《Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott》

Author: Mandy Cooper

A youthful romance leads to a lifetime of entanglement. During their university days, the radiant and sunny Mason Morgan fell in love at first sight with the law department’s prodigy, Ian Mitchell. Outgoing and straightforward, she boldly pursued him, eventually making the exceptionally talented him pause and stay for her. However, his inability to express himself ultimately caused her, after a heartbreak, to leave for a foreign land. Seven years later, Mason Morgan returns to China, and in a crowded supermarket, she spots him at first glance—he is still as handsome and outstanding as ever...

This book begins with their encounter in the supermarket seven years later, gently recounting a love that leaves a lasting mark. The male lead, Ian Mitchell, is deeply affectionate and persistent; beneath his calm exterior surges a longing that cuts to the bone, and within his cold words hides the deepest tenderness. If she had ever appeared in his world, then everyone else would be mere compromise—and he is unwilling to compromise...

Prologue: Written for Turtle Comics

At last, it’s time to write a preface for Mandy’s “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott.” You know, waiting for this day truly wasn’t easy—let me be moved for a moment. Turtle Comics often gets frustrated, complaining that it was all because she chose the wrong pen name at the start. “Mandy Cooper” means that no matter if the sky falls, she’ll still be so “漫” (slow/relaxed). If she were called “Gus Cooper” (quick), she would have finished Ian Mitchell long ago.

I often think Mandy is a genius.

To write so slowly, you need a bit of genius, especially since she actually writes every day. Whenever friends mention Mandy’s “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott,” I reply that she hasn’t finished it yet, and their shocked, bewildered expressions are truly amusing. She spent a full two years writing this “Ian Mitchell.” Even a turtle could have crawled there by now—how could anyone be this slow! Thus, Mandy earned a famous nickname—“Turtle” (turtle). Honestly, even turtles would feel wronged; they’re much faster than Mandy, haha.

Writing this, I can almost see Mandy’s aggrieved, frowning face.

She writes slowly because she holds her work to such high standards.

Every sentence, every word, every transition—she revises and ponders them repeatedly, carefully experiencing the subtle differences in each expression. For example, “he ×× opened the window,” “she ×× lowered her head”—she’ll consider those “××” for a long, long time. If she’s writing a climactic scene, you’ll see her on QQ acting out spitting blood, hanging herself, or banging her head against the wall. No matter how long it takes, she insists on capturing the most perfect, fitting feeling. Sometimes we joke that she’s so serious it’s almost a little crazy.

That’s why “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott” is like a pearl. She spent a long time, nurturing it with her heart and painstakingly polishing it, so that this story shines with a gentle luster, subtle and rich within. At first glance, it may not be stunning, but as you read on, you’ll find your heartstrings pulled, unable to look away.

“Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott” is a story I really love—subtle, deep affection, warm and tender. The writing seems simple, but between the lines there’s a heady fragrance, and before you know it, you’re intoxicated. Mandy is best at writing warmth; every cozy scene is written so movingly.

I once saw a reader leave a comment under her story—

“Warmth isn’t enough, because it’s more penetrating than warmth; passion isn’t enough, because it’s more lingering than passion; romance isn’t enough, because it’s so real.

That kind of gentle forcefulness, the searing longing masked as indifference, the subtle care revealed in nonchalance—such a man, even the most beautiful love in dreams can’t compare.

So I’m determined to squat in this pit (wait for updates).”

Yes, and that’s exactly why, even though “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott” isn’t a very long story, it was serialized for over two years and still remains unforgettable—its charm lies right there.

I got to know Mandy because of this story. At the time, a friend of mine, Sophie, really liked “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott,” so she was always talking about “Mandy Cooper” around me, urging me to read her work. Just reading wasn’t enough for Sophie; she insisted I actually meet the author, Mandy Cooper. Finally, one day, she formally introduced me and Mandy to each other on QQ.

Ah, it almost felt like a blind date, haha.

I’m a very slow-to-warm-up person.

Back then, we just met, but didn’t become close. Looking back, both of us were hiding our “evil” sides, pretending to be “ladies”—very polite, friendly, and gentle, so there was a sense of distance. Later, as days passed and we went through a lot together, the “masks” couldn’t hold, and we suddenly realized how well we actually got along.

The same gossip.

The same laziness.

The same love for laughing and crying.

Later, it even got to the point where we had to “meet” every day, chatting and gossiping all the time, writing together, and only going to bed after saying “goodnight” to each other.

Such close friendship may not last forever (sweat, don’t mind me, I’m being pessimistic again), but I really cherish this beautiful time, which seems to have added more warmth and sunshine to both our novels.

So, since Mandy is publishing this book, I’ve taken on the task of writing this preface. I feel a bit embarrassed, as I’m not good at writing prefaces—no theory, no logic, always rambling on about related or unrelated things. But being able to leave these words in Mandy’s book is probably the best annotation to our friendship.

So, what kind of story will Mandy write next?

She’s someone who’s always inspired, with all sorts of strange and wonderful ideas popping into her head. She’ll often come running up, shouting excitedly, “I’ve thought of a story, a great story, I have to write it!” Then she’ll make a wish, saying she’ll finish it by a certain month.

We always look at her with “sympathetic” eyes:

“Have you finished ‘Ian Mitchell’ yet?”

She immediately puts on an aggrieved, frowning face.

“If you can finish ‘Ian Mitchell’, we’ll believe you can finish the next one.” We smile at her reassuringly.

Then she’ll act out spitting blood, hanging herself, and banging her head against the wall, sulking in silence.

Now, Turtle Comics’s “Ian Mitchell & Mason Scott” is finally complete, and she can finally move on to her new story with ease. Although I don’t know how long she’ll take to finish it, with her perfectionist, almost harsh attitude toward writing, I believe it will still be a great story.

Mandy.

Go for it!

Mia Brooks

Late night, December 13, 2005

Later, I finally learned how to love, but unfortunately, you had long since gone, vanished into the sea of people...

Chapter One: Reunion

The next time she saw him was seven years later, in a crowded supermarket packed with weekend shoppers.

Mason Morgan was pushing a shopping cart alone, struggling to move through the crowd. Having just returned from abroad, she wasn’t quite used to such crowds yet, but this lively and familiar scene made her unconsciously smile, listening to the noisy local dialect with a sense of gratitude. She wondered if others who had just returned home felt the same, with excitement and joy almost impossible to contain.

Seven years! It’s been so long!

But how could she run into him right after coming back? No, to be precise, it was them.

Mason Scott quietly watched the couple standing in front of the vegetable rack, once again marveling at the strangeness of fate. Seven years ago, it was also them who made her finally decide to go abroad.

Now they’re shopping together, so they must have ended up together! Luckily, she left quickly back then, or she would have been hurt even more.

Ian Mitchell, Amy Mitchell—how silly she was to think that having similar names meant they must be siblings.

“We’re not siblings at all. Our families used to be close neighbors, both surnamed He, so the adults gave us similar names. Later, when Ian Mitchell’s parents had an accident, our family adopted Ian Mitchell.”

“Do you think you can compare to the twenty years of childhood friendship between me and Ian Mitchell?”

“I’m here today to tell you that I love Ian Mitchell. I don’t want to love him in secret anymore. I want to compete with you openly and fairly.”

The day before Mason Scott’s nineteenth birthday, her usually quiet and introverted friend Amy Mitchell suddenly declared this to her with great courage. For someone as gentle and uncompetitive as Amy Mitchell to say this, she must have been deeply in love.

But what did she have to compete with Amy Mitchell? On the very day Amy Mitchell declared war, she lost, and then fled to America for seven years.

Ian Mitchell—suddenly recalling his cold eyes and heartless words from that day, Mason Scott felt a slight, almost imperceptible ache in her heart, but it was there.

They were walking in her direction. Mason Scott’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the cart, almost wanting to turn and leave immediately. But the supermarket was too crowded, and with her cart, she couldn’t turn around at all. In the next moment, she thought, why should she run away? She should calmly say to them, “Hi, long time no see,” then walk away gracefully, leaving them with a beautiful view of her back.