Xiang Di had just gotten home when Xiang Sheng was just waking up.
The young man stood in the living room, sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes and a messy bedhead.
He wore loose sleep pants, the crotch seam awkwardly wedged into his butt crack.
He yawned, scratching his head with one hand, while the other reached behind to pull the fabric out from the crease.
What a sight. Coming home to this instantly made Xiang Di feel faint.
Both of them were males, but how could the difference be so stark?
One could even pull off wearing a safety helmet handsomely, while the other used his eating hand to scratch his own butt.
Just thinking about how this damn brother of hers had such a perfect image online and at school—being hailed as the Schoolboy Idol, the crush of who knows how many—made Xiang Di want to laugh.
Xiang Sheng noticed Xiang Di watching him and arrogantly raised an eyebrow. “What are you staring at? Never seen a handsome guy before?”
Xiang Di made a disgusted face and asked directly, “It’s not even noon yet. Why are you up so early?”
Xiang Sheng shrugged without answering, but Xiang Di quickly understood.
Their parents emerged from the bedroom, still wearing their Official Uniforms, carrying bags that clearly contained a change of clothes—they must have come back briefly to grab some laundry.
Seeing Xiang Di, Xiang Rongqiang exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, our daughter’s back!”
Luo Qinshu sighed, “Where have you been so early in the morning? If you’re going out, at least tell your brother. I asked him and he didn’t know anything. What if something happens to you?”
Xiang Di raised the Sweet Pastry Bag in her hand, “I just went downstairs to buy something to eat.”
She rolled her eyes and pointed at Xiang Sheng. “I had no choice. He stays up late playing games every night and sleeps all day, doesn’t care about my meals at all. I have to fend for myself.”
Caught off guard by the accusation, Xiang Sheng shouted, “Hey!”
The couple immediately turned their attention to him.
“All you ever do is play games! You don’t sleep at night and don’t get up during the day! You don’t even care about your sister’s meals!” Luo Qinshu walked over and slapped her son hard on the back. “You’re in senior year—this is such a critical time with all the study pressure—and you’re letting your sister starve? Are you even a brother?”
Xiang Rongqiang also reprimanded him, “What if you make your sister sick from hunger? Are you going to take the National College Entrance Examination for her?”
Luo Qinshu snorted coldly, “Let him take it? Dream on. He spent four years in university reading so much that the books are in his belly by now. Every day it’s either gaming or filming those ridiculous videos for the internet to show off. If he manages to get into a junior college with the entrance exam, I’ll be amazed.”
Xiang Sheng rubbed his reddened back with a grimace, feeling both aggrieved and defiant, “I spent four years in university and still got Graduate School Admission. Also, those videos make money, okay? Do you know how much I earn per ad? More than both your salaries combined. Our family living in a Luxury Mansion depends on me. Please show some respect, okay?”
No sooner had he finished than another slap landed on his back, harder this time, from Xiang Rongqiang.
“Graduate School Admission at your own school, not some hard-earned one. What’s there to be so arrogant about?”
“My wife and I have fixed salaries and retirement pensions. We don’t care about your fancy mansion or how much you make from videos. But, Xiang Sheng, I advise you to at least dress properly when you film. Stop posing provocatively. Do you know how embarrassed we were when Er Da Ma saw your video online and sent it to us?”
Xiang Di burst out laughing.
Xiang Sheng’s face instantly paled, his mouth twitching, “Er Da Ma saw that video? No way, I clearly…”
Luo Qinshu handed over the phone, “See for yourself!”
Xiang Di quickly leaned over to watch the fun. It was definitely Xiang Sheng’s video, set to a flashy, suggestive BGM, showing him teasingly lifting his shirt to reveal his abs.
This video had been a hit last week, with hundreds of thousands of likes and over twenty thousand comments—very few serious ones. The top comment was: “Drooling on my data cable, shocked by the abs.”
The screenshot was sent by Er Da Ma, who used the ID “Nian Nian Hua Hao Yue Yuan” with a field avatar. She’d even liked the video and commented, “My big nephew is so handsome [thumbs up][thumbs up][rose].”
Xiang Sheng’s face turned deathly pale again, while Xiang Di relished the moment silently. That’s the scary thing about big data. Playing the seductive game online every day meant that sooner or later, a relative would stumble across it. Family gatherings would be full of entertainment from now on.
“I and your mother work in proper government units. Your son’s making suggestive videos—is that appropriate?” Xiang Rongqiang warned. “If I ever have to crack a case like that at work and it involves you, don’t blame me for severing family ties.”
Xiang Sheng pointed at himself incredulously, “Are you kidding? I just showed off my abs. How is that sexual?”
Luo Qinshu gave him no face, “Oh, so you have to flash your ‘bird’ for it to count as sexual?”
Xiang Sheng’s already pale face flushed red, “Mom!”
The language was crude, so Xiang Rongqiang cleared his throat and reminded him, “Watch your words, our daughter is here.”
Luo Qinshu realized her slip and immediately clamped her mouth shut to avoid dirtying their daughter’s ears.
Meanwhile, Xiang Di was inwardly disdainful. What bird or no bird, why be so euphemistic? It was just a man’s penis—English name penis, internet slang J8, if only they knew.
Outwardly, though, she maintained her image, covering her ears and scolding, “Mom, what are you talking about?”
Luo Qinshu smiled slyly and immediately shifted to scold Xiang Sheng again, “Look at you, corrupting your sister!”
Xiang Sheng now wished he could rip off his sister’s mask. He’d even read the worst of the incest-themed novels and still didn’t get why she had to pretend.
His abs video had been exposed—might as well embrace the disaster. He sneered, “Mom, you really think Xiang Di doesn’t understand? I’ll tell you, she*&%¥#-”
Xiang Di was quick to react, pouncing and jumping up to cover Xiang Sheng’s mouth.
“Dad, Mom, I actually think it’s good that my brother posts those videos. Look, the male-to-female ratio is so unbalanced nowadays that many men can’t find girlfriends and have to settle for boyfriends.”
“But look at my brother’s fans—90% are female. And if you check their profiles, most are beautiful women. This proves my brother attracts beautiful girls. So you don’t need to worry about him finding a boyfriend, right?”
The couple exchanged a glance and silently agreed.
Xiang Sheng shook off Xiang Di’s hand, shooting her a side-eye, relieved she still had some conscience.
The couple still had to rush to work. Before leaving, Xiang Rongqiang transferred some living expenses to Xiang Di.
“Daughter, your brother doesn’t care about your meals, so don’t starve yourself. Senior year is tough, so don’t just eat snacks and cakes with no nutrition. Eat healthily—more meat, more rice. If you need more money, tell your dad, okay?”
Luo Qinshu added, “This is a crucial time. Gaining weight is fine. You can lose it in college. Girls have fast metabolisms, so you’ll slim down quickly. You need to be full to have energy for exams.”
Facing their parents’ nagging and care, Xiang Di just kept nodding.
Finally, Xiang Rongqiang shot Xiang Sheng a glare. “Your mom and I have fixed salaries. We don’t need your money. Your sister is still in school. Why don’t you buy her some food?”
“Making so much from being a Video Blogger, but when you go on a trip with classmates, you still make your dad shell out five thousand yuan.”
Luo Qinshu said, “If you don’t cook, just take your sister out for a nice meal at lunch. Or else pay back that five thousand yuan to me with interest.”
Xiang Sheng replied helplessly, “I invested all my money already. It’s not returned yet. When it does, I’ll pay you back fifty thousand, okay?”
“Sure. If you have that fifty thousand, why not buy your sister more food?”
Once the door shut, the couple was finally gone, leaving only the siblings at home.
Xiang Sheng laughed angrily.
Could the parents be any more biased? He really suspected they’d picked him up from the trash.
All they cared about was buying food for their sister. Was high school that great that the whole world had to bend over backwards for her?
He glared at Xiang Di in frustration.
Xiang Di winked, “I just spoke up for you. Aren’t you going to thank me?”
Xiang Sheng scoffed, “Thanks, my foot. Get lost.”
Xiang Di pretended to pull out her phone, “Then I’ll call your dad right now and tell him to thank you.”
Xiang Sheng waved her off, “Go away, don’t try to be clever. I’m annoyed just seeing you.”
Just as Xiang Sheng was about to fall back asleep after being yanked out of bed by their mother, a persistent voice rang from beside him:
“What are we having for lunch?”
Xiang Sheng turned over with his eyes closed, “Eat shit.”
Xiang Di retorted, “Mom just said to take me out for something good.”
Xiang Sheng: “Take you to eat shit.”
Xiang Di didn’t reply. Just when Xiang Sheng thought she’d given up, he suddenly heard, “Hey, Mom.”
Xiang Sheng sprang up and grabbed her phone.
“Are you a grade schooler? You’d die if you didn’t tattle every day?”
He was about to hang up but saw it was just the lock screen—she hadn’t called Mom at all.
“Awake now?” Xiang Di smiled, “If you’re awake, hurry up and get ready. Remember to take me out for lunch.”
Xiang Sheng growled, “You brat, don’t give me any excuses or you’re dead.”
Xiang Di put her hands under her chin, looking innocent. “How could a pure, kind girl like me have any dirt on her?”
Xiang Sheng immediately made a disgusted face.
An hour later, the siblings showed up at a hotpot restaurant.
Just as they ordered, two of Xiang Sheng’s female fans appeared.
The two girls looked young and fresh, cautiously approaching.
After confirming it was Xiang Sheng, the girls covered their mouths excitedly.
“You look even better in person than in the videos.”
Xiang Sheng replied coolly, “Really? Thanks.”
He acted all calm and aloof, but only Xiang Di knew her brother’s heart was buzzing wildly.
The girls then noticed the small girl sitting opposite Xiang Sheng.
Xiang Di wasn’t in uniform today. Her long hair framed her pale, delicate egg-shaped face, looking pure and lovely.
Although she looked young, many college students nowadays looked like elementary schoolers, so they couldn’t tell her age for sure.
One girl hesitated, “Is this…?”
Xiang Sheng cut in, “My sister, my real sister.”
He had mentioned having a sister several times in his livestreams.
They often argued, and fans loved hearing about their sibling quarrels, but he was careful to keep their privacy—fans only knew he had a sister, nothing more.
“That’s your sister?” The girl’s eyes lit up. “She’s so pretty.”
Xiang Di was about to say thanks, but Xiang Sheng answered for her, “Just a little brat. She’s nothing special.”
Then he told Xiang Di, “Where’s your manners? Say ‘Sister’.”
Xiang Di said calmly, “Where’s your manners? They look younger than me. Maybe they should be the ones calling me ‘Sister’.”
The two girls couldn’t stop laughing and quickly waved their hands, “No way.”
Xiang Sheng was momentarily speechless.
This brat was so cheeky—he only said sweet things to outsiders.