Chapter 67: A Brother’s Concerns and a Sister’s Troubles

Having added Black Mirror Healer as a friend and arranged a time to discuss establishing a branch guild, we temporarily parted ways.

Considering the time, it was clear I needed to log off.

While going a day without food or drink was hardly a major concern, today was Saturday, and I had a part-time job in the afternoon that Yingning and I were scheduled to do together.

To test whether I would be kicked from the game, I had already wasted a significant amount of time today, so much so that I hadn’t even made breakfast for Yingning, and now it was already noon.

“Yingning, what do you want for lunch?”

Stepping out of the gaming pod, I stretched, let out a massive yawn, and called out.

No one answered.

My guard shot up instantly… Could someone have discovered my identity and be targeting me? That was impossible!

In this life, I had never accepted a single mission!

So where was Yingning?

I pressed my ear against the door, cautiously detecting any movement outside.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, no human breathing, only the low hum of the refrigerator.

Grabbing the fruit knife from the computer desk, I yanked open the bedroom door.

The room was empty, but on the table sat a prepared lunch and a note.

[Brother, I’ve gone to work first. I found an extra part-time job for the morning. Remember to heat up the food on the table before you eat; cold food isn’t good for your stomach.]

The note was in Yingning’s handwriting, and I let out a sigh of relief—this occupational habit of being overly suspicious was proving difficult to shake off in such a short time.

Still, to even remind me to heat the food; she truly was a thoughtful girl.

Since both of us had dropped out of school, we suddenly had a lot more time on our hands, which was why Yingning was once again looking for part-time jobs; after all, money was the fundamental resource for survival.

But wouldn’t this be too strenuous for her?

After finishing my meal, I set off for my part-time job, planning to meet Yingning there and persuade her not to take on too many jobs; we could always earn money together in the game later on.

For me, money was merely a number.

However, I couldn’t avoid taking on part-time work, for without a legitimate source of income, suspicious individuals would undoubtedly grow wary, leading to a cascade of troubles.

Our family wasn’t short on money, but Yingning remained unaware of our financial stability… which was why she consistently worked so diligently.

‘Ah, such a responsible, aspiring young girl!’ (I noted with a contented nod in the ‘Yingning Growth Record’ booklet.)

****

The place where Yingning and I worked was not far from home; it was a mid-range restaurant.

Our positions were as servers.

“Shunhua, you’re here! It’s unusual for you and your sister not to arrive together today.”

Effortlessly, I donned my uniform and took over for a young server.

This young man was quite decent, one of the few male servers who hadn’t confessed his feelings to Yingning—primarily because he had confessed to *me* instead.

It was a rather awkward situation.

I told him I was a pure man (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘chun yemen,’ referring to a definitively masculine man.), but he adamantly refused to believe me, convinced I was Yingning’s elder sister disguised as a man…

I admitted that with my fair skin, rosy lips, and gentle features, I was indeed quite handsome; dressed as a woman, I might even be a disastrously alluring ‘falsie’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘weiniang,’ referring to a male who dresses and acts as a female, often convincingly.), yet I truly possessed a male appendage!

Finally, I dragged the young man into the men’s restroom to prove my identity…

Though it was somewhat small, rather tender, and still uncircumcised (TL Note: This phrase, ‘haiyou pi,’ literally ‘still has skin,’ is a euphemism for being uncircumcised.), it was undeniably a penis.

The young man’s expression twisted into one of utter despair, and he repeatedly questioned where I had purchased such a realistic ‘fake’ (TL Note: A euphemism for a prosthetic penis.).

Powerless, I could only tell him that my mother had ‘installed’ it for me free of charge, and that his despair was futile.

I had no idea how he eventually emerged from his sorrow, but I later heard that he had joined Yingning’s guild, apparently named… Qingyu?

He was a professional assassin player and a key member of Gunfire Rose’s management team.

“Where’s Yingning? Has she arrived already?” I asked.

While the incident at the time had been rather embarrassing, once we’d moved past that hurdle, we had become quite good friends.

“Oh, she arrived ages ago! She got here three hours before you. Shall I recount the major events of the day, as usual?” The young man no longer showed any signs of heartbreak, indicating he had likely emerged from that shadow.

“Of course.” I nodded.

“Three major things happened today, and most of them concern your sister…”

“Oh?” My attention sharpened instantly.

“First, three hours ago, your sister helped an elderly man who had fallen, and his family, to express their gratitude, gave her five thousand yuan as a thank-you gift.”

…She wasn’t extorted for five thousand yuan? This script is unexpectedly heartwarming… But then, that’s truly Yingning’s style!

“Then, as you know, those old biddies (TL Note: A derogatory term for older women.) in the shop had long since taken a dislike to you two sisters… oh, no, brother and sister, so they were secretly gossiping that your sister only helped for personal gain…”

‘What kind of idiotic logic is that?!’

These days, daring to help a fallen elder meant risking one’s entire fortune… ‘Performing good deeds for personal gain?’ Had their brains been waterlogged?

“Second, a customer in the restaurant claimed to have lost a diamond ring, and because your sister had arrived three hours early today, those old biddies immediately accused her of stealing it… Even now, those customers are still making a fuss in the main hall, insisting your sister compensate them for the loss.”

“You didn’t tell me about something this serious sooner?!” I stamped my foot in anger, then frantically dashed towards the main hall.

“Third…” The young man sighed, watching my retreating back disappear around the corner, and murmured to himself faintly, “Sigh… The third thing… I’ve figured it out… even if you’re a man, it doesn’t really matter…”