The Grapes Are Silent [The Second Male Lead Takes the Crown]

[Complete. Bonus chapters have been updated.]

When Pu Tao lost her voice in a fire at the age of nine, the darkest period of her life was made brighter by young Shen Jun, who came to her window every day to cheer her up. She remembered his kindness and gave to him without ever regretting it.

Until one rainy night, when she heard Shen Jun complaining to a friend with her own ears.

"What's the point of being pretty? She's just a mute. If you like her, you can have her."

Pu Tao's heart went cold. She returned to her dorm and came down with a high fever.

When she woke up, she was in the hospital. To her surprise, a tall, stern figure was seated beside her bed: Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was Shen Jun's older brother and the current head of the Shen family. He was already a prominent figure in business before turning thirty. Pu Tao was intimidated by his imposing presence and never dared meet his eyes when she lived with the Shen family. She never imagined that this unsmiling man would one day hold an umbrella over her with one hand, while using the other to shape a comically adorable little snow duck and gently place it in her palm.

Only after Pu Tao disappeared from his life did Shen Jun belatedly realize his feelings for her.

Consumed by regret, he went to her home late at night with a bouquet of freesias, hoping to win her back.

He called her, but when she answered, there was no response, only sounds that left no doubt about what was going on.

Just a wall away, Pu Tao's skirt was rumpled and her cheeks flushed as the man held her in his arms with possessive intensity. Her snowy-white earlobe was rubbed red, and the kiss pressed to her lips was hot and burning.

Pu Tao's eyes were moist and her breathing unsteady. She could barely hold the phone in her hand.

The man's dark eyes watched her intently, his voice low and hoarse.

"Baby, why don't you tell him what we're doing?"

[The heroine's voice will be healed, and she will regain the ability to speak normally later in the story.]

[The second male lead takes the male lead's place. Both leads are inexperienced, with a happy ending. A melodramatic, angsty story of regret and redemption.]

--- Next up: When the Cherry Falls, a rivals-to-lovers story about a one-night stand ---

The day Zhuang Ying reached the point of desperation while revising her master's thesis, she steeled herself and took her friend's advice to find a handsome guy at a bar to "blow off some steam."

But after one chaotic night, she woke up beneath a thin blanket, her waist aching and her body covered in bite marks. The long-legged hunk beside her turned out to be her longtime rival, the notorious playboy Luo Shiyu.

Unwilling to face reality, Zhuang Ying jumped out of bed and ran. The next day, however, her rival cornered her in a secluded spot on campus.

The man narrowed his flirtatious eyes and said with a mocking smile, "Zhuang Ying, you sleep with me and then try to run? What kind of irresponsible person does that?"

Zhuang Ying: "..."

She said guiltily, "So what do you want?"

Her rival slapped a prenuptial agreement down in front of her, looking impatient. "Your family is pressuring you to get married, right? The old man keeps nagging me, too. Let's help each other out."

Zhuang Ying: "... Fine."

In Zhuang Ying's ideal version of a contract marriage, the couple would treat each other with mutual respect and leave each other alone at home. But on the very first day of their marriage, her rival strode into her bedroom hugging a pillow.

Zhuang Ying: What are you doing?

Him: You bit me for so long last time. Don't I get to bite you back?

Zhuang Ying: "..."

[Both leads are inexperienced, with a happy ending. Fake playboy x real top student.]

[Marriage-first, love-later. Rivals off the bed, all over each other in bed.]

Theme: Find a goal that suits you, rather than dwelling on a past you cannot change.