Age gap / Intense push and pull / A groveling pursuit after a breakup
A radiant, proud young woman x a powerful man, proper on the surface and secretly unhinged
Zhou Mu first met Mu Liangchao two years ago.
Her father described him as the ruthless head of the Mu family, a man with a terrifying presence. Then, one day, beneath a tree, the lofty man bent down and calmly caught a startled kitten darting about.
Zhou Mu stared, stunned. Her father had never mentioned that he was so handsome.
Trouble struck her family just before the college entrance exams, and she went to stay with the Mu family. She stayed for two years.
-
At a banquet, the guests teased Zhou Mu about finding her a suitable match. She instinctively looked toward the seat of honor. Mu Liangchao sat there, elegant and composed, as if he couldn't hear the laughter around the table.
Someone joked, "As an elder, Mr. Mu should help look out for a good match for Mu Mu, too."
He replied calmly, "She should follow her own heart."
A pang of sadness struck Zhou Mu. She deliberately raised her voice. "In any case, I don't want someone old and controlling."
The whole room burst into laughter. Mu Liangchao lowered his eyes and sipped his wine without replying.
The next day, his assistant asked, "Should we stop Miss Zhou from going on a date?"
Mu Liangchao said, "Look into him."
"What if Miss Zhou really likes him?"
Mu Liangchao stopped writing. His voice was mild. "Then make him someone she can't like."
When he heard that Zhou Mu had secretly gone on a trip, gotten into trouble, and become trapped deep in the mountains, Mu Liangchao mobilized the entire city and searched through wind and rain to find her.
Zhou Mu expected to be scolded, so she obediently curled up in his arms. But Mu Liangchao said nothing, holding her so tightly she could barely move. On the cramped little bed, she whispered, "I know I was wrong."
Mu Liangchao looked down at her. "Then take your hand off the old, controlling man."
She didn't move, just rubbed against his chest. "...Then you let go first."
-
Later, Zhou Mu moved far away to Hong Kong Island. Mu Liangchao didn't stop her.
Not until he heard that his girl had someone by her side.
They met again at Victoria Harbour. Zhou Mu wore a sharp trench coat, her expression indifferent. "Mr. Mu, I'm very busy now."
Mu Liangchao stepped toward her. She immediately retreated half a step. "Also, I don't have dinner with men I don't know."
He stopped there and didn't move closer. His eyes churned with dark emotion as he forced out the faintest smile. "Don't know me? In what way? We know each other in bed."
Reading guide:
1. Ten-year age gap. The heroine lives with the hero's family, but they are not on the same household register. The romance begins after she becomes an adult.
2. Both leads are virgins. Happy ending. An angsty, push-and-pull romance between adults, bittersweet and sweet.
3. The hero is utterly devoted to the heroine, in both body and heart. Calm on the surface, but deeply possessive.
Theme: Love bravely.
