Chapter 21: Chapter 117: Operation Failure

Exploring the Origin of Life.

Well…

It was certainly a proper educational film, at least in theme. But that title…

The name alone conjured some rather unsavory images in Xiao Xi’s mind. He figured, however, that when Senior Sister bought the tickets, her only concern was whether it was a documentary, not what it was called.

Thankfully, the movie had a subtitle: *Cosmic Exploration Series*. That made it sound like a film that would infer the origins of life by comparing the material environments of alien planets to Earth.

So… that should be fine, right?

Yes, that should be fine.

With an hour to go before the movie started, Xiao Xi had no time to dwell on it. He handed the tickets to his sister. Sister Yuan glanced at the title, her expression growing a little complicated…

Yes!

That one look was enough to electrify Xiao Xi. She was disappointed! His sister was disappointed!

Well done, Senior Sister. A science documentary truly was the ultimate weapon for ending a date! His sister would surely get drowsy watching it and then leave in a huff! Haha—

Afterward, he’d have to celebrate with Senior Sister and Xiao Meng over some skewers. Then, tomorrow, they’d file for divorce!

Ahem…

They weren’t even officially registered…

Then tonight would count as the official divorce! He would achieve a legendary feat: the first person to get divorced right after a date!

Have you ever seen a couple break up right after a date? Ahem, maybe you have. But have you ever seen a couple get divorced right after a date?

Didn’t think so.

Senior Sister was a genius.

“Ahem, calling Xiao Xi, calling Xiao Xi… Respond if you can hear me. The operation is about to begin!”

As if she had heard his praise, Senior Sister’s voice came through the earpiece. Excellent, his fire support was now online!

But…

With his sister right beside him, it was difficult to communicate with Senior Sister directly. Talking to thin air would be far too easy for her to see through, wouldn’t it?

If his sister found out he was chatting with another woman while on a date with her, she would hang him from the ceiling for an entire night…

But Senior Sister was calling him now. What was he supposed to do?

Hmm…

An idea struck!

Thinking quickly, Xiao Xi let out a series of coughs into the air, startling both his sister and Senior Sister. What… What was he doing?

Gao Meiyou, crouched in her car, was the first to realize it was Xiao Xi’s coded response. But Sister Yuan, standing right in front of him, simply looked at him with concern.

“Did you catch a cold?”

“No… I mean, yes, maybe a little…”

Anticipating that he might need to cough quite a bit more later, Xiao Xi decided to come up with a proper excuse. Constant coughing would be too strange otherwise. Sister Yuan nodded. “Take some medicine when we get back tonight. You might have caught a chill these past few nights.”

Hmm…

His sister was sounding more and more like Aunt Shi…

“You idiot junior, blame her! Seize the opportunity and blame her!” Gao Meiyou’s anxious voice crackled through the earpiece as she issued the first operational objective.

Hmm…

Blame his sister…

Xiao Xi hesitated. He didn’t actually have a cold. Was this really okay? Wasn’t he just falsely accusing her?

Besides, how was he even supposed to blame her? Growing up, Xiao Xi had never once blamed his sister for bullying him. She hated being told on. No, wait, telling on her and blaming her to her face were different. Telling on her meant complaining to Aunt Shi, while blaming her meant saying it directly to her face.

That was even more impossible. Xiao Xi didn’t even have the guts to tattle to Aunt Shi, let alone tell his sister what she did wrong to her face.

Did he have a death wish?

…

‘Perhaps it was my weakness in the past that led things to this point.’ Xiao Xi took a slow breath and steeled himself. No, this time he had to blame his sister!

Besides, if he really *had* caught a cold, his sister would indeed be responsible! It was all because she was so… at night.

Never mind, he wouldn’t say it.

‘Hmph, since my sister hates being criticized more than anything, I’ll push her buttons on purpose! That way, she’ll think I’m being unreasonable and start to hate me! Then comes the divorce, and then the skewers!’

Damn it all…

Senior Sister, you’re a genius!

Xiao Xi nodded, then pointed a finger at his sister, forcing an angry expression onto his face as he declared, “Hmph, it’s all your fault for being so mean! You made me catch a cold! I hate you the most!”

…

The scene froze in awkward silence, not just where Xiao Xi stood, but also inside Gao Meiyou’s car.

Xiao Xi held his pointing finger aloft, his face crimson as he stared at his sister, who had pulled him into a hug and was giggling uncontrollably. Huh? This wasn’t right. Shouldn’t she be glaring at him angrily and yelling, “How is this my fault again?! You’re the one who kicks off the blankets!” or something like that?

Why was she clinging to him so dotingly, refusing to let go?

Wasn’t that how you were supposed to blame someone?

“Xiao Xi, you little…” Senior Sister’s voice, seething with frustration, came through the earpiece, followed by Xiao Meng’s desperate muttering from the side. “My brother is a boy… my brother is definitely a boy… Aaaah—!”

…

Was he wrong?

Did he say the wrong thing?

Could there be some correct template for this that he didn’t know about?

Xiao Xi was completely bewildered. He could only listen as his sister held him in her arms, smiling as she ruffled his hair. “Xiao Xi, are you trying to be cute? You’re so adorable~”

“I…”

Damn it!

Xiao Xi was lost. He replayed his words in his mind… aaaaah! They were so embarrassing!

‘This isn’t right. That’s not what I meant to say at all. I meant to say, *It’s all your fault, you cruel demon lord, for torturing me…*’

Hold on… that didn’t sound right either. That sounded like a princess with Stockholm syndrome flirting with the demon lord who had kidnapped her.

No…

Xiao Xi frowned. What was going on?

Was it because she was his childhood friend, his sister, that he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh? Was he only capable of acting spoiled in front of her now? That couldn’t be right, something was definitely off…

After much thought, Xiao Xi came to a conclusion.

It’s not my fault!

Absolutely not!

It was the context! The context was the problem! When someone shows concern for you first, and then you try to blame them, especially when the reason for the ‘cold’ is so… complicated… Even though it was a fake cold, anything he said in this situation would have come off as flirting!

Right?

It was because he had gotten ‘sick’ from being too intimate with his sister. So no matter what he said, it would sound like a newlywed wife complaining that her husband was too rough…

Yes, it wasn’t his fault! Senior Sister’s instructions were flawed!

Xiao Xi decisively shifted the blame in his mind seven or eight times over, completely ignoring his own initial analysis of Senior Sister’s advice. It was definitely not because he was incapable of saying anything accusatory to his sister. Absolutely not!

“Alright, alright~ Take some medicine tonight. Let’s go see the movie now, or we’ll be late~ Oh, right, even if we miss it, it’s fine. We can just buy tickets for the next show. Two tickets for… a romance movie?”

“No, no, no… I mean, what a waste!” Xiao Xi immediately shook his head. No way, absolutely no romance movies!

“Sigh, Xiao Xi, be more serious from now on, more manly. Take your sister downstairs now. Our car will follow you, and we’ll be watching.”

Senior Sister’s exasperated voice came through the earpiece as she listened to their conversation.

Alright then…

Xiao Xi led his sister… no, more accurately, his sister led him out the door and straight toward the movie theater.