Chapter 1

My boyfriend’s brother was returning from abroad, and we went to pick him up at the airport.
On the way there, I felt a bit uneasy. “Is your brother easy to get along with? What if he doesn’t like me?”
Shen Zhe smiled and pinched my cheek, leaning in to kiss the corner of my mouth. “My girlfriend is lovable to everyone—how could he not like you?”
His reassurance only made me more anxious.
Shen Zhe’s brother, Shen Kuo, wasn’t just anyone.
From the very first day Shen Zhe and I started dating, he’d told me how impressive his brother was.
Online, stories about him were everywhere—even my six-year-old cousin who was learning piano knew them by heart.
At ten, he won every major national piano competition.
At thirteen, he held his first solo recital.
At sixteen, he was exceptionally admitted to a top global university, advancing without a hitch.
By twenty-six, he was a music professor at a renowned foreign university.
His life seemed charmed.
The media hailed him as a musical genius.
The first time I saw his photo, I was struck by how similar the brothers looked.
But unlike Shen Zhe’s bright and handsome vibe, Shen Kuo had a more refined and elegant appearance.
Shen Zhe had even joked that I might fall for his brother and ditch him.
At the time, my mind was full of the design draft due next week, so I didn’t catch what he said and didn’t respond.
The usually easygoing Shen Zhe’s face darkened right away. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Yao Yao, why aren’t you saying anything? Did I guess right?”
I snapped back to reality and, sticking to the rule of not fighting as a couple, coaxed him. “Of course not. I was just thinking your brother is so accomplished—he might not think much of me.”
That calmed him down, and he flashed his usual bright smile. “Good, as long as that’s not it. My girlfriend is so beautiful—who wouldn’t like her?”
I smiled, hoping he was right.
The whole drive, I rehearsed greetings in my head, feeling nervous.
At nine that evening, the plane landed on time.
After picking him up, we drove to the reserved restaurant.
Shen Kuo drove.
“Yao Yao, what’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
A handsome face suddenly leaned close to mine, startling me back to focus. “N-nothing.”
A glance from the driver’s seat came and went. I pretended not to notice, twisting my fingers anxiously.
“Are you hungry? Maybe eat something to tide you over.”
Shen Zhe, oblivious to my unease, pulled out a box of boozy chocolates from the pile of gifts Shen Kuo had brought back and handed it to me after opening it.
I took it dazedly, my mind in chaos, my eyes involuntarily glancing at the man in the driver’s seat.
This was so weird.
The moment I saw Shen Kuo at the airport, a strange sense of familiarity hit me, and my heart raced.
In the bustling airport, I felt trapped, like an invisible dark web was closing in.
I forgot all my rehearsed greetings, and everyone could see how tense I was.
Shen Kuo spoke first.
“Miss Jin, pleased to meet you.”
My breath caught, and I looked up, our eyes meeting.
His emotionless black eyes somehow revealed a hint of desire in their depths.
It reminded me of last night, when Shen Zhe got playful during our intimate moment and called me “Miss Jin” in a cosplay game.
The voice was identical—even closer to last night’s than Shen Zhe’s…
I jumped at my own thought, forcing myself to dismiss the wild idea.
It couldn’t be. It had to be an illusion!
“Yao Yao, what are you thinking? My brother is offering to shake your hand.” Shen Zhe smiled and gently pushed me forward.
In front of me was a hand with clear veins and distinct knuckles.
Being close, I caught a faint cologne scent.
A coincidence? Shen Zhe had recently started liking this fragrance too.
My throat felt inexplicably dry.
The moment our palms touched, I froze again.
Shen Kuo’s index fingertip had a thin callus too!
The shiver from last night’s hands on my skin returned, giving me goosebumps. I instinctively yanked my hand away.
By the time I recovered, Shen Kuo was already pushing his luggage cart out of the airport.
Shen Zhe and I followed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I don’t know why…” I explained awkwardly.
This first meeting had gone so wrong—he must have a bad impression of me.
At that thought, I felt dejected.
Shen Zhe put his arm around my shoulder, frowning almost imperceptibly. “My brother is a piano fanatic—did his hand hurt you just now?”
He said it seriously, but my mind went somewhere dirty, so I just shook my head, blushing, to brush it off.