In the end, Ye Kong couldn't disobey his younger sister. At Ye Bai's strong request, he had no choice but to put on her down jacket and wait for her to end her shift so they could leave together.
"It'll only be a few more minutes. Uncle Wang is going to be back soon."
Ye Bai took a quick look at the clock in the shop and said, "Today is Saturday, so I have to hold the fort until 10:30."
"Okay," Ye Kong nodded gently, showing he understood.
Ye Bai's part-time job at the "Night Cat Convenience Store" ran from 6:30 to 10:00 in the evening. Her responsibilities included making sure everything ran smoothly in the store, and operating the cash register. If it was a weekend, her working hours would be extended by half an hour.
However, business at this store was "slow," and most of the time, there were only a few customers...
At times, Ye Kong harbored doubts about whether the Night Cat Convenience Store could afford to pay Ye Bai's part-time salary with their sales revenue...
The answer was that it was obviously impossible.
In truth, the store was in a pretty good location. The main cause of their lackluster business was Uncle Wang's bizarre rule. The Night Cat Convenience Store, as the name implied, only opened at night, and was closed during the day.
Ye Bai's part-time job only covered the first half of the store's opening hours, and Uncle Wang himself would be in charge of the latter half.
At this time...
Wang Sitao was sitting on the checkout counter, and she asked, full of curiosity:
"Big Brother Ye, you don't normally leave the house, so why did you come looking for Big Sister Ye today?"
At the same time...
Ye Bai seemed to be fiddling with her bracelet, but in actuality, her ears pricked up at this question...
"I was worried she wouldn't be safe coming back by herself," Ye Kong answered, providing a reasonable excuse. In reality, compared to Ye Bai and her skills, he was no match for her in his current state, before he had regained the physique he had in his past life.
It was hard to say whose safety was more at risk here...
Even so, Ye Kong wanted to come to pick up his little sister.
In his past life, he hadn't known how to properly appreciate his younger sister. Now that he had a new chance at life, Ye Kong wanted to see his little sister, even if it was just for a second. Just looking at her quietly gave him a great sense of fulfillment.
Hearing this, Ye Bai's fingers froze in place, and she unconsciously lowered her head to hide her face. Still, her lips curled up in a smile, exposing her true feelings.
Just then, the main doors to the convenience store were pushed open—
"Whew! I'm back, I'm back..."
A bald-headed, bearded, burly man walked through the doors. With his big, strong muscles, he looked like a bodybuilding champion. The moment he walked in, a surprised expression appeared on his face.
"Huh, Little Kong, you're here too?"
This strongman was Uncle Wang, the owner of the Night Cat Convenience Store. His full name was Wang Yuwu, but most people called him Uncle Wang. In his past life, Ye Kong had secretly given him a nickname—Muscle Wang.
He was the "Muscle Wang" in every respect (Wang also means "king" in Chinese).
Even though they were a few meters apart, just standing in front of him, Ye Kong felt like he was looking at a mountain of flesh.
Sometimes, Ye Kong even suspected that Uncle Wang went to a gym at night before his part-time job as an instructor, ensuring that the Night Cat Convenience Store could continue business as usual...
During the age of the Earth Federation, people generally prioritized training their bodies. If one was a gym instructor, even if it was just a part-time job, the monthly pay was extremely generous, at least ten times what Ye Bai earned.
"Aiyo, what a rare guest. I haven't seen Little Kong in ages."
Uncle Wang flashed him a smile and patted him on the shoulder. Uncle Wang's arms were thicker than Ye Kong's thighs, and the impact of the pat made Ye Kong's entire body shudder. It was a clear display of the "difference in their strength."
"Uncle Wang!"
Ye Bai quickly stepped forward and pushed away Uncle Wang's arms, saying in annoyance, "Big brother's body is weak. Don't treat him like some kind of strongman! You're hitting him so hard. What will you do if he gets hurt?"
"Right, right, right. I got careless."
Uncle Wang scratched his head sheepishly. His personality didn't match his ferocious appearance, as he was actually a gentle person.
"Pfft... Puhahahaha!"
Wang Sitao couldn't hold back her laughter, and she giggled away, clutching her stomach.
Ye Kong rolled his eyes at this. He felt like he was an "endangered animal" in Ye Bai's eyes. If the other players from his past life could see this, they would probably be rolling on the floor with laughter.
When the connection between "Demon Realm" and the real world deepened, many martial artists had their roots in "Demon Realm." In Ye Kong's past life, even though he couldn't be called a grandmaster, he was still a fairly renowned martial artist.
Yet here he was, being protected by his little sister like an endangered animal...
Ye Kong didn't hate this outcome. On the contrary, he felt a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. In particular, when he saw everyone's kind, sincere smiles, he knew he could let his guard down around them.
He hadn't felt this way in many years...
It had been too long...
He had almost forgotten this feeling.
"Little Kong, why are you staring into space?"
Uncle Wang reached out a hand, about to pat Ye Kong again, but Ye Bai's glare made him pull back—
"Little lass, you're still so protective of your older brother." Uncle Wang shook his head. "Really now, you're like a puffed-up cat with bristling fur."
In truth, Ye Bai had a gentle, kind personality, and wasn't always like this. However, it was a different story when her older brother was involved.
Even if the other party was Uncle Wang, who deserved all her respect, she wouldn't let him "bully" her older brother.
"Uncle Wang, I'm here to pick up my sister." Ye Kong offered an explanation, which made Uncle Wang roll his eyes at him.
"Yes, of course. I figured you're here to pick up your younger sister. But, boy, don't you always stay cooped up at home?
"What's the meaning of this..."
Suddenly, Uncle Wang's face darkened, and he abruptly drew closer to Ye Kong. Putting his arm around Ye Kong's shoulder, he said fiercely in a low voice, so that no one else could hear them, "Little Kong, don't you dare try to woo my daughter, you hear me?!"
"I... It never crossed my mind."
"Then, that's fine!"
Uncle Wang nodded approvingly, and finally let go of Ye Kong under Ye Bai's aggressive stare.
"Okay, your shift's over. You two should hurry and head home now."
Saying this, Uncle Wang grabbed some plastic bags in passing, took out two bento boxes and a few packs of mixed vegetables from the refrigerator, put them in the bags, and turned around and dumped it all into Ye Kong's hands—
"Ahh, business isn't looking good. These things are going to expire...
"Little Kong, help me take care of them."
Ye Kong looked at the bento box in the plastic bag. The production date printed on the box was today. What did he mean, expired?
"Uncle Wang, you..."
"Okay, okay, that's enough. Don't get in the way of my business."
Saying this, Uncle Wang, with some pushing and pulling, shooed the Ye family siblings out of his convenience store.
"Big Brother Ye, Big Sister Ye, see you~!"
Wang Sitao waved a dainty hand, bidding the Ye family siblings farewell.
"See you, Little Tao."
Ye Kong also waved goodbye at the daughter of the Wang family, which ended up drawing a look of warning from Uncle Wang...
........
It was a cold night...
The moonlight shone on the ground, tinting everything a silvery-white hue.
The brother and sister duo walked along the main road. When a cold breeze blew past, Ye Bai subconsciously drew closer to Ye Kong for warmth. With her physique, even if she were only wearing a knit sweater, she wouldn't feel the chill.
Perhaps she was just looking for an excuse to be closer to her older brother.
Ye Kong continued to walk in silence, cherishing this peace and quiet.
Suddenly, Ye Kong felt something warm in his hand. A slim hand had silently grabbed on to him.
"Big brother, next time... Will you come and pick me up again?"
A slightly timid voice came from behind Ye Kong. Evidently, even though the white-haired young girl had made a show of being averse to the idea, she couldn't keep up the act, and her words exposed her true desires.
"I will."
Ye Kong tightened his grip on his sister's hand, not about to let it go again.
Under the light of the moon, the two sibling's silhouettes seemed to gradually blend into one, like two gears of life that fit perfectly together.
At the same time...
Ye Kong silently lifted his face to look at the pale bright moon, and made an oath to himself—
"I will.
"I will definitely change your destiny."