The One on Top

[Younger man, four-year age gap | Older sister and puppy-dog boyfriend | Rekindled romance | Power dynamic reversal]

-

On the first day after moving in, Pei Ning dragged the handsome guy who lived upstairs into the stairwell and kissed him. Her career was in a slump, and she needed a little sweetness in her life.

When she accepted Jing Zhi's confession, she hadn't thought much about it. She just thought he was kind of cute and a good kisser. For Pei Ning, having fun was the only criterion when choosing a man.

But Jing Zhi was too devoted to keeping himself chaste, and she never managed to get anywhere with him. When she finally found an opening, after a few drinks, their lips met. Sitting on his lap, she took his burning earlobe between her lips.

Her teeth hit his earring with a sharp, deafening click.

He had only one button left undone when he pushed her away.

"This isn't right."

-

Jing Zhi was a complete novice at love. His first relationship was with Pei Ning, who was a whole world of bad influence. He knew she was only dating him for fun, but he couldn't help gravitating toward her.

Their feelings were out of sync. In the end, unable to bear the thought of keeping her trapped in their relationship, he broke up with her and gave her back her freedom. After that, they cut off contact.

Still, when he heard she was having a hard time, he dropped everything and rushed to her side.

This time, Jing Zhi told himself not to fall into her trap again. But one trip to the snowy mountains was all it took to shake his resolve and make him abandon every last boundary.

The night they got back together, their clothes tangled together and were scattered across the floor.

He carried Pei Ning through every corner of the house.

"The bathroom's pretty nice."

"The sofa... isn't bad either."

Their lips and teeth tangled, their body heat mingled, and his arm tightened suddenly around her waist.

Pei Ning rarely complained, but now she did. "Where did you learn all this?"

Jing Zhi copied her and caught her earlobe with the tip of his tongue.

"You taught me well, Teacher Pei."

-

Afterward, Pei Ning lay in the crook of Jing Zhi's shoulder and chuckled.

"Are you going to keep calling me by my full name?"

"What else?"

She traced his features and parted her red lips.

"You should call me Big Sister."

-

Big Sister, you're my big sister.

You're only allowed to be my big sister.

-

Content warnings:

1. The heroine has had sex before, while the hero is a virgin. The heroine makes the first move, then falls in love; the hero falls in love at first sight.

2. The leads are flawed, and they do break up. The hero was driven away by the heroine, so she'll chase after him later, with no difficulty at all. There are no other romantic storylines. The focus is on the heroine's emotional growth and how they heal each other. It's not angsty! I'm incapable of writing angst!

3. The heroine doesn't just date; she also builds a career. The story mainly follows her starting a business and becoming a boss. The main career arc begins around Chapter 8. This is an unbelievably career-focused heroine, I promise it's not just clickbait!

4. The setting serves the story and isn't meant to reflect real life.

My other novel, Divorce Is Good News, is updating now. It's about stealing someone's spouse. Here's the blurb~

Just before You Jia's divorce, an unwelcome guest suddenly moved into her home.

Her husband's cousin, Le Qi, the one rumored to be wildly unconventional.

From that day on, You Jia noticed a cold, slippery gaze clinging to her wherever she went.

It was shameless, bold, and everywhere.

-

You Jia kept her divorce a secret.

She sought Le Qi out herself and sternly warned him

"Stop clinging to me."

"Clinging to you?"

The man's eyes and brows were full of swagger. He tucked a loose strand of You Jia's hair behind her ear, his callused fingertips brushing her pale skin.

"We're family, after all. How can you call it clinging when we're bound together by a relationship that can't be severed?"

You Jia was so angry her face flushed, a faint pink spreading across her cheeks.

But the hand behind her back couldn't stop twisting excitedly, trembling slightly.

-

Le Qi knew You Jia was lying to him.

He knew she was divorced.

Wrapped in lies and desire, they tangled together in secret.

The next time Le Qi chuckled and called her "Big Sister," You Jia suddenly put on a serious face and lowered her voice to lay down the rules.

"You should call me sister-in-law."

The night fog was thick. A fleeting, unreadable shadow passed through Le Qi's eyes.

But his voice by You Jia's ear turned even more playful.

"Seems like you really like this."

He came closer, cornering her in a shadowy corner of the bedroom and lowering his head to whisper to her.

His breath was hot, filling the small space between them.

"All right, when do you want me to call you that?"

-

[Bonus Scene]

A secret tryst in broad daylight.

You Jia traced his brow, speaking casually and teasingly.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

Le Qi froze mid-motion, then deliberately closed his eyes. His breathing grew heavy.

He hated it when You Jia complimented his eyes.

"Are my eyes beautiful, or are these eyes beautiful because they look like my brother's?"

You Jia didn't care. "What's the difference? They're exactly the same."

Le Qi's eyes snapped open. He pinched You Jia's cheeks, forcing her to look at him.

He bent down and bit her lip. A metallic sweetness spread through their mouths.

Rust-red stained those peach-blossom eyes.

"You Jia, look closely. Do you know who I am?"

"Don't ever think you can make me his substitute."

Content warnings:

1. You Jia (pronounced jia, first tone), Le (pronounced yue, fourth tone) Qi.

2. Younger man, older woman. The heroine has had sex before, while the hero is a virgin.

3. Before her divorce, the heroine never crossed any lines with the hero. The second male lead has a large role in the early love-triangle scenes.

4. Neither lead is a good person, and their sense of morality is practically nonexistent. The heroine especially puts her own interests first.

5. A personal indulgence written for my own tastes. The characters' values do not represent the author's, and every detail serves the story. Please don't take it too seriously.

Message: Growth means stitching yourself back together after being torn apart.