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A Woman Without a Mask

At 28, Clara Hayes has mastered the art of wearing masks. To her colleagues, she’s the perpetually cheerful graphic designer who never misses a deadline. To her overbearing mother, she’s the dutiful daughter hiding her anxiety behind polished smiles. To the world, she’s a woman who “has it all together”—except she’s crumbling inside. Clara’s life unravels during a corporate presentation where a panic attack strips her façade raw. Humiliated and exhausted, she flees to a quiet coastal town, renting a cottage owned by an eccentric, free-spirited potter named Marisol. There, Clara stumbles upon a dusty journal in the attic, its pages filled with haunting sketches and anonymous confessions from a woman who once lived there decades earlier. The entries mirror Clara’s own suffocating duality: “I paint myself in colors the world approves of, but my soul is a grayscale.” As Clara tentatively befriends Marisol and a reclusive widower, Eli, who runs the town’s crumbling bookstore, she begins confronting the lies she’s told herself for years. Through their unconventional guidance—and the journal’s cryptic wisdom—she starts shedding her masks one by one. But vulnerability comes at a cost: her corporate career teeters, her mother’s disapproval intensifies, and a buried trauma from her teenage years resurfaces, threatening to drown her newfound courage. When Clara’s raw, unfiltered artwork—created in secret—goes viral, she faces a choice: return to the safety of her old illusions or step into the terrifying freedom of living unapologetically. But the journal hides a final secret, linking Clara’s journey to the cottage’s mysterious past, forcing her to question whether true authenticity is a rebellion… or a homecoming.
Daoist5CDTxH · 1.7K Views

The CEO's Icy Lover Taming

The protagonist of the story, Ni Moqiang, is the secretary of Ren Jingdong, the president of Jinyu Group. She has a cold - looking appearance and always dresses in an old - fashioned way at work, with black - framed glasses and a neatly combed bun, making it difficult for others to catch a glimpse of her true appearance. However, during a busy day at the company, Ren Jingdong accidentally catches a glimpse of her when she takes off her glasses. Her delicate face and flustered expression make his heart ripple. By chance, Ni Moqiang goes to Dark Rose Pub on her birthday and meets Ren Jingdong there. At this time, she is wearing a glittering halter dress, looking sexy and charming, completely different from her usual image. Under the influence of alcohol, Ni Moqiang has an intimate relationship with Ren Jingdong. But when she wakes up the next day, Ni Moqiang finds herself in a strange place, lying beside her boss Ren Jingdong. Panicked, she chooses to flee. After returning home, Ni Moqiang faces numerous family crises. Her stepmother, Qi Youling, mocks her coldly, and her father flies into a rage when he discovers the hickey on her neck, causing family conflicts to intensify instantly. And at this chaotic moment, her father suddenly has a cerebral hemorrhage and passes away. Yang Qiwei, her stepmother's lover, often comes to make trouble at the door, and Ni Moqiang's life is plunged into endless darkness. Under great pain and pressure, she chooses to disappear and has no news ever since. After Ni Moqiang's disappearance, Ren Jingdong realizes her importance to him. He searches everywhere but finds nothing. During Ni Moqiang's disappearance, she is saved by the Bai family. At that time, Bai Qinlan accidentally bumps into Ni Moqiang, who is in a trance outside the cemetery, causing her to pass out. The Bai family takes her back and takes good care of her. They find that she has lost her memory and is pregnant. Out of kindness, the Bai family not only takes her in but also adopts her as their adopted daughter and names her Bai Youruo. Time flies by, and three years pass. Bai Youruo has a peaceful time in the Bai family, but unfortunately, the child in her belly fails to be saved due to an accident. During her work at the Bai family's company, she is ostracized by her colleagues because of her special identity and finally decides to resign. By chance, she applies for a job at Eryang Technology, which has been acquired by Ren Jingdong, and becomes a special assistant in the president's office. Here, Ren Jingdong meets her again. Although Bai Youruo tries to disguise herself, Ren Jingdong gradually suspects that she is Ni Moqiang based on some details. To confirm his suspicion, Ren Jingdong takes Bai Youruo to the Ren family's dinner, hoping to use her food allergies to confirm her identity. At the dinner, Bai Youruo accidentally eats the allergic food and has a severe allergic reaction. Bai Ye, Bai Chenyu, and Bai Qinlan rush over when they hear the news. In this chaos, Ren Jingdong finally confirms that Bai Youruo is Ni Moqiang, and the Bai family has to tell the whole story of that year.
owl_dcowl · 3.9K Views
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