Return to the Wild

[Complete, both leads' first and only partners] Shen Qingtang and Xu Jinye are two very different people. One is a well-behaved girl raised by strict parents, expected to be outstanding in every way and to do everything to the best of her ability. The other is a carefree young heir from an elite family, a rebellious playboy whose companions come and go, and who never seems to give anyone his whole heart. Shen Qingtang has known about him for a long time. She once saw him from afar on the basketball court, where he sank a beautiful three-pointer and won the crowd's cheers. Plenty of girls were watching, holding bottles of water they wanted to give him but didn't dare. The boy was so dazzling that they worried they weren't good enough even to approach him. Her roommates often said, "Someone like Xu Jinye doesn't like good girls." She hummed in response, but didn't argue. After the rush of speed, beneath the streetlights at night, she wears an oversized men's jacket. Light falls across the young man's shoulders as Xu Jinye taps her forehead, lips curling into a roguish smile. "Good student." "Today, I'll teach you something else." * Xu Jinye wins a championship at the MotoGP, one of the world's top racing competitions. In a post-race interview, a reporter notices the cherry hair tie on his wrist and asks if it belongs to his girlfriend. He looks down and smiles, rubbing the little cherry with his thumb. "This? I tricked someone into giving it to me." Later, someone spots Shen Qingtang riding on the back of Xu Jinye's motorcycle. He leans down, holding her chin as he kisses her. Shen Qingtang clutches his clothes, her lashes fluttering. Xu Jinye says in a hoarse voice, "Shen Qingtang, you're not well-behaved at all." "You should close your eyes when you kiss." Xu Jinye never imagined he'd fall into Shen Qingtang's hands in this lifetime. But if he had to fall, he was happy to accept his fate. "I give you the loyalty of one who has never had a faith." -- Jorge Luis Borges My new novel, "Hiding the Moon," is now underway. After her parents divorce, Qin Zhi is sent to live with Grandpa Chen. It is a rainy night when her father drops her off. She hurries through the mud, soaked from head to toe, and knocks timidly on the Chen family's door. She never expects Chen Yannan to answer it. Chen Yannan is a beloved prodigy, the kind of person who always takes first place. He has striking bone structure and deep, cool eyes. Countless girls like him. Qin Zhi is no exception. She just doesn't dare say it, or even admit it to herself. The boy is so dazzling that she has no right to dream of him. His eyes drop to her, and all she can do is shuffle awkwardly in her soaked shoes, trying to hide how wretched she looks. Grandpa Chen comes out and explains that Qin Zhi is a year younger than him, like a younger sister. Chen Yannan's expression is blank. "What kind of sister is she?" -- When Qin Zhi graduates from high school, she is quiet and reserved. At the graduation dinner, a boy confesses to her. He's had a few drinks, and his youthful face is flushed as he asks whether she'll be his girlfriend. Before Qin Zhi can answer, a cold, low voice cuts in: "She won't." She sees Chen Yannan emerge from the shadows, his expression hostile. The boy frowns and asks what gives him the right to answer for her. Chen Yannan's gaze turns gloomy. He grits his teeth, unusually flustered. "I'm her brother. Isn't that enough?" One late night, the room is pitch-black. Qin Zhi backs step by step toward the desk as he approaches, his breath scorching. Half-drunk and half-awake, he says her name. "You've never called me your brother." -- Later, the rift between them proves impossible to mend. Qin Zhi moves out of the Chen family home and becomes a photographer who roams the world. She never thinks she'll see Chen Yannan again. As he keeps closing in on her, Qin Zhi only coolly says, "We're not right for each other." "How are we not right for each other?" Chen Yannan's voice is hoarse, and tiny bite marks dot his neck. "Did a dog bite me last night?" Theme: Live in the present and embrace life