The Snow of Old Beijing

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Possessive pursuit / powerful man humbled / uncle steals his nephew's girlfriend

Gentle, resilient reporter x calculating power broker

At seventeen, on a night of the first snowfall, Bao Xue first met Gu Yanzhou in the grand and imposing Gu residence.

That day, Bao Xue went with her parents to the Gu family for a banquet. Midway through, she wandered off and accidentally entered a strange room. Behind an antique gauze screen, she could just make out the figure of a young, muscular man.

Thinking it was Gu Jingci, her childhood friend, Bao Xue paused and curiously studied him for a few moments.

Only when the man pulled the screen aside and poked his head out to look at her did she come to her senses and flee in a panic.

In her confusion, she did not get a good look at his face, nor did she notice the amused gaze following her.

-

Two years later, Bao Xue met Gu Yanzhou again at a lavish banquet attended by the city's elite.

By then, he was a rising business tycoon in Shanghai, while Bao Xue had become his nephew Gu Jingci's girlfriend.

Amid the elegant clothes and clinking glasses, Gu Jingci brought her over to Gu Yanzhou and introduced them. "Bao Xue, this is my uncle."

Bao Xue's eyes curved as she smiled sweetly. "Hello, Uncle Gu."

The man raised an eyebrow, then nodded to her with impeccable courtesy and a warm, polished smile. "A pleasure."

The three of them chatted happily, a picture of harmony.

No one knew that in the depths of a dark, deserted corridor, Gu Yanzhou was closing in on Bao Xue until she had nowhere left to retreat.

His cool, subtle fragrance drifted to her nose. His deep voice was profoundly seductive. "Bao Xue, break up with him. Be with me."

Thinking he had gone mad, Bao Xue only said, "Please behave yourself," before fleeing in a panic.

-

Later, the Bao family fell into trouble, and their once-glamorous daughter was suddenly brought low.

Gu Jingci was no longer as tender and considerate toward her as he had been. He gradually lost patience and began to stray.

The day she made up her mind to break up with Gu Jingci, Bao Xue gritted her teeth and made a cruel remark. Tears poured down her face, turning to frost at the corners of her eyes in the wind.

She wiped her tears in misery, then turned and crashed into a warm embrace.

Gu Yanzhou had appeared without her noticing. He wiped away the tear beneath her eye, drew her into his arms, and gently stroked her slender back with his palm.

"I told you this day would come sooner or later."

"Do you believe me now?"

[Little Scene]

In early spring, sunlight slanted down through the lush plants in the Gu residence. Two shadows overlapped on the wall.

Bao Xue eyed the person opposite her warily and snapped, "Mr. Gu, please behave yourself."

Gu Yanzhou smiled, deliberately reminding her, "A few years ago, wasn't there a little girl hiding behind a screen in one of the rooms at the Gu residence, watching me change?"

"Has our little Xue forgotten so quickly?"

Vague memories surfaced, and Bao Xue's face turned bright red.

"I... I thought it was Gu Jingci."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Gu. I was out of line."

He kept smiling. "I don't mind."

"Little Xue, why not go a little further?"

*

Snow melts into night, and you melt into me.

Tips:

1. Seven-year age gap / both leads are virgins / heroine has an ex, hero is chaste in both body and heart

2. The hero is dark, sickly, and unhinged. He gets put through the emotional wringer, but the heroine does not

3. The heroine's family falls on hard times because they are framed by a villain. They will rise again later

4. No romance is depicted for any characters before they are adults. The male lead and the male supporting character are not biological uncle and nephew

Here is the blurb for my next novel, Neon Nights.

Rekindled love / not-quite-siblings / foster care / a love born of hatred

When she was young, Zeng Ni was sent to live with the Shen family as a foster child. To please the elders, she always acted clever and well-behaved, staying quietly within the rules.

She never imagined that one day she would become so deeply entangled with Shen Yanqing, her nominal older brother.

Shen Yanqing was the Shen family's only son and the sole heir to the Shen Group. He grew up adored by all and never took anyone else seriously.

Falling for Shen Yanqing was an accident, yet also seemed like a fate she could neither escape nor resist. Though she knew their relationship was doomed, she still loved him deeply, clear-eyed as she sank ever deeper.

Later, the elders learned about their relationship and flew into a rage.

Shen Yanqing's parents had already arranged a marriage for him. After several discussions, they decided to send Zeng Ni abroad and cut off all contact between them for good.

When Shen Yanqing heard, he did not fight back as fiercely as they had expected. Instead, he remained remarkably calm and said lightly, "I have no objection."

"Send her away, the farther the better."

Seeing the indifference and coldness in his eyes, Zeng Ni came to her senses at last. She only said, "Brother, I hate you," then disappeared without a trace the next day, never to be heard from again.

-

Years later, they met again in the capital.

At the banquet, Zeng Ni had someone else by her side, and the wedding ring on her left hand sparkled brilliantly.

As Shen Yanqing passed her, he smiled, though his eyes were unusually dark. "Getting married? Congratulations."

Zeng Ni walked past him without so much as a glance.

In an empty workroom backstage, with the doors and windows shut, he trapped Zeng Ni in a narrow corner. She could only passively endure his nearly frenzied kisses.

At last he stopped. Swallowing the bitterness in his throat, he asked in a deep voice,

"What makes you think I didn't try back then?"

Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Shen Yanqing bent down, anguished yet relieved. "Hate me, Xiao Ni."

"Being hated by you is still better than being strangers."

-

Tips:

1. The leads are unrelated and are not registered under the same household

2. There is no intimate contact between them while they are minors

3. Both leads are virgins. The hero was forced to let go back then, and there was a misunderstanding. He loves her intensely. The heroine is innocent and kind at first, then grows clear-headed and independent

Theme: Prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony