When the Snow in Beijing Melts

[Cool, aloof college student x spoiled young heir, both virgins, one-on-one romance, four-year age gap, the powerful one bows his head]

I truly met Meng Tingli at a party my boyfriend had arranged.

Jian Yi had drunk too much and stepped outside for some air when she heard her boyfriend talking about her to someone else: "She's pretty hard to handle, sure. But it's fine. Spend a little more money, and give it time. She'll learn to obey."

When she turned around, she met a pair of eyes regarding her with interest.

Jian Yi had heard about him: the most outrageous young heir in Beijing's social circles. Cross him, and you'd regret it.

She knew her place and stepped aside to let him pass.

Unexpectedly, he spoke.

"You'd settle for someone like that?"

Later, after Jian Yi met her ex-boyfriend once, Meng Tingli pinned her hard against a door. His arm around her waist was strong enough to crush her.

She tried to break free.

He bit her earlobe and warned her in a low, intensely possessive voice: "There won't be a next time."

Meng Tingli used to be notorious for causing trouble. His reputation had only improved a little over the past two years.

But he had never been a patient man, and his attitude toward women remained the same: they were trouble, best avoided whenever possible.

A few close friends teased him: "Don't keep calling women trouble. You'll end up falling for one and won't even know what hit you."

Meng Tingli stubbed out his cigarette and scoffed. "If that day comes, I'll take your surname."

Until Jian Yi appeared.

Meng Tingli spoiled Jian Yi without limit, but to outsiders, Young Master Meng was only acting on a whim. He'd get bored sooner or later.

No one expected Jian Yi to be the first to ask for a breakup.

Furious, Meng Tingli punched the wall in front of her and called her "an ungrateful wretch who can't be tamed."

Jian Yi lowered her eyes, her face expressionless, until he shouted, "If you leave, don't come back!"

She didn't even look back.

A year later, in a dim, damp stairwell, Jian Yi saw that familiar figure again. The usually lofty Young Master Meng looked almost dejected.

After a moment's surprise, she was trapped in a corner, his lingering, entangling kisses falling upon her until she could barely breathe.

She glared at him angrily. "We already broke up!"

"But I regret it." Meng Tingli softened his stance and coaxed her. "From now on, I'll do whatever you say. All right?"

Jian Yi continued glaring at him. "Let go!"

But the hand at her waist didn't loosen. It grew even more brazen.

Watching her tremble, Meng Tingli chuckled. "Your body is a lot more honest than you are."

---- Upcoming novel: Summer Weightlessness. Please add it to your favorites! ----

[Both virgins, one-on-one romance, Beijing social circles, four-year age gap, possessive pursuit]

Song Li first met Zhou Yansi in a private lounge after an auction.

The tall, elegant man stood beside the event organizer's boss, who was raising a glass to flatter him.

Song Li had heard about him: he had sent his own maternal uncle to prison.

Knowing how ruthless he was beneath that noble exterior, Song Li tried to look away, but the man turned his gaze toward her.

Because of her mother's romantic scandals, Song Li had learned from childhood to protect herself and stay out of trouble.

She never thought she'd get involved with Zhou Yansi, so when they were together, her mind often wandered.

But a man accustomed to wielding power wasn't going to be deterred by such resistance. The moment her heart strayed, he always found a way to force her attention back.

"That's a bad habit. You need to work on it."

When Zhou Yansi first met Song Li, he could tell she was obedient and followed the rules.

Someone warned him, "Don't just look at her face. You might get yourself into a mess."

Zhou Yansi didn't care. He never pretended to be a gentleman, and his methods were hardly aboveboard. He simply said, "It doesn't matter."

But he underestimated the little sparrow. When she finally confronted him coldly, she said, "Even a fling has a time limit."

Zhou Yansi lowered his eyes and toyed with the silver lighter on the coffee table. With a sharp click, the flame licked the corner of the contract she had painstakingly negotiated.

"Li, go ahead and try. Let's see how far you can get without my permission."

Later, Song Li still left. Someone joked, "Like mother, like daughter. At least you had your fun, so it wasn't a loss."

No one expected the taciturn Zhou Yansi to fly into a rage and throw a punch right there.

Only then did people realize that some women had already found a place in his heart.

After returning to a small southern city, Song Li lived her life according to plan.

Then a friend found a suitable marriage prospect for her, and wedding arrangements got underway.

She thought her life was finally settling down.

Unexpectedly, on the day she tried on wedding dresses, the moment the fitting-room curtain opened, her boyfriend was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood the man she hadn't seen in a long time.

Before she could react, Zhou Yansi had already walked up the steps.

Something cold touched her fingertip: a diamond ring, exactly the right size. The man lowered his eyes and kissed her forehead.

"Li, you can only marry me."

Theme: Self-reliance is the key to everything