Searching for Caffè Romance

-------------Blurb-------------

[Slow-to-catch-on coffee taster × younger, seductive rich heir]

When Ji Xia woke up, she was completely naked.

In the morning light, a man leaned against the flower-tiled hallway wall, swinging a mug and smiling at her.

"Good morning, Miss Ji."

"You slept well, then just walked out without paying?"

She fled in a panic, and spent the whole day unable to figure out what had happened the night before.

*

Ji Xia thought she would never see him again.

But only a few days later, she was in a sorry state when someone bailed her out of the police station.

The man swung his car keys and gave a lazy little laugh.

"I've already bet on you winning this time, Miss Ji. So, what do you say? Dare to take me along?"

Ji Xia let her soft heart get the better of her for a moment.

She had no idea that Qu Ze would be so high-maintenance.

"Ji Xia, do people actually drink instant coffee?"

"I'm roasting out here. What kind of place doesn't even have Huoxiang Zhengqi water?"

"Ji Xia, do I look short on money? I want a Simmons bed."

For the hundredth time, Ji Xia took a deep breath and reminded herself to treat him as nothing but a walking ATM.

Who knew that one day, her heart would race faster around him than it did around money?

During a coffee cupping, Qu Ze invited her to try the coffee in his cup. As if possessed, she was bewitched by its flavor.

She rose onto her toes and kissed Qu Ze's thin lips, clumsily tasting away the lingering flavor, then gave it a high score: "Ninety-five points. Excellent."

The man chuckled, then grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss.

When she was nearly dizzy, he smiled and refused to let her go. "Tell me, where did the other five points go, hmm?"

*

Rumor had it that the second young master of the Qu family nearly died when he was young. After that, his mother and older brother doted on him endlessly.

People said he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and couldn't endure even the slightest hardship, aside from drinking American coffee.

Until, on the African continent near the equator, a blade sank into flesh.

The man who had been pampered all his life swallowed Ji Xia's whereabouts and his own blood without a sound, then sneered:

"You couldn't pry open my mouth, and you think you can take my woman?"

Bonus scene:

After Qu Ze was rescued, the eldest Qu brother, Qu Zhan, defied their mother's orders and flew out in person to drag him back home. Qu Ze refused, and Qu Zhan lamented, "Qu Ze, forget your own life. You don't even have enough of mine to play with."

On the hospital bed, the injured man clutched his wound and said weakly, "Brother, stop scolding me. It hurts."

Then Qu Zhan turned and saw...

Qu Ze calmly pick up Ji Xia, who had accidentally fallen asleep, brush the tears from her face, and barely glance at the blood seeping through his bandages. He only smiled and comforted her: "Don't worry. Your boyfriend has accident insurance worth tens of millions. He won't die."

Qu Zhan: "..."

[Reader's guide]

1. Both leads are strong, and they spend the whole story matching wits and trying to outmaneuver each other.

2. The male lead will go through some hardship. Readers who are hardcore fans of the male lead should stay away; fans of the female lead will enjoy it.

3. Both leads are virgins. The female lead had a six-month relationship, but it never went beyond hugging. The male lead has no romantic history.

4. The female lead focuses on her career at first. After the male lead realizes his feelings, he pursues her hard and pushes their romance forward.

My neighboring novel, "Ran Into a High School Classmate While Taking Wedding Photos," is updating now. Please add it to your library!

Su Cen was so broke she could barely make ends meet, so she took a job modeling for a wedding studio's sample photos. During the shoot, she ran into her high school classmate Lu Qian.

Lu Qian was surrounded by people in the park's official reception car. For some reason, they had stopped, not too near and not too far away, as if they were here for her.

In high school, Lu Qian was the unreachable top student, while she was an art-obsessed dead-last student. He was eligible for financial aid, while she was the pampered darling of the school.

Their only real connection was that he had modeled for her for a few days.

Now, at the park, their positions had reversed. He was surrounded by people, while she was a part-time model working to make ends meet.

Better not to say hello.

After posing for a few sets of sweet, romantic shots, Su Cen immediately hitched up her skirt to leave, but someone blocked her way.

A pair of shiny, expensive leather shoes entered her field of vision. Lu Qian's voice was familiar yet strange, and somehow strained.

"Long time no see, great artist. Getting married? ... Why didn't you tell your classmates?"

-

At an industry reception, Lu Qian broke with tradition and went for a third drink.

His friend hurried over to block his glass. "The glasses may be small, but three are enough to get you drunk."

Lu Qian's eyes were glazed with drunkenness. He sneered bitterly, still unwilling to accept it. "Ha... W-what mistress? Who's worth me, Lu Qian, being a mistress for?"

His friend: ?

-

As Lu Qian kept closing in on her, Su Cen seriously wondered whether the cool, composed investment banking expert from that industry interview had been completely made up.

In the studio, he yanked the curtains shut.

His lean, toned body was utterly at odds with his usual image, his V-line just visible as he leaned in and pressed her.

"I'm only your model. Your husband shouldn't mind, right?"

Su Cen's face was full of question marks.

"First, I don't have a husband."

"Second, put your clothes back on. I'm not painting that kind of picture book."

Theme: Grow through the nourishment of the land.