A Rose Hidden in the Heart

On the first day back in the country, Rong Xing received a request from the woman she called her older sister: to look after her heartbroken daughter, Lin Yige.

Rong Xing was taken aback, then readily agreed, delighted at the prospect of watching the drama unfold.

They were a generation apart on paper, but close in age. She and Lin Yige had never been particularly close, so Rong Xing wasn't about to miss such a fine chance to enjoy the spectacle.

Lin Yige was gentle and quiet, well-mannered, and from a family of scholars. After they reunited, however, she was the one who looked after Rong Xing more often.

That night, Rong Xing held a slim cigarette between her lips. Through the drifting smoke, she toyed with her lighter and gave Lin Yige a half-smile. Her tone was flippant. "The old man set me up on a blind date. Do me a favor and ruin it."

Lin Yige: "Ruin it???"

Rong Xing flicked away the ash, her voice nonchalant. "Easy. Pretend you're my girlfriend."

Once it happened the first time, there was a second time, then a third, and so on.

Lin Yige found it baffling and mentioned it to a friend during a chat.

The friend glanced around, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "She wants to make a move on you."

Lin Yige: "???"

Theme: After weathering countless storms, the years leave no stain