After remarriage, becoming one family naturally meant living together. But whether on Lin Shu’s side or Aunt Liang’s, both were renting in the city—never truly putting down roots. And both places were cramped.

Lin Shu lived in an old residential compound near the Power Grid Community, originally dormitories for power company employees. Now, besides retired elders, most units were rented out.

Aunt Liang and her daughter stayed in a new apartment near Wanda Plaza—small space, high rent, but far better surroundings than Lin Shu’s current place.

“We’re planning to buy a place in the latest phase of Garden Community, behind the library,” Aunt Liang asked. “Shu, want to come house-hunting with us?”

Garden Community was massive. Most interestingly, a Christian church stood at its north end, a Guanyin Temple to the south, and to the east lay the suburban park Su Nuan had mentioned.

Lin Shu’s family had also been eyeing properties here, but the divorce dragged on until the deal fell through.

“I’ll skip it,” Lin Shu said. “Training this afternoon. Whatever you pick is fine—I’ve got no demands. I’m full. Heading to the library to study.”

Though it wasn’t yet time to meet Su Nuan, he couldn’t keep her waiting.

*Sigh.* Aunt Liang rested her chin on one hand. “I wish Caiyi would learn from you, her big brother.”

*Brother?* He felt zero kinship.

“She’ll mature in a year or two,” Lin Shu replied carefully. “She’ll understand your good intentions eventually.”

He hated praise. He wasn’t the paragon Aunt Liang described—full of flaws, really. The higher their hopes, the harder the fall when they lived together.

Lin Shu stood to leave. His dad started praising his “maturity” again. Flustered, he hurried out of the Oxygen Bar, glancing around.

A taxi idled outside the gym. Liang Caiyi crouched against the wall, knees hugged to her chest, chin resting on them. A twig traced circles on the pavement as she muttered to herself. Just as Aunt Liang said—she hadn’t run far. Pride kept her from going back.

Even with her belt fastened, the tight denim of her jeans revealed a glimpse of pale skin above her waistband when she crouched.

Ignoring her wasn’t an option. She’d scare off customers—especially with the Oxygen Bar opening soon. Mornings were for cleaning and prep.

Lin Shu shrugged off his light track jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“If you’re hungry, go back and eat. The food’s still warm. Aunt Liang cooked your favorites.”

“None of your business!” she snapped.

“I *make* it my business. Besides Aunt Liang, who actually cares about you?”

No point lecturing. She wouldn’t listen. Waste of breath—and she’d only hate him more.

Lin Shu turned to leave for the library, waving without looking back—then froze. A familiar figure stood nearby: white hooded tracksuit, black joggers, a simple ponytail, pink backpack slung over one shoulder. She adjusted her bangs with a small mirror.

Lin Shu checked his phone. Twenty minutes till noon. He steeled himself and approached.

“Su… Nuan. Good afternoon. Have you eaten?” He still stumbled over the intimate nickname.

Su Nuan tucked the mirror away, a serene smile on her lips. “Of course. Greeting me like some old grandpa? The girl behind you is glaring like she wants to eat you alive. Do you like… *that* type? Is that why you rejected the well-behaved Gu Chuchu?”

“Ugh, no way.” Lin Shu grimaced, waving his hands violently. “I can’t stand girls like her. Her looks, her attitude—rude, rebellious, troublemaking. Zero appeal.”

“Then why cover her with your jacket?”

*She saw that?*

“Didn’t want her catching a cold.”

“How *warm* of you. Global warming from your kindness?” Su Nuan clapped slowly, deadpan. “Try again.”

“She was… showing a bit of skin when she crouched.”

“Showing skin?”

“Just a hint. As her ‘brother,’ I couldn’t ignore it.”

“She’s your sister? The sister you *like*? But you just said you don’t.” Su Nuan frowned, confused.

“Complicated. I’ll explain while we walk.”

“She’s still staring.”

Liang Caiyi clutched the jacket, bewildered. She’d almost thrown it back—until he walked off to chat with that stunning girl.

*It’s not even cold. What’s wrong with him?*

Then it hit her. Today’s jeans. She reached back—bare skin exposed above the waistband.

*He saw.*

“Ah! I’ll kill you!” Liang Caiyi shrieked like a startled groundhog, the sound piercing the air. Humiliated, she yanked the jacket over her head, drowning in Lin Shu’s masculine scent. She balled it up to throw away—just as her mother grabbed her ear.

“What’s wrong with you, silly girl? Back inside to eat! Can’t you be half as responsible as Lin Shu? He finished his meal and went straight to the library. Trained this morning too—excelling in both academics and sports. What have *you* done today besides upsetting me?”

*Library?* They *were* heading that way. Definitely a date. “Studying,” my foot.

“She’s my dad’s fiancée’s daughter. Liang Caiyi. Just found out today—it’s sudden. But looking back, the signs were there. I just never connected the dots.”

“Oh-ho! A stepsister with no blood ties? Perfect for a sister-complex guy like you.”

“I only care about *real* sisters.”

“Could you be any creepier?”

“I meant *care*, pervert!”

“You say that now. Who knows later?” Su Nuan leaned close, sniffing his neck. “At least you didn’t keep me waiting. Good boyfriend points. Showered too?”

“I showered because I sweated from training. Not for you.”

“Lucky for you I’m used to your sweaty stench.”

Noon meant most library service desks and reading rooms were closed. But the Social Sciences & General Collections room on the second floor, and the self-study hall on the fourth, stayed open daily except Mondays.

They headed straight for the empty self-study hall, snagging a window seat. Backpacks hung from chair backs.

“Same as yesterday: multiple-choice questions first, then two or three cloze passages.”

Su Nuan pulled out a pencil case and test papers. Lin Shu scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Lend me a pen?”

“No books, no stationery? Hard to believe you came to study.” Su Nuan rolled her eyes.

“Left everything at school. Figured you’d have extras.”

“Wow. Thanks for the *faith*.” She unzipped her pencil case. It overflowed: colorful pen caps, tools Lin Shu didn’t recognize. *Since when does studying need more than ballpoints, highlighters, and erasers?*

Cartoon mechanical pencils. Dual-tip highlighters. A forest of gel pens. Correction tape. Even an e-dictionary pen.

“What’s this cat-head camera thing?”

“It’s a printer. ‘Meow Meow Printer.’ Great for printing wrong answers. Or cute stickers.”

“Looks like an overpriced gimmick. Bought it just ‘cause it’s cute?”

Lin Shu grabbed a random pen, spinning it on his fingertip. It carried Su Nuan’s faint fragrance.

“This e-dictionary pen’s for you. I used it in middle school. Still works—just charge it often. Tap any unknown word to look it up. Handy, but don’t overuse it. Exams won’t have dictionaries. Limit yourself to one translation per question. Memorize it. No repeats.”

Su Nuan tore a sheet from her notebook for Lin Shu’s answers, then stuffed the notebook back into her bag. *Why so protective all of a sudden? Secrets?*

Curiosity aside, Lin Shu respected boundaries.

“You start. I’ll check later. Gonna borrow some books.”

She left her backpack behind.

*A test?* Lin Shu wouldn’t fall for it. *Focus. Forget the mess at home.*

Su Nuan returned with a stack of outdated romance novels.

“Research. Learning how to fake a realistic couple. You should try it.”

“Uh… I’ll pass.”

“Then study.”

Su Nuan slipped on arm sleeves and opened a book.

Language learning was dull. Especially for uninterested learners. But Su Nuan was patient. Even zoning out, just watching her profile was… pleasant. No dozing off.

Her straight nose. Delicate chin. Lips glistening faintly. A stray strand of hair tucked behind her ear.

Every time Lin Shu daydreamed, Su Nuan rapped his head with her book.

“Focus.”

“Nuan. Done.” Lin Shu stretched hugely. No reply.

He turned. Su Nuan had fallen asleep face-down on her open book. *Would she drool?*

Partly hoping to see her flustered, Lin Shu let her sleep. He tackled the remaining questions. With the e-dictionary pen, unknown words vanished. The questions themselves were almost insultingly simple.

Lin Shu didn’t notice the phone camera hidden behind the bookshelf behind him.

Liang Caiyi had stormed out after lunch, nagged by her mother.

“Where now? School or stay home!”

“It’s Saturday! Library. To find Lin Shu.”

“You better actually be studying.”

Lin Shu barely knew Liang Caiyi’s name. To her, he was the “perfect child” her mom compared her to daily. The more she heard, the more she hated him.

*Gotta expose his flaws. Ruin his image with Mom. Or if we become family, she’ll never stop comparing me to this “excellent brother.”*

She’d tied Lin Shu’s jacket around her waist, phone poised for ages. *Seriously? Just reading?*

Her legs ached. When his girlfriend fell asleep, she’d expected pranks. But he just… kept studying. *Are you even human?*

Liang Caiyi was ready to scream.

Lin Shu checked the time. Past 1 PM. He’d been absorbed for hours.

“Nuan. Wake up.” He gently shook her shoulder.

“Mmm?” Su Nuan lifted her head, drowsy. A red crease marked her forehead.

“You drooled.”

“What?!”

Her eyes flew wide. She wiped her mouth—dry. The book was clean. *Tricked.*

She’d barely slept. Worried about today’s outfit. Didn’t want school uniform on the weekend, but a dress felt too obvious. Settled on this compromise after endless changes.

The novel was boring. Walls of tiny text. She’d dozed off.

Su Nuan puffed out her cheeks, scowling. “Finished the questions?”

"All done, including the cloze test."

"Let me see. Your accuracy’s improved a lot."

"After all, I have this," Lin Shu said, fiddling with the dictionary pen.

"When I teach you later, you can’t use it."

"Huh? Wasn’t it meant for me?"

"You definitely overused it. Translate these sentences for me—tell me what they mean. Let’s see if you’ve learned your lesson."

Having just finished, Lin Shu still remembered some. It was a quick review of his new vocabulary. He didn’t need to wait until tomorrow—he wondered how much he’d retain by tonight.

"It’s almost two. I’ve got team training this afternoon. Time to head over and warm up with the others."

"I’ll come with you. I’m free anyway. If we’re together even on weekends, everyone’ll think we’re a loving couple."

"That makes sense."

But if Gu Chuchu couldn’t see it, what was the point of showing off? He might as well do it for Su Nuan’s admirers. After all, her potential suitors weren’t just the class monitor.

Just like that, they left?

Rushing after them, Liang Caiyi crashed headfirst into a bookshelf. Books tumbled down, smacking her head. She let out a pained "ugh," clutching her skull as she crouched.

At the door, Lin Shu seemed to hear something. He glanced back.

"What’s wrong? Forget something?" Su Nuan asked, turning around.

"Nothing. Must’ve been my imagination."