A Wretched Spring

Powerful heir x beautiful, aloof, ambitious woman

[Four-year age gap / rekindled romance / hero goes mad for love / reunited from the very first chapter]

While still in college, impoverished Ni Ning'an had an unspeakable arrangement with Zhou Bingchu, Beicheng's most untouchable and unfeeling man, in exchange for a high-paying job.

In public, she was his interpreter.

In private, she was the pampered canary he kept.

She had known from the start how cold and indifferent Zhou Bingchu was, yet she was like a moth to a flame, falling for him without meaning to and sinking deeper by the day.

After they broke up, she took the generous check he offered without hesitation, thinking, "Only an idiot turns down money." She put on a docile face and promised to be sensible and know her place.

She even insisted that theirs had only ever been a "employer and applicant" relationship.

She agreed so quickly that she failed to notice the shadow that briefly crossed the check-writer's eyes.

A year later, Ni Ning'an, now studying abroad, took an assignment interpreting at a conference for an important guest.

The pay was generous. The dazzling string of digits made her overlook the familiar name on the guest list.

The day they met again, the man was as refined and icy as ever, his black shirt immaculate. Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was exactly as she remembered.

The only thing that surprised her was the ring on his pinky.

That night, Zhou Bingchu cornered her outside the hotel.

Staring into those deep eyes, Ni Ning'an finally snapped. "I've wanted to say this for ages. Zhou Bingchu, who do you think you are? You're always acting like you're above everyone else, with that awful attitude. You make me sick!"

As soon as she finished, the silver ring was pressed into her palm.

Its icy touch made her heart skip a beat.

Before she could speak, she heard a hoarse voice, belonging to the ring's owner:

"Keep insulting me. When you're done, we can have a proper talk."

Ni Ning'an stared at him in surprise. "Talk about what?"

A rare hint of discomposure appeared between the man's usually cool, aloof brows. His thin lips parted as he murmured, "I regret it."

"Miss Ni, this time, you can be the employer."

[A not-very-in-love but truly money-loving woman x a seemingly aloof power broker who's actually incredibly easy to win over]

Reading guide:

1. Both leads are virgins, happy ending.

2. A mountain of author-created details. The whole story is written for fun.

3. The hero gets the groveling-chase-your-wife plotline. The heroine is never mistreated. Expect swoony sweetness and satisfying payback.

Theme: Sincere love should never go unrewarded.