The Tyndall Effect

- A one-sided salvation and mutual secret love -

[I'm terrible at writing blurbs. I've rewritten this several times. Forget it, I'll just post the original.]

Xu Man saw determination and resolve in his eyes, as if he were saying that no matter how difficult she was, how wildly she acted, or how many times she pushed him away, he would stand behind her, unwavering, forever.

But why?

What had she done to deserve this treatment from someone like Qin Shu?

Watching her retreat as if she were fleeing, Qin Shu said firmly, "I won't give up."

He flicked the drops of blood from his fingertips and stood up. "Since I chose to climb onto this bridge and stop you, then the suffering you were destined to face from now on should be mine to bear."

If you pity someone, take on their fate.

If you feel sorry for someone, bear what they must endure.

Life and death both have their causes and consequences. It's a simple, self-evident truth.

"Qin Shu."

She didn't turn around. Gazing at the lonely moon on the horizon, she spoke in a trembling voice. "I want to die. What does that have to do with you? Do you think you can save me? Can you be by my side every moment? Do you really think you're omnipotent? I gave you the choice to give up, so why are you still staying?"

"Do you know that after today... if you ever choose to leave me, betray me, or abandon me, I won't be able to stop myself from dragging you down into hell with me forever, beyond the cycle of reincarnation?"

"If, after understanding the consequences, you still don't plan to give up..."

Xu Man slowly turned around and held out her hand to him, cautiously. "Then congratulations. You've successfully saved a girl from the abyss."

After hearing her answer, Qin Shu let out a long breath of relief. Without the slightest hesitation, he strode forward and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you for giving me this chance."

Xu Man rested her cheek against his warm chest. The sound of his strong, steady heart and the blood rushing through his veins finally let her feel the unending power of life.

"Qin Shu, this is the path you chose. There is no turning back."

Xu Man leaned against him and murmured softly, then put her arms around him.

From then on, her life was bound tightly to Qin Shu's.

---Bound by a fate in which betrayal and abandonment could never be forgiven.

-

1. One-on-one romance, both leads are each other's first love. The female lead is not strong; the characters' values do not represent the author's.

2. A one-sided salvation shaped by an abusive family. All villains get what they deserve.

Because of her family, Xiao Man never learned healthy values or how to form good relationships. She's difficult and warped, but she will gradually grow and learn how to love someone and herself.

3. I wrote this after seeing too many hateful, despicable villains and too many women who inspire both pity for their misfortune and anger at their refusal to fight back. This is a fantasy born of helpless fury.

[Please note]

---Put yourself in their shoes. Don't judge the women in this story from a position of moral superiority. Under the pressure of family ties, not everyone can save themselves on their own. So this isn't a wish-fulfillment story where the protagonist turns everything around by herself. Thank you.

Theme: I would rather suffer than become numb.