[Her cheeks flush at the slightest thing. Just wait until you read the author’s notes.]
[Childhood sweethearts + family friends from wealthy clans + playful flirting + layers of secret identities + both first-timers + a crush that turns into the art of keeping each other in check]
Everyone knew Zhou Yi had a “sweet, attention-seeking” childhood friend, Xiao Ketian. She went “pitter-patter” when she ran and gave Zhou Yi headaches with her antics, but she was also the girl he’d “kidnapped” as a child and planned to make his bride.
As soon as Xiao Ketian could talk, Zhou Yi started coaxing her: “Want to be Big Brother’s bride? You can steal his snacks and make him do all the hard work!” The little girl agreed on the spot, just for a daily supply of lollipops.
One day, Xiao Ketian showed up to see Zhou Yi wearing “deathly Barbie pink” lipstick and caught him holding a delicate-looking girl. She instantly blew her top. With a downpour from the heavens to set the scene, she smudged her face, planted her hands on her hips, and yelled, “You big jerk! I don’t want to be your wife! I’ll find a new big brother to buy me ten bags of candy!” Then she ran off like a “drowned rat fleeing the scene.”
Three years later, at the airport, Zhou Yi saw Xiao Ketian laughing and chatting with a handsome, sunny guy. His eyes nearly popped out of his head: His girl was about to run off!
Later, Xiao Ketian munched on ice cream and waved her phone, saying she had a boyfriend.
Zhou Yi launched his “secret identity plan,” becoming the mysterious dessert chef “Z,” a racing modification mogul, and more...
In the end, Zhou Yi stopped hiding and invited her to a candlelit dinner.
As their knives and forks clinked, his fingertips brushed the corner of her lips, where sauce lingered. He chuckled, “That girl back then was a distant cousin. You heartless little thing, you ran off for three whole years.”
As he spoke, he leaned closer under the pretense of wiping her mouth. His breath mingled with the strands of her hair. Before Xiao Ketian could react, his warm lips gently covered hers. The restaurant piano blended with their pounding hearts, melting three years of longing into this long-overdue kiss.
[There’s more to come, including the elders playing matchmaker, turning the tables, and plenty of sweet romantic tension.]
