Worship the Waters

1.

Wholehearted, genuine love is rare. Loving someone two-thirds of the way is more common.

It took Qiu Zhishui six years to understand this truth.

She and her boyfriend started dating in college and even made it through graduation season, when relationships were most likely to blow up. She knew her boyfriend liked her, but he certainly wasn't the type to give his whole heart to her alone.

She had thought she and Chen Si would just muddle along into marriage and settle into an ordinary life.

2.

One heavy downpour brought her face-to-face with her boyfriend's friend, Zhou Chenshu.

At the time, Qiu Zhishui was a complete mess. The torrential rain had soaked her to the skin, and in her panic, she met the gaze of a man holding an umbrella not far away.

Zhou Chenshu stared at her calmly, and she thought he was laughing at her.

Of all Chen Si's friends, Zhou Chenshu liked her the least. She had no idea why he was so hostile, but fortunately, they rarely saw each other, so they had few chances to get on each other's nerves.

Qiu Zhishui blinked. Rain clung to her eyelashes, and she had to reach up and wipe it away.

The next second, Zhou Chenshu stepped forward and shared half his umbrella with her.

She looked up. He frowned slightly, his voice cool.

"Qiu Zhishui, don't you know how to say hello?"

3.

Zhou Chenshu had once given Chen Si some advice: Dating was just dating, but you should keep a third of your feelings in reserve so you wouldn't lose control and end up in an awkward situation.

Chen Si took the advice to heart and applied it to Qiu Zhishui.

Zhou Chenshu never imagined that the principle he held sacred would crumble when it came to Qiu Zhishui.

Worse still, after breaking up with Chen Si, Qiu Zhishui learned to do the same. She only offered two-thirds of her heart, keeping the remaining third out of reach. It left him aching with frustration, night after night, unable to find peace.

A note: Lately, I've been completely absorbed in stories about lovesick men and women, so I couldn't resist writing this blurb. Neither the male nor female lead is a good person. The male lead thinks he's upper-class, but in reality he's incredibly sleazy, with a painfully narrow mind.

Theme: Love can make each of us better