Sunrise at Low Altitude

2026.6.6

Xu Lingwen left to study abroad, full of dreams, and met the one person she found hardest to give up.

Her first crush wasn't the hot nerd from a well-off family next door. The gulf between their worlds was too vast, so she calmly let go of the idea.

But he told her their souls were on the same wavelength.

She stepped into his life, falling for him little by little. She broke up with her ex-boyfriend, and he gathered her into his moonlit embrace.

The sea off Sardinia was like a jewel made of jelly. He held her as they plunged into the waves, and she felt like a mermaid being abducted.

Underwater, he slid a ring onto her left ring finger.

She became part of his daily life, accepted without conditions. Everything felt so real it made her dizzy.

She thought she was a native of his world, until she heard he was about to enter an arranged marriage.

In that world, this was as ordinary as eating and drinking, and it didn't conflict with being on the same wavelength.

-

Twelve years later, Xu Lingwen wanted nothing more than to live quietly.

Her new project was a global IP, and the chief director brought her along to meet the newly cast lead voice actor.

"Hello, Director Xu." He smiled at her, treating her no differently from her superior.

Xu Lingwen calmly shook hands with this old acquaintance.

After ten years without a word, her former lover had become her new coworker, the person she queued with every Monday morning to buy breakfast.

In the aftermath, many signs showed that his sudden arrival had been a coincidence.

Xu Lingwen remained professional at work, and so did he. They stayed out of each other's way.

He wore a ring, and she had a boyfriend.

The ending only came ten years later. All those unforgettable memories gave way to ordinary life, and everything settled into calm. Maybe this really was how things would be.

-

Xu Lingwen thought she and that man would go on working together until the project ended and he went back to the United States.

Until he crossed the line.

She slapped his archangel-like face. A red mark slowly appeared on his cheek, like a long-delayed punishment.

Yet he smiled, and Xu Lingwen felt that piercing connection between their souls again. The shiver it brought seemed as if it could go on forever.

"I missed you," he said, looking only at her.

-

Xu Lingwen arranged to meet Ruan Anshi, so they could sit down and talk calmly.

"I'm getting married," Xu Lingwen told him.

His eyes slowly registered the words. She saw her former self in him, as if looking in a mirror, but couldn't see the light and shadow shifting deep in the angel's eyes.

"...No," he said slowly.

His disguise fell away, and his long fingers twined around her hand. Only then did Xu Lingwen realize she'd underestimated him once again.

He was still Ruan Anshi, now more fully himself than ever before.

-

Much later, Ruan Anshi finally understood that it was only after she left that his heart slowly began to beat.

When they were together, his heart had been taking shape, and wanting her was its first expression. That was the source of the shiver.

Reading guide: Both leads are sexually inexperienced. The heroine has an ex-boyfriend, but the hero is her true first love. The heroine is the hero's first love, and his heart and body belong only to her. The story has plenty of melodrama, so I haven't labeled it as a story where both leads are completely pure. If that bothers you, please steer clear. Let's keep our community friendly and enjoy the story together. For those jumping into this carrot patch, I'll catch you with all my strength. Here we go!

Theme: Your eyes see into my soul