Physical Reaction

01

In their poorest years, Xu Lai and her older brother Xu Lang lived in a rented room that couldn't even fit two beds.

In the sweltering summer heat, Xu Lang slept on the floor beside his sister's bed.

In winter, with no air conditioning or heating, the floor was too cold to sleep on, so Xu Lai let her brother share her bed. They held each other and kept warm with their body heat.

02

A young man's hormones could lead to all kinds of awkward moments. One morning, Xu Lai woke to feel something pressing against her thigh. She and Xu Lang, his face bright red, stared at each other.

“Um, I... I'm not a pervert, really.”

“...I know. The books say it's a normal physiological response.”

Both of them put on poker faces and pretended to be calm, but before long they couldn't help leaning against each other's shoulders and laughing.

Afterward, Xu Lai shouldered her schoolbag and went to class, while Xu Lang covered his face and sank to the floor. His clenched fist struck the wall, sending flakes of plaster fluttering down, like the pride they'd been forced to shed because of their hardship.

03

Later, they were no longer poor. Their house had several bedrooms, but Xu Lai still shared a bed with Xu Lang.

In both winter and summer.

Growing up didn't mean they would never face embarrassing situations. This time, it was Xu Lang who comforted his younger sister.

Holding Xu Lai, still trembling at the slightest touch as the aftershocks slowly ebbed, he said, “Don't cry. Don't be upset. It's a normal physiological response.”

Reading Guide:

1. The protagonists only begin dating after they are adults.

2. Their adoptive sibling relationship has ended by the time they begin dating.

(Synopsis screenshotted on July 26, 2025)

Coming soon: I Might Love You. Here's the synopsis. Please add it to your collection!

[Calculating Older Man vs. Stubborn Young Woman / Taking Her by Force / Size Difference]

Within a week, Hu Jiayin smashed up two clubs, three restaurants, and five luxury boutiques.

A friend asked Pei Zhiqian, “Aren't you going to discipline that girl of yours?”

He merely smiled and shook his head, telling his assistant to handle the aftermath as usual.

“She's young and full of energy. That's only natural. I can afford to support her.”

With luxury cars and mansions, jewels and designer clothes, Hu Jiayin lived a life everyone envied after Pei Zhiqian brought her home. Yet she was anything but polite to the man who supported her.

When she was happy, she'd wreck Pei Zhiqian's greenhouse for fun.

When she was upset, she'd set fire to his study.

And when she was angry, she'd kick and punch Pei Zhiqian himself.

“She's spoiled rotten and doesn't know what's good for her.”

“Just you wait. Mr. Pei will get sick of her sooner or later. Then she'll be the one crying.”

When the gossip reached Hu Jiayin, she couldn't agree more. Eager to see it happen, she immediately brought her new boyfriend to spend the night at the villa, in Pei Zhiqian's room.

Looking at the ransacked bedroom, Pei Zhiqian waved for the bodyguards to throw out the worthless man, barely dressed as he was.

“You shouldn't have brought him home,” he said, walking slowly up to Hu Jiayin and gripping her chin.

Hu Jiayin raised an eyebrow and flashed a brazen smile. “But Uncle, you locked away all my ID documents. Where else could I go?”

Pei Zhiqian fell silent. He carried the girl off to wash her clean, then marked her with his scent again. No matter how Hu Jiayin bit and cursed him, or how her fists pounded against him, he held her hand and laced their fingers together, careful not to let her hurt her nails. “Be good.”

Theme: Companionship