As the Day Grows Late

Blurb:

[Fake Siblings | Broken Hearts Mended | A Story of Redemption]

Shen Qiwu first met Qi Yan when she was fourteen.

She had just been brought back to live with the Ji family. As she stepped into the courtyard, she spotted a boy standing beneath a tree.

Snow was falling that day. The boy wore black from head to toe, his features cold as a thin layer of frost settling from the sky.

Shen Qiwu heard one of the housekeepers say that his name was Qi Yan, his adoptive father's stepson. He lived by himself elsewhere and refused to move back in. His adoptive mother had cried over it several times.

After moving in with the Ji family, Shen Qiwu was obedient and well-behaved. The second time she met him, she volunteered to try to persuade this brother who was no blood relation to her.

In the courtyard, Qi Yan was about to leave when Shen Qiwu blocked his way. Gathering her courage, she said, "Aren't we at the same school?"

He looked up, clearly surprised. His voice was cool. "So what?"

"It'd be nice if you lived here too. We could go to school together." Shen Qiwu deliberately gave him her sweetest smile.

Qi Yan looked Shen Qiwu up and down, as if he had already seen through her intentions. In a cold voice, he said, "I don't like living under someone else's roof."

The boy's words cut like a blade, leaving Shen Qiwu stunned.

*

And yet this sharp-edged boy eventually moved into the Ji household, setting aside his defenses.

He kept to himself in the family, treating everyone with indifference, while Shen Qiwu kept finding excuses to get close to him.

The elders all said Qi Yan was cold and solitary, a difficult child to raise. Only Shen Qiwu knew how much fiery emotion lay beneath the boy's cool lips, hidden away in places where no one could see.

Later, their secret relationship came to an abrupt end when Qi Yan left for a project out of town. They didn't see each other for years.

*

When they met again, the once-obedient girl was thriving in the workplace and making plans to achieve her goals.

Shen Qiwu thought she had kept everything from Qi Yan, but she never realized he had already seen through it all from the shadows.

On another snowy day, Qi Yan stopped Shen Qiwu and took her back to his place, asking her what she really wanted.

There was too much confusion in his eyes, but she looked away, unwilling to meet his gaze.

After a long while, Qi Yan moved closer until their breaths mingled.

He raised a hand and gripped Shen Qiwu's chin. His voice was husky. "Didn't you love using me? Why not keep doing it?"

Bad Boy VS Sweet Girl with a Dark Side

(SC, the leads live in the same household, but are not related by blood or law)

Theme: Live well.