A Sister’s Care and a Strange Dream

The screen faded to black, and the game moved to the settlement page. Lin Ling clutched his forehead, admitting defeat to that final squad. He had managed to down three enemies by exploiting the terrain, but the last opponent stubbornly refused to show themselves. Eventually, Lin Ling had no choice but to run from the encroaching poison zone. Just two steps into his retreat, a shadow flickered through the grass. Before Lin Ling could even raise his weapon, his screen abruptly went dark.

“Damn this ******* camper!”

The hot-headed guy in the team immediately cursed. The girls remained silent, seemingly lamenting their loss. After all, they had been so close to victory; anyone would feel angry and regretful in that situation.

Just then, Lin Yiting’s voice echoed from the bathroom. “Xiaoling, could you hand me my bath towel? It’s in my bag.”

Lin Ling mumbled an affirmative, then lowered his head and spoke into his phone, “Alright, you guys keep playing. I’ve got something to do. I’m out.”

Without waiting for their replies, Lin Ling exited the game.

Finding the pristine white bath towel, Lin Ling slid the bathroom door open a crack. Steam filled the entire space, and through the hazy mist, Lin Ling could vaguely discern Lin Yiting’s shimmering white form. Long, slender legs slowly stepped towards the opening. An arm parted the steam, gracefully accepting the white towel. The person in the bathroom seemed to sense something amiss, glancing towards the doorway.

“Xiaoling, no peeking! If I catch you again, you’ll become my little sister.”

A sudden chill ran down Lin Ling’s spine. He quickly shut the door, his face flushed scarlet. Without lingering, Lin Ling hurried back to the sofa and picked up his phone.

There was a new message on his phone, which Lin Ling opened to find it was from Qin Ruoxue.

– Qin Ruoxue: Lin Ling, is someone at your place?

– Lin Ling: Oh, that’s my sister. She’s staying with me for a bit, but she should be leaving tomorrow, I think.

– Qin Ruoxue: Oh, I see.

Lin Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was Qin Ruoxue. If it had been Chen Sishi, she might have already stormed over.

The two implicitly understood not to message each other further. Perhaps Qin Ruoxue was busy playing her game.

****

The bathroom’s sliding door opened, and Lin Yiting emerged, her upper body wrapped in a bath towel. The enticing scent of shower gel and shampoo filled the air. Lin Ling forcibly averted his gaze from Lin Yiting’s long legs. He felt that if he looked any longer, he would surely have a reaction. If Lin Yiting noticed, she would undoubtedly turn him into a girl. Lin Ling had never even had a girlfriend; he certainly didn’t want to become someone else’s.

As if noticing Lin Ling’s somewhat fearful expression, a hint of a smile touched Lin Yiting’s lips.

“What’s wrong? Are you really that scared of your sister?”

“Ah, haha, no way! I’m not scared of my sister at all.”

Lin Yiting found his transparent denial rather amusing.

“Alright, head back to your room. I have work tomorrow, so I need to get to bed early.”

“Huh? Isn’t tomorrow the weekend?”

Hearing Lin Ling’s question, Lin Yiting shrugged helplessly.

“I can’t help it. If there’s no work, I rest all day; if there’s work, I don’t rest at all. This time, I even had to specifically ask my boss for leave.”

Lin Ling nodded in understanding. He tidied up the sofa and returned to his room. Watching Lin Ling retreat, Lin Yiting finally picked up the hairdryer to dry her long hair.

****

With the lights off, Lin Ling lay in bed, his mood quite somber. He was terribly afraid that Chen Sishi might suddenly burst out from somewhere, place a cleaver against his throat, and declare, “Lin Ling, I like you so much. Let’s be together forever…”

The mere thought sent shivers down his spine. Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Lin Ling decided to turn on his phone and play some songs. This trick worked wonders. The cool, ethereal melodies transported Lin Ling’s consciousness to a snow-covered landscape. Surrounded by wind, clouds, and snow, he unknowingly drifted into a deep slumber.

In his dream, everything was eerily silent. Lin Ling didn’t know who he was or what he was supposed to do; he simply walked forward instinctively. In stark contrast to the vivid scenery around him, the path ahead was strewn with withered trees and rubbish. The end of the road was like a black hole, revealing nothing.

Lin Ling walked on with a blank expression. In a daze, he thought he saw a person. Only a dark, shadowy back was visible, almost merging with the darkness at the end of the path.

“Who are you?”

Breaking the silence, Lin Ling surprisingly called out to the figure. The person’s steps faltered, and their head turned forty-five degrees, revealing a profile. Lin Ling clearly saw their eyes: dull, amber-colored peach blossom eyes. The rest of their face was putrid flesh, like that of a corpse.

“Jade tablet…”

The person’s mouth moved, but Lin Ling could only make out the first two words. The rest of the voice was lost to him.

****

The next morning, Lin Ling groggily sat up. He stared at the jade pendant on his chest, feeling as though he had forgotten something. After thinking for a while, his head still felt heavy. It was probably something he dreamt about yesterday, and since he couldn’t recall it, he decided not to bother. It was just a dream, after all, not anything important.

Getting out of bed, Lin Ling spotted a note on his nightstand, written in elegant handwriting.

“Xiaoling, I’ve left. The food is in the pot. It was heated this morning, so make sure to eat well!”

Lin Ling reread the single sentence, a warmth spreading through his chest. He realized he was starting to enjoy this feeling of being cared for. Shaking his head, Lin Ling exited his room. The living room appeared to have been cleaned, meticulously tidy. A faint aroma still lingered in the air, reminiscent of stewed chicken.

After identifying the lingering scent, Lin Ling rushed to the kitchen without delay, eagerly lifting the pot lid. The rich aroma of potato and chicken stew intensified. The first thing Lin Ling saw was a large chunk of meat, likely chicken breast. Spices, ginger, mushrooms, potatoes, and chicken were all mixed together. Just by looking at the dish, Lin Ling found himself involuntarily salivating. This dish, which he knew as “Chicken and Mushroom Stew” in his hometown, was a northern specialty. Lin Ling had never imagined he would eat a dish from his own world in this foreign land. And it was his favorite dish! He was simply overjoyed.

Because of this meal, Lin Ling ate an extra bowl for breakfast, leaving him feeling quite full. After storing the leftovers in the refrigerator, Lin Ling returned to his room. He had no intention of going out today; no matter who came looking for him, he wouldn’t budge. He felt completely unsafe without Lin Yiting’s presence. Fortunately, no one called him out, so Lin Ling stayed home all day. When bored, he scrolled through videos, played games with Qin Ruoxue, or launched some console games on his computer. All in all, the day passed by uneventfully.