Great Love Comes Late

Name: Great Love Comes Late
ISBN: 9787507420029

金陵雪CHINA CITY PRESS · ChinaMay 2022

3.7

Word count: 248K words
Chapters: 36
ISBN: 9787507420029

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Summary

Xue Kui's boss arranges a blind date for her, and she deliberately dresses herself up as a tacky woman with a princess hairdo, a chiffon dress, and a large corsage, so that Zhuo Zhengyang finds nothing about her appealing. They part hastily and go their separate ways, never to cross paths again—or so it seems. When Zhuo Zhengyang next encounters Xue Kui, he sees a sharp-witted, quick-tongued, forceful woman who leaves his lofty, calculating aunt with nowhere to retreat. Then he sees the devoted daughter who smiles warmly and keeps things under control when she is with her father. Cold and passionate, clever and wise, quick with repartee, Xue Kui enriches Zhuo Zhengyang's hitherto monotonous life. How many more sides of her does he not yet know? Behind the dazzling Xue Kui, her boss racks his brains over how to squeeze her out; Zhuo Zhengyang's pursuit, warming from cold to hot, gradually frightens her; Zhuo Zhengyang's sworn friends keep playing pranks and cracking jokes; the scheming woman Shen Xixi harbors a twisted contempt and jealousy toward her; beneath her parents' apparent treasuring of her lie unspoken grievances; and there is the hidden pain and greed from the year she was fifteen. What she likes she can never overcome the shadow of the past for, and what she wants to escape always clings to her...

Editor's review

Opening with a blind date deliberately sabotaged by an ugly getup, *Da Ai Wan Cheng* quickly draws readers into the tense emotional contest between Xue Kui and Zhuo Zhengyang. Jinling Xue excels at embedding multifaceted characterization within an urban romance framework: Xue Kui is at once a sharp-tongued, calculating powerhouse in the workplace, a smiling devoted daughter before her father, and a woman burdened by the hidden pain of her fifteenth year. The novel is not content with mere sweet romance; through her boss's sniping, her suitor's relentless pursuit, her rival's jealousy, and her parents' unspoken dissatisfaction beneath a treasuring facade, it weaves a complex web of relationships, keeping the love story intertwined with growth trauma and family undercurrents. The narrative moves briskly, the dialogue is witty, and the characters' clashes have real edge. It suits leisurely reading, and also rewards readers drawn to urban women's emotional growth with layered characters and emotional turns.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of urban emotional fiction, especially those interested in multifaceted female characterization
Readers who enjoy narratives intertwining workplace maneuvering and emotional tug-of-war
Readers who want character growth and family-of-origin themes within light reading
Readers who prefer romance with witty dialogue and charged character clashes

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer pure sweet romance with no angst and a light touch
Readers sensitive to complex family conflict and trauma flashbacks
Readers expecting strict workplace realism or deep dives into serious social issues

Reading tips

First follow Xue Kui and Zhuo Zhengyang's several encounters to sort out the relationships, then revisit each clash for the personality traits it reveals.
Pay attention to how Xue Kui behaves differently across the workplace, family, and romantic threads, and notice how the author uses scene shifts to build a multifaceted character.
When you reach the parts about her fifteenth year, pause to consider how that hidden pain shapes her present choices and avoidances.

About the publisher

CHINA CITY PRESS China · Founded in 1987

China City Press focuses its publishing on urban construction and development, while also covering urban science theory and management, urban design, professional yearbooks, economic management, and social sciences and culture. Its 14 titles in the library show that the press also has a presence in general reading. Representative books include I Am a Fortune Teller, Love Comes Late, China's Great Anti-Drug Campaign, The Great Wisdom of Jewish Businesspeople, Speaking More Appropriately, The Legend of Tang Jun, Solving Major Cases in Beijing, and A Record of Beijing Major Criminal Trials, spanning social novels, modern romance, management, inspirational growth, suspense and mystery, and law. Authors represented include Yi Zhi, Jinling Xue, Ding Yihe, Wang Jun, Wang Feng, Lü Shuchun, Ding Weihe, and Gu Min, reflecting a list that combines specialized urban publishing with social documentary and popular culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based mainly on the library's titles.

版权信息
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章
第十五章
第十六章
第十七章
第十八章
第十九章
第二十章
第二十一章
第二十二章
第二十三章
第二十四章
第二十五章
第二十六章
第二十七章
第二十八章
第二十九章
第三十章
第三十一章
第三十二章
第三十三章
番外一租心
番外二入园记

FAQ

Is this a pure sweet romance?

Not entirely. The love line between Xue Kui and Zhuo Zhengyang is the main thread, but the novel also unfolds workplace sniping, a rival's jealousy, unspoken parental dissatisfaction, and the hidden pain of Xue Kui's fifteenth year. Romance advances alongside trauma and family undercurrents—sweet with a bitter edge, more layered than typical sweet romance.

I haven't read other works by Jinling Xue. Can I start with this one?

Yes. This is a standalone story; its characters and plot do not depend on earlier works, so reading it directly will not hinder understanding. If you like the dialogue style and characterization, you can then seek out the author's other works.

What is special about Xue Kui as a character?

Xue Kui's multifaceted nature is the book's highlight: she can deliberately make herself ugly to wreck a blind date, match wits in the workplace until her opponent has nowhere to retreat, and be a smiling devoted daughter before her father. Coldness and passion, cleverness and hidden pain coexist, and the author peels back her layers through different scenes.

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About the author

金陵雪 Author

Jinling Xue is an author who mainly writes modern romance. Public information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name cannot be confirmed. Four of her works are included in the collection: Wanshi Ruyi, Da Ai Wancheng, Ni Chidao Le Xuduo Nian, and Shiguang Yin Ni Er Dongting. Judging from these titles and their categorization, her writing tends to center on the emotional relationships of contemporary urban men and women, with a flavor of everyday life and a warm tone. Her titles are often poetic and vivid, suggesting attention to daily details and characters' inner feelings. Because more detailed biographical and authorial information is lacking, it is difficult at present to further summarize her writing style and literary influence; readers can form their own impression of her narrative approach through the works mentioned above.