The Bird and Him

BAD ENDING!!! BAD ENDING!!! BAD ENDING!!!

At eighteen, the righteous hero Yu Chujin saved a gloomy boy who'd been cornered in an alley. From then on, the gears of fate began to turn...

The second time they met, Lu Jiu'an sought protection and willingly handed over ten yuan as a protection fee, earning the honor of becoming Yu Chujin's underling.

The third time...

*

Yu Chujin stared at the "A River of Blood" scrawled across her exam paper, half asleep as her homeroom teacher enthusiastically praised the top student in the class next door, Lu Jiu'an.

Yu Chujin: "The genius has been right beside me all along?!"

The top student enthusiastically offered to tutor her one-on-one. Yu Chujin, a hopeless student, replied, "I'll try it, and die trying!"

*

Lu Jiu'an had all the standard traits of a school romance hero: a gambling-addicted father, a mother who jumped to her death, a broken family, and a numb heart.

Robbed once again, he handed over his protection money without batting an eye, hoping to avoid a beating. But that time, things went wrong.

He was drawn to the vivid vitality of the person who'd saved his life. He knew he wasn't worthy, but he couldn't help being quietly jealous and imagining a possible future together.

It seemed, though, that all his good luck had been used up when he met Yu Chujin.

Looking at the diagnosis of terminal cancer, he gave a helpless smile and used the last of his strength to sever all ties with Yu Chujin.

*

Now that we've finished that angsty bad ending, let's have a little sweet romance (applause)!

Please welcome a love story that breaks in and robs you blind!

Our shop is proud to present the fizzy romance Sour Plum Soup, written by Wu Shan Yue.

Sheng Zhixia x Chen Wangbei

Sunny little ray of sunshine x poker-faced guy who secretly loves every second

The summer of her second year of high school, two new people joined Sheng Zhixia's household.

Her father pointed to a woman and told her, "This is Auntie Lin."

Then he pointed to the tall boy beside her. "And this is your brother."

Sheng Zhixia looked at her so-called "stepbrother," but all she could think of was the fight she'd seen him in the day before.

*

More than anything, Sheng Zhixia hated the "popular kids" at school.

And, of course, the most popular kid of all turned out to be her brother.

For the sake of a happier family life in the future, Sheng Zhixia decided to let bygones be bygones and get along with her "stepbrother."

Unfortunately, Chen Wangbei was like a hedgehog. He acted like a good boy at home, but as soon as he stepped outside, his true colors came out.

Sheng Zhixia decided to expose the real Chen Wangbei!

*

Chen Wangbei had only one memory of the past: violence.

On the Nth day of escaping from violence, his mother married again without hesitation.

In his new home, he hid in a dark corner, always on guard against another round of violence and abandonment.

He never expected the sunshine of his new home to kick open his closed heart, saying things like, "Study hard and improve every day," and, "Turn over a new leaf and become a better person."

From then on, the sun was no longer out of reach.

[Complete] I Found My Moonlight at the Farm by LAH

● Secret love turns mutual / Healing each other / The male lead has multiple secret identities

● Easygoing, food-averse heroine x steady, mature male god of her dreams

Luo Beixi's studies hit a wall, and the tremendous psychological pressure gave her an eating disorder. Hoping to unwind, she impulsively applied for a job at a farm and was hired as an animal caretaker. But when she arrived, she discovered the farm didn't need an animal caretaker like her at all.

Feeling dejected, she found out that Lu Nan, her moonlight and the farm manager, knew just as little about animal care as she did.

Luo Beixi: "What a relief."

After a failed startup left him furious, Lu Nan opened a farm. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about running one. He merely took the title of farm manager, divided the land into experimental plots, and spent his days relieving stress in the fields with the rental income.

He never expected someone who also needed to relieve stress to show up at his farm. They hit it off, spending their days admiring the moon and reflecting on life.

One night, beneath the enchanting moonlight, Lu Nan smiled and asked, "Do you like me?"

Luo Beixi smiled back. "What, am I not allowed to?"

While struggling with her poor appetite, Luo Beixi stumbled across a cooking blogger whose videos rekindled her long-lost appetite.

After watching another livestream as usual, Luo Beixi went to the kitchen looking for something to eat and spotted a familiar dish.

Luo Beixi exclaimed, "Are you Da Ju Loves Eating?"

Lu Nan, who was tidying things up, smiled at her. "I'm Beibei Loves Eating now."

Later, Lu Nan made a comeback and became President Lu, while Luo Beixi stood on a stage accepting an award for her academic research.

Love crosses mountains and seas, and always finds its way to those who cherish each other.

PS: The farm doesn't feature much in the story.

[Coming soon] Jasmine Cake by LAH

Wen Lai thought of herself as gentle, even a little timid. She was pretty and sweet-looking, but definitely no beauty. Yet Lu Yan sought her out anyway.

In a cafe beside the school, Wen Lai quietly studied the expensive pastries on her plate and asked the man across from her, "Why me?"

"I need a partner," the man replied gently, without a hint of feeling. "Someone who's not too assertive, not particularly intelligent, and won't cause me trouble. You're suitable."

Yes, it was simply because she was suitable.

Wen Lai smiled gently and signed the agreement in front of him, stroke by stroke.

It was only five years as a partner in name, after all. She'd get a marriage certificate and extra academic credits, President Lu would arrange a job for her after graduation, and she'd receive generous compensation from him. However she looked at it, it was a great deal.

*

To escape the endless cycle of blind dates, Lu Yan found himself a "partner."

At first, his "partner" was genuinely no trouble. She had meals with him regularly to build their relationship and never bothered him otherwise. She was so quiet that sometimes Lu Yan even forgot he had a partner.

Until he saw her being picked on by classmates without daring to fight back; struggling with her studies and squatting by the roadside to secretly wipe away tears; and, while all her classmates went on holiday, making milk tea at a shop...

Lu Yan broke their "don't interfere with each other" rule and shielded her behind him. "Was the money not enough, or did I not arrange enough bodyguards? Why should you have to go yell at anyone yourself? What kind of money could my partner possibly need to earn herself?"

Then he saw some kid from who-knows-where proposing to his partner with a bouquet of roses, an older student from who-knows-where tutoring her, and a younger student from who-knows-where pursuing her right into the milk tea shop...

Lu Yan could take it no longer. He pulled her to his side and declared his claim. "As my partner, you need to keep your distance from other men."

Wen Lai: "Oh." Overbearing CEOs and their outrageous possessiveness. Got it.

*

Later, after Wen Lai's new book came out and became a bestseller, Lu Yan finally realized she hadn't agreed to the arrangement for the money, and certainly not for love.

She simply needed to experience a world completely different from her usual life, and he happened to be able to provide that.

Later still, Wen Lai looked at the expired agreement, barged into Lu Yan's study, and slapped the papers down on his desk. "The agreement's over. When are we going to get our marriage certificate?"

Lu Yan put an arm around Wen Lai's waist and rubbed it with practiced ease. "Don't tease me, honey. Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"

Theme: Love life.