A Misplaced Secret Crush

Emotionally avoidant woman VS cheerful, sunny, green-tea-style man

[Coming next: Please Stop Liking Me, a sweet campus romance. Also check out my historical romance, Return of the Swan, Snow's Surprise, featuring two formidable leads.]

Mutual pining | Bittersweet and sweet | He pursues her

Blurb 1:

Yang Sa and Lin Yiyuan are completely different people.

Yang Sa is outgoing and carefree, popular with friends and always at the center of the action. One interview photo made him an undeniable campus celebrity.

In the photo, the young man faces the camera with a slight raise of his brows and a dazzling, audacious smile, a stark contrast to his formal suit.

Lin Yiyuan, on the other hand, is the reserved, quiet top student and the least conspicuous person in the foreign languages college. Quiet and taciturn, she never takes part in any campus activities, like moss growing unseen in a corner.

When people are asked what they think of Lin Yiyuan, most can only comment on her grades. They have almost nothing to say about her personality.

To everyone else, the two of them are worlds apart.

That is, until a photo starts circulating around campus:

There are only two people in the whole picture. Lin Yiyuan stands at the podium, speaking confidently in a dark blue dress as she carefully explains a proposal on the blackboard, her expression earnest and focused.

Yang Sa, meanwhile, has reined in all his brilliance and sharpness. He sits quietly below the podium, ramrod straight, gazing up at the girl with an astonishingly tender look, as if unable to look away. His hands are gently applauding.

Onlookers: ??? How did those two end up together??

Blurb 2:

"What should you do if you and your best friend like the same guy?"

Someone posted this question on a well-known forum. The answers varied. Some said they'd bravely pursue love and tell their friend honestly. Some said they'd compete fairly with their friend. Others said they'd have a huge fight with their best friend, because people aren't really that selfless.

Among the many highly upvoted replies, one short answer got only a few likes, and was soon buried among the rest.

"Then give up."

Then give up.

The day Lin Yiyuan found out her friend also liked Yang Sa, she decided to give up on her secret crush.

At the time, she didn't know that on that summer day, full of the tart scent of green plums and the sound of cicadas, someone else had already taken the first step into this long story of unrequited love.

In every day that followed, he would quietly watch her back. If she occasionally turned around and gave him the faintest smile, that tiny bit of sweetness was enough to soothe the ache in the male lead's heart throughout this long story.

#What if the person I secretly like secretly likes me too? #

#Schemer VS perennially single king#

Reading guide:

1. One-on-one romance, happy ending, both leads are each other's first.

2. Mutual pining.

3. No female rivalry.

4. College setting, with a few high school scenes woven in.

5. The female lead has somewhat avoidant tendencies.

6. I'll add more if I think of anything. Blurb revised on 2024.7.27 and screenshot.

[Coming next: Please Stop Liking Me. Please add it to your collection.]

A naturally airheaded girl with a short-lived desire to date & a high-and-mighty beauty whose teeth are ground to dust after being picked up and then discarded

Jing Xing is an ordinary academic who follows the rules and takes the well-worn path.

She did fine on the college entrance exams and got into a pretty good university.

Her only regret is that she's never had a passionate, whirlwind romance like the ones in novels. Watching one roommate after another find a partner, she starts getting excited about the idea and wants to find herself a boyfriend.

She goes all the way to the engineering campus cafeteria for a meal and catches a glimpse of a stunningly handsome guy.

Her friend tells her he's Xu Yanyun, the school's famous heartthrob: aloof, immaculate, and admired by countless girls who can't even get his contact information. He's an untouchable flower growing high on a mountain.

Jing Xing: Oh.

She has no idea what the title of heartthrob says about how hard he is to win over. She only asks about his relationship status.

Once she learns he's single too, Jing Xing makes a detailed plan and goes to extraordinary lengths to win him over.

Then... after dating for a month, Jing Xing decides love is really no fun.

He's so clingy.

She decides studying is way better.

She wants to break up.

But her "ex-boyfriend," whom she pursued only to dump, doesn't seem willing to accept it.

Also known as: "The Heartthrob Went Dark After I Dumped Him" and "When Will the Heartthrob Realize He Was Just a Distraction?"

The one after next: Return of the Swan, Snow's Surprise. Historical romance | Secret identities | A couple on opposing sides who keep putting on acts for each other

Theme: Confidence and love