The Beloved Darling of the Capital

[A Jiangnan Cheongsam Beauty vs. a Powerful Beijing Tycoon] Just one glimpse of Sheng Ting'an in a video call between her best friend and her family was enough to give Xu Zhiyuan a “spring” dream that lasted a whole year. Every time she dreamed, she would lose herself in it for ages, unwilling to wake. She knew how great the gap between her and Sheng Ting'an was, as wide as ten mountains. So she dared not hope for anything more, content to steal a moment of pleasure in her dreams. When she finally met Sheng Ting'an in person, he said, “Keep me company, little sparrow from Jiangnan.” Xu Zhiyuan grew greedy. She accepted the jade thumb ring he offered and wore it for years. The first time Sheng Ting'an saw Xu Zhiyuan, the young woman was wearing a neatly tailored cheongsam and holding a pipa upright as she sang Suzhou pingtan for Madam Sheng. The winter snow had turned the tip of her nose bright red, but it did nothing to diminish her exquisitely delicate beauty. If anything, it made her look all the more captivating. Unlike the bold and carefree girls of the north, the moment she opened her mouth, her words flowed in the soft, lilting Wu dialect. Naturally, he fell for her.