She poured all the longing and hope of her adolescence into writing that love confession letter, but it accidentally ended up in the hands of someone unintended. That night, an overseas, long-distance phone call caused Zeng Li to remember that someone: Ai Jingchu.
Zeng Li, a girl who was very insecure in herself, as if she was merely a speck of dust, had once thought she would never be able to gather the courage to love anyone again. So, when she was faced with the undercurrent of attraction that was happening between the two of them, she chose to ignore it, run from it, back down from it.
Until he forced her to give him an answer: “Zeng Li, is your heart still here? If it is, I am going to take it away.” He loved her, empathized with her, cherished her, understood her, and accepted her. There was only one Ai Jingchu in the world. What was fortunate was, in such a vast world, she still was able to encounter him.
[Ebook][Cũng chỉ là hạt bụi] [Audiobook][Drama][Eng Translation]
Ai Jingchu is a very respected orthodontist. Zeng Li is dragged by her mother to get braces to help improve her dating life. Hence, Zeng Li becomes Ai Jingchu’s patient.
Zeng Li grew up in a broken family. Her father and mother’s divorce, her mother’s multiple re-marriages, the failed relationship between her and her first love, the lack of love from any other family all culminated in her extreme low self-esteem and fearful nature. She is a very real, down-to-earth girl. There is nothing extraordinary about her.
Ai Jingchu is the brilliant, wooden, strict, straight-as-a-line orthodontist who lacks social skills. He is not awkward like a geek, but rather, he often doesn’t know what to say so chooses to be silent. His self-confident air coupled with his silence cause people to put him on a pedestal to worship but not dare go near him. Although he is not the “perfect” male lead, he will grow on you as, through Zeng Li, you get to know that behind his quiet exterior, he is kind at heart, warm, attentive, and considerate.
The leads are likable. We see how Zeng Li works through her past and comes to terms with herself, her family, her previous relationship and how Ai Jingchu quietly supports her along the way.
To quote the author, “Some novels write about the relationship before marriage while some write about after marriage. Some novels write about a couple who fall in love at first sight and must endure hardships while others write about the reconciliation of a separated couple…
This novel I wrote is the story of two people: two complete strangers coming in contact by a chance phone call; then from a doctor-patient relationship to being a couple. From when they meet to how they learn about and understand one another to how they fall in love and come together.”
This is truly a novel about how a romance blossoms. There are no big ups and downs. The author, however, has a way of writing that lulls you right into wanting to follow on in the development of their romance. This is not an overly sweet novel. (How can it be? Both the leads are not social at all.) However, it’s what they DO, not what they say, that makes you appreciate their relationship. You feel a warm little glow in your heart as you read it.
As a comparison, the novel that gave me the most similar feeling to this one is Loving You is the Best Thing I’ve Ever Done. (Not character or plot wise, just that warm feeling.)
So, in summary, this is a feel-good novel, like the warm sun shining on a calm lake. Conflict occurs, but it is not overly dramatized. A lovely story that I think I will probably buy to keep on my shelf.
PS. For fans of one of the author’s other novels, Exclusive Memory, Mu Chenghe and Xue Tong make a brief appearance in this story.
Randomly picked up “Exclusive Memory” 独家记忆 by the same author and loved it. Decided I had to go read her other works and ended up loving this as well. Like what hoju says, this novel gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling as you read about how two likeable characters fall in love and get together. *happy sigh*
Although if you do think about it, the reason why they ended up together was due to them interacting via a series of coincidences that could only happen in dramaland or fiction-land. Nonetheless, I enjoyed immersing myself in the 2 leads’ world.
Indeed. Such chance encounters are only a thing of fiction. I still loved following along and watching their romance unfold.
Have you read any of the author’s other books yet besides this and Exclusive Memory?
I’ve also read 良言写意 Liang Yan Xie Yi but didn’t really like it. Next up on my to-read list is 衾何以堪. Have you read that and would you recommend it? 🙂 Seems it was posted here too but the reviews weren’t all that good.
That’s on my to-read list as well. If you get to it before me, let me know what you think.