Eyebrows Together

[Signed for publication; updates at Yicun Zhou] [The story differs greatly from pirated copies, which have inconsistent character relationships. Please support the official release.] Blurb: The day Zhuang Qi moved into the Tang family home was overcast. Dark clouds rolled overhead, and a heavy downpour seemed imminent. Wearing an apricot-yellow pinafore dress, Zhuang Qi followed the secretary, went around the lacquered screen depicting birds at play, and saw the elegant, refined Tang Nayan reclining casually in a high-backed chair. He glanced at her indifferently. The secretary bent down to remind her, “Xiao Qi, he’ll be your big brother from now on. Don’t forget that.” Gathering her courage, she went over to Tang Nayan, touched the tips of his cold fingers, and called him “Brother.” Tang Nayan replied coolly and had someone take her back to her room to rest. After returning from the United States with her doctorate, Zhuang Qi found a job and started dating a man from a family of doctors. Their parents met and were very pleased with the match, settling the marriage arrangements over pleasant conversation. That night, after the banquet ended, Zhuang Qi returned home. In the moonlight, a tall, slender figure appeared before her. She hadn’t turned on the lights. A glowing red ember danced between Tang Nayan’s fingers, and his voice was low and hoarse. “You’ve grown up, Xiao Qi. You even lie to yourself now.” Her palm was slick with sweat. Just as she had when she was little, she called him, “I’ll have to get married eventually.” Thunder rumbled in the distance. He stubbed out his cigarette and slowly walked up to her. “Then why can’t it be me?” // Everyone said Tang Nayan was a sensible, steady gentleman, as gentle and pure as white jade. But during those years in the United States, whenever Zhuang Qi closed her eyes, all she could see was her unsmiling big brother, lost in passion as he kissed her. And she sat on Tang Nayan’s lap, arms around his neck, surrendering to him with full awareness and a heart full of pain. “Loving you has left my heart full of storms and snow for half my life.” | The leads are nine years apart, are not on the same household register, and are unrelated by blood. | Both are virgins; the older brother has kept himself chaste. | All romantic activity takes place after they are adults. Blurb screenshotted in September 2023. Theme: Love life.