Sisters

"Saying they're exactly the same is a bit of an exaggeration. It's really just that their eyes and eyebrows are somewhat similar," Li Nian. "However, considering this seven or eight tenths similarity, combined with your panicked reaction when you were hiding just now, Sister Zhu Ming..."

"It's hard not to suspect that there's something special about the two of you."

Li Nian spoke, Lin Yu looked at her and slowly asked in return.

"So what do you think our relationship is?"

"Doppelganger, a backup machine," Li Nian joked for a moment, then tentatively revealed the Truth, "Or maybe a mother and daughter... or sisters?"

Lin Yu nodded. "That's right, she's my biological sister."

"You admitted it so readily, it's really surprising."

Li Nian couldn't help but sigh.

Lin Yu shrugged. "You've already become suspicious, so it's easy to find out more by following her investigation... Besides, you even went to the same school as her."

"That's true, but you seem a little unhappy?"

Li Nian sized up Lin Yu, tilted her head, and asked.

Lin Yu said thoughtfully, "The reason is probably the same as why you're unhappy that I came to your school, right?"

"Everyone cares about different things. You don't seem to care much about your family, but for me... it's different."

Lin Yu spoke softly.

"Ha, so now I know your weakness, huh?"

Li Nian said with a smile.

"So, can you keep this a secret for me?"

Lin Yu asked in a gentle tone.

However, at this moment, Li Nian sensed a subtle change in the aura of the person beside her, which made her feel instinctively uncomfortable and threatened.

She immediately laughed and said, "What are you talking about, Sister Zhu Ming? I'll definitely keep it a secret..."

"Furthermore, it comes at a high price for 'Player' to attack ordinary people. Although it hasn't been confirmed, it's generally believed that in addition to being wanted by 'Order' and 'Night Watcher,' they'll also be targeted by the 'Game,' such as facing increased difficulty in [Instance]."

"So, I won't do anything for both emotional and practical reasons... In fact, since you're not usually at Sacred Music, I might even be able to take care of you a little."

After saying this, Li Nian felt the discomfort and sense of danger dissipate significantly, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, we're even now," Li Nian said. "That's great, my lovely little sister. If I had a little sister as good as her, I would cherish her too... But, Sister Zhu Ming..."

"Since you care about her so much, why are you avoiding her?"

Lin Yu replied matter-of-factly, "Because I'm still 'pretending to be dead'... From a sociological perspective, I'm a 'dead person'."

"My question is why you're still pretending to be dead."

Li Nian said curiously, "Although it's a bit troublesome to be 'Resurrection' after being confirmed dead... but anyway, the fact remains that you are really alive."

"If there's anything that doesn't make sense, 'Death game' will fill in the gaps for you."

Hearing Li Nian's words, Lin Yu shook his head again.

"We are all in this Game. Every time we enter a [Instance], it could be the last time. Even if we reach the 'Tier 3' or 'Tier 4' and are on the leaderboard, can we really say that we will definitely survive for a long time?"

"She and my mother have gradually accepted the fact that I am dead. If I reappear now and tell them that I am not actually dead, and then I mess up again in the weekly [Instance] and am stuck there forever... I can't imagine what kind of shock they would suffer."

Lin Yu said in a low voice, "So, rather than giving them false hope for a while, it's better to let them only suffer this once."

"Of course, by keeping my distance from them, I also hope to reduce the likelihood of these dangerous things involving them."

"After all, while most 'Player' with common sense wouldn't attack ordinary people, there are always lunatics... Besides, I've encountered lunatics before."

Li Nian nodded. "That's true... but it's really nice, Sister Zhu Ming."

"How enviable!"

Lin Yu looked at Li Nian: "What are you envious of?"

"Since you care so much about your family, they must care about you too."

"Yes, I love them very much, and they love me very much too."

Lin Yu spoke with a sentimental tone.

Li Nian pursed her lips. "You see, this is what I envy about you. I can't even say that word freely, at least not when it comes to my relationship with my family. I can't..."

"Really? They're not good to you?"

Lin Yu asked.

"No, you've been to my house, and you could tell it's actually alright. There's no hitting or scolding," Li Nian sighed. "Rather than saying I don't care, it's more like... we're not close enough."

"They care about me because they need to, so this 'care' is conditional—I have to be excellent, kind, cheerful, and lively. They will pay attention to my physical health and academic performance, and they will take family trips on holidays..."

"But how should I put it, the experience of those family activities was not as good as the [Instance] of 'Death game' for me... taking photos, eating, chatting—I could tell they didn't enjoy family life, and the time they spent with me, their daughter, was just part of their job as 'parents'."

"They do those things because they never mess up any job."

Li Nian spoke softly, then suddenly waved her hand and laughed, "Oh dear, I'm sorry, Sister Zhu Ming, I've said too much... I suddenly started rambling on about these silly things and complaining about my family of origin. I'm already very fortunate to have enough to eat and wear, be able to attend a private middle school, and have living parents with a decent income!"

"That's true," Lin Yu said, not Li Nian, but instead speaking seriously, "My father died, and I only have my mother at home, and... we're quite poor."

Li Nian fell silent, a complex expression on her face wondering, "What did I just say?"

"Sister Zhu Ming, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, I don't really care about these things."

Li Nian was a little embarrassed. "Anyway... it just so happens that you came along and helped me out. Next week I have a quest to help people clear a [Instance]. Do you want to do it together? We'll split the pay, and it probably won't be less than what that fat guy gave me."

"I need more detailed information: who the employer is, why they hired someone, and if it's to avoid the 'Rank Advancement Trial,' what rank they're aiming for."

Lin Yu followed up on Li Nian's topic and brought up the "Death game" again.

Li Nian took out her phone. "I'll just send it to you directly."

Seeing Li Nian's actions, Lin Yu nodded and then steered the conversation back on track. "So, A Nian, can you return the things you took from my sister?"

As Lin Yu spoke, Li Nian touched her nose and took out a meal card from her pocket.

"I just wanted to see what her name was, just in case you denied it earlier, Sister Zhu Ming..."

"So your name is Xia Yang, that's a nice name."