Late at night, Wen Fan pushed open the door to Wen Qing's room.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of light from the streetlights outside seeping through the gaps in the curtains.

The girl on the bed was fast asleep, the blanket pulled up to her chin, her breathing long and even.

Wen Fan closed the door behind him, plunging himself completely into darkness.

He stood where the light didn't reach, leaning against the door, quietly watching the sleeping face on the bed.

Then he walked closer step by step and sat silently on the edge of the bed.

She was sleeping soundly, her lips slightly parted, her cheeks flushed, and a few strands of hair scattered on the pillow, like a quiet and gentle painting.

His gaze involuntarily fell on her lips.

Her lips were slightly parted, a pale pink color that gleamed with a moist sheen in the dim light.

As if drawn by some invisible force, he couldn't help but reach out, his fingertips slowly approaching that soft spot.

But just as his fingers were about to touch her, his reason returned abruptly, his hand froze in mid-air, and then he slowly withdrew it.

He lowered his eyelashes and silently told himself—no, she is his sister, he can't do this.

But then another voice in my heart chuckled softly: We're not related by blood, what's there to be afraid of?

He tightened his grip on his fingers: It still won't work, I only see her as a younger sister.

The voice carried a hint of mocking laughter: You really only see her as a younger sister? What about all those dreams before? And today in the closet, when you were biting her, did you really not know who was next to you?

Wen Fan was rendered speechless by that voice.

The voice continued to penetrate deeper, soft and seductive: What are you afraid of? Even if you develop those feelings, so what? Don't you want to be with her forever? Or do you want her to marry someone else, become someone else's wife, and have nothing to do with you anymore?

Upon considering this possibility, Wen Fan almost instinctively blurted out in his mind – No.

The voice chuckled with satisfaction: "See? You didn't want to. Know your own heart. Were you very angry today when you heard Gu Qin kiss her?"

Wen Fan recalled what Su Yilan had told him: Gu Qin had performed CPR on Wen Qing to save her.

Su Yilan made it very clear that it was to save people, and there was no other meaning.

He knew it was about saving lives.

But the anger in my heart still exploded like ignited gunpowder.

The girl he had protected since childhood, the girl he cherished in the palm of his hand, was unknowingly...

You can't think about it; the more you think about it, the more tormented you become.

The voice sensed his wavering and became softer and more alluring: She already bears the mark of another man; you should remove it and cover it with your own.

Wen Fan suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze falling once again on the slightly parted lips in front of her.

The voice, like Satan from hell, continued to whisper in his mind: "Want to kiss it? Only you can touch that place, why should other men get there first?"

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, as reason and desire clashed fiercely in his mind.

He gritted his teeth in a final struggle: No... I...

Why not? If you don't take action now, your most cherished sister will be taken away by another man.

Are you content with this?

He was not reconciled.

When he refocused his gaze, what he saw before him was a pair of full, soft lips, slightly parted, emitting a faint fragrance, less than a fist's distance from his own.

At that moment, the string that had been stretched for too long snapped.

He slowly leaned down and gently covered his lips with his.

……

The next morning, Wenqing woke up feeling refreshed and had a very deep sleep.

But when she sat up and stretched, she felt something strange about her lips. It wasn't exactly painful, but it was just a little uncomfortable.

She shuffled to the mirror in her slippers and looked at herself carefully. She noticed that her lips were slightly red and swollen, as if they had been bitten by something.

She frowned, wondering if she had been bitten by a mosquito.

But then I thought, the mosquito season seems to be over.

She leaned closer to the mirror and looked at herself more carefully. She touched it lightly with her finger and felt a slight sting.

If you can't figure it out, then stop thinking about it. It's not serious anyway, and it'll be fine on its own in a couple of days.

The aroma of congee with preserved egg and lean pork was already wafting from the kitchen.

Wenqing followed the aroma, approached the stove, took a deep breath, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction, marveling at how delicious it smelled.

Looking at the girl's fluffy hair, Wen Fan's hand holding the spatula stiffened slightly. Then he turned his head and smiled gently at her, asking her as usual if she slept well last night.

I nodded gently and helped him set out the dishes. This morning was as peaceful and harmonious as every morning before.

While drinking the porridge, Wenqing was burned and hissed as she withdrew her tongue, fanning her mouth with her hand.

Wen Fan immediately put down her chopsticks and told her to drink slowly, as the freshly served porridge was still very hot.

Wen Qing stuck out her tongue and casually remarked, "I don't know why, but my lips hurt a bit when I woke up this morning. It felt like I was bitten by some kind of bug, even though there shouldn't be any mosquitoes this time of year."

Upon hearing this, Wen Fan's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly stiffened, and his expression became unnatural for a moment.

He lowered his eyelashes, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and said in a slightly hoarse voice.

"It's probably because... I'm a little overheated. The weather's been dry lately, so drinking more water should help."

"That makes sense." Wen Qing didn't think much of it and continued to drink her porridge.

Wen Fan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she continued eating breakfast without noticing anything.

He glanced at her lips and saw that they were indeed slightly swollen and red. A wave of guilt and self-reproach washed over him; he had been too unrestrained last night.

He found himself holding a washed cherry in his hand. Looking down at the small red fruit, the sensation from last night involuntarily surfaced in his mind—it was so sweet and soft, like a gummy candy, that he savored it again and again, reluctant to let go.

Just as the images in his mind were about to spiral out of control, he abruptly stopped his thoughts, stuffed the cherry into his mouth and bit it hard. The icy juice exploded on his tongue, barely suppressing the surging heat.

After finishing his meal, he couldn't help but glance at the girl on the sofa who was looking down at her phone. She was sitting cross-legged, leaning her head against the cushion, her fingers swiping across the screen, looking relaxed and carefree, completely unaware of what had happened the night before.

Wen Fan couldn't help but ask herself, what would her reaction be if she knew that the person she had treated like a brother for so many years actually harbored such thoughts about her?

Was it disgust, fear, or...? He dared not think any further.

……

On the other side, at the Gu family villa.

Gu Ling stood by the window, gazing at the vibrant scene in the garden below, lost in thought.

The rose bushes were in full bloom, the gardener was bending down to prune the branches, and the sunlight shone on the lawn; everything seemed peaceful and orderly.

But this tranquility was completely out of sync with his current state of mind.

Fang Yu pushed open the door and walked in, carrying a cup of ginseng tea. She placed it on the table, walked over to her son, and asked him with concern.

"You haven't looked well lately. Is it because you're too tired from work?"

Gu Ling looked away and shook her head: "It's nothing. Where's my dad?"

"Still sleeping," Fang Yu said calmly. "He drank too much last night and hasn't woken up yet."

"His health isn't good to begin with, he should drink less."

Gu Ling frowned and said.

"I can't persuade him," Fang Yu said coldly and indifferently, "and he won't listen to me anyway. As long as he doesn't die, that's fine."

Gu Ling frowned but did not reply.

Fang Yu clearly didn't want to talk about her husband anymore, and instead said, "By the way, what do you think of the youngest daughter of the Su family? I mean, Su Yilan."

Gu Ling remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"He's alright. He's straightforward, not scheming, and has good relationships within the industry."

"I heard that Su Jilan intends to groom her as his successor," Fang Yu walked up to him and lowered her voice, "If you can marry her, the Su family will be a strong ally for you. Then you'll have a lot more leverage when dealing with that old woman from the Gu family."

"The Fu family is also interested in a marriage alliance with the Su family. The competition is fierce."

Gu Ling spoke in a flat tone.

"What's there to be afraid of in competition?" Fang Yu said dismissively. "As long as you strike first and win that girl's heart, everything will be solved, right? My son is handsome and capable; why would he be inferior to that girl from the Fu family?"

Gu Ling scoffed lightly: "Easier said than done."

How will you know if you don't try?

Fang Yu raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that her son didn't respond, she suddenly sighed, her expression shifting from scheming to deeper resentment.

"It's a pity that old woman isn't dead yet. With her around, you'll never get real respect in the Gu family. Gu Qin has been raised to be like that... illiterate, rude and uncouth, he doesn't look like an heir at all, yet that old woman still won't give up on him. I really don't understand what she's thinking, neglecting such a good grandson like you and insisting on protecting that good-for-nothing."

Gu Ling frowned as she listened to her mother complain about these old clichés and told her to stop.

Seeing that he looked unwell, Fang Yu stopped talking, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Think it over carefully," before turning and leaving.

Gu Ling looked out the window again, her fingers tapping lightly on the window frame, the rhythm slow and heavy.

……

The roar of engines on the racetrack was deafening.

Gu Qin took off his gloves and rolled off the race car. Several of the second-generation kids who were playing with him also stopped their cars, all of them exhausted and slumped on the rest chairs next to them, panting heavily.

Huang Yi handed over a towel and water from the side, greeting him with a fawning expression: "Brother Gu, that turn you just took was absolutely amazing! You drifted right along the inside line, even professional drivers aren't as cool as you!"

Gu Qin took the water and gulped it down, his expression unchanged.

Having been by his side for a long time, Huang Yi could tell at a glance that he was in a bad mood, so he tried different ways to keep praising him.

"Seriously, I recorded a video and will post it in the group chat later so they can all admire it. And Gu-ge, your outfit today—black leather jacket with racing gloves—is absolutely the most eye-catching sight at the racetrack. Several girls were secretly looking at you just now."

Why are you being so noisy today?

Gu Qin shoved the empty water bottle into his arms, frowned, and picked at his ear.

Huang Yi gave an awkward smile, rolled his eyes, and leaned closer to lower his voice.

"Brother Gu, a new club just opened nearby. I heard they have tons of things to do—bowling, karaoke, spa, you name it. And I heard the service is pretty good too. How about we check it out?"

Gu Qin tossed the towel back into his arms, then draped her coat over her shoulder: "Whatever."

Huang Yi immediately gave a wink to his brothers behind him, and the group quickly followed.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like