The Person She Loves

On the day Su Su turned twenty, she saw a man in a coat against a snowy backdrop. He was utterly refined, yet he held a cigarette, looking both world-weary and wild.

He stubbed out the cigarette and smiled at her.

Without thinking, she said, "Hello, big brother."

Only after they were introduced did she learn he was the man her father had invited to stay for a while. From then on, he also became the one who drove her to and from school.

Some time later, a post appeared on the campus confession wall.

[Who's the man who picks up the campus belle every night?]

One user commented: The person she likes.

The comment was buried among the others, and nobody noticed it.

Jiang Suizhi was a genius at Pingcheng University. He wore a white shirt to give a speech in the auditorium and captivated countless people.

When they met again, that senior had become an untouchable business tycoon featured in the news. His expensive suit made him seem even more mysterious, noble and aloof, and no one dared approach him.

Whether in interviews or in official profiles, his first title was still "graduate student at Pingcheng University." Nobody knew why he hadn't graduated early.

Later, people noticed that Jiang, the CEO of Qing Lei Group, often wore a pearl bracelet. Everyone assumed he liked pearls, and they scrambled to collect fine specimens to offer him, hoping to land a business deal.

A reporter got the chance to interview him. "Is there any special meaning behind the pearl bracelet you always wear?"

Jiang Suizhi smiled. "It's my wife's necklace."

Reporter: "???!!!"

After struggling to recover from the bombshell that the president of Qing Lei Group was married, the reporter asked the question everyone had always been curious about. "Why did you keep your student status for so long?"

Jiang Suizhi smiled even more deeply. "My wife is young. I was afraid she'd think I was too old, so I deliberately kept my student status to seem younger."

Reporter: "…"

Bonus scene:

One day, Su Su discovered a secret on Jiang Suizhi's phone and hurried over to ask him:

"That user with the garbled name was you?"

He said, "It was me."

"I even taught him how to pursue someone." Su Su pieced together the timeline and realized it had happened before they first met. Completely flustered, she asked, "You liked me back then?"

Jiang Suizhi pulled her into his arms and whispered, "I've liked you for a long time."

P.S. The male lead is six years older than the female lead. He was twenty-six and she was twenty when they met.

A preview of the upcoming novel, The Wayfarer's Harbor

One day, the company Wen Lü worked for was suddenly acquired.

Rumor had it the new boss was Zhou Chai, the rising star in the industry who never smiled.

Wen Lü's heart skipped a beat. The man in the rumors was so different from the boy she'd known in high school.

At seventeen, Zhou Chai had been arrogant, boastful, and a poor student.

At seventeen, Wen Lü had been gentle, confident, and an excellent student.

After making a mistake on an exam, she was transferred from the honors class to a regular class. She avoided Zhou Chai, whose name was always on the disciplinary list, but her best friend had a favor to ask.

In early summer, with hidden heat simmering in the air, Wen Lü stood beside Zhou Chai, who'd just finished playing basketball. Wearing a plain white dress, she held out a pink letter with both hands.

The teasing around them grew louder than the cicadas. Zhou Chai raised his eyebrows slightly and reached for it. "For me?"

It was the first time Wen Lü had looked him in the eye. She smiled and explained, "It's for... your friend."

"..."

After that misunderstanding, the regular on the disciplinary list seemed to target her. No matter what standard Wen Lü set, he met it every time.

From classmates to desk mates, from delinquent to star pupil, from seventeen to eighteen, from their final year of high school to the college entrance exam...

On the summer solstice, on an unusually rainy day, the boy ran to find Wen Lü with his acceptance letter in hand, radiant and full of confidence. "I got in. You promised you'd be my girlfriend!"

But for the first time, Wen Lü pushed his hand away and said coldly, "I lied. You actually believed me?"

Who would have thought that when they met again, he would be her direct supervisor?

At a gathering with friends, Zhou Chai was teased. "Well, well, Mr. Zhou came all the way from Pingcheng to Ningcheng. Who's he here for?"

"Am I that desperate, chasing after her?" he replied, his expression cool, as though he didn't care.

Wen Lü had her back to him. Hearing those words, she looked dazed.

One day, after the company successfully closed a major deal, the boss appeared in the company chat and announced a dinner.

She'd thought it was only for management, but everyone got a spot.

Amid shifting lights and clinking glasses,

someone seemed to glimpse them through the glass.

Outside, the rain fell steadily. Zhou Chai held onto Wen Lü's sleeve. What fell from his eyes might have been raindrops or tears. His expression was desolate yet pleading. "Lie to me one more time."

Theme: Protection and growth.