"Currently, my brother does not have a girlfriend, and since you share no blood ties, now that you are so close, sister, you should boldly pursue him. I wholeheartedly support you, one hundred percent!"
"Rourou..." She looked at her supporter, feeling a surge of determination within her. Yes! She would resolutely pursue her heart's desire!
"My brother usually stays up late and spends long hours in his study," Rourou promptly suggested. "Sister, if you drive through the night..."
Perking up, she listened intently, nodding enthusiastically.
She was not alone in this endeavor; with Rourou by her side, actively helping her devise a strategy for love, this surely marked a promising beginning, didn't it?
Yes! A good start is half the battle won!
Yan Xiaonu had always had a habit of staying up late, and since taking Rourou's advice, she now burned the midnight oil every evening until dawn.
Before retiring for the night, she would pretend to crave a glass of milk, using the opportunity to deliver one to him in his study, hoping to engage him in a brief conversation.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Come in!" His deep voice emanated from within, predictable yet still causing her heart to race with the excitement of soon being alone with him.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, her hand trembling slightly as she carried the tray.
After a week of delivering warm milk to him, it had become a nightly ritual, yet she could never suppress her racing heart, feeling both anxious and exhilarated.
"Still awake at this hour?"
Duan Shunchen glanced up from a stack of reports, casting a sidelong look at the antique clock on his desk, clearly aware of her "timely" appearances.
"Um, I'm also burning the midnight oil," she replied with the same old excuse, lowering her gaze as she placed the milk on his desk. "Do you... still have a lot to do?"
"Almost done." He closed the report, stretched his stiff neck, then leaned back, eyes closed.
Yan Xiaonu gazed at his slightly weary yet handsome face, feeling a pang of sympathy.
At just twenty-nine, he bore the weight of the family business—what a burden to carry!
As the president of the Duan Corporation, his days were filled with responsibilities, leaving him only four to five hours of sleep each night. Most would crumble under such pressure, yet Duan Shunchen still found time for morning runs and regular gym sessions, explaining his enviable physique beneath his designer attire.
In public, he maintained an impeccable demeanor—sharp, competent, and radiating vitality, leading one to question if he were made of iron.
However, at this moment, under Yan Xiaonu's gaze, his striking features revealed an unmistakable weariness.
Unconsciously, she reached out, wanting to brush away the fatigue etched on his face.
"You know, staying up late isn't good for your skin," he said unexpectedly, opening his eyes to catch her soft, adoring gaze.
"Uh..." Yan Xiaonu's face flushed crimson as her outstretched hand quickly grasped the cup.
Feeling guilty, she gulped down a large sip of milk to mask her embarrassment, entirely forgetting that it had just been microwaved.
"Hot!" she exclaimed, sticking out her tongue and scrunching her face in discomfort.
Duan Shunchen sprang up, all traces of fatigue gone, leaning forward with concern. "Let me see if you've burned yourself."
"N-no, it's fine..." she stammered, though tears threatened to brim in her eyes, making her appear like a pitiful little kitten.
"Stick out your tongue; let me have a look," he urged, worried for her well-being.
Caught in the warmth of his caring expression, Yan Xiaonu felt a flutter in her heart and complied, parting her lips to reveal her delicate tongue.
Duan Shunchen leaned closer to inspect her, "How could you be so careless? There's some redness and swelling..."
"Um..." Had he seen enough? With her tongue out, how could she respond? Yan Xiaonu emitted a muffled sound from her mouth.
Fixated on her petite pink tongue, Duan Shunchen felt a wave of dryness wash over him.
Good heavens! He desperately wanted to kiss her!
This thought struck him like a bolt of lightning in that unexpected moment... No, it was far worse; it was like a seed that had perhaps been secretly sown in his heart the very first time he encountered her, growing day by day until it finally sprouted.
Yes! He had longed to kiss her!
Duan Shunchen was astonished to discover that this intense craving for her was something he had never experienced with any other woman.
And now, she stood right before him, and all he had to do was reach out to turn his desire into reality.
No! How could he entertain such impure thoughts?
She was his sister! He had a duty to protect her and no right to touch even a single hair on her head!
"There should be no major issue. It's late; you ought to return to your room and rest," he said, regaining his composure and stepping back a considerable distance.
Yan Xiaonu bit her lip, sighing; she should have known she was unwelcome! As usual, he would not let her linger!
"Then I won't disturb you any longer, Shunchen. Please get some rest; your health is important, and don't wear yourself out," she admonished with concern.
Duan Shunchen nodded, calm and restrained. "Good night."
"Good night." Reluctantly casting one last glance at him, Yan Xiaonu finally turned to leave. Just then, the lights suddenly went out.
Downstairs, Duan Rourou held a flashlight, having successfully turned off the main power.
"Sister, I told you I would help... but you also need to seize the opportunity..." she said with a sly grin, tiptoeing back to her room.
"Ah!" The surroundings plunged into complete darkness, startling Yan Xiaonu.
"Is... is there a power outage?" Her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden blackness, and she instinctively reached out her hand to feel her way.
Duan Shunchen frowned; there was no thunder or lightning, no wind or rain—how could there be a power outage? It was utterly bizarre!
In the darkness, a pair of soft little hands found him, causing him to flinch, leaving him with no energy to ponder the reason for the blackout.
"Shunchen?" Her voice trembled with apprehension.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. Wait, I have a lighter in my drawer..."
However, he couldn't retrieve the lighter at that moment; Yan Xiaonu had grasped him tightly, like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood, holding on firmly and refusing to let go.
"Don't be afraid, there's nothing to fear..."
Sensing her slight tremor and realizing she was genuinely frightened, Duan Shunchen could not bring himself to push her away; he remained immobile, allowing her to embrace him.
The dilemma was that, despite his stillness, she began to nestle against him.
Good heavens! She must be doing this on purpose!
The softness of her feminine curves pressed against his firm, flat chest, the intoxicating sensation combined with the fragrant aroma emanating from her, tested his remarkable self-control.
"Xiaonu... don't do this..." A low, sultry admonition escaped his elegantly curved lips, accompanied by heated, rapid breaths.
Yan Xiaonu froze.
Goodness, what a foolish thing she had done!
A man of his caliber must have encountered countless women who threw themselves at him, yet here she was, naively believing that by pretending to be frightened during a blackout, she could linger in his embrace.
He must surely see through her ploy and think her shameless.
Realizing this, Yan Xiaonu felt all her strength and courage dissipate in an instant, leaving her dejectedly sinking to the cold floor.
Freed from Yan Xiaonu's delicate grip, Duan Shunchen effortlessly retrieved his lighter.
"Xiaonu, let me take you back to your room..." But as he turned around, his voice faltered.
In the dim light, he saw her slumped on the floor, her small face reflecting a look of despondency that pierced his heart like a dagger. Instantly, he loathed himself for causing her such sorrow.
"Xiaonu..." He sighed. Fine, if she wanted to cling to him like an octopus, he would have to accept it!
Hearing his heavy sigh, Yan Xiaonu interpreted it as annoyance directed at her. Her heart twisted in pain as she couldn't help but choke back her sadness. "Shunchen, do I... do I make you dislike me?"
"That's not true!" His tone was firm and resolute.
A pang of disappointment washed over Yan Xiaonu.
He hadn't said he disliked her; he was too kind to express such a thing!
A drop, then two... the tears, unbidden, cascaded from her eyes, stubbornly refusing to stop. Despite the tears, she felt a deep sadness for herself; her heart was still unwilling to let go of her affection for him!
Why did he even bother to comfort her? Why not just shatter all her hopes and dreams? So she could finally give up on him completely!?
"I'm sorry... I'm... a bit out of control..." Dabbing at her tear-streaked face, unable to bear further embarrassment before him, she struggled to rise, intent on fleeing.
"Xiaonu..." Duan Shunchen grasped her trembling shoulders, pulling her back.
At that moment, the lighter slipped from his hand, and the faint light extinguished, plunging them once more into utter darkness.
"Let me go..." she pleaded, her voice trembling with tears.
Suppressing her love for him, only to be met with cruel rejection, was excruciatingly embarrassing! Before him, she felt unable to lift her head; all she desired was to flee and nurse her heartache in solitude.
"No!" This time, Duan Shunchen firmly restrained her, unwilling to let her leave in tears.
"Shunchen?" Yan Xiaonu exclaimed in shock. Was it her imagination? Beneath his taut voice lay a profoundly suppressed sentiment.
No, shaking her head, she must be overthinking it!
"Let me go, please, Shunchen... I know I was wrong; I overstepped my bounds, and I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have harbored such thoughts about you!"
Not wanting to hear her self-deprecation, Duan Shunchen leaned down and silenced her with his lips. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her tenderly.
"Mm..." Goodness, Duan Shunchen was kissing her! This realization thrilled her so much she wanted to shout... oh no, not shout—now she could barely breathe.
Is kissing always like this?
Duan Shunchen's kiss blended tenderness with a hint of dominance, passionately teasing her trembling lips and savoring the sweetness of her mouth.
He knew he would eventually regret his loss of control, but in that moment, he could think of nothing else, throwing caution to the wind.
As the long kiss finally ended, his heart surged with a thousand emotions. "Xiaonu..."
"I... I should return to my room..." Yan Xiaonu jolted, instinctively wanting to escape, she struggled free from his embrace.
"Wait, Xiaonu, hear me out." With a swift motion, Duan Shunchen effortlessly pulled her back into his arms.
"No, please don't say anything apologetic; you didn't mean it... Just don't say anything! I don't want to hear it!" Yan Xiaonu fervently shook her head, her tone urgent and agitated.
That was her first kiss! Regardless of his reasons for kissing her, she didn't want any explanation or apology to tarnish the romance. Call it self-deception if they must; she would defend this sweet memory in her own way.
He kissed her, and that was enough—she wouldn't pester him further! She simply wanted to hold onto this memory, not greedy for more, daring not to wish for anything else...
"Xiaonu, I kissed you; are you really asking me to pretend it never happened?" Duan Shunchen felt both amused and exasperated, tightening his hold around her waist, unwilling to let her escape after igniting such feelings within him.
"Please, stop talking!" Yan Xiaonu covered her ears.
Duan Shunchen sighed, "Xiaonu, I thought I could cherish you like a brother, but clearly, I was wrong. I can't do that; I simply cannot!"
At that moment, Yan Xiaonu's heart ached unbearably. He truly despised her! Oh, she should have known this was the consequence of her audacious allure!
"Please, don't say any more, Shunchen! I'll be good from now on; I beg you not to dislike me, not to stop caring for me." The thought of Duan Shunchen looking down on her, loathing her... made her want to crash against a wall, to end it all.
"Silly girl, how could I not care for you?" He gently reprimanded her, his tone filled with affection, bending down to lick away her tears.
Yan Xiaonu was taken aback, tears still glistening on her cheeks, but a flicker of hope ignited in her heart.
"What... what did you say?" she asked uncertainly.
"I said I can't be your brother; no brother would wish to kiss his sister like this, yet I long to claim you as my own!"
His unpretentious confession left Yan Xiaonu both stunned and overjoyed.
Really? Is this true!?
She held her breath, nestling closer to his chest, listening to the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat and the heartfelt admission he struggled to express.
"I tried to ignore this longing. However, being by your side day in and day out, referring to you as my sister, has been an immense challenge, especially with your subtle yet undeniable flirtations..." He softly "accused" her, leaving her too bashful to defend herself.
"I..." Yan Xiaonu lowered her gaze, feeling as if she had indeed committed a grave sin.
"Alright, I admit it," Duan Shunchen caressed her hair with boundless affection, "I like you, far more than a brother should."
At that instant, her heart nearly stopped from the overwhelming shock. Joyful tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Xiaonu, I truly have fallen for you. But you are my sister..." He sighed softly in her ear, his warm breath making her cheeks flush.
"No! We are not blood-related! Shunchen, we can be together!" Completely forgetting her modesty, she tightly embraced his sturdy waist; having come this far, she would not let him retreat. "I... I really, really like you!"
Looking down at her bashfully shy demeanor, Duan Shunchen couldn't help but smile, "I know, silly girl, you can't hide your feelings at all."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaonu's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson.
"Why so quiet?" he raised an eyebrow playfully, enjoying her lively innocence and straightforwardness. In her current bashfulness, she possessed an allure that made him want to tease her further, "Xiaonu, have you thought this through? Do you really want to be with me?"
Yan Xiaonu nodded, her sparkling eyes filled with determination.
"Then let us no longer be siblings but become lovers, shall we?" he whispered suggestively, his handsome face brushing against her flushed cheek.
Yan Xiaonu swallowed hard, her heart racing, her ears burning.
"If you don't speak, I'll assume you agree." Amused by her adorable reaction, Duan Shunchen felt elated, his dormant mischief awakening with renewed vigor.
"Since we've decided to be lovers, why not indulge in some intimacy?"