A Romance in My Own Name

【Updates punctually at 9 p.m.~】 At 28, He Sui quit the vulgar-girl rulebook scenario of “acting your age” and escaped to a small mountain village called Midsummer. Original plan: retire early. Actual progress: start life over. At the House of Midsummer, she formed a family of four with no blood ties: an 80-year-old TCM granny who had never married, a middle-aged aunt who had run away from home, and a dangerously beautiful woman hiding from a mysterious gang (not really). From then on, He Sui’s life took a turn in an entirely new direction. Before: insomnia, low-grade fevers, a fragile human typewriter, with every part of her life stuck in place. Now: working the fields, growing crops, cooking medicinal meals, and being regularly fed by her roommates and neighbors~ Later, she renovated the village bookshop, revived the old noodle restaurant, started a rural-life account, and helped the villagers make their side businesses thrive. Along the way, she helped local produce, regional specialties, traditional crafts, and the village grannies go viral! Other people farm to survive. He Sui farmed and accidentally became a runaway princess trending on the hot search charts. ** Her peaceful retirement was put on pause one morning. The fortune-teller at the village entrance pointed at He Sui: “Your admirer will come looking for you with a chicken.” He Sui: Your admirer is the Chicken Knight. Then, at the Midsummer Festival, she saw the campus heartthrob from her school days again. He stood in a field of sorghum beneath a dusty yellow sky, one hand gripping a bamboo crutch, the other holding a bamboo basket, catching chickens with his bare hands. The wind swept across the ridge, and the fabric of his clothes clung faintly to his figure, hinting at the muscles beneath. He Sui: Ha, my crush from my teenage years has finally become someone I could actually reach. Just a delusion.jpg Also known as: What Are We Eating Today?, Twenty-Eight Is the Perfect Age to Retire, A Guide to Rural Wellness, and The Chicken Knight and His First Love A meal-time warning: This story is packed with food and may solve the age-old question, “What on earth should I eat today?” The downside is that it may make you overeat, so opening it late at night is not recommended. The dietary therapy recipes have been reviewed by a TCM doctor. They focus on nourishing qi and blood and healing unhappiness. Reading guide: 1. A warm, healing ensemble story set in the countryside, about women supporting one another, rebuilding their lives, and a slow-burning secret crush. 2. The male lead is not a chicken farmer. He has solid professional credentials and is the tough-but-gentle type. He doesn’t take over the heroine’s story, but supports and accompanies her. 3. The romance between the leads is like soup simmering in a clay pot: no rushing through the relationship. This is not a power-fantasy story about an invincible heroine. She is no lovesick fool. The story mainly focuses on women’s growth, everyday family life, food and wellness, and village living. 【Starting tomorrow, I will no longer yearn to be loved. If I can, I want to spend my whole life in a romance with myself.】 Coming next: Color of the Flames When Li Wu first met Chi Yan, she thought he was a playboy who only went in for one-night stands. The man had a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, a strong jaw, and a hint of mixed heritage. In a foreign country, at dusk, the evening breeze was a little sultry. He was taking a call outside an old café, with Dallas roses in full bloom. Li Wu’s eyes unconsciously slid over the fingers holding his phone. The back of his hand was broad and lean, with faint blue veins. His fingers were long and slender, incredibly alluring... She had to admit that, in that moment, some very unchaste thoughts crossed her mind. A brief fling in a foreign land fell like fireworks on a summer night. Every sensation ignited at the slightest touch. After their brief, passionate encounter, Li Wu returned to the imperial capital. Later, hoping to recover her father’s fireworks formula, she quit her stable job as a lawyer and set off on a journey. She traveled alone to the Arctic Circle, where polar night had fallen and heavy snow blocked the roads. After an accident left her injured, she returned to her lodging and found Chi Yan standing in the pitch-black hallway with a small suitcase beside him. When she came out of the bathroom, Chi Yan carried her to the sofa to change her bandages. Inside the old wooden cabin, only a dim light remained. Li Wu met the eager eyes of the young wolfdog in the dark. “Until you go back home, let me take care of you, okay?” Temporarily dazzled by his looks, Li Wu agreed as if bewitched. Soon, Li Wu discovered that, just as Chi Yan had promised, she didn’t have to worry about anything here. She didn’t need to cook, and he even took care of her baths... Li Wu was used to looking after herself. Before heading to her next destination, she sent Chi Yan, pillow and all, to sleep on the sofa. “I’m tired. Make do out here for the next couple of days.” In the moonlight, Li Wu caught the man looking at her with something held back in his eyes. Chi Yan: “All right. I’ll get you to sleep, then I’ll come back.” The night a geomagnetic storm swept across the Arctic Circle, the magnificent aurora rippled across the flawless sky screen and unsettled her heart as well. The air outside was icy, but the person holding her from behind was burning hot. His warmth pressed against her, banishing her sleepiness completely. In the end, Li Wu was the first to give in, reaching for him in the darkness. After several rounds, the man above her breathed raggedly, his voice heavy with restraint. “Are you not kicking me out tonight?” Li Wu’s ears burned. Like a cat tempted by a treat, she leaned up to kiss his lips. “We’ll see about tomorrow night.” - A year later, the only daughter of a renowned fireworks master made her debut at an international fireworks art festival. Her work, Color of the Flames, caused a sensation overseas. During an interview with foreign media, a reporter in the audience joked, “Miss Li, you must be a very romantic person to create a work like this.” The Eastern woman in the interview room had bright eyes and a simple, understated outfit. The fireworks tattoo on her wrist caught the eye. She lowered her gaze. “I’m not a romantic person, but my husband is.” Everything in the world, love included, had never felt solid to her. It was like fireworks, a flash of light that flared and then disappeared. At first, she thought her crush from that chance encounter abroad was just a moment of infatuation brought on by hormones. She remembered the morning Color of the Flames got its name. The humid atmosphere lingered, moonlight clearly illuminating the woman’s bare shoulders. Wave after wave of heat washed over her, and at the final moment, he bit down hard beside her ear. “Last night, you asked me why I was called that.” Li Wu tilted her head back, unable to speak. Chi Yan: “I have a special answer. Want to hear it?” Fireworks lose themselves in the night, frank and fervent. I only want to fall upon you, to strike wood and kindle a flame. To set this life alight. * Li Wu: “I’ve seen the moon over the desert, the snow of the Arctic, the ever-changing aurora, and mountains that have stood for ages. Then I saw myself clearly, and saw you... You were never just a passing view. You are love.” Theme: A romance with yourself is the beginning of a lifelong love affair.