Sailing the North Sea

A shameless top x a hypocritical bottom. Happy ending.

At the freshman welcome banquet at Cambridge University, Zhang Yu meets Zhao Haibei for the first time.

A face carefully sculpted by God, haughty and cold, looking down on all creation.

Zhang Yu has already heard all about Zhao from his classmates: the brilliant literature student at King's College, and the only student allowed to walk on the grass.

He's also a legendary playboy, with twelve exes to date, men and women alike.

Facing such a famous figure, Zhang Yu cautiously holds out his hand and tries to make conversation. "Hello, senior. I've been meaning to read The Lord of the Rings..."

Zhao Haibei glances at him, his gaze as cold as ice.

"Sorry, we don't study children's literature."

At that moment, Zhang Yu swears to God that he will never say another word to Zhao Haibei for as long as he lives.

Four months later, he becomes Zhao Haibei's thirteenth ex.

Softly, the flute sings of parting.

Ten years pass in the blink of an eye.

My heart stirs only for you, by the River Cam.

Reader's guide:

1. Both leads are academically gifted. The top attends Cambridge, and the bottom attends Tsinghua.

2. First-person narration.

3. The top is a genuine playboy early on.

4. The top is morally rotten, and the bottom is much the same. Neither of them is a good person. Readers with high moral standards for protagonists should proceed with caution; this may pose a risk to your heart.

4. Readers who love melodrama, intense push-and-pull, and groveling-for-your-wife plots, come on in.

5. The early part of the novel takes place at Cambridge University. Real locations and academic arrangements are used for the sake of the plot. The characters and events are entirely fictional, so please don't read too much into them.

Preview of the next novel: The Fragrance of Red Silk

A commoner marrying for the fourth time x a prince marrying for the second time.

On the sixth day of the third month, a piece of big news spreads across Yaoshui County, Qingzhou: the shameless daughter of the Wei family, who run the barbershop in Tigerhide Alley, is back again!

She married a wealthy merchant at sixteen, tried to elope at eighteen, and when her husband died on the road to exile, she returned to her hometown barefoot and in chains. The townspeople whisper that surely the woman won't survive the spring.

But the next morning, when the barbershop opens, Wei Yinhong is sitting behind the counter in mourning clothes, her smile bright and clear.

"Would you like a shave, sir?"

For half a month, she sits behind the counter, surrounded by gossip and hecklers shouting outside the door.

With no customers coming in, Wei Yinhong can only stare at the restaurant across the river.

A man sits by the window in the restaurant, looking serious as he drinks alone. A fishing rod rests beside his seat.

Wei Yinhong thinks, People who fish have even more free time than barbers these days.

One day, when the hecklers' insults get too foul, the fisherman suddenly bursts out of the restaurant and kicks one of them flying.

He turns and walks into the shop, his voice as cold and heavy as his expression. "Madam, give me a shave."

Wei Yinhong: So fishermen can do that, too...

Later, he becomes a regular, and she gets used to tending to his face.

One day, while she's shaving him, a troop of armored soldiers suddenly rushes to the door and kneels in unison before the man.

"We pay our respects to Your Highness!"

Wei Yinhong's hand holding the razor trembles. What other secrets are you hiding from me?

Bonus scene:

Yinhong: I've been married four times.

The prince: I've been married twice. We're even.

Yinhong: There's someone in my heart.

The prince: From now on, it'll be me.

Yinhong: I'm bad luck for husbands.

The prince: ...

Reader's guide:

* A down-to-earth heroine who knows how to make money x a prince who's always on the verge of losing his temper

* The heroine has a complicated romantic history and has been married multiple times. Please proceed with caution if that's a problem for you.

Theme: What doesn't kill me will only make me stronger

Theme: Love is a superstition born of perfect timing and circumstance