[Updates temporarily paused for major changes to the premise. The novel is being revised.]
1.
On the day Xu Zhizhi got dumped, she went to a bar to drink her sorrows away.
As luck would have it, the young man at the next table had just been dumped too. He was dead drunk and wouldn't let go of her arm.
Feeling that they were in the same boat, Xu Zhizhi reluctantly took care of him all night, finally drifting off to sleep at dawn.
When she woke, she met the young man's clear eyes.
Leaning against the headboard, he said softly, "Sis, I'll take responsibility for you."
His ears turned red all the way down to his neck.
She fought back a smile and refused. "There's no need."
-
Not long after, she ran into him again at a book signing.
He smiled and greeted her sweetly. "Hello, Sis."
When she said nothing, he asked plaintively, "You didn't forget me, did you, Sis? We had such a good time that night."
2.
When Gu Yang had just started his first year of college, he skipped military training once.
He climbed a tree and lounged there, only to hear rustling below.
A flash of white entered his view.
A girl stroked a stray cat's head, her voice soft and sweet. "Be good, baby. Once I have money, I'll bring you home to live with me."
After feeding the cat, the girl left reluctantly.
Gu Yang was momentarily dazed, and an inexplicable thought crossed his mind:
If only she'd called me baby.
-
Later, just when he thought his wish was finally about to come true,
she left him standing in the pouring rain with a single sentence: "Stop dreaming. Get lost."
Then she turned and walked away without hesitation, holding her umbrella.
3.
The film and television rights to Xu Zhizhi's comic had been bought.
Her editor said the investor wanted to meet her.
She looked at Gu Yang, seated across from her, and fell into uneasy silence.
He curled his lips in an inscrutable smile, unmistakable possessiveness in his eyes.
"Long time no see, Sis."
I missed you so much.
-
It took Xu Zhizhi a long time to learn that Gu Yang had been in love with her.
There was something else she didn't know, either.
One night, no one knew when,
her sleepwalking started. With tears running down her face, she touched the young man's cheek and begged him,
"Please, save me."
The young man's eyes suddenly reddened, his heart aching.
--Night walks in darkness, and I want to be the scattered yet only glimmer in your pitch-black night.
[Innocent, sly younger male lead x timid but flirtatious female illustrator]
[Reader's Guide]
1. One-on-one romance. The female lead's previous relationship only involved hugging and hand-holding. If that's a dealbreaker, feel free to move on.
2. The first part involves college, so there will be campus-life tags.
3. The male lead was liked by a male college roommate. There may be some inappropriate remarks. Please avoid this if you can't accept it [bolded!!!].
4. A super-sweet age-gap romance between an older woman and a younger man. Please don't tell me if you're dropping the book. Pretty please, everyone!
Theme: Be brave, and love will find you.
Wow, it looks good. Come on, madam.