A White Winter

Cool and aloof investment mogul from the business world vs. sensitive, well-behaved novelist Thank you, my dears, for reading my story. You are welcome to find me on Weibo: @LemonSodaNoIce_. Wishing you all a happy life! My next book, Su Mian, is an extra-sweet marriage-first, love-later story. Please add it to your reading list! Lin Qian has never dared to look back on the year she was twenty-three. Whenever she thinks of it, her heart aches. Her best friend, who had treated her like family, was gone, and she was left all alone. Yet in that year, when she could barely go on, she met the love of her life. The snow that year in Dongcheng fell heavily. A woman dragging a suitcase struggled along the road. As a black car turned the corner, snow flew up beside it, and it came to a steady stop in front of her, like the grand opening of a show. The man in the back seat lowered the window. His cool gaze did not even turn toward her. "The roads are slippery in the snow. Let me give you a ride, miss." Someone deliberately made trouble for her at the job she depended on to make a living, and the narrow heel of her high heel got stuck in a crack in the ground. Her short skirt made it impossible to bend down. A warm, jade-like hand carefully steadied her shoe and helped her out of her predicament. When she lowered her head, she met a pair of eyes that were both familiar and strange. Her heartstrings trembled. The man left her with only one sentence: "Be careful next time." He gave the tender warmth he kept hidden to a strange woman he had met only once. When they met again, Qin Rongchuan was still the one to take the initiative. He used marriage as a pretext. Even though people said he was ruthless in his methods, she agreed without a second thought. Why had she acted so impulsively? She asked herself that often. Perhaps she wanted a home too badly. His expression was cool, while her heart surged. She kept reminding herself not to expect too much, but as they spent more time together, her heart began to change. At a gathering of friends, someone whose name she could not recall let something slip. Qin Rongchuan was being pestered into drinking and did not hear it, but every word landed squarely in Lin Qian's ears. That night, taking advantage of the alcohol, Lin Qian steeled herself and said it. "Why don't we cut our losses before it's too late?" "What do you mean, cut our losses? Tell me, Lin Qian." The man grabbed her hand and pressed her onto the bed. The crimson rising in his eyes was frightening. "Lin Qian, everyone else is eager to get close to me. You're the only one who keeps your distance. Do you hate me that much?" "Qianqian, are you saying you don't want me anymore...?" That night, in the end, he was drunk. Since becoming an adult, Lin Qian had never had a complete New Year celebration. Half lying on the sofa in a rather ungraceful pose, she was still somewhat dazed. Her slender hand fumbled its way up to Qin Rongchuan's neck, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. "Qin Rongchuan, I don't have a home. Nobody loves me." "This year, I'll take you shopping for clothes and take you to see the fireworks. I'll give you lucky money, and we'll have New Year's Eve dinner together. All right, Qianqian?" "Lin Qian, I'll give you a home. I love you." ----- Scene break ----- A tiny little bonus scene Snow had been falling outside the window nonstop since four in the afternoon. The bare ground was soon covered in snow, which kept piling up until, from a distance, it looked like a white quilt had been spread over everything. Lin Qian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window watching. A deep sense of loneliness welled up inside her, and she called Qin Rongchuan. "Qin Rongchuan." "Mm? What's wrong?" "It's snowing so hard in Dongcheng." "It hasn't snowed in Qingdao. Why don't you take a picture and show me?" "I don't want to." "That's fine, too. We'll watch it together when I get back." "Qin Rongchuan." "Hm?" "How can you not understand what I mean?" "Qianqian, I understand. I miss you, too." | Cool and aloof investment mogul from the business world vs. sensitive, well-behaved novelist | Gradually falling in love / mutual attraction / three-year age gap | Both leads are romantically inexperienced; marriage first, love later!!! ----- Scene break ----- (upcoming book) · Secret crush | Marriage first, love later | Three-year age gap · Cool, aloof heroine vs. scheming hero who plans several moves ahead Cheng Su had always been easygoing. From childhood to adulthood, she did what her family told her, including agreeing to an alliance through marriage with the Gu family. Shortly after she turned twenty-four, the elders on both sides began fussing and arranging everything. She had not wanted to refuse, but when her friends kept sending her gossip about her "fiance," she could practically feel her head growing several sizes. If she married him, wouldn't she have to deal with this mess every day? Love did not matter. The important thing was that she did not want to take on all the trouble. But the Gu family had considerable influence. Breaking off the engagement was hardly easy. At a gathering in their social circle, someone invited that big shot from the Zhou family. Cheng Su's best friend kept whispering about how powerful he was, describing him in glowing terms, but Cheng Su seemed indifferent and only cared whether she would lose at cards in the next round. At this point, she had no choice but to play her trump card. "Impressive. Just how impressive?" "Impressive enough to help you break off your engagement to the Gu family." Cheng Su's lowered eyes flickered. She considered it briefly, pushed out the cards in her hand, and won. Because of that promise, Cheng Su did something completely out of character and cornered Zhou Yuheng outside the restroom. "I would like to ask Mr. Zhou to help me end an engagement." "We don't know each other." The man refused without changing his expression. "You can name your terms." Cheng Su pressed on relentlessly. "Then marry me." This time, Cheng Su was the one left dumbfounded, frozen in place without daring to move. Fine. As long as they treated each other with respect after marriage, she did not mind changing partners. But this Mr. Zhou seemed a little too intent on maintaining their marital relationship. "Can I go back to my room to sleep tonight?" "No." "You still haven't paid me back for the pajamas you tore!" The man gave a wicked smile, his voice low as he leaned close to her ear. "I'll make it up to you for tonight, too." After they married. Cheng Su found a photograph in the study at home. It was from a long time ago, taken when she went to France at eighteen to compete in a piano competition. So the two of them had been connected ever since then. On the back of the photograph was a neatly written sentence: Onstage, you shine with dazzling brilliance. To me, everything else is absurd stillness. That night, I saw your radiant face through the light in your room. From now on, I hope we can spend every night together in peaceful sleep. Everything else is absurd stillness, and I miss you now. Fernando Pessoa, My Heart Came Too Late Theme: Together, we can make winter warm