The Illusion Painting

[Pride and Prejudice / A Misunderstanding That Turns Out to Be Delicious] Zong Cheng, born into a distinguished family, had no fondness for “Cinderella.” At times he found Zhuang Man shallow and foolish, yet over time he fell sweetly under her spell as she indulged and accommodated him. With an older brother who had married the richest man's daughter, it was only natural for people to suspect the younger sister also wanted to marry up. Zong Cheng thought Zhuang Man had feelings for him. A young man's first love struck suddenly and proved impossible to suppress. He accepted Zhuang Man's attentions, and even accepted that her love might be tainted by ulterior motives. As long as Zhuang Man truly loved him, he didn't mind lowering himself to be the high branch she could climb. In reality, Zhuang Man had never once thought of climbing up to him. It had all been a misunderstanding. All their sweet moments had been nothing but an illusion. He sealed away those memories under the words “deluded himself, utterly humiliating.” Zong Cheng also moved abroad. But for years afterward, whenever someone mentioned “first love,” Zong Cheng would remember a certain summer in Qinggang, and Zhuang Man, so closely bound to that summer. |Happy ending / He has a secret crush but keeps up a tough front |A story about getting hurt by your own wishful thinking, then becoming stubbornly defensive |Friendly reminder: The male lead grabbed the pen and wrote part of this synopsis himself. He's got a serious case of the bitter ex-boyfriend vibe, so don't take it all at face value. Theme: Life is a process of constantly correcting yourself.