As Xia Shishu immersed himself on the information about second life, his little sister came back into the kitchen. She changed her school attire to a combo of denim shorts and black/white stripe T-shirt.
With her soft skin and black hair, she looked like an almost above average beauty. Albeit being younger than Shishu by two and a half years, she was more responsible than him.
Xia Lina usually took care of the housework as Shishu kept insisting on being a lazy brother. "You should work hard or else no one would take you as a bride when you grow up." is what Shishu would always say to Lina.
As Xia Lina went to get her apron, she asked her brother, "Hey what are you doing?"
Xia Shishu stopped looking at Second Reality's and lifted his head up.
"Just looking at stuff about Second Reality. Are you making dinner?"
Lina nodded her head and replied, "Yeah. I've heard a lot about Second Reality from my classmates. Some of them were really jealous about not being able to play. Those that could play would even flaunt about how well they are progressing in the game y'know. I want to try too but I'm still too young. Why don't you try brother Shishu? It's free anyways."
Xia Shishu heard her sister and contemplated if he should play or not. He didn't want to play games because of a few things that had happened to him in the past.
__
Two years ago, he would occasionally play a FPS game called Enchanting Light in his room when he came home from school. After a while, he got pretty good and joined the 'friends' on his game list to play private matches.
While beating them quickly match after match, they began cursing at him and told him to stop 'cheating' when he was clearly not. Even after he told them that he wasn't cheating, they still didn't believe him and kicked him out of the lobby.
He tried to speak with them, but all he got was the cold shoulder and deleted 'friends'.
Because of this, he stopped playing Enchanting Light and other games for a year and a half. While in boredom, he tried playing Enchanting Light again. The result? He SUCKS!
His ability couldn't be kept!
His online 'friends' hated him!
Losing in Enchanting Light would just enrage him rather than entertain him so he stopped playing.
__
"Your classmates flaunting their progress in Second Reality? Humph if it was me, I'll be able to surpass them in no time!" Xia Shishu smugly smiled.
"Then why don't you play then if you're so good?! You know I've heard you can sell Second Reality's currency to buyers for a high price! Even though the national banks won't be connected to Second Reality until next month, you can still trade 10 copper coins for 300 yuan!"
"That much?" Xia Shishu was surprised. He saw people wanting to trade on the net, but he didn't know the exchange ratio… WAIT! Isn't this his chance to get money?! Hahaha! The start to his journey to have power, fame, and money?! Who cares about those deleted friends! If he can get money by playing a VRMMORPG during his sleep, why not?!
But!
As an older brother, he should use his every chance to tease his sister!
"Hmm, should I play?" Xia Shishu said with a pondering face.
"Yeah! Why not?? I really want to play so I can talk about Second Reality with my friends too. You can help me when I get to play in two months!"
"If I play, I won't help you!" Xia Shishu laid two hands under his chin while mischievously looking at Lina.
"Why? Brother if you don't promise to help me then don't think about eating!" Xia Lina barked at Shishu…
Xia Shishu spoke to himself inwardly, 'My Gosh! This Little sister… Tsk! Tsk! Don't you know what pretense is?! Pretense! P R E T E N S E ! Don't you know that your dear brother is hungry?'
"Hahaha Aiya, cute amazing unrivaled sister I promise that I'll help you in Second Reality. Don't let your brother starve. I'll haunt you if I die of starvation!" Xia Shishu pleaded his sister in a benevolent tone.
"You better start tomorrow or else!" Lina glared at Xia Shishu for a bit after telling him to play Second Reality. She soon turned back to complete her cooking.
Xia Shishu shook his head. 'Little sister it's just a game, why must you force this brother to play? Hahaha I was going to play anyways! I'm the master of a system now! Why shouldn't I play?! MAHAHAHA!'
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Placing two portions of pork meat and veggie stir fry for her parents in the refrigerator, Lina brought the remaining two portions with some rice to the table.
Lina secretly stole glances at her brother from time to time while eating with her brother in silence.
There was a reason for these glances.
About two years ago, she was a really really weird person.
Her parents would often stay at work, almost to the point that she wouldn't get to talk to her parents for months. While only leaving money to her brother for daily necessities, she felt like her parents didn't care for her at all.
What's the point of them working so hard? Are they doing it for Shishu and her? Maybe they did do it for their children, but to her, she felt like they didn't exist at all.
After not talking to her parents for months, she found it hard to start up a conversation with her parents.
As for her brother… He would cook for her, but that was it…
He would just go straight into his room after cleaning up…
She would sit in the gloomy kitchen room, void of people. Looking around at times, she would see that no one is home with her. They were not home… because the room is empty… it's always empty…
One night, she decided to cut herself with a boxcutter. She felt pain… but she felt alive… Even if the little scratches she made on herself weren't deep, it was a sign that she was living. In a room void of life, the pain showed her that someone was living in her family's room…
As time passed, the cuts on her arms got deeper. It got deeper because she didn't feel 'pain' in those little scratches anymore.
Deeper and deeper. Each day, the cuts just got deeper into her flesh and more blood spilled out.
The more she pushed, the more life there is…
But on a fated night, there was another life in the room…
Her brother Shishu came out of his room during the hour before mid light with a distressed look. Step by step, he slowly came towards the kitchen. Slowly coming towards her…
As he stepped into the kitchen, his eyes widen and his steps sped up. He came and took the box cutter from my hands and placed it in his pockets.
He didn't get angry, nor did he say anything. He just sat there with me after wiping the blood and softly placed a band-aid on my left arm. He sat there with me as I sobbed with my head down all the way until dawn. My parents weren't here because they wanted to work…They always want to work…
__
I asked brother Shishu if he would stay with me.
I asked him once…
I asked him twice…
Again and again, I asked…
I asked until I fell into a deep sleep under the comfort of brother Shishu's arms. I slept for a very long while… Because I felt happy for not being alone…
It was midday when I woke up after my sweet slumber. Brother Shishu didn't leave me. He slept on my bedroom chair with his head rested on my bed.
I lifted my hand to rubbed his hair and touched his face.