His Instinctive Attraction

Qin Yuzheng is a thirty-five-year-old department-level Party secretary who has achieved remarkable success in provincial politics. Despite his professional stature and wealth, he has never experienced sexual desire or function, leading to a failed political marriage that ended in divorce six years ago. Medical examinations reveal no physical abnormalities, leaving his condition a psychological enigma. For years, he has lived a disciplined, solitary life, immune to romantic or physical temptation. This changes abruptly when he spots a woman in a cheongsam through the window of a café on Renmin Road. The encounter triggers vivid erotic dreams about her, shattering his emotional equilibrium and compelling him to seek answers from his longtime friend, Dr. Qiu Jinyi. Qiu Jinyi suggests that Qin Yuzheng is not incapable but simply has not yet met the right woman to awaken his desire.

Simultaneously, the narrative introduces Yang Zhiyan, a twenty-five-year-old qipao designer and apprentice to Teacher Mu. Yang Zhiyan endures a toxic family dynamic where her parents and older brother, Yang Yaohua, favor sons over daughters. She contributes the majority of her income to the household and even paid one hundred thousand yuan toward her brother’s apartment down payment, only to be told her room is now needed for a nursery. Her sister-in-law, Li Fengxia, pressures her to marry a cousin, Zhou Yuanzhi, a civil servant who demands she bear three sons. During a disastrous blind date at the café where Qin Yuzheng is also present, Yang Zhiyan refuses Zhou’s absurd demands and confronts her family. She declares her intention to move out, reclaiming her autonomy by framing her previous financial contributions as repayment for her upbringing.

Yang Zhiyan begins searching for a new apartment, facing substandard housing options and financial strain. Meanwhile, Qin Yuzheng, driven by his obsession with the woman he saw in the café, tracks her down to the Mufei Qipao Studio. He discovers she is the designer behind a custom qipao ordered by his grandmother. Upon meeting her, he is struck by her elegance and passion for her craft. He uses the pretext of commissioning a dress for his mother to add her on WeChat, initiating a connection that blurs the lines between professional obligation and personal interest. Qin Yuzheng attends the Qipao Cultural Exhibition, where he watches Yang Zhiyan speak with confidence and expertise about her designs. Her dedication and natural grace captivate him further, reinforcing his determination to pursue her.

The story establishes a parallel between the two protagonists’ struggles for independence. Yang Zhiyan escapes her oppressive family environment, while Qin Yuzheng confronts his lifelong emotional and physical stagnation. Their paths intersect through the medium of qipao craftsmanship, a traditional art form that symbolizes precision, beauty, and hidden depths. As Qin Yuzheng navigates his growing feelings for the first time in his life, Yang Zhiyan works to build a stable, self-determined future. The narrative sets the stage for a romance rooted in mutual respect and the healing power of genuine connection, contrasting Qin Yuzheng’s political power with his personal vulnerability, and Yang Zhiyan’s artistic passion against her familial exploitation.