As the sun dipped below the horizon, its fading light bathed the room in a warm, orange hue. The young man lay peacefully in bed, his skin glowing with the sun's last tender kiss. His long lashes fluttered as if caressed by a gentle breeze, and his straight nose and thin, red lips combined firmness with delicate charm. He looked simply divine.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, disoriented for a moment before recalling where he was. His eyes darted around the room, and tension rippled through him. But as he recognized the familiar surroundings, his muscles relaxed, and he flopped back onto the bed, exhaling deeply.
Soon enough, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He groaned as he made his way to answer it, annoyed at whoever had chosen to disturb his rest. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a very familiar face—his father. The man appeared to be in his mid-twenties but was actually in his late thirties. His once delicate features had matured into a more manly handsomeness.
"In his previous life, he and his father had been close—until Li Mie came into the picture. That's when everything began to unravel, arguments escalating until their bond was nearly severed. The memory of his father's last kind words haunted him
'Father understands. Come home early for dinner, alright?'
He would later learn that his father died mysteriously, just months before the war began. The cause? Poison delivered by his elder brother. The knowledge had left him hollow, filled with guilt so deep it nearly consumed him. But things would be different this time. He would fix everything.
He didn't realize how long he had been staring at his father until he felt a hand on his forehead, snapping him back to reality.
"Hey, are you okay, small fry?" His father asked worriedly, a gentle smile on his face.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he replied softly, looking up at him.
"Good, because dinner is ready. Come on, let's go," his father said, leading the way downstairs.
"Oh," the realization hit him hard. "Dad, why'd you come to get me? Isn't this usually Sister Bai's job?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why, do you prefer it was her?" his father asked amusedly, though a hint of grievance was detectable in his voice.
"Of course not. I'm glad it's you," he replied tactfully.
Without seeing it, he could already imagine the big grin on his father's face. As they made their way to the dining room, he saw the feast awaiting them.
"Oh my," he exclaimed softly. This was going to be a great dinner indeed.
As they took their places at the table, Sister Bai was already seated, waiting for them to join. They began to eat, and he didn't realize how hungry he was until he tasted the first bite. He ate as if starved, completely absorbed in the food. He didn't notice the incredulous gazes from his father and Sister Bai.
"Wow, eat slower or you might choke," Sister Bai advised.
He simply nodded, unable to slow down. The room was filled with the sounds of his enthusiastic eating. Once he finally stopped to breathe, he felt completely full. He looked up to meet Sister Bei's surprised gaze and his father's proud eyes. He smiled brightly. "That was extremely delicious."
A gentle laughter filled the room.
"That's my boy! Now you're finally acting like a man," his father said enthusiastically. "Did you see that? Sweet pie, your brother is finally acting like a real man."
Sister Bei smiled softly, her voice tinged with amusement. "If watching him eat like a starved animal is what you mean, then yes, father, I saw him."
"Hey," he said, feigning offense.
"Father, will you allow her to call me an animal?" he asked dramatically.
"Only true men can be called animals. You should be proud," his father replied deadpan.
The room erupted in uncontrollable laughter. For the first time in a long while, he felt this happy and content. They continued to laugh and joke, enjoying each other's company.
The atmosphere shifted when the topic of girls came up. The room grew tense.
"I simply don't like that girl you're hanging out with. She rubs me the wrong way," his father said resolutely. In the past, this would have led to an argument, but not this time. He could see Sister Bai was already tense, waiting for his response.
"I couldn't agree more. She's been rubbing me the wrong way for a while now. I'll reduce my contact with her from now on," he said seriously.
Sister Bai's surprise gave way to a beautiful smile, and his father looked at him with pride.
"Good. Don't worry about girls now. Father will find you a nice girl to marry when you're ready," his father said.
He smiled softly. "Girls? Who needs girls? We are men; we don't need delicate female fatales to hinder us." He flexed his non-existent muscles for emphasis.
"Yes indeed, my boy. Girls are for wussies," his father replied.
Just as they were mid-laugh, celebrating their newfound theory on 'real men,' a soft, ominous throat-clearing cut through the room like a knife. They turned in unison to face the storm that was Sister Bai
"Girls are for wussies, you say?" she asked in an extremely calm but terrifying voice.
His father silently cursed. "We are so screwed."
He nodded disheartenedly, already imagining the punishment that awaited.
[This ought to be entertaining] the system's voice chimed in, brimming with amusement.