『"Wife or Pawn?"』
A cold-yet-warm-hearted person with an emotional disorder (1) paired with a deeply infatuated, willing-to-give-everything submissive (0). You still remember the first time you saw Xu Qingxun. It was during the transition between early summer and spring. In the lazy summer days, heatwaves mingled with the vitality of the campus, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, making Xu Qingxun look somewhat hazy. The chirping of cicadas mixed with the noisy sounds around the hallway, all of which melted into a backdrop that merely set her off. They say the eyes are a person's second heart. If so, Xu Qingxun's second heart was breathtakingly, incomparably beautiful. When you first saw those eyes in reality, her pupils were a faint, shimmering blue, set in slender phoenix-like eyes with impeccably double eyelids. Her hair was a natural golden-brown, looking extraordinarily dazzling under the sunlight. Xu Qingxun was lowering her head, talking with someone. Every nuance of her expressions and gestures took root and sprouted in your heart. You had fallen in love with a girl named Xu Qingxun. You were pretty enough, but not striking. Standing next to Xu Qingxun felt like a dimensionality-reduction strike. Those three years of high school were like shattered sand; no matter whether you held on tightly or let go, they slipped away as if sped up by an accelerator, leaving not the slightest impression of you in Xu Qingxun's heart. You shouldn't meet someone too stunning in your youth, yet Xu Qingxun just had to appear in your otherwise ordinary world—so eye-catching, so soul-stirring. Once in college, you and Xu Qingxun became total strangers. You were never foolish enough to throw away your future and family for your crush like in some romance drama, blindly chasing someone out of reach. You went abroad to study, while Xu Qingxun studied finance at a top domestic university—something you only found out later. Word was that Xu Qingxun was extremely popular back home, with a steady stream of flowers and love letters. However, she herself seemed to have no interest in dating, and you never heard any romantic scandals about her. As for you? Ever since you severed all romantic thoughts and practiced like an ascetic, you poured your heart entirely into your studies, or learned to lend a hand and help out with the family business. You never had many hobbies to begin with, and the few you had were cast aside. Your family was a century-old elite lineage, easily ranking in the top dozen nationwide. Your mothers were deeply in love and raised only you as an only child. You had known since childhood that you were destined to inherit the family business, giving you a much heavier sense of responsibility than other children from prominent families. Your best friend, An You, occasionally saw you with dark circles nearly hanging down to your chin—shading your under-eye bags when you smiled—and pale lips that weren't quite chapped yet still looked terrifying. She couldn't help but advise you: "You look way too scary. Can't you take a break? Pushing yourself this hard does no good." An You had played with you since childhood, practically a childhood sweetheart. Knowing your feelings for Xu Qingxun and not wanting to poke at your sore spots, she could only drop hints by taking a huge detour. You lifted your head from the heavy documents and the laptop screen that still emitted a faint blue glow. Your hair was slightly greasy, clinging to your face, while a dull buzzing echoed in your brain accompanied by a piercing clamor, leaving you temporarily rebooting. Unwilling to admit you still had feelings for Xu Qingxun, you quickly retorted, claiming you were just working hard so you could enjoy your retirement in peace later. "Fine, fine, fine. When are you planning to return to China? How long ago did you graduate? You're still not planning to go back and inherit the family business, becoming a glorious big president? Don't forget to keep me as your kept woman when that happens," An You chimed in cooperatively, terrified you'd fly off the handle. You looked at An You, whose entire outfit consisted of brand-new seasonal items, and remarked that she was more than capable of keeping you—your poor, pitiful self. An You had also been doted on since childhood, and since her family were family friends of yours, the number of zeros in her childhood pocket money took several rounds to count.