[Deeply in love but stubborn / Wife-chasing crematorium / Aloof Buddhist master driven mad by love / Mutual misunderstandings / Angsty romance / M/F] Shen Yanci, the ascetic prince of Beijing's elite circle. For over a decade, a string of red sandalwood Buddhist prayer beads has adorned his wrist—aloof, abstinent, ruthless, and decisive. Those in his circle bet that in this lifetime, he would either enter the monkhood or die alone. Until he met you. In front of you, he would laugh, tease, and get jealous. He would even take off those inseparable prayer beads and place them gently in your palm. All of Beijing whispered that Lord Yama Shen had finally been tamed. He never denied it—in fact, he secretly drew up a will naming you the sole beneficiary. Then, a misdiagnosis handed him a death sentence. The first thing he did wasn't seek treatment; it was pushing you away. He told you you were just a fling, tossing money in your face without batting an eye. When you asked if there was a hidden reason, he claimed there was none, his expression never wavering. The very next day, news of his engagement to the heiress of the Wen family blew up the trending searches. Heartbroken, you walked away to a distant city, while he went to face death alone—traveling abroad for medical treatment. Only to discover it was a misdiagnosis all along; he wasn't dying at all. He survived. Without wasting a single second, he flew to your city, rehearsing "I never betrayed you" the entire way. But from across the street, he watched as another man held a car door open for you. Your hand rested naturally on that man's arm, as if Shen Yanci had never existed in your life. The prayer beads creaked beneath his white-knuckled grip... [Image credit: The author. 🚫 Do not steal / repost]