A Burning Kiss in the Cold Winter

★ My next novel will be the pre-release in my collection, My Favorite Postgraduate Exam Creator Turns Out to Be My Ex. The blurb is at the bottom. Add it to your collection if you're interested! ★

▲ Classically elegant, aloof beauty with a hidden edge x deeply devoted romantic who says one thing and does another

▲ Heir to a traditional Chinese medicine legacy x medical industry big shot

At twenty-five, Xie Kuandong returned to China. To ensure she could inherit the family business, she chose her former high school deskmate, Yan Tinghan, as her marriage partner.

Once a favored son of heaven, now a big shot in the medical world. He couldn't be more suitable.

At a Jiangcheng society gala, the air was filled with perfume and fine clothes, and guests clinked glasses as they mingled.

Xie Kuandong slowly lifted her skirt and headed straight for her "prey." Before she could make a move, her former deskmate confronted her for the first time in seven years.

The man crossed his long legs, his well-defined fingers gently swirling the wine in his glass. His eyes lowered slightly. "Xie Kuandong, you want to get married?"

Xie Kuandong paused. "Yes. I want to become the heir, and I have to get married."

"Then pick me. Don't go ruining anyone else's life," Yan Tinghan said, taunting her with ill intent.

To his surprise, a calm, gentle voice sounded in his ear. "All right."

Yan Tinghan froze.

And from the angle the man couldn't see, Xie Kuandong smiled as if she'd achieved her goal.

Later, a candid video suddenly went viral online.

In the video, a beauty wearing a blue-green qipao worked seamlessly with the man beside her to subdue a criminal attacking the public. One stepped forward and swiftly restrained him, while the other tapped him with two fingers, and the criminal immediately fell asleep.

Netizens exclaimed, "Wow, a fairy! A fairy who can do magic!"

Some curious users dug up her identity: the sixth-generation heir to the Xie family, a century-old traditional Chinese medicine clan.

Xie Kuandong was invited to appear on a talk show as a result.

At the end of the program, the camera zoomed in on a glimmer on her pale fingers, prompting speculation from viewers.

Xie Kuandong admitted frankly, "The man with me that day was my husband."

One day after their marriage, an exercise book covered in dust came to light.

A line she'd casually written in her youth, back when she was prone to melancholy, had two more lines added in a strong, vigorous hand.

"I don't really like this world."

"That's okay."

"I love you, and the whole world will love you too."

Kuandong: winter jasmine, sharp and slightly bitter in taste.

But someone had always found her sweet, just as she was.

Pre-release blurb:

[Silly, pure-hearted college student who keeps embarrassing herself in everyday life x tsundere creator who overthinks everything and talks himself into falling in love]

During her junior year, Shen Cha's father waved a hand and sent her off to prepare for graduate school entrance exams.

While studying, she found a hidden gem on a video site. Not only did the creator explain problems clearly and quickly, but his fingers were long and distinct as he wrote out formulas, and there was a mole at his wrist just like her ex-boyfriend's.

Shen Cha: Maybe that's just what all academic geniuses have in common?

Apart from his voice, which could have belonged to either a man or a woman, his username was rather unusual too: "Heartbroken by a Bad Girlfriend."

Everyone teased that the creator was definitely a handsome guy with a dramatic love story in his past.

Shen Cha pursed her lips in disdain.

Could he really be more handsome than her ex-husband?

But when the creator went a whole week without posting,

Shen Cha quickly spent all her saved-up coins on him.

"I just had a little porridge. Guess what kind? I've been missing you all week~"

"I just drank a bottle of medicine. Guess what kind? You're really important to me~"

At the video's annual awards ceremony, the creator known as Mr. Bad Romance was named "Best New Creator of the Year."

The organizers randomly invited one lucky fan to attend the awards ceremony.

As luck would have it, Shen Cha was that fan.

On the day of the ceremony, Shen Cha heard the host read out that familiar username and watched as... Xu Shi slowly walked onto the stage.

Shen Cha: ...

She slowly typed a question mark.

Can someone tell her why her favorite creator turned out to be her ex-boyfriend?

Fans who finally got to see Mr. Bad Romance's real face screamed:

Mr. Bad Romance is so handsome! (Drooling) Come break my heart, let me bear the pain!!!

New fans in the front row, take note! Mr. Bad Romance was the one who got dumped, not the one who dumped anyone else. (Wry smile.jpg)

What?! Even a guy that handsome can get dumped? Sob, sob. (Stunned face (^_^)? )

Oh my god, the woman who dumped him must be a real expert! She'd dump a guy that handsome? Sob, sob.

The so-called expert, Shen Cha, dared not speak up: ...

Can I get back the coins I spent on him?

In the end, Shen Cha got so angry that she was accepted into the graduate program at her dream university and got a spot with a brilliant, highly sought-after advisor.

She thought happily, "Finally, I can get away from my ex-boyfriend and start a new life!"

On the first day of the semester,

her advisor smiled warmly over his teacup. "Xiao Cha, you're the only girl in our research group. When I'm not around, your senior will take good care of you."

The door opened. Xu Shi stared intently at Shen Cha, smiling gently and considerately as he said, word by word,

"Don't worry, Professor. I'll take good care of my junior."

Shen Cha: ...

Stay away from me! (Horrified face)

This blurb was written on July 31, 2023, and a screenshot has been saved.

The inspiration for this story came from a teacher talking about the state of traditional Chinese medicine during class a month ago. That's when I got the idea for this story, haha.

Note: The heroine's name comes from a Chinese medicinal herb.

Important: The author is not a professional. Any specialist knowledge in this story is based on research or online searches. If anything is inaccurate, professionals are welcome to message me privately on Weibo with corrections.

Weibo: Linglonglu xox

Theme: Carry on the traditions of Chinese medicine