Hey?

"Thanks to you, thanks to you." Le Yu clasped his hands and said, "The moment I thought about how I still had a younger sister at home whom I had to kill and burn for in order to support, I immediately sprang up from my deathbed. How could I dare die so easily?"

Ever since Qian Yuya learned that her brother was an utterly vile bastard, she had completely abandoned her former tranquil, emotionless-literary-girl persona and done everything she could to strike at Le Yu. Unfortunately, she spent less than an hour with him each day, most of it during meals. She had no idea where to begin attacking him, so she could only pick at faults like "not picking up his bowl while eating," "loving to shake his leg," and "having terrible posture" to insult him.

Hearing his sister's familiar greeting, Le Yu's mood immediately improved. It wasn't that Le Yu was a pervert. Compared to the hateful, disgusted gazes outside, Qian Yuya's completely harmless vulgarities were as pleasing, adorable, and melodious as a kitten's meows.

Every day, he relied on bickering with Qian Yuya to get by. Especially after the people from the Statistics Department discovered they couldn't beat him at cards, there truly wasn't much joy left for Le Yu to find in this world.

Qian Yuya snorted and walked in carrying a basket in both hands. She looked at the chandelier on the ceiling. "It's much brighter than the light in our room."

"Ample lighting is good for patients. Besides, the Medical Officer Department is a government institution, so the Radiant Stones it uses for power are naturally military-grade. What's more, staying a night in the Medical Officer Department costs one Gold Coin. How could they possibly save money on lighting?" Le Yu said with a smile.

Radiance had only two currencies: money and Gold Coins. Money was the lowest-value universal equivalent. Qian Yuliu and Qian Yuya's daily living expenses came to around sixteen coins, while one thousand coins could be exchanged for one Gold Coin—at least, that was what people said, but in reality, no one made such exchanges.

Ordinary people had no use for a high-denomination currency like Gold Coins in their daily lives. Only when commercial firms or organizational institutions conducted large-scale trade would they use Gold Coins for settlement. Le Yu had made a simple investigation. This world seemed to have an especially low gold reserve, while the Radiant People were abnormally obsessed with chemically stable minerals like gold. Le Yu also had several Gold Coins, and he couldn't bear to stop touching them. He had no idea why.

Qian Yuya couldn't help clicking her tongue. "That's way too expensive."

Le Yu modestly replied, "It's all right, it's all right. Don't forget, I'm the captain of the Statistics Department. I don't have to pay."

Qian Yuya might have imagined some story about the Statistics Department exploiting the Medical Officer Department. Her expression immediately darkened. She angrily set the basket down on the bedside table with a heavy thump and took out the covered bowl inside. The rich aroma of food instantly wafted through the room. Le Yu, who had been starving for several hours after surgery and had eaten nothing but an apple, immediately felt his stomach protest.

Le Yu was overjoyed. "I never thought you'd come all the way here to bring me food. Your big brother is truly moved!"

Qian Yuya said irritably, "I finished cooking before someone came to tell me you were about to die. I made too much, and it would be a waste to leave it overnight, so I had no choice but to bring you some leftovers."

See? This was what it meant to be a refined person. Back when Le Yu brought food for his roommates, he would say things like, "Come over here and call me Dad, or there's no food for you." Even after Qian Yuya had stuffed herself full of ill intent, all she could produce was the refined phrase "leftovers." It was obvious that Qian Yuliu didn't show his little sister enough love. She couldn't even swear properly. Once she entered society, she would definitely be beaten black and blue.

Le Yu sighed inwardly and happily picked up his chopsticks to eat. After shoveling down two mouthfuls, he realized that Qian Yuya hadn't started eating. He asked curiously, "Why aren't you eating?"

"I already ate."

Le Yu took out his pocket watch and glanced at it. "We usually eat at this time. Add to that the time it took you to finish school, buy groceries, cook, and hurry over to the Medical Officer Department. You couldn't possibly have had time to eat."

"I really did eat."

"It's not that I don't believe you, but unless you ate while walking, you couldn't possibly have made it in time..."

"Can't I run over right after eating?!"

"Sniff, sniff. I never expected my little sister to care so much about her big brother that she'd risk a stomachache to run over and bring me food. I'll definitely work hard and earn you a generous dowry..."

"You!" Qian Yuya was so furious that she turned her face away, unwilling to look at Le Yu. "Hurry up and eat. I'm going home once you're finished!"

Le Yu giggled and deliberately smacked his lips loudly as he ate. He chewed extremely slowly, constantly saying things like "So fragrant," "This fish is so tender," and "These vegetables are so sweet." Every now and then, he let out a burp. Qian Yuya's shoulders trembled slightly, and even her throat moved involuntarily.

Qian Yuya said viciously, "Could you eat a little more quietly?! Didn't your teacher tell you during your elementary lessons that a cultured person should eat quietly so as not to disturb others?"

"Sorry. As you know, the agents of the Statistics Department have no culture."

Qian Yuya was so furious that she nearly choked.

At this moment, Le Yu rubbed his belly. "Ah, I'm full, I'm full. But there's still so much food left. Why don't you eat it, Yuya?"

"I already ate—"

"Use this end of the chopsticks. I haven't touched it. It's clean." Le Yu took out a handkerchief and wiped away the grease on the narrow end of the chopsticks before turning them around and handing them to Qian Yuya. "Did you know that martial artists with a high Battle Arts realm can hear the tiniest sounds made by the people around them, such as the rumbling of their stomachs?"

Qian Yuya stared silently at Le Yu, took the chopsticks, and asked with difficulty, "Really?"

"Of course not. You actually believed that? I'm truly worried that some bad man will trick you in the future."

Qian Yuya viciously jammed the thick end of the chopsticks into the fish. "I'll never believe another word you say."

"Actually, I've decided to resign from the Statistics Department."

"Really?!"

Qian Yuya's face instantly brightened, but when she saw the smug grin on Le Yu's face, she immediately flew into a rage. "You lied to me?"

"You instinctively believe a man the moment he says something sweet. Yuya, you really haven't met enough people. Remember, there is no love in this world without a reason, only hatred without a reason. If someone suddenly becomes willing to give up everything for you, either he wants to have a physical relationship with you, or he's related to you by blood—for example, I'm your father... No, I'm your big brother." Le Yu had nearly fallen into the habit of calling himself Dad.

"For me?" Qian Yuya gave a fake laugh. She had learned this infuriating technique from Le Yu. "You were publicly challenged to a grudge duel, seriously injured, and sent to the Medical Officer Department, nearly losing your life. Haven't you realized it yet? If you leave the Statistics Department, who exactly benefits?"

"That would definitely be Chen Fu. That kid has coveted my captain's position for a long time. If I leave, he'll set off firecrackers to celebrate. But don't worry. The 'Fu' in his name already says it all. My position as the rightful captain is as steady as Mount Tai."

Qian Yuya sighed and shook her head. "There's nothing to say to someone consumed by ambition for power. The next time I come to the Medical Officer Department, I might be here to claim a relative's corpse."

Although Qian Yuya insulted him in every sentence, the hidden meaning behind each one was that she hoped Qian Yuliu could leave the Statistics Department as soon as possible. That way, he wouldn't be entangled in grudges like grudge duels anymore. Le Yu almost couldn't help calling Qian Yuliu his brother-in-law.

However, Le Yu had said all that merely to get Qian Yuya to eat a little.

He glanced at the system panel and discovered that "Qian Yuliu's Tribulation" had increased by another point. It seemed that this counted as having dinner together with Qian Yuya.

There weren't many attempts left before Transcending Calamity. Le Yu was genuinely looking forward to seeing what would happen to his Mental Power after he passed this "have dinner with my younger sister twelve times" tribulation. Would it take the shape of his sister?

"By the way, didn't you take your graduation examination today? How did it go?" Le Yu asked with concern.

"What's it to you?"

"It really has nothing to do with me, but I heard that students with good graduation examination results would receive a recommendation letter from their school, allowing them to go to Flame Capital and take the entrance examination for the Royal Academy... But my beloved little sister would never leave Star Engraving Prefecture, nor leave her beloved big brother, right?" Le Yu spoke in an especially irritating tone, drawing out the final particle.

Qian Yuya finished the last piece of fish, took out a pink handkerchief, and gently wiped her mouth. Facing Le Yu's expectant gaze, she nodded firmly.

"Yes, I won't leave Star Engraving Prefecture."

Le Yu blinked.

"Huh?"