Jealousy and Unforeseen Circumstances

“You’re still growing, so eat more.”

“Thank you.”

Bai An An piled a generous amount of meat into Ling Chen’s bowl. Her natural concern for him made it seem as though they were the long-lost siblings, not us.

Watching the two of them so blissfully harmonious, my mouth soured as if I were chewing on a lemon.

What in the world was happening?

Why did they feel like the siblings here?

A pang of bitterness rose within me, as though I had been betrayed by someone I held dearest.

My brother has been stolen by the Goddess, I thought with mock despair.

Noticing I hadn’t touched my chopsticks, Bai An An looked at me, puzzled. “Ling Jiu, aren’t you hungry?”

“No appetite,” I replied.

I glared at Ling Chen, a surge of annoyance rising within me. The moment he came home, he transformed into an exceptionally witty and charming individual, subtly endearing himself to my Goddess. His obedient and sensible demeanor drew an involuntary smile from her.

How could he do this?

The Goddess’s smile was meant only for me to see!

Did he truly intend to steal his sister’s love interest?

A gentleman does not take what another cherishes!

I had nothing left, yet he sought to snatch away my last, most precious treasure.

You rotten Ling Chen, just wait until the Goddess leaves. I’ll show you.

Ling Chen, however, completely ignored me. He simply stated, “My sister is jealous right now.”

“Why?”

“Because my sister is a complete brother-complex fanatic!”

“Huh?”

The Goddess hadn’t even fully processed his words before I stretched out my arm, pinching Ling Chen’s cheek with an exasperated huff. “Who’s a brother-complex fanatic?!”

“Clearly, Sister just doesn’t want me to be taken away by Sister An An.”

“That’s not true at all!”

Bai An An chuckled. “You two siblings have such a good relationship.”

I scoffed. “Perhaps.”

Ling Chen nodded in agreement. “Indeed.”

With a socially anxious person, an ice queen, and an overly familiar boy, our trio was quite peculiar. Initially, we all just ate in silence.

However, this brief interlude managed to somewhat lighten the atmosphere between us.

The Goddess didn’t deliberately maintain her aloof image. She naturally accepted Ling Chen, treating him like a younger protégé. This struck me as odd; wasn’t she usually difficult to communicate with?

Ling Chen seemed to possess a power that made people drop their guard, making interactions with him feel effortlessly natural. His gentle kindness made one want to care for him.

Shouldn’t these protagonist-like auras be radiating from me?

I increasingly suspected that Ling Chen had usurped all my masculine charm.

Bai An An looked at Ling Chen with a hint of curiosity. “Your sister mentioned you only recently moved in with her.”

“Yes, I was studying abroad before that.”

“Why did you suddenly decide to come back?”

“There were many factors, but most importantly, I hadn’t lived with my sister for a long time. I wanted to be with family.”

Bai An An glanced at me, and I felt a flicker of unease.

Studying abroad? What kind of setup is that? How could proletarians like us possibly afford to send a child to study overseas? Your excuse is terrible.

Ling Chen’s voice grew softer. “I was born abroad and lived there for many years. My parents were always traveling the world, rarely seen. Considering everything, I decided to return to China and live with my sister. Although we hadn’t met in person, we had contact information and maintained a good relationship.”

“Were you living alone abroad?”

“Better than Sister. I had relatives looking after me abroad. Sister living alone with no one to care for her, that’s truly hard.”

“Oh, really? Ling Jiu never told me about this.”

“That’s just how my sister is. She never tells others about her difficulties.”

Bai An An raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with reproach as she turned to me. “I used to hear you joke about your parents always being away, like a child without a home, but I never imagined no one was truly looking after you. Why didn’t you tell me about your situation?”

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to bother you.”

Bai An An looked at me with tender concern. “Is this called bothering me? Ling Jiu, aren’t you lonely living by yourself?”

I shook my head. “Not lonely at all. I have games, anime, and you to chat with me. How could I be lonely?”

Bai An An’s expression became complex. On her face, I seemed to see a blend of pity, as if we shared a similar plight, and a touch of guilt for not having understood me sooner.

“As a best friend, I’m quite incompetent. If only I had known your situation earlier. It’s so dangerous for a girl to live alone at home; what if you encountered a villain?”

“It’s not that serious. I’ve been living alone for so many years and I’m used to it. I haven’t encountered any danger.”

“It seems there’s a reason for your reclusive personality,” Bai An An said, turning to Ling Chen. “Your sister is a clumsy idiot; you need to take good care of her.”

Ling Chen, as if burdened with a difficult mission, nodded solemnly. “Yes, I will take good care of my sister.”

Being suddenly cared for irritated me. I wasn’t a three-year-old child; couldn’t I take care of myself?

“Hey, hey, I can take care of myself!”

The Goddess, however, looked completely unconvinced.

“Then why are you currently on sick leave?”

“That’s due to unforeseen circumstances!”

“What unforeseen circumstances? It’s precisely because you’ve been living in isolation for so long that you’re having psychological issues.”

This…

There was no way to explain it.

I couldn’t exactly tell her God had turned me into a girl!

Seeing my silence, Bai An An’s tone softened. “Before, my actions were always restricted, making it hard to freely arrange my time. But now that I’ve moved out, I can come see you often. As best friends, we rarely go out together. How can that be right?”

Going out with the Goddess?

Wasn’t this exactly what I had been dreaming of?

Going out with the Goddess = strengthening our relationship = dating… Through the method of spiritual victory, we can conclude that the next step is for the Goddess and me to get married!

Overwhelmed, I asked, “Won’t this delay your studies?”

“Why would it delay my studies? Do you always think I spend all my holidays studying?”

“Isn’t that true? Otherwise, why are your grades so good?”

Bai An An stated matter-of-factly, “Besides playing with my sister, I spend my holidays watching movies and binging TV shows.”

“Then how do you maintain your excellent grades?”

Bai An An mused, “I pay attention in class normally, and then just review a little before exams. That’s about it.”

“…”

Is this what a top student is like? They don’t study all the time, and like me, they cram at the last minute before exams, yet their grades still consistently rank among the top three. A powerful academic, truly terrifying!

“Speaking of grades, the monthly exam is coming up soon. Ling Jiu, have you been reviewing?”

Recalling the study materials Ling Chen had prepared for me, I nodded.

“Reviewing? I suppose I should be reviewing, right?”

Bai An An looked utterly shocked, as if her worldview had shattered.

“How is that possible? You’re actually studying voluntarily?”

“Is that so strange?”

“You’re too strange today. You’re completely different from the shut-in Ling Jiu I know. Did you swap souls?”

Had she already discovered the truth?

Cold sweat trickled down my back. “It’s probably just a small change in my personality due to psychological issues.”

“Is that so?” She eyed me suspiciously, then sighed. “What a pity. I originally wanted to…”

“Wanted what?”

“I don’t know! Just make sure you ‘review’ properly on your own. I won’t be saving you this time.”

“Eh?”

Why does the Goddess seem a little angry?

I realized that as a simp, I completely failed to understand what the Goddess was thinking.

This is so hard for me.