He Seems Pretty Good at It [Ximan]

[Bonus chapters dropping at irregular intervals...] Two powerful families | Two strong leads | Western romance | TV drama style | Intense push and pull | Sweet with a touch of bitterness [Cover art by me / There is a playlist with the same name as this story on NetEase Cloud Music] "Cecilia Hobart" (Huang Xingshi) x "Roy Bellini" (He Zhirao) ■ Manhattan socialite x Italian old-money heir ■ Queen x secretly ruthless / Chinese-American x Chinese-Italian ■ Setting: Nanjing, New York, Rome "Who doesn't know the dazzling Queen C in Manhattan's Upper East Side social scene?" According to "she is," a social media account almost everyone in New York checks: "C was among the first millennials to treat Gossip Girl as a philosophy for living. She's also the girl who most perfectly fits the world of gossip." "She's beautiful, adorable, and full of drive." "She's a combination of Queen B and Queen S." "Her private life is such a mess that almost every leak people dismiss as fake news turns out to be true." "But if you start spreading her dirty laundry far and wide, congratulations! You'll receive a letter from New York's top law firm, Hobart Law." "Are we making fun of her?" "Yes, that's right." "She doesn't care." "Otherwise, why would she have created this account?" * Huang Xingshi, Cecilia. The only granddaughter of Hubery Hobart, New York's top law firm, and known by the code name Queen C of the Upper East Side. Since she was fifteen, she's insisted that "sexual attraction" is necessary for a relationship to begin. "A healthy woman who's always falling in love." That's what that obnoxious gossip account said. Well, the ridiculous part is that she created the obnoxious account herself. When she started posting everyone's secrets with the same reckless abandon as a TV show on her first day of high school, she never imagined that one day the account, risen from the dead, would make her a target of its gossip, too. It has its sights set firmly on her, leaving her nowhere to hide. Everyone has gotten used to this social game she started. So, after an unexpected incident, she finally had to lie low for a while. Her plan to lay low was interrupted before it even got started. She'd barely returned to China to visit family over summer break and hadn't even gotten over the jet lag when she had to go with her friend Yuanyuan to "firmly deal with" a blind date. Even though Yuanyuan rejected the guy outright, and he stayed perfectly unfazed after learning about her sexual orientation, sipping his coffee and glancing at Cecilia from time to time. Maybe people who haven't had enough sleep really shouldn't speak without thinking. Huang Xingshi blinked sleepily, dazed as she watched the Italian man standing by a car, talking on the phone. The curve of his back, his pert butt, his straight nose, his nearly 1.9-meter height, and the watch-wearing wrist peeking out from his shirt cuff as he spoke on the phone. She had no idea why she swallowed. Even though she was so tired she kept yawning, she still went and lost her mind in the 0.0001-second moment when the man looked back at her, then immediately turned away. "But he looks like he knows what he's doing." That fleeting thought hooked her into a whole lot of trouble. * On his second day in Nanjing, He Zhirao was scrolling through the romantic history of a certain C, going all the way back to high school, while waiting for his blind date to arrive. His phone was still in his hand when the dazzling C, sporting dark circles and yawning, sat down across from him. Then, on the seventh day, she got drunk and made a scene on the conference room table. She babbled that he was so hot, felt his pecs, and tried to undo his belt. *After riding the hotel's emotional roller coaster, Huang Xingshi declared: He really does know what he's doing. But first, she had to make a run for it! *He Zhirao thinks Huang Xingshi is a fish, maybe the kind with a memory shorter than seven seconds. Every time, she takes his bait and gets reeled in. After eating her fill from him, he lets her go, and she flicks her tail like she plans never to see him again. But next time he casts his line, she comes right back. She never learns, and she doesn't take him seriously. She has so many secrets, and he even has to become one of them. If he wants to keep her, he'll need to use a "strong dose." [May we eventually find freedom, and may I never be able to give up loving you.] * 1) Neither lead is a virgin. Both had normal, healthy relationships and social lives before they met, without sleeping around. After they get together, the romance is strictly one-on-one. 2) The blurb and 90% of the story use a TV-drama-style voice and British and American literary conventions. Americans are just neurotic and long-winded. If you don't like TV dramas, don't force yourself to read this (bowing). 3) The heroine is Chinese-American, and the hero is Chinese-Italian. They have a four-year age gap. She's 20 and he's 24. Both are American citizens. 4) The main settings are Nanjing and New York. Other locations will be added as the story goes. 5) The hero chases the heroine after a breakup. 6) Neither C nor R is perfect. C has plenty of typical white-girl traits, like being self-centered, self-righteous, and mean. R is not a love-struck fool, either. 7) Cecilia won't be limited by any label, because life is full of possibilities. 8) This is a straightforward romance focused on feelings, ladies. I'm all about emotional romance. 9) C is currently a sophomore in college, and her only work is with her charity foundation and sorority. 10) This story has no connection to Gossip Girl. The heroine watched too much of the show in high school, admired and imitated it, and created an account. If you're accusing me of plagiarism without evidence, make a comparison chart. Blurb is tentative. 25.0605 / Cover art by me [This story and the neighboring Compass to Pleasure are both part of the Manhattan Series and share the same world.] * Theme: Building a healthy view of love