Springtime Peaches

01 When Jiang Tao was sixteen, she ran away from home and met a boy at a bar. He was slender and tall, with a voice that was raw yet gentle, like a glimmer of light capable of illuminating a long, dark night. By the time she opened her eyes again, it was already morning. The boy took her home, cared for her attentively, and gave her a warm roof to shelter her from the rain and wind. She timidly hid her feelings, kept to her place as someone he'd taken in, and maintained the perfect distance from him. The day her dissolute older brother found her, the light of day seemed to die. In a daze, she forced herself to hold back her feelings and fled in the middle of the night. Even when he hurried to her, exhausted, she was heartbroken, yet shakily told him, "Don't come looking for me again." She refused to have anything more to do with him. But secretly, she opened a Peach Blossom Garden below his company building and covered the small attic, hidden from everyone's eyes, with poster after poster of him. 02 When Yu Li was eighteen, he was aloof and cold, with a face that could captivate everyone. His heavenly voice shone brightly onstage. Girls were wildly enthusiastic about him, but he never gave them a second glance. Then one morning, he took in a stray cat, white and soft as snow. The stray cat wagged her tail and purred for him, and loved trying out all kinds of fancy desserts on him. Her bright, sparkling eyes were full of anticipation as he tasted them, then narrowed slightly when he praised her. Those clear, captivating eyes seemed to steal one's soul. One look was enough to exert an irresistible pull, leaving a person unable to control themselves. In the blink of an eye, the stray cat came of age and left home without a word, without leaving a trace. Yu Li traveled a thousand miles to find his cat, only to be scratched all over by her claws. Yu Li comforted himself: Forget it. Stray cats don't grow attached to people. It's in her nature, and I can't force her. But in secret, he still refused to give up on every scrap of news about her. Through countless long nights, he gazed alone from his window at the tiny lights of the Peach Blossom Garden below. [Little scene] One day, Jiang Tao was exhausted and breathing faintly. Yu Li glanced at the woman beside him and gave her a dazzling smile. "The technical term for your state right now is weak qi, shortness of breath, and unsteady breathing. You know that?" ? Jiang Tao glared at him. "It's not like I'm you. People who train their voices are just different." "How could I ever compare to your natural talent?" Yu Li lowered his head and chuckled in her ear. "That glottal fry last night was pretty good, if you ask me." *Proud, sharp-tongued hero × sensitive, insecure heroine *At first: bar singer who captivates everyone × runaway home and bakery apprentice *Later: renowned singer-songwriter × bakery owner *Recommended song: Growing Up Under Ten Thousand Pounds *See the author's note in Chapter One for content warnings Theme: Her beauty is not her fault