Sunny Love [Female Lead Inexperienced, Male Lead Experienced / Older Woman, Younger Man]

● Older woman and younger man / Long-planned secret crush on her part / The heroine has past experience, the hero does not

Lin Tingxiao is a hugely popular influencer with millions of followers. Her career is thriving, and she has no shortage of admirers, but she hasn't felt her heart stir in years and has remained single. That is, until Zhou Jingcheng comes along.

He's a few years younger than her, though, and she's never considered dating a younger man.

But Zhou Jingcheng is incredibly good-looking and so thoughtful and considerate. His eyes and heart are full of her.

After some back-and-forth, Lin Tingxiao can't resist falling for him. She accepts his advances, and they become a couple.

Two months later, Lin Tingxiao goes to her best friend's house to discuss the wedding banquet for a college friend.

Naturally, when they get onto the subject of relationships, her best friend asks her all sorts of questions.

Lin Tingxiao describes the romance honestly, and her best friend gets so excited that she gives her a huge thumbs-up. She demands a photo, saying she wants to see the handsome younger guy. Unable to refuse, Lin Tingxiao smiles and scrolls through her phone for a picture.

The sound of the door opening catches both friends' attention at the same time. They look up together.

A familiar figure and face come into view. Lin Tingxiao and the newcomer both freeze.

It is this very man, this very face, that swept her up in waves of heat again and again last night. He had panted against her ear and asked over and over, "Tingxiao, are you satisfied with me?"

Unaware of what is going on, her best friend cheerfully introduces him. "Xiaoxiao, this is my little brother."

Lin Tingxiao's mind goes "Boom!" and her head starts to ring.

Damn it! How could she have known that the first time she dated a younger man, it would be her best friend's own little brother?

An inexplicable feeling that she'd done something improper washes over her. It takes her a long moment to find her voice. "... Your actual brother?"

"Of course. He's my only brother."

Her best friend grins and turns the conversation back around. "Anyway, never mind him. Hurry up and show me a photo of your handsome younger guy. I want to see what kind of man managed to make you fall for him."

Lin Tingxiao: "..."

Feeling the blazing gaze from the entryway, she awkwardly turns her head, so embarrassed she wants to die.

-

Zhou Jingcheng has always known that his older sister has a close friend called "Xiaoxiao." Her name comes up all the time at home, and he often hears it.

At first, Zhou Jingcheng doesn't think much of it.

Until an unexpected chance in his second year of high school lets him see the "Xiaoxiao" who had until then existed only in his sister's stories.

From then on, whenever his sister mentions "Xiaoxiao," Zhou Jingcheng makes a point of paying attention to everything she says. He sometimes asks follow-up questions and secretly looks for posts about her on his sister's social media.

After all those years, he finally gets to see her again, only to find that she has forgotten him.

After a brief pang of disappointment, Zhou Jingcheng thinks that maybe this is for the best. At least it gives him the same chance as anyone else to pursue her, without her immediately treating him like a little brother.

Years of secret love, and he gets to be with her for barely two months.

Then everything is exposed in an instant by his older sister's casual teasing: "My little brother even asked you for your WeChat before."

The moment he catches Lin Tingxiao looking at him with a smile that is clearly scrutinizing him, Zhou Jingcheng's breath catches.

The enormous lie he told has been discovered by the very person he deceived...

Blurb written on September 12, 2024.

Theme: Love goes both ways, and they grow together