The Rhythm of a Secret Crush

[Main story complete. The version outside Jinjiang differs considerably, so pirated copies are not recommended.] Cool, delicate beauty × gifted heir who guides her The first time Shao We saw Chen Ningxiao was at a rich young lady's birthday party. By the villa window, the white headlights of a car flashed past. A moment later, a man's languid figure emerged from behind a black lacquer screen trimmed with gold. He wore black from head to toe, making his skin look even paler. His right hand, holding a cigarette, hung loosely at his side as he walked, revealing a thin red cord around his wrist. Everyone there was a close friend. Shao We felt out of place, barely spoke the whole evening, and never got so much as a glance from him. Shao We spent six years secretly loving Chen Ningxiao. For his sake, she got into a university she had never dared dream of attending and moved far away to a city she had never dared visit. She had helped other people pursue him and even helped him deal with several romantic entanglements. But she had never once said she liked him, and Chen Ningxiao had never asked. Then one day, Shao We, who rarely wore makeup, put on a full face, changed into a new dress, and checked her appearance inch by inch in the mirror. When she turned around, she looked dazzling. Chen Ningxiao asked where she was going. “A friend set me up with someone. I'm going to see how it goes.” Shao We smiled faintly, hiding the sadness spreading inside her. “Would you mind helping me judge him? I'm not very good at reading men.” It wasn't as if she'd decided to give up on him. She'd known from the start that they were worlds apart and never expected him to look her way. But after her blind date, on a night of torrential rain and thunder, someone pounded on the door of the apartment she shared with another person. “Shao We,” Chen Ningxiao stood outside, breathing hard, his gaze fixed on her, his voice hoarse: “You can't just use me to become a better person, then throw me away.” Reader's note: * The story begins in 2012. 1. The heroine's surname is Shao. It means young and inexperienced. She's a low-key person. 2. Expect melodrama, youthful mystery, bittersweet sweetness, and plenty of romantic tension. The story has a youth arc and an adult arc. The characters are imperfect. 3. Four-year age gap, both leads' first and only partners. A cold, cocky, sharp-tongued young master with a prince's syndrome × a sensitive, impoverished girl. As adults: a rising investor in the tech world × a gifted literary and cultural photographer. / No real-life inspiration. Do not associate the characters with real people. I will delete such comments if I see them. Pre-release: High-Speed Humidification. Please add it to your reading list. By chance, Liang Xin, a college graduate, is introduced to elite CEO He Wenzheng as his personal assistant. Before they meet, the person who introduces them tells Liang Xin that He Wenzheng is rich, handsome, and has a chest bursting with muscle. When they meet, Liang Xin sneaks a glance and can think of nothing but “bursting with muscle.” He Wenzheng comes from a prestigious family and grew up surrounded by the prestige of top universities. He has a severe case of elite aversion, and his only requirement for an assistant is that they seem like a living person. After hiring Liang Xin, he gets not only a living person but a live wire. Before long, he realizes she keeps staring thoughtfully at a certain part of his body. So one day after a party, He Wenzheng lets her get a thorough look for herself. Liang Xin swallows and begs for mercy: “Would you believe me if I said I'm just like Ye Gong, afraid of the very dragon I claim to love?” He Wenzheng: “I believe you. Want to see the dragon raise its head?” Liang Xin: “...” At first, Liang Xin is thrilled. He not only pays her, but also satisfies her cravings. Before long, she discovers that this man also likes pushing her to study. Damn it, have you ever seen a working stiff who spends the day sticking receipts on invoices and booking hotels, warms someone's bed and does manual labor at night, then has to memorize a hundred words and finish two reading comprehension exercises and a cloze test afterward?! Don't do it? Then there goes this month's bonus! Under his relentless pressure, Liang Xin is close to tears. “What do you even see in me?” He Wenzheng: “Your low level of education.” What a vicious way to encourage someone to study...!!! From then on, Liang Xin works herself to the bone, and keeps studying her way up... On the day she gets into graduate school, she finally hurls her acceptance letter at the human embodiment of Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Practice Tests across from her. “Let's break up! I reek of top universities now! I'm already the kind of person you hate most!” The dignified man leans against his Maybach and raises an eyebrow. “Baby, you must know I've changed my taste, which is why you've been working so hard.” Liang Xin's knees go weak. “What taste?” He Wenzheng: “Just right. Graduate-student taste.” Reader's note: · Both leads are each other's first and only partners, and are physically attracted to each other. · Ten-year age gap. Gentlemanly Daddy × shameless sweetheart. · The heroine starts out as a factory girl with a vocational-school education. She's short on common sense, but lively, clever, and quirky. By the end, she's earned a master's degree from a top university in a field she loves. · The hero really does push her to study, a bit like My Fair Lady! There will be conflicts and self-doubt along the way. Theme: Love makes you better