Chapter 24: A Sisterly Intervention

“So tired, so tired, ugh, I’m so sleepy… I’m just so exhausted!”

The moment she finished streaming, Chajingyuan didn’t even bother to close all her programs. With a single, drawn-out stretch, she leaned back and collapsed onto her bed, sprawling out like a starfish.

Since she had first plunged into the world of gaming, she couldn’t recall ever feeling quite this drained.

The closest she’d ever come, she mused, was during a game of Overwatch.

She’d been in a top-tier match, paired with a professional player whose temper was just as foul as her own, only to be pitted against an entire team of cheaters…

They had spent the entire match verbally sparring with each other, even as their hands worked in furious, seamless coordination, ultimately dismantling the cheating team with sheer force.

The difference, however, was significant. Back then, it had been a battle of wits and will against the enemy, a burning desire to win at all costs.

Today, playing this maddeningly difficult ‘jump-scare’ game, while on the surface she’d been bickering incessantly with her chat, Chajingyuan knew deep down that her pride and sensitivity were merely a facade.

In essence, she had been battling herself.

“…Ugh…”

Chajingyuan brushed aside a strand of her silver-blonde hair, her eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling.

“Myself, myself, myself…”

In a daze, she recalled the negative little purple figure from the game. Vaguely, Chajingyuan felt as if a small girl with silver-purple hair was floating before her, gazing silently back—a veritable mirror image of herself.

‘Hmm?’

‘Wait.’

Chajingyuan suddenly remembered. ‘Shouldn’t I have been a boy originally? Why, when imagining ‘another Chajingyuan,’ have I started defaulting to a little girl?’

“Ah, ah… water, water!”

Chajingyuan hastily fumbled for the can of cola by her desk and gulped down two large mouthfuls.

Just then, Chahuayuan knocked and entered the room.

“Rough stream, sis. Want some late-night supper?”

“No, no, I’m utterly exhausted.”

Chajingyuan shook her head rebelliously, almost on instinct, then looked again, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

“Oh, sushi? You just ordered takeout on your own? Hmph~, I didn’t realize you were so good at self-congratulation, huh?

Already appointing yourself the head of logistics? Think you’re being a real ‘dutiful wife and loving mother’ by supporting me~?”

“‘Dutiful wife and loving mother’ or ‘logistics officer,’ say whatever you like. I just saw how well you handled the pressure during your stream, and I genuinely think you’re amazing.

So I bought some food to comfort you. If you don’t eat it, fine by me. I’ll just scarf it all down myself without a shred of difficulty.”

“Ugh.”

Her stomach rumbled loudly. Chajingyuan considered it and decided it was probably best not to be stubborn this time.

For one, she was truly tired from being so defiant during the stream for so long. Secondly, the intense operational pressure coupled with the significant mental strain had created a high energy drain.

Chajingyuan was genuinely hungry.

Seeing that Chajingyuan didn’t object further, Chahuayuan immediately began to set up their space.

Neither of the two bedrooms in the house was particularly large, and the secondary bedroom was especially cramped.

Chahuayuan managed to clear a space on the computer desk, pushing the hardware aside to make room for the sushi and dipping sauces.

Then, she grabbed the duvet, which resembled a crumpled pile of pickled vegetables, hastily folded it twice, and tossed it to the side, creating enough space for two people to sit. With that, their little spot was ready.

Chahuayuan slipped off her cumbersome pink hoodie and sat demurely on the bed in a seiza-like kneel. In contrast, Chajingyuan casually brushed aside the hem of her oversized coat and sat cross-legged on the other side.

As they settled, Chahuayuan took a closer look and immediately spotted a problem.

“Hmm??”

“What?”

“Bro, is this really what you were wearing during the stream?”

“What, what, what?”

Chajingyuan looked utterly bewildered, then glanced down at herself.

Her delicate, pale body was mostly hidden beneath the spacious old coat, yet she wore nothing else beneath it. Essentially, glimpses of her body were visible almost everywhere.

A bare shoulder peeked out, her collarbone half-exposed. The gentle, supple curve of her chest, far from a deep cleavage, was entirely on display.

The faint outlines of her ribs were visible, her navel exposed.

The contours of her hip bones flowed down from her flat stomach, directly downwards, with not a hint of covering. Even more startling, Chajingyuan was sitting cross-legged, her legs not only uncovered but wide open.

“…”

Only then did Chajingyuan realize that her private parts were brazenly ‘inviting guests.’ She frantically tugged at her coat, desperately trying to cover her thighs.

Her fair face instantly flushed a furious red, like a boiled crab.

“Wh-what… what’s wrong?”

Chajingyuan retorted, her voice tinged with petulance.

“So what if I streamed like this just now? It’s a VTuber stream anyway; what I wear is none of your business!”

“No!”

Chahuayuan exclaimed, urgency in her voice.

“Bro, at least be mindful of your clothes! You are a girl, after all!”

Chajingyuan immediately huffed indignantly:

“I’m not a girl! I’m your big bro~!”

“So what if you’re my ‘bro’? You’re still a genuine, undeniable girl, aren’t you? With such a cute face and such a soft, supple body.”

“Eek!? S-soft… cute…”

The bold words immediately made Chajingyuan blush fiercely.

Following that, her entire body instinctively recoiled in alarm.

“…Y-you, Chahuayuan, you’re not… getting a reaction to your ‘bro,’ are you?”

“No, no! It’s not about whether I’m getting a reaction!”

“Why did your ‘no’ suddenly hesitate!?”

“N-n-no…”

Chahuayuan hastily waved her hands.

“Well, it wouldn’t be strange to have a reaction, would it? Who streams practically naked, and then sits so immodestly when eating with someone else!”

“So you admit you’re getting a reaction to me?”

Chajingyuan’s face instantly went pale with shock.

No… she was utterly aghast. Chajingyuan recoiled slightly in fear, but with that movement, the hem of her coat lifted, once again leaving her lower half completely exposed.

“Wha—!?”

“Hey, bro!”

This blunder instantly plunged Chajingyuan into a state of even greater shame, indignation, and panic. She fumbled with her coat, twisted her body, and kicked her legs in a flustered mess…

But due to her poor coordination, she lost her balance and toppled onto the bed.

Now, this position far surpassed ‘wide open’—her soft rear was pointing upwards, her legs folded into an ‘M’ shape, a ‘pose’ more textbook-perfect than any manual.

“N-no! You, don’t come any closer, eep!?!?”

“Honestly, you really are…!”

Chahuayuan, both exasperated and annoyed, quickly scrambled forward, grasping Chajingyuan’s ankles and trying to pull her back.

However, from Chajingyuan’s perspective, perfectly splayed out on her back, this action clearly transformed into:

Her younger sister holding her ankles, attempting to spread her legs apart, and imparting some profound ‘life experience’ upon her…

“Wah! Stop! Stop! I’m not mentally prepared yet, Chahuayuan…! Even if it really comes to this, can’t you at least let me get into a slightly more comfortable position!?”

“Who’s talking about ‘positions,’ you idiot?!”

Chahuayuan let out an exasperated sigh, hauled Chajingyuan back into a sitting position, and deftly pressed her into a demure ‘duck sit’. She then returned to her own kneeling posture, and, with a hint of shyness, pressed down on her own skirt.

“I already told you it’s not about what I might be doing; it’s about you streaming practically naked…

Okay, maybe not just the streaming. That’s not important! The most important question is, where are the underwear and nightgown I got for you this afternoon?!”