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Chapter 24: 55°F

Author: Hamster Liu
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-02 23:16:14

“I like you very much.” Surprising words came out of Asher’s mouth, deep, firm and magnetic.

……

Wendy froze. It took her a moment to speak. “That doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter,” he insisted.

“It doesn’t.” Wendy’s voice was small as she added the last word, lowering her head to stare at their shoes—touching, yet pointing in opposite directions.

Her relationship with Asher had always been adversarial. In the past, now, and always would be.

“Just like what you told me three years ago when I called you from summer camp—we’re not family. We have no connection.”

When Asher didn’t respond, Wendy grew irritated. “You forgot again, didn’t you? You claim to remember everything, but you totally forgot!”

Frustrated, she replayed the scene from summer camp three years ago for him.

“…You pulled me aside and told me not to get ahead of myself. That you weren’t my brother, that we were just strangers with no ties.”

Before coming to the U.S., Sam Wu had sung Asher’s praises over the phone. He said
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  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 26: 57°F

    On the phone, David's mental gears ground to a halt.Fight? Estrangement? This was full-blown rom-com reconciliation! Since when did Asher give apology plushies?"Hello."His idol's voice in his ear short-circuited David's nervous system. "A-Asher! I'm your biggest—"The fanboy's effusion met glacial silence."She'll reply to you tomorrow.""Okay, okay, I know—beep beep beep."Ruthlessly, Asher ended the call and set Wendy’s phone down. When he turned, she’d vanished.A brief pang of emptiness flashed through him before Asher chuckled. He’d barely blinked, and she’d already escaped."Asher, I have a gift for you too!"Wendy reappeared quickly, clutching a dark blue paper bag. "I bought this yesterday while shopping."His gaze flickered with surprise, skimming her bright smile before landing on her pale fingers curled around the bag’s thin handles.Inside lay a

  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 25: 56°F

    That night, Asher stepped out of the shower to find Sam crouched in the middle of the second-floor hallway, busy with something, Wendy standing beside him watching. The father-daughter pair blocked his path completely."Wendy, this night light will turn off automatically when you walk away."The hallway lights had been switched off to test the night light's brightness. Sam took several seconds to notice Asher before hastily standing to let him pass."Asher, I installed a night light. Wendy has trouble seeing at night—what's that... what's the medical term?" Sam glanced at Wendy.Wendy looked at Asher and reluctantly said, "Nyctalopia (night blindness)."She'd memorized the word before coming to America, just in case she needed to explain herself. But admitting this vulnerability felt like exposing a weakness."This light's smart—it turns on when it senses movement and dims when you leave. No manual switching needed."Sam r

  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 27: 58°F

    The night breeze swept across the pool, rustling the giant yellow duck float drifting on the surface, stirring ripples in the water.Wendy remembered that on the day of their backyard barbecue, that big thing hadn’t been by the pool yet. And it was that same day Asher had seen her in a swimsuit…Asher had cleaned the pool, so the inflatable must have been his doing too.Maybe it really was for her—otherwise, something so childish wouldn’t suit him at all.But how did he know…? She really did want to lie on that duck float, drifting on the water, soaking up the sun, carefree and happy.Had he seen straight into her heart?She pulled the window shut and drew the curtains. If she couldn’t see it, her heart wouldn’t be troubled.Wendy flopped onto the bed, hugging a plush puppy.“Impossible. He couldn’t like me. If he’s learning Chinese because of me—and I mean&nbs

  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 24: 55°F

    “I like you very much.” Surprising words came out of Asher’s mouth, deep, firm and magnetic.……Wendy froze. It took her a moment to speak. “That doesn’t matter.”“It does matter,” he insisted.“It doesn’t.” Wendy’s voice was small as she added the last word, lowering her head to stare at their shoes—touching, yet pointing in opposite directions.Her relationship with Asher had always been adversarial. In the past, now, and always would be.“Just like what you told me three years ago when I called you from summer camp—we’re not family. We have no connection.”When Asher didn’t respond, Wendy grew irritated. “You forgot again, didn’t you? You claim to remember everything, but you totally forgot!”Frustrated, she replayed the scene from summer camp three years ago for him.“…You pulled me aside and told me not to get ahead of myself. That you weren’t my brother, that we were just strangers with no ties.”Before coming to the U.S., Sam Wu had sung Asher’s praises over the phone. He said

  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 23: 54°F

    Wendy’s heart skipped a beat; her lashes fluttered twice before she lifted her gaze to meet Asher’s.His deep eyes shimmered with restrained intensity, the corners of his lips curling slightly as he stared unwaveringly at her.Wendy’s cheeks slowly flushed. Asher’s behavior was too unusual in her eyes. She racked her brain, trying to figure out why he was acting this way, until her thoughts gradually blanked out.Then, a spark of clarity suddenly pierced through the haze. Wendy’s voice rose slightly at the end, “So you—you deliberately didn’t remind me to take those things?”“Right,” Asher admitted frankly. “I didn’t plan to remind you. I should have helped you carry them, but I didn’t.”He should have helped her?Wendy was about to retort—he wasn’t anyone to her, there was no should—but Asher spoke first.“There aren’t many chances for you to talk to me.”His tone and gaze were laced with resignation. “Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but I really don’t like the feeling of being ignor

  • The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”   Chapter 22: 53°F

    Wendy knew he was doing it on purpose—irritated at being ignored, deliberately provoking her in front of Simone—but there was nothing she could do to stop it.“What are your plans for this afternoon?” Simone held a slice of pizza, eating leisurely, occasionally tossing out questions to keep the lunch conversation lively.“I made plans to go shopping with someone today,” Wendy said, taking a sip of her iced lemon soda. She was always the first to answer Simone’s questions.“Wendy, you’ve already made new friends? If you’d like, you can invite them over for dinner. I won’t be traveling next week, so I’ll be home.”“They’re not exactly new friends. Simone, you probably already know—they’re the children of my dad’s acquaintances.”“Ah, I see. The Yangs? They’re a wonderful family.” Simone nodded repeatedly, completely missing how Asher’s expression had frosted over.“What about you, Asher?”“Heading to the base. Solo training.”Simone nodded. “Since you’re both going out, why don’t you dr

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