Mr. Rose

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Blurb:

She moved with her family to Saigon's Chinese quarter in Cholon,

walked through decaying, dilapidated streets, and knelt at the feet of Buddha.

Among the countless faces beneath Buddha's gaze, she saw him through the mist as he gave alms and paid his respects,

tall and graceful, untouched by worldly glamour.

She stared, spellbound, until her father pulled her back.

He cautioned her, “That's the teacher. Don't be rude.”

At the disorderly street corner, a brawl between drunkards had left shards scattered everywhere.

In the dead of night, she saw his black car parked by the roadside.

She swallowed, then nervously worked up the courage to tap on his car door.

The window rolled down, and she met his gaze. Clumsy and inexperienced, she rasped, “Sir, would you like to buy some flowers?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the dazzling woman beside him, as lovely as a movie star in a magazine, and belatedly changed her pitch. “Fine flowers for a fine lady...”

A pale hand reached out from the Lincoln and pulled the neat pocket square from his black suit.

It took the rose she offered and wrapped the unruly, wild-growing thorns,

then gently set the flower and a banknote on her faded canvas bag,

replying elegantly in a romantic French accent, “For you, beautiful girl.”

The car vanished into the rainy night. She pressed the flower inside a drawer,

and kept it with her through the passing years.

Later, she became entangled in his life.

Until death do them part.

HE, ten-year age gap, both leads are virgins

A drifting young woman VS a Chinese-American businessman

Inspired by the gentleman's flower, “Mr. Rose”

Advance blurb: The South Wind Sleeps No More

1.

When Sang Weimian was twenty-five, fate played two cruel jokes on her:

First, after spending over twenty years as an orphan, her father found her.

Second, the father she'd only just met was about to remarry, and Gu Nanyi, whom she hadn't seen in years, was about to become her older brother.

They met at a family gathering, and the atmosphere was tense.

Sang Weimian only hoped that she and the notorious third son of the Gu family could “meet again in peace and get along.”

They shouldn't bring up the past.

The third Gu son raised an eyebrow and spoke casually:

“How interesting. How many years has it been since we broke up, three? Five? I've forgotten.”

2.

The Gu family, from the older generation to the younger, had arranged a fine match for their incorrigible third son, but Gu Nanyi still made no move.

A friend teased him, “Do you have some unreachable first love, some ex-girlfriend you can't forget, the one who made every other woman pale in comparison?”

Gu Nanyi glanced up lazily. “Which of those words has anything to do with me?”

3.

Sang Weimian needed to rent a place, and Gu Nanyi, under orders from his mother, went looking for one for her.

Gu Nanyi sat slouched in his chair, looking thoroughly put out.

“My friend's place was just renovated. If he hadn't broken up with his ex and gone into a complete decline, he wouldn't be renting it out at this price.”

Sang Weimian rather liked it, and added, “Your friend... sounds pretty devoted.”

“Sure.” He leaned back lazily, his gaze following the figure inspecting the furniture with pointed intent. He complained about the ways of the world:

“Faithful men, fickle women.”

#IHaveAFriend#

Irreverent, flirtatious man VS quiet woman

[The leads are not related by blood, and they are not registered in the same household. Their parents do not end up marrying either.]

Windmill Jasmine, a power-couple pairing

Jiang Yao bit down on Qi Cun's shoulder, leaving a deep half-moon mark.

Qi Cun winced, pushed her away, and leisurely put on his white shirt.

“Nice one, Jiang Yao. Getting even for a business grudge, are you?”

Theme: Growing independently and blooming like a flower among thorns