Through Every Dawn and Dusk [Modern Romance]

[A girl who pretends to be quiet but is truly indifferent VS a powerful man who pretends to be gentle but is truly domineering]

They first met in Hong Kong City, where Shen Yanchao took the initiative to invite Wan Yin for coffee.

Under the scorching sun and the chirring cicadas, the elegant gentleman wore a refined three-piece suit. In obscure French, he praised her:

"Miss, I like your eyes."

"The world is reflected in them: the dusk in the wilderness, the rusted sunrise, the endless edge of the horizon. You are its only center."

Wan Yin looked at him quietly, and yet it was as if she did not see him at all.

That gaze captivated Shen Yanchao. He felt a peace he had not known for a long time.

"Sir, what did you say?" The girl seemed unable to understand French.

Shen Yanchao did not explain. He smiled and said goodbye. "I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Wan."

In Shen Yanchao's dictionary, there was only taking what he wanted. Today, he had shown rare kindness.

Next time, he would not be so generous.

-

They met again during Edinburgh's gloomy rainy season.

The girl was penniless and living on the streets, her dark hair trailing along her face. Her eyes were still empty and distant.

Shen Yanchao approached with an umbrella. Behind his glasses, his gaze was deep and delighted, like a hunter who had successfully caught a little sparrow.

He spoke, his Chinese fluent and warm: "Miss Wan, would you be willing to stay by my side?"

The girl's dark eyes lifted. Timidly, she stated a small condition: "I need money for tuition, and I need my identity erased."

She owned nothing, so she could only offer herself in exchange.

Shen Yanchao took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. "Of course, Miss Wan. Please ask for whatever you want."

-

Mr. Shen gave Miss Wan a mansion, luxury cars, and peerless jewels. Everyone envied the powerful man for his devotion, but he never once won a smile from his beauty.

She was always quiet and obedient, as elegant and aloof as a white porcelain vase.

At first, Shen Yanchao was content with Wan Yin's quiet presence.

But little by little, he began to yearn for more color in those eyes, and for... himself to appear in them.

Tossing and turning at night, Shen Yanchao whispered in her ear, "Wan Yin, could you love me a little more? The way I love you."

In the darkness, Wan Yin kept her eyes closed. The scorching heartbeat behind her disturbed her silence.

After a moment of silence, she replied in fluent French:

"But don't you only like my eyes?"

Reader's Guide:

1. The leads have an eight-year age gap. A pretend coercive romance (?) + a man chasing his wife after a breakup. The hero is a suit-wearing brute with a size difference and obsessive, rabid-dog tendencies. He seems elegant and well-mannered, but in reality... Well, he absolutely dotes on the heroine!

2. I haven't thought of anything else yet. The blurb may be revised, but the central premise will stay the same.

Theme: Persistence is a virtue.