[Initial blurb. Start date undecided. If you're interested, feel free to add it to your favorites. Love you all, mwah =^ω^=]
"What is love?"
"It's running toward our summer."
Early story: Insecure, sensitive girl x sharp-tongued, arrogant hopeless romantic
Later story: Private business owner x environmental engineer
1.
When Gu Mian was in high school, her family sent her abroad to live with one of her father's friends.
On her first day at the Xie residence, Gu Mian met the Chinese couple who had taken her in and their son, Xie Yucheng.
From that day on, they became her adoptive parents and older brother in name.
But her new brother showed none of the enthusiasm one might expect at her arrival. Instead, he seemed to dislike her at every turn. To avoid upsetting this pampered young master, Gu Mian always behaved impeccably at the Xie residence, walking on eggshells.
Yet no one could have guessed that Gu Mian and Xie Yucheng would later start secretly dating behind everyone's backs.
-
One day, the friends of the eldest Xie son came over to party. One of them, unaware of the truth, deliberately brought up Gu Mian in front of Xie Yucheng, his tone playful. "That little girl at your place is pretty cute. I wonder if she has a boyfriend. I might go after her."
Xie Yucheng lounged on the sofa with one leg crossed, looking indifferent. "What's pretty about her? She's just a country bumpkin. When she first came to my place, she could barely speak a word of English."
Gu Mian had just returned from outside and heard him say that. Her hand, poised to open the door, quietly slipped away from the doorknob.
The man asked again, "So can I go after her or not? Give me a straight answer."
The cigarette between Xie Yucheng's fingers was nearly burned out. He slowly blew a smoke ring. "Do whatever you want."
Early the next morning, Gu Mian broke up with Xie Yucheng.
"Xie Yucheng, remember this: I was the one who didn't want you first."
2.
Many years after returning to China, Gu Mian became one of the leading businesswomen in Xiamen.
She met Xie Yucheng again at a dinner for a charity project.
By then, Gu Mian was no longer the insecure, timid girl she'd once been. She had become confident and radiant from the inside out, impossible to look away from.
As the dinner drew to a close and everyone dispersed, Xie Yucheng stopped Gu Mian in a secluded corner and pleaded in a humble voice, "Mianmian, could you give me one more chance? Let's start over."
[In the endless summer you never knew about, I lit the world's most dazzling lights for you, again and again.]
Both leads are each other's first and only. Happy ending.
PS: The story starts at school and later moves to the city. The female lead is independent and clear-headed; the male lead is a hopeless romantic who spends the whole story chasing his wife and pulling all kinds of ridiculous stunts.
Theme: You have to learn how to love someone the right way in order to be loved
