The Sixth Summer Solstice

I'll update this story once I have some results. I had my fortune read, and apparently I'm not suited to writing school stories~

Bright, sunny, innocent high school girl x arrogant B-king from a fallen family

Chinese medicine practitioner x CEO

Reunited after a long separation / Mutual secret crush

A pandemic bankrupts the Ling Group, wiping out its billion-dollar fortune. During summer vacation, the seventeen-year-old boy is sent back to his hometown of Pingxiang by his father.

From the darling of heaven to a down-and-out boy, Ling Feng meets a girl named Yao Xiaoyu.

At first, neither of them pays any attention to the other.

Her first impression of him is that he's rebellious and unserious.

Yao Xiaoyu dislikes and resents boys with that kind of character. She wishes he would stay far away from her.

Yao Xiaoyu says, "Handsome guys usually have bad personalities."

Ling Feng says, "Good girls are so dull. They're no fun."

Until one night, the local bully corners Yao Xiaoyu on a country lane.

The boy leaps down from a tree and kicks her tormentor away.

It turns out she was wrong. She shouldn't have judged someone based on her preconceived notions.

Ling Feng's eyes are like whirlpools. With one hand in his pocket, he reaches out and gently brushes the hair from her cheek with his slender, pale fingertips. His voice rings like jade striking jade: "Be my sworn little sister. I'll protect you from now on!"

On a drizzly day, Yao Xiaoyu hurries into a dilapidated thatched hut to get out of the rain, only to meet Ling Feng's dark eyes, which seem to reflect her several times over.

On a whim, Yao Xiaoyu pulls a ballpoint pen from a plastic bag and doodles all over the boy's white shirt.

He doesn't get angry. Instead, he gets into it, even hoping the rain will last a little longer.

*

That night, countless stars gleam, and the moon's clear light falls over the boy's narrow shoulders.

Yao Xiaoyu looks up at his face. His brows are like distant mountains veiled in mist, and her heart pounds with each word she says: "You're not quite like the way people describe you."

Ling Feng steps closer, and the girl's body presses against the tree behind her.

The boy bends down and says playfully, "Which side of me do you like? Because of you, my life has become so different."

Just as the girl is about to die of embarrassment, the boy bursts into laughter. "I was only joking. Don't take it seriously."

*

It isn't until later that Ling Feng is forced to transfer schools because of Yao Xiaoyu.

After he leaves, Yao Xiaoyu sends him a total of 999 text messages.

But he never replies.

Six years later, they meet again.

The once rebellious troublemaker is now dressed in a suit, has revived his family's business, and risen to the upper class.

Yao Xiaoyu now has a boyfriend, though Ling Feng doesn't know that the two of them have never even held hands.

At a lavish banquet, they gaze at each other from across the room, now the most familiar of strangers.

Just then, a girl in a wine-red strapless dress links her arm with Ling Feng's.

She calls him "darling" in an intimate voice.

Perhaps youth is meant to be remembered. Once you miss your chance, it's gone for good.

Yao Xiaoyu has long since moved on. She gets up to go to the restroom.

But when she returns, Ling Feng blocks her in the corridor.

Ling Feng braces one hand against the wall. His smoky eyes are like water, hazy with drink, and his warm breath falls on her flushed cheeks.

"Aren't you going to ask why I never replied to your texts?"

"Xiaoyu." His voice is hoarse, his words broken.

One hand grips her slender wrist tightly, yet he says, "I still haven't paid you back for tutoring me."

"You don't know? It was because of you that I studied so hard!"

The light doesn't have to be very bright to keep you company through the night.

Let's get caught in the rain together, do silly things together, and witness each other grow!

#PureLoveWarriorDown#

Reading Notes

1. The early part of the story is set in a small town. There are no luxury cars, diamond rings, or glittering nightlife.

2. Both leads are virgins. The main characters are minors, and intimate romantic scenes only appear after they are adults.

3. The early pacing is slow. The ending will be whatever fits best; I haven't decided yet.

The background image for the cover was taken by me.

Posted on July 10, 2024. Screen-recorded.

Theme: Love can be simple and pure. It makes people incredibly strong.