[book.douban synopsis]
An extraordinary ensemble story set in the modern city, featuring a distinctly feminist perspective, razor-sharp chemistry, and the ultimate battle of wills between two equally matched individuals!
Set in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, this workplace ensemble novel follows the lives and relationships of a group of urban professionals. A dark horse and standout work of the year on Douban Read, the novel has garnered over 4.38 million reads!
Readers have compared its intoxicating romantic tension and push-and-pull dynamics to The Early Spring (早春晴朗).
Their first encounter takes place at a bar. The female protagonist, Shu Qing, is busy entertaining a pink-haired, trendy young man, while the male protagonist, Feng Shidong, watches coldly from the booth next door. She is immediately captivated by his looks, only to be put off by his indifference. Meanwhile, he dismisses her as a "player" — someone dangerous and best avoided. After their first encounter, both silently add each other to their blocklists.
Little do they know that they will meet again at work the very next day.
He is the newly appointed director who has just parachuted into the company. She is his HR Business Partner (HRBP)!
From the very beginning, sparks fly between them.
He looks down on the HR function, while she uses her professional expertise to prove him wrong. He pushes aggressively for organizational restructuring, while she fiercely defends employees' rights. He coldly oversees layoffs, and she openly calls him a "hypocritical, self-righteous gentleman."
Having branded each other with a whole collection of negative labels, the two constantly clash in the workplace. Yet, through their repeated confrontations, they gradually find themselves drawn to each other's professionalism, resilience, and determination.
The female protagonist, Shu Qing, is a seasoned HRBP in the internet industry and the quintessential modern career woman. Her motto? "What's the point of dating? Flirting is the ultimate fashion accessory."
The male protagonist, Feng Shidong, is the newly appointed technical director and a workaholic through and through. His life is meticulously planned down to the exact years he intends to buy a house, purchase a car, get promoted, and get married. His philosophy on relationships? "A partner is just a partner. As long as they're pretty, that's enough."
She claims that "wise people don't fall in love," yet gradually begins paying attention to his coffee preferences.
He firmly believes that "all that matters in a partner is good looks," yet repeatedly finds himself revising his carefully laid-out life plans because of her.
In this workplace battle that begins with mutual disdain, reason and emotion collide fiercely. And eventually, the law of the jungle gives way to the undeniable pull of love.
At first, the heroine is a warrior clad in armor, navigating the steel jungle of the modern world. To her, admitting that she needs love is something shameful.
But eventually, she learns to embrace love, hatred, longing, and every emotion in between.
There is no shame in loving. Love is a trophy earned by the brave!
[read.douban synopsis]
Shu Qing's daily routine is remarkably predictable: two meals a day, two workouts a week, two beauty treatments a month, and two rounds of layoffs a year.
Feng Shidong probes her: "So, how often do you fall in love?"
Shu Qing replies, "What's the point of dating? Flirting is the ultimate fashion accessory."
—
Feng Shidong's life plan is meticulously laid out: graduate with a master's degree at twenty-four, buy a house and a car at twenty-eight, become a director at thirty, and get married at thirty-two.
Shu Qing mocks him. "Dream on. What if you don't happen to meet someone you actually like?"
Feng Shidong replies, "A partner is just a partner. As long as they're pretty, that's enough."
