My Heart Yearns for You [Rekindled Romance]

● Retired soldier vs. radio host | Opens in a modern city

● Seven-year age gap | Rekindled romance | The wife he raised himself

The year Shu Yao first met He Xingzhi, she was a high school senior.

After going so long without a relative's care or affection, her small frame was thin as paper. Her wrinkled clothes had faded from countless washes, and her eyes were damp, as if she'd cried more times than she could count. She clutched a neatly folded, spotless farewell letter to her chest, timidly glancing around this unfamiliar place with the tip of her nose red. She was too afraid to move or make a sound.

In his military uniform, He Xingzhi crouched in front of her, his expression solemn. "From now on, I'll take good care of you in your brother's place."

Shu Yao was used to living at the mercy of others. Though He Xingzhi's stern presence terrified her, she still forced a fawning smile. "Thank you, big brother. I promise I'll behave."

Only late at night, when she was alone and hiding beneath the covers, did she dare let her strained smile fall. She would read the farewell letter her brother had left behind over and over, quietly crying.

He Xingzhi treated her well. He bought her pretty dresses, made sure she ate well at every meal, and hired a tutor to help her with her studies.

Shu Yao's life changed beyond recognition, but she was terribly anxious. He Xingzhi always looked so stern and unsmiling, and she was afraid that if she upset him by accident, he would throw her out. She began doing every chore she could manage, just to please him and show him she was well-behaved, so he wouldn't make her leave.

That was the first time He Xingzhi called her into his study.

Shu Yao's face went deathly pale, and her little hands twisted together nervously. She was afraid he was about to tell her to leave.

But the next moment, a warm hand gently rested on her head and stroked it with a tenderness utterly unlike him. "Shu Yao, if you really want to thank me, then study hard and give me your university acceptance letter."

Shu Yao stared at him in a daze. After a long moment, she timidly looked at He Xingzhi and murmured, "Okay."

It seemed he was... different from all the people her brother had asked to look after her before.

Later, He Xingzhi turned the cautious Shu Yao into a proud little minx.

Shu Yao was no longer afraid of him. When he put on a stern face and pretended to be fierce, she would go over and kiss the corner of his lips with a bright smile. He would instantly lose his temper, while Shu Yao was the one who got angry at the drop of a hat and was impossible to placate.

But that one time, He Xingzhi didn't indulge her.

Shu Yao didn't ask him to comfort her, either. She simply said, "If you leave, we're breaking up."

He Xingzhi still left.

Only afterward did Shu Yao realize she was pregnant.

P.S. "Shu Yao jiao xi, lao xin qiao xi" is from "Moonrise," in the Book of Songs, Chen Feng.

Meaning: "Her graceful figure, her light, nimble steps, leave me longing and troubled."

The heroine's name comes from this line.

Blurb written on February 7, 2024.

Theme: Choosing each other and growing together