A university student able to “see” relationships among people, places and things is dispirited by his lack of a similarly visible connection with his friends until a shimmering, silvery grey thread from a police sergeant reaches out and touches him. Could this be his one hope for true connection?

Since childhood, university student Chang I-hsien has had an “eye” for relationships. He sees emotional connections as interlinked threads – red for romance, yellow for friendship, and white for esteem. But there’s a problem: no thread has ever connected him with anyone. Not to his beloved Grandma, not to his best mates, … not to anyone. What’s more, threads heading in Chang’s direction invariably dissipate well before they reach him. Devoid of threads, Chang wonders whether any of his relationships have been genuine.


When Chang first meets Huang Shih-Hung, a police sergeant a few years his senior, at the scene of an accident, he is startled to see a thread connecting them. Moreover, the thread’s silvery grey color is something he had never previously seen. Curious, and fearful of losing his one and only relationship thread, Chang launches a concerted effort to wheedle his way into Huang’s life and eventually starts helping Huang out on cases. Over time, their increasingly close relationship begins churning up long-buried memories.


Tied to You is awash in insightful observations on the everyday. The author’s warm, empathetic writing style explores the intricacies of relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. Beck’s deft blending of fantasy, detective, and BL fiction elements infuses this work with unique cross-genre flair and allure, delivering a literary repast that both takes hold of the imagination and warms the heart.