Counterdecoherence

[Cool, alluring English major heroine × Gentle, thoughtful physics major hero] [Boarding-at-the-same-house trope + Ensemble cast + Mutual secret crushes + Testing each other + Falling for each other]

Zhang Xu first met Qin Qiye at the turn of a hallway. He caught her just as she was about to fall. Her heart raced, but all she managed was a quiet “Thank you” before she fled.

Zhang Xu knew where to draw the line and always kept her head.

She never crossed the boundary, yet she couldn’t stop herself from drawing closer.

She was a quiet but steadfast admirer, making every approach so carefully that it left no trace.

She kept her feelings buried deep in her heart, telling herself, “Those who live in darkness for a long time instinctively crawl toward the light.”

Even if that light wasn’t meant for her.

And what about him?

Qin Qiye had always been the sort of person who kept his emotions under tight control.

He built an impenetrable boundary around his role as her “older brother.” No matter how gentle and considerate she was, or how she appeared wherever he needed her, he never crossed the line.

Until he discovered that she had “secretly liked him for a long time.”

In that moment, all his restraint came crashing down.

They both thought they were the one secretly drawing closer, only to realize one day that their secret crush had always been mutual.

“Liking you doesn’t have to stop just because I haven’t gotten an answer from you.”

“Then... does that mean we’re drawn to each other?”

“You didn’t apologize after you kissed me last time.”

“Then let me get away with it. Let me tease you, okay?”

“Qin Qiye, I’ve never thought of you as my older brother. Not once.”

“Give me some time.”

“We agreed to fall together. You can’t go back on your word.”