Twenty-Five Frames of Heartbeats

[Sweet and compliant on the surface, unruly underneath × Cocky, scheming man who wins himself over]

[Marriage first, love later | One-on-one romance | Happy ending]

*

To escape the Ji family, Ji Yu agrees to marry Lu Shishang, the only son of the Lu family.

Her one condition is that he must not interfere with anything she does.

After they marry, one keeps a completely inverted schedule while the other goes to work on time. They only see each other at dinner, like two roommates who barely know each other.

One day, Ji Yu tells a friend, "I think my marriage partner likes me."

"What makes you say that?"

"He comes home for dinner on time every night to eat the food I make, and he always tells me where he is."

Her friend asks, "Why do you have dinner with him every day?"

Ji Yu replies, "I can't finish it all by myself. If he wants some, I can't exactly refuse. It's just an extra pair of chopsticks."

Meanwhile, Lu Shishang finishes a glass of wine and says to the person beside him, "Ji Yu likes me."

"No way."

"Then why does she say things that make my heart ache?"

"...You can't tell she's doing it on purpose?"

Lu Shishang gives him a sidelong glance. "Why doesn't she say those things to you, then?"

"..."

*

Ji Yu has always thought Lu Shishang likes her sweet and obedient, never realizing that she's long since shattered that image.

The first time she visits the Lu family, Ji Yu is a gentle, ladylike beauty, frail enough to topple in the breeze. That night, Lu Shishang sees her walk into a bar and chat easily with the bartender.

She puts food she doesn't like in front of him, claiming it's good for his skin. She won't let him touch the food he likes, saying it's full of additives.

After they bicker, she brings him a cup of coffee. He thinks she's trying to make up, but the coffee is so hot he can't speak.

Ji Yu: "..."

Lu Shishang is still listing her crimes one by one. "What kind of frail beauty stays up all night and wears a miniskirt to eat ice cream in below-freezing weather?"

Ji Yu leans close and kisses his lips. "But you fell for me first, didn't you?"

"Wait." Lu Shishang's eyes are full of desire, but he still pushes her away. "Wasn't it you who fell for me first?"

Upcoming novel: "Glass Snow Mountain"

Slow-witted heroine VS a hero who fights for everything

1.

Wen Qingyue has a secret no one knows: she likes her stepbrother, Si Yizhou, even though they have different fathers and mothers, and she knows this is a hopeless crush.

Meeting Lu Chiyu is an accident. He's a friend of Si Yizhou's.

At their first meeting, he sits in the middle of a booth, his face obscured by dim lighting, long fingers playing with a lighter.

Wen Qingyue feels completely out of place. She struggles against the choking smell of smoke, hoping Si Yizhou, who's outside taking a call, will come back soon.

As she stands there helplessly, a low, casual voice says, "Put out the cigarette."

The person smoking beside her glances at Wen Qingyue and apologizes with an ingratiating smile.

2.

On the day Wen Qingyue decides to give up on Si Yizhou, she goes alone to the snowy mountains to clear her head.

Only after getting off the plane does she see Si Yizhou's message. He says he's worried about her safety and has arranged for someone to look after her.

Standing at the arrival gate, Wen Qingyue doesn't see the person who was supposed to meet her. But in the crowd, she spots a familiar, tall, upright figure at a glance.

Before she can wonder why Lu Chiyu is here, he walks straight toward her as she stares in astonishment and takes her suitcase.

"Why is it you?"

Later, the world outside is buried in snow and ice, while the alcohol inside makes her cheeks burn.

One reckless night.

3.

Their friends are all shocked when they hear that Lu Chiyu will bring his girlfriend. Si Yizhou doesn't care at first, but when he sees who's holding Lu Chiyu's hand, his glass slips from his fingers and shatters on the floor.

That evening, outside Wen Qingyue's apartment, Si Yizhou apologizes again and again, begging her to forgive him, but gets no response.

Inside, Wen Qingyue is pinned in place, unable to speak. As she catches her breath, Lu Chiyu bites her earlobe and says hoarsely, "Tell him to get lost."

Theme: The world is a game for the brave