A Gentle Encounter with the Sun

Nan Jia had just finished the college entrance exam, which had put her through the wringer. As they had agreed before the exam, she was supposed to go on a trip with her childhood friend. But then she found out her friend was dating someone.

And so a trip for two turned into a trip for three...

The really awkward part was that Nan Jia seemed to be the one who didn't belong!

Watching the two of them walk ahead, all lovey-dovey, Nan Jia couldn't bear to look.

Having been single for all eighteen years of her life, she just couldn't understand how her friend and her boyfriend could be so clingy. Didn't they get sick of each other?

Finally, she found an opportunity to ask what had been on her mind.

Nan Jia: "Aren't you hot, being all over your boyfriend every day? It's summer! It's over thirty degrees! Doesn't it get hot holding hands and linking arms all the time?"

Her friend replied breezily, "Nope."

...I don't remember you being this heat-resistant when you were with me.

Nan Jia: "And how do you have that much to talk about all day?"

Her friend shot her a glance. "You don't understand the fun of being a couple."

So having a boyfriend makes you so special now?

Nan Jia teased her. "Speaking of fun, how far have you gotten? Have you kissed?"

Her friend nodded. For some reason, Nan Jia got excited. "I've always been so curious. How do you kiss? What does it feel like? Doesn't it feel gross? And how did you fall for your boyfriend? How did you know you liked him?"

Her friend replied, "You'll know when you meet someone."

At the time, Nan Jia had no idea she would meet that person a month later.

Nan Jia's meeting with Xu Shen was straight out of a romance drama.

There were lots of new students arriving for freshman orientation. As Nan Jia walked along, she tripped. Just as she thought she was about to eat dirt on her first day of school, Xu Shen quickly grabbed her and pulled her back. Nan Jia looked up and saw Xu Shen, bathed in the soft light of the sun.

"Are you okay, student?" His clear, gentle voice reached Nan Jia's ears, like a stream flowing through her heart.

Her irritation from the blazing sun instantly faded.

All that remained was her heart pounding away.

This was what they called a flutter of the heart.

The Pursuit of Xu Shen: A Little Scene

As soon as Nan Jia entered the kitchen, she saw Xu Shen wearing a blue apron and frying fish. With practiced ease, he placed the marinated fish in the pan. To make things easier, he had pushed his sleeves halfway up to his elbows. His veins stood out as he worked, while the rising steam made his long-fingered hands appear and disappear from view.

No wonder people say there's nothing more attractive than someone focused on their work. Xu Shen's looks were a little at odds with his personality. His features were rather sharp, and when he didn't speak, he had a cool, distant air about him. Yet his personality was gentle and easygoing. Those traits seemed contradictory, but somehow they didn't feel out of place together.

Just like now: he was doing something completely ordinary, but to Nan Jia, there was somehow a sense that he was "for admiration from afar, not for intimate approach." It was as if he were a painting, simply standing there.

Xu Shen was about to reach for the pot lid when he noticed it behind Nan Jia, who had come in without him noticing. "Jiajia, when did you come in?"

"Ahem, just now." The beauty had suddenly spoken, and Nan Jia, who had been lost in his good looks, snapped back to reality.

Xu Shen took in her expression, the corner of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly. "Could you pass me the pot lid behind you?"

Seeing the corner of Xu Shen's mouth curl upward, Nan Jia immediately realized he was laughing at her. After all, she had been mooning over Xu Shen for ages.

"No." Having been caught gawking at him, Nan Jia was embarrassed and annoyed, so she gave up pretending. With a hint of teasing, she said, "Why don't you say it like this: 'Sweetie, could you pass me that pot lid?' Then I'll get it for you."

Xu Shen curved his lips. "Oh, is that so? Then, sweetie, could you pass me that pot lid?"

Gentle, thoughtful, reserved male lead & straightforward, sunny female lead

Female pursues male

A lighthearted, sweet romance from start to finish

--- June 5, 2024

Theme: Be brave