White Citrus Pith

"Liking your 'brother' is like the irritating white pith between mandarin segments.

It's a tangled web that traps a girl's tender feelings.

A fiber that society considers loathsome."

1. The night Chen Ran'er confessed to her older brother and was rejected

His gaze was as clear and upright as ever:

"This is the last time. I'll put it down to you being young and unable to tell the difference between love and dependence. After this, I don't want to discuss the same thing with you again."

"I'll say it one last time. Call me Brother."

2. In the eyes of outsiders, Zhou Shiqing was steadfast and pure, always a model older brother and a man of impeccable integrity.

Chen Ran'er knew she shouldn't cross the line, not even by a little.

After deciding to give up for good, she went abroad to study.

At a dance, she unexpectedly ran into Zhou Shiqing again.

Someone asked how they were related.

She introduced him openly and calmly: "This is my brother."

Everyone praised Zhou Shiqing for having such a sweet, sensible younger sister.

He wanted to gloss over the past and accept the compliment.

But his sister was hardly well-behaved.

He still remembered that night, how Chen Ran'er sat on his hand,

used him to pleasure herself,

then left without a word.

Now she was even fooling around with a man whose background was a mystery.

3. Chen Ran'er was taken in by the Zhou family when she was seven.

He gained a younger sister because of it.

For twelve years, he watched her grow up,

took care of all her troubles,

and gave her all the space she needed to grow as she pleased.

No one ever questioned the propriety of their sibling relationship.

Even fewer would believe that they had already become entangled the year Chen Ran'er started university.

At the dance, the two of them disappeared for a while.

When they came back into view, Chen Ran'er had Zhou Shiqing's suit jacket draped over her shoulders.

He was still the refined, dignified gentleman.

He gave a small nod and said in a warm, graceful voice, "Sorry. I've come to take my sister home."

As soon as the car door shut, Zhou Shiqing pinned her against the back seat and kissed her.

She called him "Brother" again and again,

trying to awaken his "conscience."

Zhou Shiqing said nothing.

Only when his trousers were covered in her traces did he grip her chin. "Call me by my name."

The clear breeze, the purifying fire: one is my thoughts, the other my desire. Both are with you.

1. The heroine is an adult from the beginning. All romantic storylines and intimate relationships take place after the characters are adults.

2. A foster-family story. The male and female leads are not blood-related.

Theme: Love others, love yourself