Lin Shu could at best help his sister trim down a bit of chest fat—making it bigger? Forget it.

"Chest size is mostly genetic," he explained. "You can improve it slightly with protein-rich foods and exercises, but results are limited."

"Isn’t there a saying that touching makes them grow?"

Lin Shu had heard this countless times. Technically true—hormones caused temporary swelling from increased blood flow—but it shrank back afterward. Whether frequent touching actually spurred growth? Unknown.

"You’d need something to touch first," Su Nuan shot back coolly.

"I do have some!" Gu Chuchu puffed out her chest defiantly, rubbing it against Lin Shu’s arm.

"It’s fine, Chuchu. Small is cute too," Lin Yiyi chimed in, sounding oddly proud. "Big chests bring trouble—sore shoulders, cute clothes that never fit, bras outgrown in weeks. Wasting money on new ones..."

For many girls, this was a happy problem.

"Especially during PE class—it’s exhausting..."

All three girls nodded in weary agreement. *You’re all just out of shape*, Lin Shu thought.

"Let’s stop blocking the school gate," Su Nuan said, lifting her plastic bag. "Breakfast’s getting cold."

The chest talk faded, but their thoughts diverged.

Su Nuan wondered: *How close are Lin Shu and Yiyi really? Is there room for outsiders? Don’t surrender before the fight even starts... They look like lovers trapped by family rules. Siblings usually can’t stand each other—I hate my sister. Yiyi’s advantage is actually her biggest weakness. Closest yet farthest... because she can’t win.*

Gu Chuchu schemed: *How to get Lin Shu to massage mine bigger?*

Lin Yiyi fretted: *I don’t want to grow larger... but I want Brother to...*

Inside the gate, a bulletin board displayed a mini-campus map—highlighting the playground, exam halls, and restrooms—alongside exam rosters listing seat numbers, classrooms, subjects, times, and weightings.

Morning: Chinese and Math. Afternoon: Physics, Chemistry, English. Tomorrow: Arts electives in the morning, PE fitness tests in the afternoon. All specialty-track students had to take today’s academic exams; final admission blended both scores.

A blue tent served as an info booth. The junior high section was roped off. Parents and students crowded the board, a sea of bobbing heads.

Lin Yiyi wanted breakfast first—fewer crowds later. Lin Shu needed to check the roster now to eat peacefully. His tall frame pushed through the throng while the girls waited outside. *They’ll get along, right?*

Lin Yiyi and Gu Chuchu reluctantly released his arms, handing him the breakfast bag.

"Excuse me—coming through!"

Lin Shu elbowed his way in. Seat numbers followed a simple pattern: two random digits plus birthdate. He spotted his sister’s name—Class 3-4. After confirming, he squeezed back out.

"Class 3-4..."

"That’s my classroom! What a coincidence!" Gu Chuchu grabbed Lin Yiyi’s hand, swinging it excitedly.

Pavilions and lawns overflowed with examinees and parents. Only classrooms remained.

Before Lin Shu could suggest it, Su Nuan proposed: "Let’s eat in the sports storage room like usual!"

"Sure!"

"I’ve never eaten there—curious!"

The trio agreed instantly.

Lin Shu was growing used to the storage room’s dusty air after so many visits. He unrolled the moisture-proof mat on the ping-pong table, then switched on the camping lamp.

Lin Yiyi sat center. Su Nuan and Gu Chuchu flanked her. Lin Shu hesitated—where to sit? Between his sister and whom? *If only I could choose Yiyi alone...*

"Brother, open up~" Lin Yiyi offered a seaweed roll stuffed with glutinous rice, pork floss, and cucumber.

She tilted her head. "What’s wrong? Don’t you usually feed each other breakfast?"

He bit down, teeth grazing her fingers. He’d have swallowed it whole, but she didn’t let go. She popped the remaining half into her own mouth.

"Lin Xiaoshu," Su Nuan chided, "you can’t ignore your girlfriend for your sister. Even I get jealous."

"Senior, don’t waste food—I bought too much."

Just like old mornings, Lin Shu never used his own hands to eat. With an extra mouth today, he was stuffed by the end.

They escorted Lin Yiyi to the roped-off exam zone. A teacher scanned students with a metal detector. Formal.

Lin Yiyi carried only ID and stationery; her phone stayed in Lin Shu’s bag.

Su Nuan waved a hand before his eyes. "Stop staring. Your sister’s inside. Forgot your task today?"

"Guess you really are a hopeless sis-con," Gu Chuchu sighed, palm on forehead.

"That obvious?"

"Which brother lets his sister cling that close? Or feeds her by hand?"

"Don’t you two do the same?"

"I’m his girlfriend—that’s different," Su Nuan declared firmly, clinging to her role.

"I’m a junior *and* girlfriend candidate—also different."

"I’m confused."

"Good. Focus on studying first." She took his hand—her first touch today. Warm. Sweaty. Still holding his sister’s warmth.

"Chuchu, how will you clean the storage room?" Lin Shu asked. The clutter felt overwhelming.

"Just sweep the loft dust. We always track grime on our shoes. I’ll dampen the floor first to keep dust down."

The ground floor was too packed. The loft held only ping-pong tables and junk.

"Borrow brooms from the main hall’s cleaning corner. You study—I’ll show you our sparkling new nest later. Our secret base."

"We’ll check on you after."

Su Nuan waved goodbye to Gu Chuchu and dragged Lin Shu upstairs. Their classroom stood empty—even overachievers slept in sometimes.

Catching up on a day’s lessons wasn’t easy. Su Nuan had Lin Shu review notes for five minutes, then drilled key concepts. She made him copy the boardwork into *her* textbook. *Why not her own book?* He wrote carefully—no messy shorthand.

The exam bell rang. Lin Shu checked his phone. "Chinese is over."

"Only twenty minutes till Math. Barely time for the restroom. You won’t see your sister."

"Exhausted... Let’s help Chuchu clean instead." Lin Shu slumped onto his desk.

"Fine. You’ve studied hard enough. Time to move."

They bought water at the convenience store. In the loft, Gu Chuchu wore a mask and headscarf, sweating as she swept. Despite dampening the floor, dust swirled in sunbeams. Her dustpan overflowed.

The space looked subtly cleaner.

"Hard work. What else needs doing?"

"Can you move the junk in the corner downstairs? Clean the dead zones too."

"On it."

The loft’s forgotten items were broken, rusted, or chewed by rats. Lin Shu shuttled between floors, stacking debris in a ground-floor corner. The storage room was spacious—just chaotically arranged, gaps between items wasting space.

Gu Chuchu swept. Su Nuan sprinkled water and held the lamp for Lin Shu.

After several trips, the loft felt airy. Only ping-pong tables remained. Gu Chuchu collapsed onto the mat, gulping water, mask off, sweat-soaked bangs plastered to her forehead.

"Let’s block the loft stairs," Su Nuan suggested suddenly. "No one comes here, but a secret base needs secrecy."

"With what? Ping-pong tables? The lightest weighs seventy kilos—I can’t move them alone. Dragging them would clatter, block our path, and attract teachers. Leave it."

"Tch. Boring." Su Nuan clicked her tongue, childlike petulance flashing.

Lin Shu dumped the dustpan. He and Gu Chuchu returned the brooms while Su Nuan guarded their bags.

"For your hard work today... I’ll let you have a little reward."

*Actually*, Su Nuan thought, *I need to give Chuchu hope. She’s my stepping stone in this fake couple act. Since that day, she’s stopped mentioning kisses... making things awkward between us. This fake relationship has limits.*

Lin Shu and Gu Chuchu washed up at the main hall restroom.

"Senior, your face is a mess."

No mirrors in school restrooms. Lin Shu splashed water blindly.

"I wiped sweat with my hands. You’re worse."

He brushed dirt from Gu Chuchu’s hair—especially the dark smudges above her nose and forehead.

"Clean my face? I can’t see the dirt."

She closed her eyes, rising on tiptoes, bouncing slightly.

He wet his palms and wiped her forehead and cheeks.

"Done."

"You didn’t clean properly. Let me scrub yours."

"Really?"

"Honest! Faster if I do it. You don’t want Yiyi seeing you like this, right?"

She reached for his face. He bent down.

"Under your ear."

Her hands cupped his cheeks. The gesture felt familiar—then her lips brushed his in a quick peck.

"Did you really kiss Su Nuan?"

"Yes."

"Who felt better?"

"Xiao Nuan’s... was better."

Not a lie. Chuchu’s kisses were fleeting—over before he registered them. Su Nuan’s ten-minute "training session," where he’d imagined her as his sister’s substitute... that lingered.

"How long was your first kiss?"

"Ten minutes..."

"Disgusting. So... *silver*."

*Ten minutes the first time? How long after?* Gu Chuchu shuddered.

"I won’t give up. Next time, I’ll kiss you for ten minutes too."

Gu Chuchu made a bold declaration and ran off, unsure whether she was heading back to the sports warehouse or home.

Su Nuan, who had been sneaking after to eavesdrop, was completely consumed by the phrase “Xiaonuan’s is more comfortable.” She covered her blushing cheeks and crouched in the corner, unable to calm down.

Lin Shu returned alone to the sports warehouse, only to find neither Su Nuan nor Gu Chuchu there. Just as he was about to contact them, he received a message from Gu Chuchu.

“Senior, I’m going home for dinner. One day, I’ll make you willingly kiss me for over ten minutes.”

“Where did you run off to? Weren’t you supposed to watch the luggage?” Lin Shu had just messaged Su Nuan when she immediately returned to the attic.

“Look at that guilty look. Did Gu Chuchu trick you again?” Su Nuan grinned mischievously, covering her lips.

“I was just ambushed.”

“You’ll never learn. But our training worked—if not, you’d be completely lost after one or two kisses from her.”

“How do you know?”

“That silly girl Gu Chuchu sent me a challenge: whoever kisses you more comfortably becomes your first girlfriend.” Su Nuan showed him the message on her phone.

“What should we do?”

Su Nuan shrugged. “Just insist mine is more comfortable.”

“Isn’t there an option with no kissing?”

“Gu Chuchu might propose crazier ideas. Going along keeps things controlled. Since she suggested it, failure will crush her. Once she exhausts all tricks and sees no hope, she’ll give up.”

Lin Shu wanted to ask his sister for advice, but she was still in the exam hall, results unknown.

“I’m confident I can beat Gu Chuchu. But your reaction when she kisses you is too strong—if you then say mine’s better, she might demand a rematch. Best to raise your kissing threshold and train you into an expert!”

“Can it be done that way?”

“I’ll keep being your training partner. It’s fine if you see me as your sister—I’m not the real one anyway.”

Lin Shu felt a shameful stirring of desire, primal urges tangled with guilt.

“But you must ace your studies first. We need exam results that satisfy the homeroom teacher.”

“Let’s go pick up your sister—the exam’s almost over.”

They waited outside the middle school quarantine line. When the bell rang, the crowd erupted in noise as students poured out.

Lin Yiyi dashed out, spotting Lin Shu immediately—he and Su Nuan stood out too much. She threw herself into his arms, her body going limp and sliding down; Lin Shu quickly held her tight.

Lin Yiyi looked up. “Brother, I’m hungry.”

From eight to almost twelve—of course she was starving after such a long exam.

“See you at school this afternoon,” Su Nuan whispered in his ear.

“Goodbye, Senior Su Nuan.”

“Is lunch at Aunt Liang’s shop okay?”

Last night, their dad’s words outside the bathroom were heard clearly by his sister. Her silence meant she planned to go.

“I’ve wanted to meet Brother’s new sister and taste Aunt Liang’s cooking—is it as good as you say? Liang Caiyi should call me sister, right?”

“Well… it depends on who’s older.”

Lin Shu couldn’t answer; their relationship was messy.

“That’s definitely me,” Lin Yiyi said confidently, puffing out her chest.