"What's wrong with you, Shen Linlin? Are you jealous of a little girl?" Shen Lang laughed in exasperation. "If you want to call me 'brother,' you can too. I'm your actual brother, you know. It's not embarrassing."
"Go to hell, you old jerk!" Shen Linlin's face turned red, unable to think of a good retort. Frustrated, she lifted her foot to kick Shen Lang, but he easily dodged with a chuckle. "Take care on the way, and don't come bothering your brother without a good reason."
After putting his sisters into the Didi car, Shen Lang headed to his landlady's door and rang the bell.
"Brother Shen!" Mengmeng, the lively and adorable daughter of Xia Shuyi, opened the door, immediately raising her hands and jumping up and down, wanting Shen Lang to pick her up.
"Where's your mom?" Shen Lang lifted the little girl with one hand, pinching her cheeks.
"Mommy's cooking," Mengmeng giggled, showing her cute little teeth.
"Shen, you're just in time," Xia Shuyi said, emerging from the kitchen with the last dish. She wore a bright smile. "I just finished cooking. Wash your hands and come eat; you can look at the computer afterward."
Xia Shuyi was wearing a white gauzy dress, her fair skin faintly visible through the fabric. Her full bosom made the loose dress look tight. The weather was hot, and after cooking for a while, fine beads of sweat had appeared on her white neck, with a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead and the sides of her neck, adding to her allure.
The sight of her glistening with sweat, face flushed, and hair slightly disheveled, was enough to make anyone's heart race.
"Thanks for the meal, Sister Xia," Shen Lang said with a smile. After washing his hands, he sat down to eat in the living room, with Mengmeng once again sitting next to him on her little cartoon stool.
**Ding! Xia Shuyi's favorability towards the host has increased by 10 points. Current favorability: 60 points. Keep it up!**
With the system's help and prompts, Shen Lang had managed to increase Xia Shuyi's favorability by another 10 points.
The atmosphere at the dining table was extremely harmonious. To Xia Shuyi, it felt very much like a family meal, a feeling she cherished deeply.
After lunch, they went to the kitchen to wash the dishes together. Mengmeng sat on the living room sofa watching cartoons, occasionally bursting into laughter and rolling around.
Xia Shuyi loved this warm atmosphere, the feeling of having a man in the house making her feel inexplicably secure.
"Shen, you're 24, right? It's about time you found a girlfriend," Xia Shuyi said, standing closer to him than last time. "Sister is curious, what kind of girls do you like?"
**[Option 1: I like older women, those who are gentle and knowledgeable, someone like you, Sister, who knows how to live life.]**
**[Option 2: I like wild girls, the wilder the better. They also need to have a good figure and looks.]**
**[Option 3: I like big waves. Don't get me wrong, that's two requirements: big chest and wild!]**
"Maybe my personality isn't very appealing to girls," Shen Lang said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I prefer older women, those who are gentle and knowledgeable, someone like you, Sister, who knows how to live life."
"Sister isn't as good as you say," Xia Shuyi laughed modestly, clearly delighted by Shen Lang's candidness.
As they continued to wash dishes and chat awkwardly, Xia Shuyi's elbow occasionally brushed against Shen Lang's stomach. Each time he turned to look at her, she would lower her head, a shy smile playing on her lips.
After finishing the dishes, Xia Shuyi led Shen Lang to the bedroom to fix her computer.
Before entering, Xia Shuyi nervously instructed Mengmeng in the living room, "Mengmeng, I'm going to fix the computer with Brother Shen. Be a good girl."
"Got it!" Mengmeng replied without taking her eyes off the TV screen.
"Looks like we're not just fixing the computer," Shen Lang thought, swallowing hard as he recalled Xia Shuyi's subtle touches earlier. He wondered if he should resist if Xia Shuyi made a move, or if he should just go with the flow.
At that moment, their eyes met, and both quickly looked away, the atmosphere turning intimate.
"Cough, where's the computer, Sister Xia?" Shen Lang asked, breaking the tension.
"This way," Xia Shuyi replied quickly, opening the bedroom door and leading him to a desktop computer. "I just bought it recently but haven't used it much. I wanted to watch a movie, but it kept asking me to download something. I'm not good with computers, so I didn't dare try."
Xia Shuyi explained, opening the computer and showing him the website. When she tried to play a video, a window popped up asking to download Flash.
This was a common issue and could be easily resolved by downloading the required software.
Just as Shen Lang was about to explain this, the system options appeared again.
**[Option 1: Pretend not to know and hold Xia Shuyi's hand to guide her with the mouse, creating an intimate atmosphere and bringing you closer.]**
**[Option 2: Tell her to download the software from the popup window to play the video.]**
**[Option 3: Download the software for her and ask her suggestively what type of adult movies she likes to watch.]**
With Xia Shuyi's favorability already at a level where they could potentially engage in adult activities, Shen Lang thought he might even get a suggestive response if he chose Option 3.
Other women with this level of favorability might have already pushed him onto the bed upon entering the room. Essentially, these options were testing or reminding Shen Lang that it was time to make some bold moves to deepen their relationship.
Of course, if he chickened out, he could always choose Option 2.
"I'll take a look," Shen Lang said, swallowing nervously as he stepped behind Xia Shuyi. After a moment's hesitation, he bent down and gently held her hand on the mouse.
Both of them trembled slightly at the touch.