Plucked Branch

阿司匹林Aug 2025

3.2

Word count: 324K words
Chapters: 98

Summary

A breakout second-chance romance from Aspirin, one of the most popular voices in a new generation of romance writers. Young love, worth more than gold. An aloof beauty x a cocky bad boy. But it's strange: I love you, and no one else will do.

The contest between Zhao Nanshuang and Zhou Chiyi began in primary school.

For a long time they tested each other while neither would concede first. She watched the girls around him change one after another; he heard her say, "I will never like a scumbag like Zhou Chiyi."

Yet beneath the appearance of being utterly incompatible lay a secret crush.

On a night when the ambiguity between them surged, Zhao Nanshuang was the one who confessed—and Zhou Chiyi was the one later dumped.

The breakup was not amicable. So even years later, when they meet again and re-enter each other's lives, the two are still quietly competing.

Living in the same building, Zhou Chiyi acts like a stranger when he sees a male colleague walk Zhao Nanshuang home.

Only in the second month, when the man beside her changes again, does Zhou Chiyi stop her. "Seems you haven't been idle these years—plenty of dating."

Zhao Nanshuang is offhand. "Looking like this, I couldn't be idle even if I wanted to."

Zhou Chiyi falls silent, then suddenly laughs. "Then what was that kiss yesterday? Don't use being drunk as an excuse—I know your tolerance."

Before she can react, he adds: "So it turns out I'm your first love."

Editor's review

Zhe Zhi is Aspirin's signature second-chance romance, and its central tension comes from a pair who have been locking horns since childhood: Zhao Nanshuang, cool and sharp-tongued, and Zhou Chiyi, cocky and unwilling to bow first. For years they probe each other, hiding a secret crush beneath the appearance of mutual hostility—until on a night of surging ambiguity the woman confesses, and the breakup that follows is anything but graceful. Years later, living in the same building, old scores and new jealousy surface together, and their rivalry becomes an excuse to draw close again. The author excels at this push-and-pull of stubborn mouths and soft hearts: dialogue moves fast, emotions build in fine increments, and the insistence that "no one else will do" is grounded in everyday scenes rather than forced along by melodramatic plot turns. For readers who love second-chance romance, mutual secret crushes, and urban reunions, this book delivers ample emotional intensity and readability. Best read over several consecutive evenings, following the emotional arc from testing each other to laying everything bare.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Romance readers who love second-chance romance and mutual secret-crush setups
Fans of urban romance drawn to stubborn, sharp-tongued characters and rivalry-driven push-and-pull
Readers looking for a fast-paced contemporary romance with high emotional intensity
Readers who follow works by popular new-generation authors

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer slow-burn healing stories and dislike characters who constantly lock horns
Readers uninterested in romance who expect the depth of serious literary fiction

Reading tips

Read chapter by chapter and watch the timeline from primary school to the reunion; details of their rivalry echo back and forth
When you reach the cohabitation section after the reunion, revisit the earlier testing scenes to appreciate how the emotional reversal is engineered
If you enjoy this couple's dynamic, look for the author's other books in the same vein as further reading

版权信息
第1章第一场雨
001
002
003
004
005
006
007
008
009
010
第2章第二场雨
011
012
013
014
015
016
017
018
019
020
第3章第三场雨
021
022
023
024
025
026
027
028
029
030
第4章第四场雨
031
032
033
034
035
036
037
038
039
040
第5章第五场雨
041
042
043
044
045
046
047
第6章折一枝
048
049
050
051
052
053
054
055
056
057
第7章折二枝
058
059
060
061
062
063
064
065
第8章折三枝
066
067
068
069
070
071
072
073
第9章折四枝
074
075
076
077
078
079
080
081
第10章折五枝
082
083
084
085
086
番外：匆匆又几年

FAQ

Is this a tragedy or a happy ending?

From the synopsis, the two go through a breakup and reunite years later, re-entering each other's lives, and the overall direction leans toward a second-chance reconciliation. For the exact ending, refer to the official published text; the synopsis centers on the insistence that "no one else will do" and on drawing close again.

Can I read this without having read the author's other books?

Yes. This is a standalone story centered on Zhao Nanshuang and Zhou Chiyi and does not depend on prior events from the author's other works. Readers coming in with this book alone can fully follow the relationships and emotional threads.

Is it good for reading in one sitting?

Yes. The story moves forward through the two characters' rivalry and emotional push-and-pull, with fast dialogue and high emotional intensity; reading continuously makes it easier to follow the arc from testing each other to laying everything bare. If time is limited, you can also read in segments before and after the reunion—comparing the two makes it more rewarding.

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About the author

阿司匹林 Author

Aspirin is an author whose work focuses mainly on contemporary romance and youth literature. Her publicly available personal information is limited: her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name have not been clearly recorded. The library currently holds nine of her works, including _Yan Wu Ban Yue_, _She Sees the Green Hills_, _Orange Soda_, _His Kiss_, _Skirt Hem (Exclusive First Release)_, _Breaking a Branch_, _Local Rainfall_, and _Daybreak_. Judging from these titles and the common categories they fall into, her writing tends to center on youth campus life and urban romance, and she is skilled at creating atmosphere through light, fresh imagery; her stories often carry delicate emotional currents and a youthful spirit. Although the number of her works is not large, she has developed a fairly consistent preference in subject matter and a stable readership, maintaining a recognizable voice within this genre.