When the Heartthrob Meets the Cold-Hearted Ex (GL) - Chapter 1
As the Awakening of Insects approached, City C, chilled by months of cold currents finally welcomed a hint of warmth. Trees sprouted fresh buds, and sparrows perched on branches, chirping incessantly.
People emerged from their winter hibernation, stepping out to embrace nature, adding to the city’s bustling energy.
Tang Yeran was currently inside a time-honored Sichuan restaurant, packed with customers conducting an interview.
Dressed in a milk-tea-colored woolen sweater, her naturally model-like figure was accentuated, appearing slender and graceful. Her light brown, slightly wavy long hair cascaded lazily over her shoulders, giving off a warm and comforting vibe.
She possessed a sweet, soothing voice that could make even the most mundane interview questions feel like a breath of fresh air.
“Boss, I noticed your restaurant has consistently received rave reviews on major food apps. Could you share some of your business secrets?”
The owner, a woman in her early forties dressed casually with a kindly smile, chuckled in response.
“Well, this restaurant has been passed down from my grandmother’s generation. She always emphasized one principle, ‘people first’…”
BANG!
A commotion erupted in the dining area, abruptly interrupting the smooth flow of the interview.
Tang Yeran followed the owner to the scene, where a middle-aged man in a floral shirt stood by a table, berating a waitress at the top of his lungs.
“What kind of scam is this place running? A Sichuan restaurant where none of the dishes are spicy? This one, this one, and this one, try them yourselves!”
The waitress, a petite southern girl, seemed tiny compared to the burly man. She tried several times to explain, “Sir… you ordered… Kung Pao…”
But her words were drowned out by the man’s deafening shouts. “You screw up and still dare to argue? What kind of service is this nowadays?”
Furious, the man grabbed a cup of tea from the table and flung it at the waitress, who stood with her head bowed.
Water dripped from her hair, soaking her clothes as she stood in the center of the crowd, looking utterly humiliated and pitiful.
Even the onlookers couldn’t stomach it anymore, voicing their disapproval.
“Hey, words are enough, no need to throw things!”
“Yeah, this is just unacceptable.”
Cornered by the crowd’s criticism, the man’s face flushed red with embarrassment. He raised his voice even louder.
“This shady place scams customers! So, what if I threw water at her? I’ll do it again—”
As he grabbed another glass of tea, preparing to repeat his actions, a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere, seizing his wrist and twisting it backward. The tea meant for the waitress was instead splashed onto the man himself.
“Who the hell are you? You dare throw water at me? You’ve got a death wish!”
Drenched and furious, the man roared, but the other person seemed to completely ignore his existence.
Tang Yeran draped a jacket she’d grabbed from the front desk over the waitress’s shoulders to prevent further exposure, offering a few comforting words before turning to face the man.
“Sir, there’s nothing wrong with the dishes here. The ones you ordered—like fish-flavored shredded pork and Kung Pao chicken aren’t supposed to be spicy. You can look it up online or ask any of the customers around you.”
The previously hesitant onlookers, now emboldened, chimed in like a well-rehearsed chorus.
“Exactly, many Sichuan dishes aren’t actually spicy at all.”
“Seriously, some people have zero common sense.”
…
The man, knowing he was in the wrong, quickly changed the subject. “Well… let’s just call what happened earlier a misunderstanding. I won’t hold it against the restaurant, but what about you splashing water on me? How do we settle that?”
Faced with the man’s unreasonable demands, Tang Yeran spoke calmly yet so rapidly that no one could interrupt.
“I can compensate you for the dry cleaning since your clothes got wet. But before that, let’s settle what you owe the restaurant.
“Shouting and picking fights in the store at best, you disrupted their business; at worst, you disturbed public order and endangered public safety.
“According to China’s ‘Public Security Administration Punishment Law,’ if the restaurant presses charges, your behavior warrants at least 5 to 10 days of detention and a fine of up to 500 yuan.”
Hearing that he could face legal consequences, the man grew nervous but refused to back down verbally.
“You say I endangered public safety? Where’s your proof? You don’t have any, do you? Everyone in this store is probably in on it. Fine, consider me unlucky. I don’t even want the dry cleaning money anymore. I’m leaving.”
As he turned to flee, Tang Yeran stopped him.
“I already recorded all the evidence you asked for.” She raised her voice recorder, poised to hit play.
“I suggest you stop struggling pointlessly. Arguing law with someone who specializes in it is a losing battle.”
Seeing this, the man finally softened his tone. “Alright, alright! Then what do you want?”
“Pay your bill and apologize.”
The cashier promptly displayed the payment QR code. “Sir, your total comes to 113 yuan.”
Grudgingly, the man scanned the code, muttered a half-hearted “sorry,” and tried to bolt.
But under Tang Yeran’s sharp glare, he took a deep breath, walked over to a waitress, and bowed deeply, enunciating clearly:
“I’m sorry, I was wrong. Please forgive me!”
The young waitress, being kind-hearted, didn’t hold it against him.
Stealing another glance at Tang Yeran, the man repeated the apology to the restaurant owner.
Finally, amid the crowd’s jeers, he fled, bringing the farce to an end.
After the interview, Tang Yeran returned to Yifeng Magazine with Xiao You, an intern reporter from the same department.
Currently serving as the magazine’s chief editor, Tang Yeran had recently been transferred to the digital entertainment division after her original news department was slated for closure. This assignment marked her final duty in the news team.
Normally, she wouldn’t personally handle every interview, but with the senior reporter gone and only an inexperienced intern left, she had no choice.
During the incident at the restaurant, Tang Yeran had done most of the talking while Xiao You quietly took notes.
Now, with the work done, Xiao You finally had the chance to gush with admiration.
“Tang-Tang, you were amazing back there! That guy was huge and loud—everyone else kept their distance, but you just charged right in.”
Recalling the man’s bluster, Tang Yeran smiled. “There’s an old saying in our country: ‘The dog that bites doesn’t bark, and the dog that barks doesn’t bite.'”
Xiao You gave a thumbs-up. “Incredible! And you even thought to record everything!”
“You mean this?” Tang Yeran pulled out a voice recorder. “Just scaring him. There wasn’t enough time to actually record anything.”
…
Xiao You choked back her words, thinking to herself how bold this performance was.
Just when she thought the topic was over, Xiao You suddenly exclaimed a few seconds later: “Wait a minute, sis! Weren’t you a Chinese literature major? When did you suddenly become a law expert?”
“When you’re out in the world, you create your own identities.”
The magazine office was still some distance from the Sichuan restaurant, so Tang Yeran called a ride-hailing car and waited with Xiao You at the bus stop.
Nearby, three student-looking girls were chatting excitedly about the popular romance dress-up mobile game “Sparkling Candy.”
Student A: “Look! I’ve collected the completely new Glow set in Candy! Isn’t it totally bling-bling?”
Student B: “Wow, gorgeous! I’m still two days away from completing mine. The game could just let me pay for it directly, but instead it makes me complete all these tasks, it must really care about me.”
Student A: “Pfft, look at you. But I get it. I never used to play these kinds of games, but this one got me hooked. Can’t resist these high-quality 3D Chinese-style character models.”
Student C: “Honestly, I’m not really here for the dress-up part. It’s all because of sweet Ruan Ruan, every new character card just dances right into my heart. Let’s be real, after all these years, this is the only decent all-gender romance simulation game out there.”
Fresh out of college, Xiao You was also a devoted “Sparkling Candy” player. Hearing the discussion nearby immediately piqued her interest.
“It’s ‘Sparkling Candy’! That game’s been blowing up lately—the character models and artwork are absolutely stunning.”
“I heard the lead producer Su Yang is a total beauty herself, she was actually the campus belle at H University back in the day.”
“Hey, isn’t that the same university you went to, Candy Sis? Did you two know each other? Sis? Hello?”
“Huh?” Tang Yeran snapped out of her thoughts to find Xiao You’s face suddenly inches from hers.
Su Yang…
Tang Yeran tightened her grip on her backpack strap, then offered a gentle smile. “We were in different departments. Didn’t really cross paths.”
“Oh, right. H University is huge, thousands of students per year. What a shame.”
Xiao You sighed regretfully but quickly perked up again. “No worries! By the way, Candy Sis, what’s your Sparkling Candy ID? Let’s add each other!”
Since joining the magazine, Xiao You had often worked closely with Tang Yeran and was closer to her than others. She was already holding out her phone eagerly.
Tang Yeran unlocked her phone to show Xiao You, making a slightly apologetic gesture. “I don’t play this game.”
“No way!” Xiao You’s expression was pure shock.
Everyone knew Tang Yeran was the most skilled gamer in the entire magazine office, she’d even won prizes in the company’s small gaming competitions.
Recently, “Candy” had taken “Breeze Magazine” by storm, and now their resident gaming veteran claimed not to play it?
Seeing Xiao You’s look of utter disbelief that she wouldn’t play the game, Tang Yeran felt a faint sense of absurdity.
She patted Xiao You’s shoulder. “Our ride’s here.”
Tang Yeran had just returned to the magazine office, barely warming her seat before being called into a meeting.
“Statistics show that video games account for 33.8% of daily entertainment among young people over the past year, a demographic that highly overlaps with our magazine’s core readership. The issues where we covered gaming topics previously performed exceptionally well in sales, so headquarters has decided to collaborate with a game company for an in-depth feature this time.”
At the meeting, the editor-in-chief set down the laser pointer and scanned the room. “Any thoughts?”
Around the rectangular conference table sat over a dozen people. After some murmuring, Aili was the first to speak up. “In recent years, the gaming industry has been dominated by TenPeng and Piglet Games. About 80% of hit titles come from these two. In terms of popularity and market share, no other companies compare.”
“Mhm. Any other suggestions?” The editor-in-chief tapped the table with a finger, her gaze landing on Tang Yeran, who was pretending to take notes. “Tang Yeran, you’re quite familiar with gaming. What’s your take?”
Caught in the spotlight, Tang Yeran could no longer stay under the radar. She had just been transferred from the news department to digital entertainment and had planned to listen more than speak. But now, under everyone’s watchful eyes, keeping a low profile was impossible.
“Aili isn’t wrong, but TenPeng and Piglet are both established companies. The public’s curiosity about them has already been thoroughly satisfied. Another feature would struggle to feel fresh.”
“Exactly.” The editor-in-chief nodded approvingly. “I was thinking the same—we should collaborate with a company that’s both trending and novel right now.”
Tang Yeran met the editor-in-chief’s gaze, hesitating. The first company that came to mind lingered on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed it back. Fortunately, several colleagues spoke up in unison, saving her.
“Qianhe Games!”
This company, less than a year old, had stormed into the gaming scene six months ago with its romance-dress-up mobile game Shining Candy, breaking records with over 100 million in revenue in its first month. In terms of buzz, it was on par with the two industry giants.
Half the people in the room were paying players of Shining Candy. The reason no one had mentioned it earlier was simple.
“But I’ve heard Qianhe refuses all interviews. They develop games like they’re running a spy operation, way too low-profile.”
“True. Even the editor-in-chief of Blazing Wind magazine tried and failed to land an interview.”
“Right? If it were TenPeng or Piglet, I could pull some strings. But Qianhe? Nearly impossible.”
As the room buzzed with chatter, the editor-in-chief mused, “If Qianhe has never given an interview before, then whoever gets one will have an exclusive.”
That much was true, but who would take on the task?
The editor-in-chief circled the table, and two rows of heads promptly ducked down.
“Editor-in-chief, I have someone in mind.” Bei Feng, who had been quiet until now, raised a hand.
“Tang Yeran was just promoted to chief editor of our digital entertainment division. This feature would be a great opportunity for us to learn from her. She’s already well-versed in gaming, and she’s even alumni with Qianhe’s producer…”
The targeting was obvious. Around the table, everyone suddenly found their shoes very interesting.
Everyone knew that Bei Feng, as a veteran of the Electronic Entertainment Department, harbored resentment towards Tang Yeran for parachuting into the chief editor position immediately after transferring departments. But at this moment, no one dared to speak up for justice, fearing this hot potato might land in their own hands.
“Alumni? That’s perfect.” The editor-in-chief paused behind Tang Yeran. “Yeran, I’m assigning you the exclusive interview with Qianhe Games. Is that acceptable?”
Such obvious targeting would normally provoke Tang Yeran’s rebellious nature. Yet the words her mentor said during her transfer still echoed in her ears:
[I know you have feelings for the News Department, but management decisions aren’t something a junior editor can influence. Only when you reach a high enough position and become indispensable will you truly have a voice.]
This assignment was indeed challenging, but if she could deliver results…
“Editor-in-chief, I accept.”
“Yeran, I’ve just sent you Qianhe Games’ materials. Let me know if you need anything else.” Perhaps to make up for her silence during the meeting, Ai Li was now being remarkably supportive.
“Thanks.” Tang Yeran opened one of the files, an introduction to Qianhe Company.
Qianhe Games, established March 30, 2024, began with mobile games targeting female players, being the first to combine dating and dress-up gameplay…
This information was practically common knowledge in the Electronic Entertainment Department. Just from colleagues’ casual conversations over the past few days, Tang Yeran already knew about seventy to eighty percent of it.
Scrolling down, her cursor stopped at the founder’s profile. Tang Yeran’s breathing slowed slightly. Two seconds later, she opened the new file.
Su Yang: Legal representative of Qianhe Games, lead producer of “Sparkling Candy.” Former intern at Storm Entertainment, M Country’s largest gaming company, later joining the development team of “Fantasy World” as a designer. Resigned and returned home the same year the flagship product became a global hit, founding Qianhe Games amidst industry skepticism. Half a year later, “Sparkling Candy” swept major new game awards as a dark horse and was named “Most Popular Game of the Year.”
Beside the introduction was a profile photo, likely taken within the last two years. Long black hair was tied in a bun, revealing a swan-like neck with graceful curves. Perhaps due to work experience, she no longer seemed as aloof as in memory, yet somehow projected an even stronger presence.
Tang Yeran’s gaze lingered on the photo for only two seconds before quickly looking away.
She buried herself in drafting a professional work plan: The founder’s dramatic career path could satisfy contemporary young people’s curiosity, making it a good angle for the feature.
Her computer switched between several files, and soon two densely written pages of plans were completed.
As evening approached, Tang Yeran stretched while looking at “Sparkling Candy’s” official website, noticing a line of shimmering text flashing beside the game’s name on the homepage:
May you always shine brightly.
A long-buried memory fragment surfaced unexpectedly.
Tang Yeran and Su Yang first met during their sophomore year. As H University’s two most celebrated campus beauties, their names had been mentioned together countless times on campus forums, yet they’d never crossed paths until then.
It was an esports friendly match between the Computer Science and Chinese Literature departments. Tang Yeran stood at the center of the crowd, undefeated wherever she went, surrounded by applause.
Su Yang stood like a solitary crane detached from the world, quietly occupying her own corner yet forming a striking landscape all her own.
If Tang Yeran was the sun that drew everyone’s gaze, then Su Yang was the icy mountain peak, distant and untouchable, as if even speaking to her would be sacrilege.
Yet Tang Yeran was bold by nature. Back then, she was also deeply curious about Su Yang, who shared her reputation, so during a competition’s intermission, she deliberately avoided the crowd and intercepted the girl trying to slip away unnoticed.
Su Yang was startled by the smiling face that suddenly appeared before her. “You!”
Before she could even form a complete sentence, the other girl launched into an easygoing self-introduction.
“Su Yang, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Tang Yeran, ‘Yeran’ with the ‘fire’ radical, written like this.”
Bathed in light, the brunette grinned playfully, taking the cold-faced girl’s hand and tracing the strokes of her name with a fingertip, radiating warmth all the while.
“See? Your name has ‘water,’ mine has ‘fire’ don’t you think that’s fate?”
Her palm tingled, but the usually aloof academic prodigy didn’t pull away. Gazing into those luminous eyes, she found herself inexplicably reciting from memory.
“Yeran, defined as a brilliantly radiant appearance.”
NOTE: Xiao You is a name of a person , YOU doesn’t refer to a pronoun here.