The first time Yan Man saw Gu Chi,

he was standing at the lectern in a stylish suit, looking every inch the professional as he told them about his creative journey.

At the time, Gu Chi seemed to have the aura of a big shot.

But later, that aura came crashing down in spectacular fashion.

*

The day he confessed:

“Yan Man, I like you. I’ve never known hardship, but I want to suffer for love.”

Seeing Yan Man about to run away, Gu Chi reached out and took hold of her soft, delicate right hand.

But Yan Man flushed, yanked her hand out of his grasp, and ran.

The day they got married:

“Yan Man, I want to taste the sweetness of love for the rest of my life, and your... sweetness too.”

After saying that, Gu Chi shamelessly kissed Yan Man’s gorgeous lips.

The day the video aired:

Gu Chi shut down all his social media accounts, leaving only one line in his bio: My gentle voice, my love forever.

Reader’s guide:

1. For context: 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Grand Canal’s successful UNESCO World Heritage inscription.

2. Lots of creative liberties, so don’t overthink the details.

3. Love at first sight + sweet romance + relentless pursuit + both leads are each other’s first and only partners + devoted husband

Theme: Keep striving to improve