Not-quite-siblings / five-year age gap / healing
*
Xu Siwu moves with her mother into an unfamiliar household.
The Ling family is one of the wealthiest in the area, and Mr. Ling is gentle and easy to get along with.
But he has a son, five years older than Xu Siwu, who is a senior in high school.
When she meets him for the first time, her mother introduces him: "His name is Ling Gui. He'll be your brother from now on."
*
Her mother had used underhanded means to get into the Ling family.
So Ling Gui's gaze is always cold, and Xu Siwu understands why.
She doesn't dare provoke Ling Gui, but her eyes can't help following him.
Once, she gets into trouble and is cornered by a group of people in an alley.
As she wonders how to escape, Ling Gui appears at her side, all alone.
He pulls her into his arms and gives the others a faint, mocking smile. "You've got some nerve, trying to snatch someone who belongs to me."
*
Xu Siwu becomes Ling Gui's little shadow, always following him around.
She passes along all the love letters sent to Ling Gui by girls who admire him.
Ling Gui's attitude toward her stays the same, neither warm nor cold.
But whenever anyone at school gives her trouble, Ling Gui is always the first to show up and protect her.
*
Xu Siwu gets into university, while Ling Gui is busy with work and rarely comes home.
Whenever he does, Mr. Ling arranges a family get-together, hoping to improve the relationship between Ling Gui and Xu Siwu.
Everyone thinks Ling Gui has never liked Xu Siwu.
Only Xu Siwu knows that through countless days and nights,
when people downstairs call their names, she is upstairs in his room.
Ling Gui's breath is scorching, his touch fierce. He wipes the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb. "Why aren't you calling me big brother, hmm?"
*
Xu Siwu has to return to normal life eventually.
She takes her elders' advice and agrees to a blind date with a man who seems like a good match.
One glance is enough for Xu Siwu to know she doesn't like him. His looks aren't her type, and his manner of speaking and behavior are even more off-putting.
Just as she sits there squirming with discomfort, Ling Gui suddenly appears.
He drags over a chair and sits down beside Xu Siwu with an air of authority.
Her blind date looks at him in surprise. "May I ask who you are?"
Ling Gui takes Xu Siwu's hand and forcefully laces his fingers with hers. "I'm her man."
"..."
"I'm terribly sorry," Ling Gui says, though his expression makes it clear he isn't sorry at all. His possessive gaze makes it obvious he knows she's his. "The little cat I keep has been throwing a tantrum lately. I need to take her home and soothe her."
"..."
* The leads are not related by blood and are not registered in the same household.
* Not-quite-siblings / age gap / healing / both leads have no past romantic relationships
Original blurb dated September 7, 2025, and archived.
Theme: Heading toward a brighter future
