Bad Snow

Synopsis: The first time Tang Suixue saw Si Conglan was at Puyuan, the Lin family estate. The man stood deep in the shadows of the second-floor terrace, separated from her by curtains of rain. His posture was languid, his features cold and sharply defined. His gaze upon her was dark and heavy. At the time, she had assumed someone else’s identity and slipped into the estate as a hired hand, all to settle an old matter once and for all. The last thing she wanted was for anything unexpected to happen— least of all anything involving this honored guest whom everyone at the estate treated with reverence. That night, during the banquet, wine splashed onto his sleeve. He unfastened his cuff and left. A handkerchief slipped from somewhere and landed at her feet. Having apparently exhausted eight lifetimes’ worth of bad luck, Tang Suixue had no way to avoid it. Under the steward’s watchful gaze, she bent down and picked it up. The moment she straightened, the door to the lounge suddenly swung open. The man had already changed his clothes. Elegant and aloof, he brushed past her without slowing. From beginning to end, he never once looked at her. Si Conglan was born into a powerful family with influence in both politics and business. He was refined, self-possessed, and regarded the world with lofty indifference. It was the first time he had ever lowered himself enough to approach someone. He never expected that, in the end, he would be the one left behind. Months later, at a private gathering in Rongxi Hall, Si Conglan sat behind a gauze curtain, his long legs crossed, his eyes half-lidded. Between his fingers, he idly toyed with a hair clip. Someone at the table praised the beauty of Jiangnan, saying they had never seen scenery more breathtaking. He suddenly gave a soft laugh, remembering those eyes glistening with tears. —What a pity their owner was a complete and utter little liar. He had no intention of letting her go. Several days later, in the narrow lanes of a small town, Tang Suixue was returning home late when she encountered, at the mouth of the alley, the one person who should never have been there. Shadows swayed beneath the trees lining the lane. Si Conglan pressed her against an old wall covered in creeping vines, his thumb resting against the pulse throbbing at the side of her neck. “You played with me? Then I’ll teach you how to play to your heart’s content.” Tang Suixue had played. What she didn’t know was that the man who appeared, on the surface, as untouchable as a bright moon had already been broken beyond repair. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: Bad Snow — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠