Heartbeat Echo

My new novel, "Nurturing a Little Rose", is now available! The blurb is at the very bottom. If you're interested, ladies, click into my author page and add it to your collection.

1.

A sudden family crisis during high school stripped Shen Ranji of his golden-boy aura overnight, leaving him to live a life worse than that of an ordinary person.

When he was at his most desperate and his world was darkest, Xia Jianghui appeared like a ray of light, bringing hope to his bleak, muddled life.

He was like a traveler making a grueling trek through the desert, suddenly overjoyed at the sight of a clear spring.

But he was also afraid it might be nothing more than a mirage, longing for it even as he dared not draw near.

2.

In her teachers' eyes, Xia Jianghui was never a good student in the traditional sense.

She slept in class, skipped self-study, consistently ranked near the bottom on exams, and even got into fights.

One day, in an alley outside school, Xia Jianghui swiftly knocked down the few punks blocking her way. Pointing at the boy she was shielding behind her, she grinned like a little gangster.

"This is Shen Ranji. From now on, he's under my protection."

"Don't you dare mess with him."

-

Later, during a class camping trip, the forfeit she drew in a game of Truth or Dare was: "Call the first person in your contacts and confess your love to them."

She stared at the "A Shen" at the top of her contacts list, at a loss.

With everyone egging her on, she blushed and dialed, working up her courage. "I like you."

To her surprise, the person on the other end stayed silent for a long time before finally hanging up.

Only the busy signal remained, echoing across the empty field.

3. Years later, they reunited at an awards ceremony.

Shen Ranji had become a hotshot rising star in the business world, while she was just a fledgling director.

When asked whether the film "Midsummer" was based on a real person, she simply smiled at the camera without answering.

Before long, people dug up the story behind "Midsummer"'s male lead and found it uncannily similar to the life of Shen Ranji, president of Jiahe Group.

Later, when Xia Jianghui was caught in a storm of public opinion, she casually posted:

"Where there is light, there will be darkness."

The meaning was clear:

She had been framed.

Not long after, Shen Ranji, who rarely posted, also took to social media late one night:

"If you fear the dark, then become the light."

The two posts, answering each other from afar, were all the proof people needed to confirm their relationship.

Later, someone uncovered what seemed to be Shen Ranji's secret social media account. Its username was a simple "H," and it contained over a hundred posts, all love letters pouring out his affection.

The earliest post was just a photo of them together in middle school, with one comment beneath it:

"No matter how the world changes, I still like you. Like a heartbeat, it echoes."

Reading guide:

Told in reverse chronological order. The first half takes place at school, the second half in the city.

A sweet romance, through and through!

PREVIEW

"Nurturing a Little Rose"

1.

Jiang Tang has the cool, delicate beauty of a classical beauty, and online voters once named her one of the entertainment industry's most fragile-looking beauties. At a banquet, she accidentally knocked over a glass of champagne, splashing it onto the dress of a popular young actress. She was immediately dragged through the mud on the trending topics.

The comments were so vicious that they were almost impossible to read.

She thought the whole internet would soon turn against her, but before long, the other person involved, the popular young actress, posted a clarification on her behalf.

Public opinion quickly turned around.

After that, whenever damaging rumors about Jiang Tang appeared online, they were either suppressed right away or swiftly debunked.

Many netizens speculated that a D-list actress like her, whom her agency barely cared about, must have someone powerful backing her. How else could she shut down the scandals so quickly and keep landing one valuable opportunity after another?

As for who that powerful backer was...

No matter how deeply netizens dug, they couldn't find a thing.

2.

As the youngest head of the Lu family of Rongcheng, Lu Xunzhao was known for his aloof pride and cold, distant nature. No woman ever came within ten meters of him, and he was often the first to leave even at banquets. Seeing him even once was harder than reaching the heavens.

Only his close friends dared to tease him: He doesn't believe in Buddha, but he lives a life even more austere than Buddha's.

The fact that Lu Xunzhao was married was no secret in their circles. No one had ever seen Mrs. Lu, though, so people boldly guessed that only an elegant, noblewoman from a distinguished family could be worthy of him.

3.

The two of them had nothing to do with each other, yet once the paparazzi caught them spending three days and three nights together on a private island.

The hashtag "D-list Actress Interferes in a Powerful Family's Marriage" instantly flooded the internet, and righteous netizens demanded that she get out of the entertainment industry.

Just as Jiang Tang was caught in a storm of public opinion over rumors that she was the other woman, the official account of Lu Group personally posted in her support.

[Lu Group V: Allow us to introduce our boss's wife, @SpringBegonia]

While everyone was wondering if the group's account had been hacked, Lu Xunzhao not only reposted it, but added:

[Lu Xunzhao L: My wife, @SpringBegonia]

Curious netizens: Wait!! Whose wife???

Huh?? Is this some kind of married-couple kink??

Reading guide:

· A classical beauty with an unconventional mind x a doting husband who is nothing like he seems

· A sweet post-marriage romance, with a long-planned scheme

Theme: Face life with a positive attitude