Disorder

[Main story complete] Mostly set at school / Secret crush from the male lead / Healing / Coming of age

Arrogant, free-spirited boy x gentle, thoughtful girl

"It's a shame I fell for you, and let our friendship slowly fall out of order."

-

While chatting about gossip with a friend at a cafe, the first question they drew was: "Who had the biggest influence on you in high school?"

Shi Yumu paused. A name she hadn't dared mention in a long time surfaced in her mind. "Chen Xufu."

The second question was: "Who's your closest guy friend?"

Shi Yumu gave the same answer: "Chen Xufu."

Her friend looked delighted by the gossip and pushed the third question toward her: "Have you ever liked him?"

"..." Shi Yumu closed her eyes and, as if surrendering, gave the answer she'd never dared admit. "Yes."

Everyone started teasing her. But they hadn't expected the waiter, who had been eavesdropping nearby, to be even more excited than they were.

He ran to a private room at the far end of the courtyard and called out softly, "Boss! The girl by the floor-to-ceiling window likes someone with the same name as you!"

"Does she?" The boy lounging on the sofa with a book spoke lazily, unconcerned.

"She's the one in the white shirt, with a ponytail, who's so poised and confident."

Seeing that the boy still wasn't taking it seriously, the waiter tapped him and said bluntly,

"Come on, it's the girl you've liked for eight years!"

The page he'd been turning stopped in midair. Chen Xufu looked up, gazing toward the faint glimpse of a figure in white.

He looked away, a smile hidden behind his gently pressed lips.

-

The feelings left unspoken in youth had been sealed away, only to be rekindled by chance.

When the warmest ray of winter sunlight shone into the room, Shi Yumu received a gift from eight years ago.

It was a crudely made animation.

Yet it carefully captured the boy's sincere, restrained secret love for the girl.

Heartache, warmth, courage, regret... all intertwined.

Even more astonishing,

the story of that person overlapped with her own past.

-

Shi Yumu didn't know

that the bold, carefree boy had also been carefully hiding his secret crush.

She didn't know, either,

how hard he had to work to resist the urge to take her hand every time he looked at her.

"Trying to write a beautiful, idealized story."

Blurb for the next book, A Long Road Home:

Rich young lady x old-fashioned man

Relentless flirting x restrained, secretly thrilled

Living together | Rugged man | Small town | Tension | Love triangle

-

As the only girl in the Cheng family, Cheng Jiushu had been spoiled since childhood. She could have anything she wanted just by reaching for it, and one admirer after another fell for her. She had hardly ever suffered a setback.

But then everything changed. The Cheng family went bankrupt, and she was forced to move more than two thousand kilometers away from home.

The place was remote and modest, no one there to take care of her daily needs, and there was an incredibly dull man.

On the first night, she walked around the courtyard wrapped in a bath towel. His gaze didn't linger on her for even a moment. Without changing his expression, he went back to his room.

The next day, she accidentally exposed herself. He said nothing, simply tossing her his jacket with one hand.

Perhaps he was too pure and chaste. Cheng Jiushu started wondering if he had some kind of problem.

Then came that chilly day, with torrential rain outside the window. His gaze was sharp as he lowered his voice by her ear. "You asked for this."

-

In a place where he'd always felt at home, Cheng Jiushu was the most difficult person Lu Chi had ever dealt with.

Her family might have fallen from grace, but she hadn't toned down her princess temper at all. She lived in his house, used his things, and complained about everything.

"The bed's too hard. I need a mattress."

"I'm tired of eating dry steamed buns. I want rice."

"The cabinets and sofa are too shabby. They have to be replaced."

He couldn't stand people like her, yet he went along with her wishes, buying her a new bed and new furniture, and turning a place that had stayed the same for decades into somewhere she would like.

But the little princess still wasn't satisfied. After having her way with his home, she set her sights on him.

That day, she looked at him with unusual intensity, rested her hand on his leg, and said seriously, "Stop looking so stern all the time. Smile at me more."

He'd always had excellent self-control. He let her get close without reacting.

Until she laughed brightly and whispered by his ear, "Your ears are so red."

-

Theme: Be brave and go after what you want.