Tangerines and Oranges

Rekindled romance | Both leads' first love | Younger man | Obsessive, gloomy man in relentless pursuit

Eccentric little artist x gloomy old-money man

---Synopsis---

Wen Ju's guiding principle in life is to live as freely as possible within the small world she has drawn around herself. But her father's sudden appearance upends everything, bringing a crushing debt with him.

At this critical moment, Wen Ju gets in touch with her high school classmate and ex-boyfriend, Qi Chengli.

Unfortunately, an accident erased her memories of this ex-boyfriend and of her time at an elite school, and they have yet to return. But she has no choice: to deal with the huge mess her father left behind, she'll have to pretend they know each other well.

But Wen Ju isn't very good at socializing. Aside from quietly copying the recipes her boss gives her at a friend's cake shop, she spends the rest of her time freelancing. She's the sort of honest person who can't get a word out unless she's talking to someone she knows. Even when she gets the chance to meet him, she freezes up, and her clumsy tongue refuses to cooperate:

"Hello, I came to talk to y-you about m-my... Uh. Cough, cough, cough."

Her ex-boyfriend is very kind. He pushes a cup of tea toward Wen Ju and tells her to take her time, then listens to what she has to ask. But at the end, he leaves her with an ambiguous remark and a quiet laugh:

"So now you remember me."

He is shrouded in shadow, as if surrounded by an endless drizzle. The weight pressing down on him seems greater than that of all gloomy London.

Wen Ju doesn't expect anything, so she doesn't notice the man's unblinking gaze from within the shadows, watching her with ravenous intensity.

As if he won't be satisfied unless he gets that rain to fall on her someday, even if it kills him.

*

It turns out Qi Chengli not only helps Wen Ju with her urgent problem, but also agrees to model for her. Every gesture is gentle and patient, making him impossible not to approach.

That feeling must be a mistake, right? It must be.

So, from the small table where he treats her to dinner to the antique dining table in Qi Chengli's home, Wen Ju lets him lead her along in a daze, almost losing her ability to judge for herself.

But why, while she's sleeping in the guest room, does she keep dreaming late at night of a past that is intimate yet impossible to grasp?

And why, on the day she meets the blind date her mother arranged, does she keep feeling that someone is following her?

Most importantly, why does he know things she's only ever told her online friend, a high school girl at an elite school called [Sad Orange]... (Note: Because of her unhappy family life, she is rather sensitive and extreme in temperament and needs regular psychological counseling.)

Every clue leads back to Qi Chengli, and the sense that something is wrong becomes impossible to ignore.

Wen Ju's memories gradually return in the process: When they were young, Qi Chengli would bend over to clean her room. A pretty apron outlined his alluring waist, and his expression and demeanor showed nothing but willing devotion, as if supporting Wen Ju, a down-and-out artist, and taking care of her daily needs had become the greatest ambition of the century.

Noticing her gaze, the young man looked up and reassured her as if they shared a thought: "Don't worry, I won't look through your things."

His smile was as gentle as water, but his words made her hair stand on end. "Even if something accidentally fell and rolled right in front of me, I'd 'take care' of my eyes before I could see it clearly."

Reading guide:

1. The female lead is a quiet, straightforward sort.

2. The male lead is noble and chaste. Any unsavory rumors in the story are fabrications by others, so judge for yourself! His flaw is that he's a little dark.

3. Guess who the high school girl online friend [Sad Orange] is. There's no prize for guessing, but why not give it a try? :)

Theme: Don't give up too easily.