I See Spring Coming

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1.

Everyone in the capital's elite circles knew that Miss Shen was a proud, dazzling wild rose.

Beneath Chu Xinji's gentle yet stern exterior lay a talent for ruthless action. He was a respected figure in the business world.

The two families had been close for years. Shen Yuezhuo had once regarded him as a moon hanging high in the sky, while his gaze had always been distant and indifferent. She didn't dare overstep and had always kept a clear boundary between them.

It wasn't until their elders went to great lengths to match her with the second young master of the Chu family, Chu Qingze, and she learned that their arranged marriage was inevitable, that she finally worked up the courage to test the waters.

She tried every trick in the book to cling to him, but Chu Xinji's face was as cold as frost. "If you want to play this childish game, let Chu Qingze play with you. Me? You've got the wrong person."

2.

Shen Yuezhuo wasn't discouraged. Using calligraphy lessons as an excuse, she pushed her luck and moved into a separate residence on the Chu estate.

When the elders happily brought up her marriage to Chu Qingze, Shen Yuezhuo's palm grew damp with sweat. Nervous, she accidentally brushed her pale calf against Chu Xinji's cool suit trousers.

Their eyes met. Chu Xinji's gaze turned dark, and he cut in coldly, "Yuezhuo is still young. There's no hurry."

No matter how hard Shen Yuezhuo tried, she couldn't pry open his heart.

She quietly distanced herself from him. When the subject came up with a friend, she pretended to disdain him.

"A hypocritical, cunning old fox? No, no. What you see is what you get with him. He's genuinely pretty boring."

When she looked up, the man stood there with his suit draped over his arm, looking travel-worn. His profile seemed gloomy and cold amid the glittering, intoxicating lights.

"So I'm boring," he said, pausing. "Or did you just stop cherishing me once you'd caught me?"

3.

Chu Xinji had never imagined that one day she would cross that line.

He warned himself again and again, yet watched himself fall into the springtime, all while perfectly clear-headed. When he heard people say she and Chu Qingze made a good match, jealousy drove him nearly mad. He wanted to tear apart the calm facade with his own hands.

Later, he finally gave in, only to find himself at her engagement banquet with Chu Qingze.

On a sunny, peaceful morning, he did the craziest thing of his life with her.

With the marriage certificate beneath them, he gently brushed away the dampness at the corners of her eyes.

"Why are you trembling? If you don't like being kissed like this..." His large hand tightened slowly around her waist. He deliberately bit her earlobe, his voice husky. "Then why did you come after me in the first place?"

-- The seasons have no color, until I met you and discovered spring.

Content warnings:

1. Both leads are each other's firsts. Seven-year age gap.

2. Mild everyone-loves-the-heroine vibes and a rivalry-filled love triangle. Please note: there are many romantic rivals, and several excellent male side characters like the heroine. She has some everyone-loves-her qualities, so please be sure you're okay with that before reading.

3. The heroine has a career storyline. See the author's notes in the main text for detailed content warnings.

Theme: The seasons have no color, until I met you and discovered spring.