Missed Appointment

梁道上海市华文创意写作中心Apr 2017

3.0

Word count: 43K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

A missed appointment is more than just breaking a promise made; sometimes a single careless slip costs you a lifetime of connection. For Liu Mei and Mu Yang, one broken promise seems like a joke played by God—from then on, they become a fated miss. Perhaps this is a kind of fate; as the saying goes, love is simply meeting the right person at the right time—but the love story of Liu Mei and Mu Yang is far from that simple…

Editor's review

Broken Promise begins with a single missed chance, pushing Liu Mei and Mu Yang into a fated brush past each other. The novel does not treat the broken promise as a mere misunderstanding; instead, it uses this everyday gap to open up questions about fate, timing, and choice. The narrative follows the emotional trajectories of the two, with a plain tone and a warmth drawn from ordinary life, never feeling deliberately sentimental. The author Liang Dao takes apart the saying “meeting the right person at the right time” and lets readers see the parts of love that lie beyond human control. It is not long, with focused plotlines, and suits a few quiet evenings of reading. For readers who like emotionally nuanced urban love stories that do not rely on strong conflict, this book offers a light but not shallow reading experience. It is better treated as a mirror to recall the near-misses in one’s own life than as a wish-fulfillment romance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy urban emotional fiction and prefer plain narration
Young readers who resonate with themes of fate and missed chances
Readers who want to finish a complete love story in a short length
Casual readers accustomed to reading a few chapters before bed

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking strong plot, fast pace, or suspenseful twists
Readers who prefer grand narratives or the depth of serious literature
Readers with no interest in love stories

Reading tips

Read in chapter order and note how the two characters feel differently about the same broken promise.
When you reach the missed-chance plot, don’t rush to judge the characters; first feel the helplessness brought by timing and choice.
After finishing, recall your own similar “almost” experiences, then revisit the details in the book.
If the emotional progression feels slow, read two or three chapters in a row to give the feelings room to build.

About the publisher

上海市华文创意写作中心

The Shanghai Chinese Creative Writing Center is a publishing institution focused mainly on literary titles, and its name reflects its attention to creative writing and literary creation. Its catalog currently contains 9 books, covering categories such as classic works, modern poetry, social novels, essays and miscellaneous writings, religion, and fine fiction, with a publishing direction that spans both fiction and nonfiction. Representative titles include Selected Fiction of Wang Qisen, a poetry collection by Shisheng, Tian'e Zhou IV by Mili Meili, You Live Beyond Time by Guo Xiaotu, as well as Aphorisms of Master Zhongguan, Flourishing and Withering with the Grass, Broken Promise, and Never Say Goodbye. Its authors include Wang Qisen, Guo Xiaotu, Mili Meili, Master Zhongguan, Zhou Yu, Liang Dao, Liu Fen, and Shisheng. The center emphasizes the simultaneous publication of fiction, poetry, and essays, balancing individual writing styles with diverse subjects. Because public information is limited, details about its founding background and publishing scale remain unclear.

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FAQ

Is this book a novel or a short story collection?

The materials indicate it is a novel centered on the emotions of Liu Mei and Mu Yang, with relatively focused plotlines and a modest length. It suits reading over a few evenings and is not a short story collection or essay collection.

Is the core of the story misunderstanding or fate?

The broken promise is the starting point, but the author focuses more on how the two characters’ emotions develop after the miss. The materials mention “a fated miss” and also “fate,” showing that the emphasis is not on creating misunderstandings but on how timing and choice affect a relationship.

Is it suitable for male readers?

Yes. Although the emotions are nuanced, the themes of missed chances and fate are universal and not limited to one gender perspective. Any male reader interested in urban love stories can equally find discussions of timing and choice here.

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About the author

梁道 Author

Liang Dao is an author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds only one work by this author, Lost Appointment (Shi Yue). According to the existing classification, the book falls under premium fiction, suggesting that Liang Dao writes in the novel genre and has reached readers through narrative works. The title Lost Appointment itself carries a sense of a promise unfulfilled and expectations unmet, hinting that the work may revolve around commitment, waiting, or misaligned relationships; however, the library provides no plot summary, character details, or background on its creation, so the specific content cannot be further confirmed. Since basic information such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name is unknown, and no other works or public records of experience have been found, Liang Dao's profile as a writer remains incomplete. At this stage, the author can only be regarded as having entered readers' view with a single novel, and judgments about thematic orientation and writing style must await further material.