The Sea and the Bridge

Upcoming novel:

Poolside

Jinchi Guesthouse opens for business.

To attract customers, Jian Xin posted promotional photos in all sorts of group chats, but they barely made a difference.

Her only reward was accidentally reviving a chat group that had been dormant for years.

Just before winning a major industry award, Qin Yunjin, a city-dwelling "sub" in the BDSM scene, was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment and barely survived.

After her brush with death, she put work aside for a while and looked for a suitable place to recuperate.

She saw the small-town promotional photos in the group and immediately decided: that was the place.

Particular about boundaries and unwilling to make small talk with online acquaintances in person, Qin Yunjin switched numbers and added the group owner: [Jinchi Guesthouse 138*******].

Time flowed more slowly in the small town. The leisurely days were like a tasteless glass of cold water.

Until

Jian Xin made a shocking declaration in the group chat.

Jinchi Guesthouse 138********: [Taking it to the extreme, why can't a guest become the owner?]

Like a fizzy tablet dissolving in water.

The bubbles dispersed, and Qin Yunjin returned to her old life, though she had developed a habit of scrolling through the group chat, waiting for their connection to cool.

Qin's mother heard her daughter talk about the lovely small-town scenery and went there for a vacation, staying at Jinchi Guesthouse.

One day, she asked Jian Xin to fix a problem with her phone, accidentally exposing her daughter's secret identity.

Jian Xin understood: had that woman only ever treated her as a diversion?

Qin Yunjin watched Jian Xin talk in the group about the new guest, an older woman who was gentle, rich, and caring.

Hearing her mother say that the guesthouse owner was busy keeping a pretty guest company, Qin Yunjin was consumed with jealousy.

She rushed back to the small town overnight.

Jian Xin: "Hello. I'm very unhappy to serve you."

[Blurb]

Down-on-her-luck student x gentle older woman

Eleven-year age gap, happy ending

After her landlord kicked her out, Haitang was slurping instant noodles in a convenience store one moment, then rushing in with a mop the next to save Qiao Jinli.

Though she could barely keep herself afloat, she was lucky enough to be taken home by Qiao Jinli.

Starting from an uncertain spark of affection, how far would each of them have to go before they could stand together in the spring breeze?

"That year, the flowers weren't at their best, but luckily, I met you."

Theme: Face life with composure and perseverance