Clarity

The print edition goes on preorder August 30, 2026 | Please leave a five-star review | Mutual pining | Sweet campus romance | Full text undergoing a thorough edit Xu Xiaoche of Hongyuan High School is a genius top student and a heartthrob. He’s from the north, stands 187 centimeters tall, and won first place in the provincial physics competition as a freshman. He has friends in every class, well-off parents who give him plenty of freedom, and nine thousand fans on social media who follow him for his looks. Even a post about his dog gets seven hundred likes and three hundred comments. It takes Zhu Cheng a while to realize that she might like him. It’s just her nature to keep those feelings firmly to herself. She has seen him return in triumph after winning an award at the joint school exam, and she has watched him dominate the basketball court to shrieks from the crowd. The boy is handsome and full of confidence, but whenever he looks at her, his carefree smile freezes. Every time their eyes happen to meet, Zhu Cheng can’t help suspecting he dislikes her. - A new girl recently transferred into their class. Quiet and beautiful, with every strand of hair as immaculate as a doll’s. On her first day, boys from other grades were willing to trek halfway across campus just to catch a glimpse of her during the ten-minute break. Whenever Xu Xiaoche’s buddies bring it up, he either messes up his game or misses a three-pointer from outside the line. It really isn’t a matter of skill. One day, the boys even made him do push-ups as punishment on the court. They tease him as they cheer him on. “Brother Che, having an off day?” “Maybe he’s sick of hearing you talk about her. You think he wants to listen to that?” “True. He’s going to spend his whole life with a basketball!” The sun beats down on him, sweat glistening on his skin. The boy pants softly, his muscles taut, but he doesn’t feel tired. He’s also cursing himself for having way too much energy these days. Otherwise, why can’t he get the image of Zhu Cheng out of his head? No one knows that on the day they first met, the girl stepped onto campus in a white dress and leather shoes, looking impossibly beautiful. The bright spring sunshine seemed dim beside her, and even his dog circled her in a daze. He watched her for a long time from a corner of the raised platform. In that moment, all his seventeen years of carefree swagger seemed like nothing. Xu Xiaoche fell in love with her at first sight. Reading Guide: Quiet, reserved, socially anxious sweetheart × carefree, sincere, cheerful cool guy 1. A campus fairy tale with an invincible male lead who has everyone falling for him. No second-chance romance. 2. Mutual pining. The male lead falls first at first sight; the female lead falls slowly and is the first to make a bold move. 3. No awful side characters. Both leads’ parents love them dearly. 4. The male lead only uses social media to record his life. He isn’t an influencer. 5. The male lead doesn’t dislike the female lead. He’s simply shy. 6. No dating while underage. Bonus Scene: When Xu Xiaoche vaguely realizes Zhu Cheng is more interested in his dog than in him, he starts sending her a few photos every day without fail. At first, she replies with things like “Cute” and “Your dog is so well-behaved,” but gradually her responses grow more and more lukewarm. Xu Xiaoche doesn’t give up. He orders pet clothes in the middle of the night, completely ignoring his male mutt’s objections, and dresses him in pink from head to toe. But when he sends her another picture, it barely gets a reaction. He puts his phone away and roughly ruffles the dog’s fur. “Ever heard of a thirst trap? You can’t even wiggle a couple of times for a photo.” The young master Xu scowls at the dog for a moment, then scoffs. “Dumb mutt.” Chinese rural dog: ... Woof, woof, woof! You’re the one who should be posting thirst traps! Is the girl on the other end really here to look at me?! Also known as Pure-Hearted High School Boy Turns Up the Heat and My Cheerful, Quick-Witted Crush Who Can’t Get a Single Word Out Around Me My other novel, I Wait for Spring Rain, is now available. Please add it to your reading list: [After a long drought, I wait for the spring rain.] ① In her sophomore year of high school, a girl named Jing Hechun was brought in from the countryside to live with the Cheng family. Raised at a tea house, she wore a tattered floral dress and a pair of sky-high braids. She was rustic and a little silly. The young master of the Cheng family wanted nothing to do with this sister who had appeared out of nowhere. Little did he know that the girl was harmless in public and devious in private, and soon had his parents wrapped around her little finger. It was no wonder she’d been known as someone who could “brew a fine cup of tea” ever since she was little. Ordered to look after his new sister, Young Master Cheng’s eyes shifted as he came up with the perfect solution. He sought out his best buddy. “We’re brothers, right?” ② Zhai Yilin of Huaicheng Private High School is the city student council president, the school student council president, and the top student in the international department. With excellent grades and impeccable manners, he is the undisputed ice-cold beauty on a pedestal, untouched by anyone. Only his friends know that beneath his seemingly gentle exterior, he’s cold, ruthless, extreme, and twisted. He’s also famous for shutting down fake sweethearts and being a master at spotting them. His tongue is so sharp he doesn’t spare even his own family, and the exotic pets he keeps at home are enough to scare off several delicate admirers. When his friends hear that Young Master Cheng has dumped the half-sister who came out of nowhere on Zhai Yilin, they all wait for the show. Until, one day, a male fake sweetheart appears among them. Zhai Yilin: “Yaya is so wonderful. Your brother doesn’t know how to appreciate her.” Zhai Yilin: “I’m so jealous of him. I wish I’d grown up with Yaya as her childhood friend.” Zhai Yilin: “Did your childhood friend get the wrong idea? He seems to dislike me.” Jing Hechun: ... Everyone else: ...? Are you okay? ③ The day Jing Hechun saw through all his disguises, she realized she’d placed her trust in the wrong person. She wanted to avoid him, but had no choice but to stay, so she pretended to forgive him. When she was in a good mood, she’d exchange a few words with him. When she was busy, she’d forget he even existed. Zhai Yilin took her acceptance as the key to turning their relationship romantic. On the day he planned to confess, after the college entrance exams, the boy stayed up all night and arrived at her door early, his palms sweating around the bouquet. Instead, he was met with her leaving without a word. His blood ran hot, then cooled. His face darkened as he typed: “Were you playing me?” The only reply was a red exclamation mark, bright and painful to look at. ④ When they met again in college, Zhai Yilin still looked as bright and unblemished as ever, admired and envied by everyone around him. Jing Hechun, however, thought he was just a dog who wouldn’t leave her alone and liked to bite. This time, she couldn’t shake him off, and didn’t want to, either. All she could do was patiently teach him how to behave. On a rainy night when a typhoon hit, with the wind howling and damp air all around them, they were trapped in the same room. The moment their eyes met by chance, they seemed to stick together, neither able to look away. She deliberately moved closer, teasing him with practiced ease, until their lips were only inches apart. His hand reaching for her waist always fell short. Every time, she’d cut him off with a sudden, “Did I say you could touch me?” He’d hold still and let her do as she pleased, but his eyes roamed over her without restraint. With a husky laugh, he said, “You’re treating me like a dog.” She turned her gaze aside and replied with a teasing smile, “Aren’t you enjoying it?” Then she’d scratch his chin and pat his head, giving him a little reward. He didn’t resist at all. In fact, he even leaned closer. “I really am willing.” His gaze settled on her lips. His voice was tender, his words restrained. “Then can this dog have a bite?” “...” Reading Guide: Quirky tea-house girl × dark-hearted, tsundere young master from a wealthy family Sweet on the surface, dark underneath, then sweet again × sweet on the surface, dark underneath, then ready to pounce 1. From high school through college, they never lose touch. It’s all thanks to Z10’s shameless persistence. 2. Yaya is neither rustic nor silly!! 3. A light, sweet romance, with just a tiny bit of groveling and dog training later on, purely for fun. Theme: Life is not a draft to be discarded.