Semua Bab The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”: Bab 1 - Bab 10

July, midsummer, Feld International Airport.The bright and spacious arrivals hall bustled with people. A black-haired girl struggled to push a luggage cart stacked with two oversized suitcases, the name tag swaying as it displayed the bilingual "Wendy Wu" in both Chinese and English.After a dozen hours of flight time, exhaustion clung to her like a second skin. To make matters worse, the cart’s front wheels kept jamming, making it impossible to steer properly. With one forceful push, she nearly collided with a blond, blue-eyed backpacker beside her, barely managing to stop in time to avoid an accident.Wendy wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a relieved sigh, pressing a hand to her chest. The tinted glass of a nearby café reflected her current state—her hair, messy from sleeping on the plane, had been hastily tied into a cute, practical bun before landing. A red plaid shirt was knotted around her waist, paired with a white tank top and denim shorts that revealed a slender

Even now, thinking back to that sentence still makes Wendy physically shudder with embarrassment.How could he possibly think of her?That sentence was clearly a joke meant to make her uncomfortable—after all, Asher had hated her for three years.Back then, Wendy had just graduated from middle school and came to the U.S. for a summer camp. Her father, Sam Wu, worried she might get bullied, told her that if anyone gave her trouble, she should tell those jerks that her "brother" was the quarterback for the Sprian Boys' High School American football team—that would guarantee her safety.At the time, Wendy was much skinnier and a few centimeters shorter than she was now. In a camp with hardly any other Asian participants, even when she tried to strike up conversations, she didn’t make many friends. She had come to the U.S. to improve her language skills, but most of her free periods were spent quietly reading in her room.No one bullied her—because no one even noticed her.One evening, We

At 7:30 in the morning, Wendy opened her bedroom door and saw the closed room across the hallway. After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped lightly.It wasn’t out of consideration—she simply didn’t want to face Asher if he woke up.After finishing her morning routine, Wendy went downstairs in a T-shirt and jeans. Breakfast was usually simple, eaten at the kitchen island (a central counter), while lunch and dinner were served in the dining room.Last night’s hallway encounter had reminded Wendy that Asher lived here too—she couldn’t act as casually as in her own home."Good morning, Simone—"Wendy waved hello, only to lock eyes with Asher as he turned at the sound of her footsteps.The morning sun was blocked by concrete walls, and the half-open blinds left the room chilly.As Asher turned, the faint scent of body wash drifted over—familiar from the white bottle in their shared bathroom, yet unfamiliar with its warm, humid undertone and something that inexplicably made her face heat up.

That evening, Asher had just arrived at the practice facility when he ran into Neil, Dustin, and a few others heading to the weight room.The team dinner had just wrapped up, and since it was Friday, most players had scattered to their own activities. Only a handful remained behind for individual training.While the two groups were still some distance apart in the hallway, Neil enthusiastically called out, "I thought you weren’t coming! Why so late?"Dustin and Neil, walking ahead, wore broad grins, while the two guys trailing behind them looked thoroughly miserable."What’s wrong?" Asher asked."We bet on whether you’d show up for training tonight. Dustin and I said you’d definitely come, while they swore you wouldn’t," Neil explained, slinging an arm an over Asher’s shoulder with a triumphant smirk. "Turns out, we know you better."Asher chuckled. "What were the stakes?"Neil glanced back at the t

The garage door slowly lifted, and the cold indifference on Asher's face finally thawed as he assessed the scene inside.From the street, the lit windows indicated someone was home. But was it Simone and Sam Wu returning, or just Wendy? Sam Wu's car wasn't in the garage—good, the scenario he'd worried about hadn't materialized.In the living room, a documentary about stray dogs played on TV. To the melancholic soundtrack, Asher heard Wendy's muffled sobs.This time, she wasn't wearing headphones. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned a tear-streaked face toward Asher, attempting a greeting that dissolved into trembling lips as she fought back another wave of tears.Instead of heading upstairs, Asher pivoted and claimed a spot on the sofa.His tall frame dominated the three-seater, long legs sprawling comfortably across nearly half its length. Beside him, Wendy appeared even smaller—knees drawn to her chest, face flushed from crying,