Good 'Inkstone' Roost

At 28 years old, Lin Xi met 35-year-old Shen Yan at a friend's dinner party. He was mature and reserved, quiet and reticent, the "perennial untouched high-mountain flower" as described by his friends. She thought he was out of reach, but little did she know that from the moment they met, his serene gaze never left her.

This was a slow-cooked romance between adults, with no dramatic conflicts, only gentle, pervasive warmth. He remembered all her preferences, picked her up on stormy days, and at her most exhausted, said in a hoarse voice, "Give yourself to me."

He introduced her to his most important friends, announcing to the world, "This is my girlfriend." He knelt on one knee, making the most solemn promise: "Only after meeting you is my life complete."

Later, Lin Xi nesttled into his arms, chuckling, "It's really nice to have an older brother as a boyfriend; I don't have to worry about anything." Shen Yan held her tighter, whispering in her ear, "My world has been quiet for over thirty years. Now, I invite you to make it a little chaotic, a little lively."

This is a warm story about "slow-burning" and "peace of mind," about "finding" and "belonging." He thought he gave her a home, unaware that she was his only destination in this life.