A Fish in the Pond

■ My neighbor's novel, Reverse Seduction, is now online. Come give it a try~

■ Bonus scenes and behind-the-scenes info: @Jiuqi Paradox

[Childhood Sweethearts | Traps Laid Step by Step | A Sinister, Scheming Powerhouse x A Wild, Direct Darling]

‼️Proceed with caution: angsty push-and-pull and a slightly delicate heroine /// If that's not your thing, you can start with Volume Two‼️

⚠️ The middle and later parts feature intense mystery-solving and crime-solving, with plenty of foreshadowing and twists! ⚠️

At the one-year-old's grab ceremony, Shen Yi crawled past a floor strewn with treasures and staggered into Lin Yuezhou's arms.

She didn't pick an object, but she did pick Lin Yuezhou.

-

The current head of the Lin family, Lin Yuezhou is impeccably mannered and always knows how to conduct himself. He is the perfect young gentleman from a distinguished family.

Only Shen Yi knows what unfathomable thoughts lie beneath the polished exterior of her childhood friend, what ruthless methods he commands. When he smiles, he quietly lays a vast net of traps; with easy conversation, he can back someone into a corner, never sparing them the slightest courtesy.

By instinct, she sought safety and kept her distance from Yuezhou. He, however, advanced step by step, slowly and patiently winning Yi over.

Shen Yi thought it over. Since she couldn't outplay him or get away from him, she might as well coax this formidable man into treating her like a real big brother. Then she'd get anything she wanted.

She had weighed every pro and con, but overlooked one thing.

Lin Yuezhou had been waiting for the day she let her guard down.

The glass of wine Shen Yi drank at her NYU graduation party became the one variable beyond his careful plans. As their passions surged, he lost control and willingly gave himself over to them. The outward appearance of a brother-sister relationship they'd maintained for more than a decade crumbled completely.

Before their stalemate could be resolved, a marriage alliance came crashing down on them.

Shen Yi looked at the man beside her, whose expression remained as gentle and considerate as ever, and suddenly realized that the entanglement that began with mutual exploitation had long since been quietly turned by him into a hunt he'd been plotting for years.

■ Bonus scene

Shen Yi realized the truth too late, and there was no way to turn back.

As her consciousness began to fade, she braced herself against his shoulder and pushed him away a little, her breathing ragged.

"Lin Yuezhou, have you been plotting against me ever since the day of the grab ceremony?"

Lin Yuezhou reached out and wiped the lipstick smudged at the corner of her mouth. His fingertips were cool. His smile reached his eyes. "Otherwise, did you think all those years of calling me big brother meant nothing?"

[Reading Notes]

1. The story is entirely fictional.

2. Both leads are single and exclusive; happy ending; one-on-one romance.

3. Four-year age gap. They are not blood-related and are not biological siblings. Their families have been close for generations and arrange a marriage alliance.

[Blurb dated 2025.12.17]

Theme: To build anew, first tear it all down; to rise stronger, first break everything.