I Nearly Fell for Him, but My Taciturn Stepbrother Turned Out to Be Bluntly Romantic

Reborn, Lu Chuqing was held in Lu Ying’s arms as they got far away from her worthless scumbag of a father. Her previous life had been wretched and miserable, but in this one, she was doted on by all her relatives and became a beloved little princess. Her uncle took the leap into business with the support of his family, despite everyone else’s objections. Her mother pursued self-improvement and fulfilled her dreams with her daughter’s encouragement, even as doubts and difficulties plagued her. Her second cousin didn’t seem to like her at first? No problem. She won him over by calling him “big brother” every chance she got! Her eldest cousin watched her so closely that no boys were allowed near her? No problem. She played matchmaker, and a beautiful, poised sister-in-law won him over! At last, she could happily hang out with boys! She studied hard by day, secretly made money at night, and flirted with a handsome guy to pass the time whenever she got tired. Life couldn’t be more pleasant. * At some point, Lu Ying started dating someone. Everyone said the man had nothing but good looks, but Lu Chuqing quietly supported her mom: “There are plenty of men in the world. Mom, just pick a handsome one. If he doesn’t behave, we’ll find another!” As it turned out, the man was a born money-maker who took care of all the housework. He even looked after Lu Chuqing with exceptional care. Every time they went out, people envied their happy family. Still, it seemed they’d forgotten there was someone else at home: a quiet... stepbrother? * Xi Qingxu’s first twelve years were bleak and cold. He didn’t know what he was living for. He only knew that if other people had something, he had to find a way to get it for himself. There was just one thing he had been openly and secretly trying to obtain for five years. It wasn’t until he turned eighteen that he finally got the precious thing he had long desired. He thought it would be his forever after that. So when he fell back into darkness and despair for several years, his longing for that single ray of light became almost frighteningly obsessive.