Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Rising Temperature between Me and My “Step-brother”: Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

On Wednesday afternoon, Asher's car appeared once again in front of the Yang family's house.Vivian Yang answered the door again, leaning against the doorframe as she stared fixedly at Asher outside, greeting him bashfully."Hey, Wendy will be out soon. Do you want to come in? It's sweltering outside~""No, thanks," Asher declined outright."Asher, could you sign these for me?"The night before, she'd grilled Wendy about Asher and even raided David's room for Lightning team posters and two fan banners, determined to get his autograph.Jiang Peng was tending to her plants in the backyard—rows of vegetables and fruit trees that yielded bountiful harvests. She always gave Sam portions to take home.Simone, being American, might not always crave Chinese food, but Jiang Peng knew she'd appreciate organic produce. Over time, though Simone had never visited, she'd decided Sam's friend Yang was the most considerate of his circle.

The music festival they were attending was the TAL Summer Festival, held annually from Thursday to Sunday during the last week of August—four days in total—though the location changed each year. Wendy was quite lucky; this time, it happened to be in State D.At 11 a.m., Wendy and Asher set off from home, planning to grab lunch en route. They expected to arrive at Wendy’s booked hotel by around 3 p.m.The festival also began at 3 p.m., running until 11 p.m. Wendy had scanned the lineup. Aside from the opening act featuring a moderately famous guest, the subsequent performers—whether celebrities or social media influencers—were names she’d never even heard of. So she took her time, intending to check in with Asher, drop their luggage, and then head to the venue.As for the hotel...Wendy turned to study Asher’s profile as he drove.“Asher, I only booked one room for tonight.”When he glance

In the elevator going down, Wendy and Asher stood on opposite sides, separated by three young people with face paint depicting the logo of the headlining female singer’s new album.The bellhop who had helped them earlier mentioned that 80% of the hotel’s guests were here for the music festival.The trio chatted animatedly, gossiping about a certain diva discovering her husband’s infidelity, then speculating about recent rumors of the singer secretly reconciling with the scumbag. Under normal circumstances, Wendy would’ve loved this kind of gossip, but right now, she stood with her hands clasped behind her back, leaning against the elevator wall, lost in thought.She was replaying Asher’s words in the room—"Haven’t you known for a while?"—wondering what he meant.When the elevator doors opened, Wendy didn’t move. Asher turned back, took her wrist, and led her out."Wait for me by the entrance. I

"Voss, Voss!"Just as the two were about to leave the stadium, Asher was stopped by an enthusiastic staff member who asked if they wanted to attend the music festival's afterparty. Most of the festival's stars would be there tonight.The venue was backstage at the stadium, where the Lightning Team had celebrated after winning the semifinals."You remember that place, right? I was the first one to rush up and ask for your autograph! Speaking of which, your performance in the semifinals was absolutely terrifying—your team was down by 39 points in the first half, and no one thought you could come back. But you did it. I nearly had a heart attack watching it live—"Asher remained unfazed by the praise, simply turning to Wendy. "Do you want to go?"The girl's cheeks were flushed from the heat, her pink forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat, her dark eyes misty as she leaned lightly against his shoulder.At that moment, even as

"No, the show's already over. We're back at the hotel getting ready to rest... Yes, the performance was incredible."Wendy held her phone against the inky backdrop of night, the crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling window mirroring the room's interior. Behind her, Asher approached with an uncapped water bottle.It was utterly unfair, really.He was breathtakingly handsome—the kind of man universally acknowledged as devastatingly attractive at first glance. Towering and powerfully built, with a physique that commanded attention and golden locks that turned heads. Add to that the firsthand accounts praising his unmatched stamina and bedroom prowess, guaranteeing women absolute satisfaction...Could anyone truly refuse him?Well, one person could. Wendy desperately wished he weren't standing here now.The injustice of it all—even she recognized it.Accepting the bottle, Wendy tilted her head back for several thirsty gulps, her parc