Chapter 4: The Headache-Inducing “Little Sister”

Another loss.

From 10:30 p.m. to now, Ling Yuan had lost nine games in a row.

He glanced at his phone.

It was almost 1 a.m.

Frustrated, he sprawled across the bed, arms flung wide.

This is ridiculous.

No way someone could lose ten games in a row, right?

One more loss.

Ling Yuan eyed the computer on his desk.

Screw it, I’m switching games.

Suddenly, something soft squirmed into his arms.

It was an indescribable softness, brushing from his thighs to his chest.

No need to guess who’d slipped into his bed.

“You…”

Ling Yuan was about to shoo Yan Xi out when a voice piped up from under the covers.

“No reaction at all? Are you… incapable or something?”

“How could I react to my sister? You’ve been watching too much anime! That’s what’s abnormal!”

Ling Yuan shot her a helpless look.

Yan Xi poked her head out from the blankets, sticking out her tongue.

“But we’re not blood-related!”

“We’re still family.”

Ling Yuan rolled over, ignoring her.

“Ehh…?”

Yan Xi hugged him from behind, muttering,

“This conversation feels kinda familiar.”

“Let go of me. It’s hot.”

“Hmph.”

Hearing Ling Yuan’s clear annoyance, Yan Xi reluctantly let go, pouting.

But she wasn’t done yet.

Squeezing out a few tears, she whimpered.

“I can’t believe… Big Brother’s starting to hate Yan Xi. Our bond’s fading… You used to dote on me so much… sniff…”

“Don’t be gross! And stop making stuff up! I’ve always been like this!”

Ling Yuan propped himself up, staring at her in disbelief.

What was this nonsense? Some kind of moral guilt-trip to make him feel like the bad guy?

When he first met Yan Xi a year ago, she wasn’t like this at all. Back then, she was a refined, elegant young lady, her every word and action reflecting her privileged upbringing.

Six months ago, their adoptive mother went on a business trip and gave the household staff time off. She entrusted Yan Xi to Ling Yuan’s care for a while.

That was when Yan Xi got hooked on anime. In just a few days, she binged a ton of popular series.

She was especially obsessed with shows like A Certain Sky and A Certain Buried, ones with big brother characters. (TN: Sky one seems to be yosuga no sora, not sure about the other one lol, let me know in the comments)

And then… she turned into this.

It gave Ling Yuan a massive headache.

How did things end up like this?

He’d watched plenty of anime himself and never felt the urge to have a little sister.

“Speaking of which, why were you running around the living room naked today…?”

“…Aah! Don’t bring that up!”

Yan Xi hurriedly covered his mouth, turning her face away in embarrassment.

“I just forgot to grab clean clothes…”

Fair enough.

At her other home, the maids always had her clothes ready.

She’d been pampered her whole life, never lifting a finger for anything.

“Sigh… What am I gonna do with you?”

Ling Yuan picked up his phone, ready to start another game.

“Go to sleep. You’re a good student, aren’t you? You’ve got to focus in class tomorrow.”

“Got it! Sleeping next to Big Brother makes me feel so safe.”

Yan Xi’s voice came from behind him, and true to her word, soft snores soon followed.

The room was quiet at night, her gentle breathing filling the silence.

“Sigh…”

Ling Yuan set his phone down, carefully moving her arm from around him and tucking it against her.

He pulled the blanket up a bit higher.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow.

Yan Xi curled up in the warm blankets, looking like a peaceful, obedient kitten.

Maybe it was because she was sleeping beside him, but even in her sleep, a faint smile lingered on her face.

Ling Yuan looked at her helplessly.

If her legion of admirers saw them like this, he’d probably be torn to pieces.

Unlike Yixin Xue’s untouchable aura, Yan Xi was warm and approachable, with plenty of friends and no record of ever clashing with anyone.

Naturally, she was incredibly popular at school, with a long line of male suitors.

Too bad Yan Xi always brushed them off with, “I have a boyfriend.”

Did she really have one?

No one had ever seen him.

Only Ling Yuan and a few close friends knew it was just an excuse.

***

At 6:15 a.m., the phone alarm blared.

A hand reached out from the blankets, swiping it off—snooze for five minutes.

His eyelids felt like lead.

He’d stayed up until 5 a.m. to win back those nine lost ranked matches.

An hour and change of sleep?

No way that was enough.

“Ta-da! Big Brother, time to get up!”

Yan Xi, already washed and dressed, kicked open the door.

“Mmm—”

Ling Yuan grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head and rolling over.

“Hmph…”

Yan Xi pouted, took a few running steps, and launched herself onto him.

“Crap…”

That leap nearly ended him.

Little miss, I got one hour of sleep! Are you trying to kill me!?

“Get! Up! Now!”

Yan Xi pushed at the half-dead Ling Yuan.

“Uncle Wang’s waiting downstairs! We can’t keep him waiting!”

“Ugh…”

Uncle Wang was the family’s driver, in charge of taking Yan Xi to and from school.

Ling Yuan struggled for a few minutes before dragging himself out of bed.

Swaying, he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up.

Then he noticed a plate of noodles on the table.

The dish looked… rough.

The sauce was overly thick, the noodles mushy and falling apart, some reduced to soggy fragments.

“Come eat after you’re done! Try the spaghetti Yan Xi made for you!”

Like she was showing off a trophy, Yan Xi held the plate up to his face.

“You call this spaghetti?”

Ling Yuan tilted his head, dumbfounded.

“I may not be a scholar, but I know what spaghetti looks like! This is clearly overcooked tomato noodles!”

“Hehe, you saw through me~”

Yan Xi flashed a cheeky grin.

“But I swear, it’s super tasty!”

“Uh, sure.”

Ling Yuan rolled his eyes and headed to the bathroom. After a quick wash, he sat at the table to try the so-called “spaghetti.”

“Let Yan Xi feed Big Brother!”

She eagerly reached for his chopsticks, but he shook his head.

“No way, hold on.”

Ling Yuan caught the mischievous glint in her smile.

From experience…

He cautiously picked up a single noodle and put it in his mouth. His face twisted as the overwhelming sweetness hit him.

How much sugar did she dump in to cover up this disaster!?

“Next time… I’ll cook for you instead…”

Ling Yuan clutched his face, fighting back tears. His cooking wasn’t five-star, but it was decent! Especially his instant noodles—he had a knack for those!

“Ugh! You saying that makes Yan Xi so sad!”

She pouted, crossing her arms.

“I’m telling Mom you skip breakfast every day. From now on, I’ll make you breakfast every morning, something different each time!”

“Please, spare me. I’d like to live a few more years.”