Secretly Like You for Many Years

Jiang You is an eighteen-year-old jewelry design student with a complicated family background. Her mother, a busy surgeon, raised her alone after leaving an unknown father. Jiang You grew up close to her best friend, Wen Nian, and the two share a deep bond. Wen Nian is the granddaughter of the wealthy Fu family, making Jiang You familiar with the elite circle. She has harbored secret feelings for Fu Jin, Wen Nian’s uncle, for years. Fu Jin is a twenty-six-year-old cold and powerful business heir who returned to China a year ago. Despite their close proximity, they had grown distant, with Jiang You only watching from afar as he dated briefly the previous year.

The story begins on June 9th, immediately after Wen Nian’s college entrance exams. Driven by alcohol and courage, Wen Nian attempts to confess her two-year secret crush to Su Rui, a man connected to the Fu family. The confession is rejected harshly, with Su Rui dismissing her as too young. Devastated, Wen Nian returns to their private room at the Sheng Tang Clubhouse in a daze. Jiang You, furious on her friend’s behalf, storms into the adjacent room to confront the man she believes is Su Rui. She delivers a passionate scolding, unaware that the tall man in the black suit is actually Fu Jin. When she realizes her mistake, she is terrified, but Fu Jin remains calm and merely drives her and Wen Nian home.

During the car ride, the dynamic between Jiang You and Fu Jin shifts. Jiang You, initially timid, displays unexpected boldness, teasing Fu Jin about his relationship status and calling him old-fashioned. Fu Jin, usually aloof, shows faint traces of amusement and protectiveness. He learns that Jiang You is starting her internship soon and is participating in a design competition. The interaction reveals a growing, unspoken tension between them. Later, when Jiang You’s mother goes on a ten-day business trip, she stays at the Fu family mansion. She attempts to win over Fu Jin’s parents by cooking, enduring a nightmare about her absent father and half-sister, which highlights her deep-seated insecurities. Despite a clumsy first breakfast, her kindness and warmth gradually endear her to Fu Jin’s mother, Ruan Guixia, who treats Jiang You like a beloved granddaughter.

Meanwhile, Wen Nian, encouraged by Jiang You, seeks closure with Su Rui. With Jiang You providing real-time tactical advice via earpiece, Wen Nian confronts Su Rui, reclaiming her dignity and ending her unrequited obsession. Liberated, Wen Nian takes Jiang You to the Sheng Tang nightclub to celebrate. Jiang You, inexperienced with alcohol, becomes intoxicated quickly. While Wen Nian dances, Jiang You is approached by Tang Yu, the club owner, and later harassed by Bai Hao, a reckless young man from a rival family. Bai Hao attempts to assault her in a private area.

Fu Jin, alerted by Tang Yu about a beautiful girl in danger at the club, arrives just in time to intervene. He brutally disables Bai Hao and rescues Jiang You, carrying her out of the venue. Back at his luxury apartment, Fu Jin tends to her, masking his jealousy and fear with sternness. He promises not to tell her mother, and Jiang You, grateful, offers him elaborate blessings. The incident marks a turning point, as Fu Jin’s protective instincts become undeniable. He begins to investigate Bai Hao’s criminal history, revealing a pattern of violence and assault. As Jiang You recovers, the barrier between her and Fu Jin weakens, setting the stage for a complex romance fraught with family expectations and past traumas.

The narrative explores the contrast between Jiang You’s warm, resilient nature and Fu Jin’s cold, controlled exterior. Her presence disrupts his orderly life, triggering emotions he has long suppressed. The story also delves into the wealthy circles of Beicheng, highlighting the power dynamics between the Fu, Bai, and Tang families. Jiang You’s journey from a shy admirer to a confident young woman is paralleled by her growing influence over Fu Jin’s emotional world. The unresolved tension between them suggests that their relationship will evolve beyond the traditional uncle-niece dynamic, challenging the social norms and family histories that have kept them apart.