Today's Lucky Sign

My completed novel, Conspiracy, tells the love story of the parents from their daughter's perspective. Check it out in my author page. The day Zhou Wantang met Shang Shixu was in early autumn, with the mountains reflected in the slanting sunlight, at a family gathering hosted by the Shang and Zhou families. That day, the old lady was playing mahjong and was one player short. Wantang, who knew nothing about the game, was pulled in to make up the numbers. Perhaps her skills were truly atrocious. Someone couldn't stand watching and kindly offered her a tip. The man leaned down beside her and tapped the tile in front of her with his long, bony finger. The corner of his mouth lifted. "Play the Five of Circles." She discarded the tile, and the old lady beamed. "Mahjong!" She teased, "Xiaowan, how could you blindly trust Jin Zhi? His mahjong skills are every bit as bad as yours, if not worse." Zhou Wantang stifled a laugh and looked up at him. The man wore a simple white shirt tucked into suit trousers. His cool, wintry features softened like a snow-covered fir thawing. "I'll take the loss." * Only after she got home did Zhou Wantang learn that the man called Jin Zhi was the man she was to marry for the sake of an alliance between their families. A little flustered, she steeled herself and said: "I think we're still young, and shouldn't get married so soon. Or, if you'd like, we can break off the engagement right now." Hearing this, Shang Shixu lowered his eyes and spoke gently. "Xiaowan, is there someone you like?" * One day after they were married, Zhou Wantang happened upon a photo album while looking for a document in the study. It had been carefully preserved and was full of pictures of her from childhood onward. That evening, when Shang Shixu came back from work, she opened the album in front of him, a soft smile on her face as she waited for an explanation. "You found it." He drew Wantang into his arms and rested his chin in the hollow of her shoulder, chuckling softly. "Thank you for taking pity on me. The world has one fewer lonely soul now." The day I met you was the best fortune I could have ever drawn in my life. I mean: You are my best fortune. Reader's guide: Everyday life, slow-burn romance. The story is based on real place names, but the content is entirely fictional. The heroine's career includes some fictional details, so readers looking for strict accuracy should take note. The heroine's professional background and related details were inspired by the documentary Masters in the Forbidden City and related materials. Please kindly point out any factual errors. Coming soon: Conjugate Wen Yier noticed that after her boyfriend returned from a business trip abroad, he had changed dramatically. The eyes that looked at her had turned cold, and they were intimate far less often. On a stormy day, in a humid and stuffy room, Wen Yier rested her hands on her husband's thighs. A rush of pleasure swept through her mind, only to plunge her into despair the next instant. She murmured, "Where's the scar on your thigh?" Theme: Plant flowers in your heart, and life will never be barren.