“I’m back!”

Lu Ke eased the door open; warm hallway light spilled like honey. Xiao Qianxue’s shoes scattered across the entryway like petals after a breeze. He slipped off his tie like shedding a silk snake, then crept toward her room like a cat sliding through shadow.

A Little Loli slept on a blush-pink bed, peaceful as a pond at dawn. One small hand clutched a teddy bear like a lifebuoy. Her gold hair poured over the quilt like a waterfall; her sweet breathing rose and fell like tides.

“So weird. Did she go out to play today?” Lu Ke rubbed his head, clouds of doubt drifting. “Dinner first; stomachs are the hearth.”

“Mm…” Xiao Qianxue heard a faint stir outside; the medicine sharpened her senses like frost on glass. “Smells so good…” Scent unfurled like steam from rice.

She didn’t know how long she’d slept; her gold-red eyes cracked open like sunrise. A pink throw blanket covered her and the bear like dawn mist. “Thirsty. Hurts…” Dryness scoured her throat like desert wind.

She sat up slowly; muscle ache bubbled like a spring suddenly unleashed. First step off the bed, and she toppled forward like a sapling in wind.

“Xue’er, what happened?” Lu Ke rushed in like thunder, and found Xiao Qianxue sprawled, pushing herself up with trembling hands like reeds after rain.

“Ah… Nii-chan… good evening~~” She lifted her face with a sugar-sweet smile, but pain tugged her lip like a fishhook. “Want big brother to carry you?” Lu Ke crouched, steady as a tree.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I just played too hard today.” Her laugh was silly as bubbles in soda. She forced herself upright like a soldier at roll call, took one step, and her knees melted like wax.

“Come on. And that’s ‘nothing,’ huh?” Lu Ke lunged and caught her like a net catching a falling kite. She landed in his arms, soft as a feather.

“Hmph… you love taking advantage… ya!” Her protest popped like a firecracker. He scooped her up in a child carry, solid as cradle arms.

A hand cupped beneath her hips; heat flushed her cheeks like blossom rain. She hid her face at his shoulder like a timid sparrow. “Nii-chan, you baka!” The whisper was small, but it fluttered into Lu Ke’s ear like a moth. “Tonight’s your favorite dish,” he murmured, warmth rising like soup steam.

“I know. I smelled it from my room.” In the living room, Lu Ke set her onto a chair like placing porcelain. “Hey, I’m not a child!” The Little Loli’s pout puffed like a tiny storm cloud.

“Where’d you play yourself this tired?” Lu Ke grinned, shameless joy twinkling like starlight; that carry was pure welfare.

“Hmph, not telling.” The golden-haired girl popped a chicken nugget into her mouth like tossing coal into a stove.

“Whatever. As long as you come back safe.” Lu Ke shrugged, easy as a breeze. “I’m not some lock-you-up hentai.”

“Speaking of which, how’s it going with Gu Wen~?” Her tone rose at the end like a note on a flute.

“Uh… about that…” A blush crept over Lu Ke’s face like peach bloom.

“No way—did she confess today?” Xiao Qianxue’s words leapt out like sparrows bursting from a tree.

“How did you know!?” Lu Ke’s shock cracked like ice.

“What I told her yesterday, she did today. Bold girl.” The Little Loli thought it, but said, “Congrats—another cabbage got rooted by a pig.”

“Congrats I’ll take; what’s with the pig rooting?” Lu Ke sounded miffed, but his smile glowed like sunrise. “Look at your elder brother—looks, grades, wheels, a place, hospital bills covered, cooks, cleans…”

He kept piling words like bricks; Xiao Qianxue timed it and stuffed a meatball into his mouth like a cannon shot.

“I never noticed Nii-chan was this full of himself. Now I do.” Bowl down like a gavel, she drifted to the sofa like a cloud, powered on the PS4, and played with bright eyes like twin stars. Lu Ke wrestled the meatball like a man in a whirlpool.

“Xue’er, trying to murder your brother?” He finally gulped air like a drowning man; he drowned the meatball with a river of soup.

“Choking to death’s fine. Call it a contribution to an azure, quiet world.” Xiao Qianxue slid Halo: Reach into the PS4 like a blade into its sheath. “Heard this version’s rough. Nii-chan, don’t bother me. I’m going to fight.”

“Ah.” Lu Ke looked up at the serious, impossibly cute golden-haired girl; his mouth curved like a crescent moon. He thought: a pure, moe girlfriend like spring light; a slightly black-bellied, rule-breaking-cute sister like night stars; nothing lacking, school’s model—so this is a ‘life winner’.

“Hey, Nii-chan!” Her sweet voice rang like a bell.

“What is it, Xue’er?” Lu Ke stepped out of his daydream like a deer out of brush.

“Treat Gu Wen well. She’s a good girl.” Her words fell like soft rain.

“Focus on your game, little lass. Don’t fuss.” He teased while washing plates; water flashed like fish scales.

“He called me ‘little lass’!” Annoyance fizzed like soda; since her reincarnation, only Lu Ke dared.

“Tomorrow, hot pot. Gu Wen joins.” Lu Ke’s voice drifted from the kitchen like steam.

“Hmph. That’s better. You’re forgiven.” Then Xiao Qianxue dove into battle like a hawk.

—

“Rested well yesterday?” When the blue-haired youth and the golden-haired maiden reached the basement, Hoshina appeared like mist forming.

“Pretty well. Let’s continue yesterday’s training!” Xiao Qianxue’s spirit burned like a torch today.

She changed into her combat suit; after two rounds, she mastered Moon Dissolve like a blade finally singing.

“Talent’s solid. Next we train gun-fu for single targets.” Seeing her lay down fire midair like a storm, Bloo picked up a Glock and stepped into the range like a wolf entering snow.

“This move’s called Moon Haze. How to use it—you’ll know.” Bloo stood in view, then his outline blurred like heat-shimmer.

“What’s happening?” Xiao Qianxue felt his intent like thunderheads building; her golden pupils tightened into points like stars pricking velvet.

Bang. A shot cracked from the side like a whip. She fired along the bullet’s trail like lightning chasing lightning. Danger surged from behind like a tidal bore; she spun and shot again without thinking, a reflex like spring-loaded steel.

Bang. From the first bullet’s path, a fist flew like a comet and slammed into her small frame like a battering ram. She sailed back a short distance like a leaf in gale.

“I controlled the force. You’re fine.” The scene snapped back like curtains drawn; Bloo stood clear again. Everything felt dreamy as fog, except the struck spot burning like hot iron.

“So this is Moon Haze?”