[Complete] This novel will be finished on May 19, and will become a paid novel starting from Chapter 16. Thank you all for your support.
At eighteen, Gong Xun won her final individual world championship in artistic gymnastics.
With a perfect performance of "The Crane," she took home the gold medal, then retired at the height of her career.
Commentator: "She's neither a princess nor an empress. She's a crane, forever graceful in her movements and unwavering in her gaze."
A fan lamented: "After all her achievements, Gong Xun has gone off to live like a free spirit among the clouds. May she be free, and never bow her head."
Those last words came from a photography enthusiast's Weibo post.
The enthusiast captured the ending pose of "The Crane," and the photo went viral.
Fans and passersby alike praised the photographer's timing and the perfection of the subject, Gong Xun.
The flowing lines of her muscles and the feathers on her arms brought strength and softness together.
With her arms spread and chin raised, she looked like a white crane about to take flight, proud but not arrogant.
No one knew what raced through the heart of the eighteen-year-old boy in the stands as he pressed the shutter.
Eight years later.
Gong Xun became a sports show host.
Her fluent delivery, beauty that had only grown with time, and distinctive presence sent her trending on her very first day on air.
Her fans shared the news with relief: "Our little Crane has really grown up so well."
And the boy in the stands had grown up, too.
Nie Jingzhi lurked in Gong Xun's fan community using an alt account, outwardly calm but inwardly over the moon.
Then he switched to his official singer account, where his posts and reposts always got 99+ comments.
[Daily question: Are you dating anyone today?]
[Eight years! You've been saying you're going to date for eight years, and we haven't even seen the shadow of a rumor! Are you lying to us fans?]
[Hahaha, checking in. I hear a certain top-tier star's fans have a unique vibe: they love to fight and hate each other.]
Nie Jingzhi scrolled through the comments so forcefully his fingers tensed. In the end, he decided he couldn't bear to look and switched to his main account, gazing at it tenderly.
His main account had only one Weibo post: a picture and a line of text.
[Photographing a crane: May she be free, and never bow her head.]
*Bonus scene
Nie Jingzhi's fan group.
[Look, Brother Nie is holding his phone and grinning like a lovesick fool. Is he dating someone?]
[He's been showing off his clothes and jewelry a lot lately. He never used to do that!]
[And he's posting all these suggestive Weibo messages. Our boy's whole vibe has changed...]
[Brother Nie and Gong Xun followed each other.]
[Don't use our little Crane's daughter's popularity. Brother Nie isn't good enough for her.]
[Agreed +10086. Little Crane is perfect on her own [screaming at the top of my lungs]]
Nie Jingzhi lurked in the group with his alt account, feeling annoyed, amused, speechless, and proud all at once.
Finally, he pulled Gong Xun close and kissed her possessively. "When are we going public?"
Coming Soon
"The Wild Grass Grows Back"
Xu Xu was very self-aware.
She liked beautiful people and beautiful things, and she liked enjoying the finer things in life.
People said she was a freeloader who'd lucked into becoming the stepdaughter of a wealthy family, a burden who relied on flashy, high-profile vlogs about rich people to attract views and make money.
Meanwhile, Rong Mulin, the young heir of the wealthy Rong family, was handsome, born to greatness, and quiet and reserved.
They had been born into two different worlds.
Just as her stepbrother had sneered before her blind date: Know your place.
But when she met the distinguished head of the Rong family, she decided to take a chance.
This man was her best option right now.
She'd heard he kept his distance from women. Check: a man of virtue!
He was worth a fortune. Check: good terms for the arrangement!
Handsome. Check!
Xu Xu rested her chin on her hand and smiled brightly. Her striking, radiant beauty grew even more captivating as her peach-blossom eyes curved mischievously. "I heard you've been under pressure to get married lately, Mr. Rong. Interested in a partnership?"
She wasn't expecting much, but the next moment she heard his cool voice say, "All right."
Bonus scene:
When word got around that the Rong family's young master was dating wild girl Xu Xu, people in their circle were stunned. They all bet on when Rong Mulin would dump her.
But they waited and waited, only to hear news of their engagement, then their wedding, and finally the birth of their child.
Bonus scene 2:
Xu Xu sat on the man's strong thigh, her pale arm looped around his neck.
"I hear that nothing can ruffle Mr. Rong, no matter what happens?"
Rong Mulin lowered his head and twirled his wife's slightly curled hair around his slender fingers. Her dark strands looped around his fair knuckles, seemingly wound tight.
"That's nonsense. I'm always soft as a spring breeze with you."
#Marriage first, love later, marriage by agreement
#Xu Xu: I just wanted to find a generous boss. I never expected him to become my husband for life.
#Xu: A kind of wild grass
Theme: The best kind of love is growing together
Gong Xun parachuted into the comment area (broadcasting voice): The following is a news report. The stepdaughter of the Xu family, Xu Wei, and the leader of the Rong family, Rong Murin, will be engaged in the near future. To know the details, please click on the author's column to pre-register "Weeds Blowing Again". Thank you everyone!
I knew you, Dongzi, were dishonest!
This kind of atmosphere is really good 🤩
"Use" is a big bug for the author~ forever
It's just a lyric, I'm afraid I don't need any special guidance, it feels like it's inspiring everyone.
That's great, come on?(?^O^?)?
That's great, come on?(?^O^?)?
That's great, come on?(?^O^?)?
That's great, come on?(?^O^?)?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but it's a short story! Woohoo, I still want to see it!