Proud and Well-Behaved

[Complete] [My new novel, Zhiyao, is now available. Take a look if you're interested! The blurb is at the bottom.] - Sweet-on-the-surface, secretly calculating flirtatious heroine x wealthy business tycoon hero with a doting, fatherly nature - Age gap At a cruise ship party, Ye Yuyin sees the person she has longed for again. He was the older boy next door who looked after her for several years. They parted in a hurry, and now he is a distinguished rising star in the business world, his youthful awkwardness gone. He has become someone far beyond her reach. But one thing hasn't changed: he is still just as good to her. They spend five intimate days together on the cruise ship. He brings her back to his side and into his world, indulging her unconditionally in everything she does, just as he did years ago. The difference is that now they have special feelings for each other, and do plenty of reckless things. When the ship docks, neither of them mentions what happened over the past few days, and they return to their normal lives. Nan Siyu walks Ye Yuyin home and habitually drapes his coat over her. "If anything happens, remember to contact me." They belong to different worlds now, and they think they'll go their separate ways. But that night, Ye Yuyin appears before Nan Siyu with red-rimmed eyes. "Brother Nan, someone broke into my house. Could I stay at your place for a while?" After a moment, she adds, "I'll work hard to earn money for rent. If I can't, I'll do your laundry, cook, and look after you." Nan Siyu doesn't object. He only looks into her eyes. "You can cook?" Ye Yuyin gives him a fake smile. "No." "Can you drive?" "Nope." "..." Nan Siyu smiles and shakes his head, then takes on the role of her instructor, personally teaching her to cook and drive. Pleased with her progress, he asks, "Can you take care of someone?" She doesn't answer. Not until some time later, when he catches sight of her battered figure beneath a streetlight, alone and helpless. He walks over and gathers her into his arms, sighing helplessly. "You can't even look after yourself. I guess I'll have to keep looking after you." - To Nan Siyu, Ye Yuyin is a pitiful little girl. That year, he shielded her, helped her escape her troubles, and raised the grubby little girl bit by bit. But just before her birthday, he lost her with his own hands, and spent many years weighed down by guilt. When they meet again, she still seems as fragile as ever. His heart aches for her, and he wishes he could give her everything good in the world. But gradually, he realizes that this little sister of his isn't as weak and helpless as she seems. When she's wronged, she fights back. She threatens people with a cold stare, is skilled at playing on their feelings, and even... keeps flirting with him. After learning the truth, he chooses to keep indulging her little schemes and let her set the pace. Until he watches himself fall in love with her. - That year, he was like a lamp, lighting the way for a homeless little girl. - Later, the girl unscrewed the lightbulb herself. * No romance before adulthood. * The leads aren't saints. They are clear-headed and rational, each other's only love and first love. Blurb for Zhiyao: - Obsessive male lead, age gap, a little forced marriage The first time Qiao Zhiyin met Su Qiyao, when she was six, she felt an intense fear of him. He always carried a cold, austere air. His dark eyes were as cold as a deep pool, and he acted decisively and without mercy. She never imagined then that she would never be able to escape him. - Later, at an event, Qiao Zhiyin sees him again after he has been gone for a while. The atmosphere is at its liveliest. Someone brings up an amusing topic, and she laughs freely. Then the door suddenly swings open, and she unexpectedly meets a frigid gaze. In that instant, every terrifying memory comes rushing back. She instinctively looks away and clutches her sleeve, unable to speak. They don't meet eyes again during the event, and have no interaction at all. They are so distant, it's as if they never knew each other. Afterward, Qiao Zhiyin walks along the road alone, exhausted, as if all her strength has been drained away. A blinding light shines toward her, and a familiar car stops in front of her. The window rolls down. The man's voice is emotionless. "Not going home?" Qiao Zhiyin lowers her head and says nothing. Seeing that familiar expression again, Su Qiyao turns his face away and stops looking at her. Only after she gets in the car does he remind her, "Mrs. Su, you haven't been home in six months." "Have you forgotten that you and I are still married, legally speaking?" - Qiao Zhiyin was forced into her marriage with Su Qiyao. She doesn't understand why he insists on marrying her, even though he knows she doesn't agree. To protest, she skips their wedding and throws away their wedding rings, but none of it makes any difference. Then one time, he gets drunk and sits alone in a corner, holding her photograph and gazing at it in silence for a long time. Qiao Zhiyin walks over and hears him say with her own ears, "You look prettier when you smile. It's a shame you've never smiled in front of me." Qiao Zhiyin freezes, staring at him in a daze. Su Qiyao reaches out to take her hand. This time, she forgets to pull away, and he draws her into his arms, holding her tightly for a long time. He continues to murmur to himself: "Yinyin, tell me, how can I love you without making you feel pressured?" "I'll change, but could I ask you to try to love me too?" "I won't hurt you. I promise." - He isn't a demon. He just loves her too much and doesn't know how to show it. - Theme: Love life