Chapter 8: Listen, what a wonderful sound

Morning sunlight sneaked through the gaps in the curtains.
Like a naughty child teasing Bai Yao’s eyes.
She stirred awake, sat up, and rubbed her eyes.
Her right hand instinctively reached for her phone by the pillow, finding nothing.
“Huh? Where’s my phone?”
Bai Yao, eyes bleary, fumbled for her phone.
Seconds later, a loud roar came from the living room.
“Sht!”
“Can you fcking jungle or not? If you can’t, let me do it!”
“All you do is steal roles! Watch me report you!”
“Come on! Turn on your mic, let’s fight three hundred rounds, you turtle!”
Hearing Bai Feifei’s furious shouts while gaming, Bai Yao remembered.
Last night, Bai Feifei had taken her phone to play a 5v5 competitive game, something called Pesticide.
Apparently, it was fun.
But Bai Yao wasn’t much for games; she preferred playing with magical girls.
“!”
Bai Yao froze—what had she just thought?
“I! #!%…”
Bang!
A loud crash came from the living room, snapping Bai Yao out of her instinctive thoughts. She slipped on her slippers and rushed to the living room.
“Feifei!”
“Huh?” Bai Feifei was sprawled on the floor, her face frozen.
The living room was a mess—the table flipped over, porcelain dishes shattered on the ground.
A flush of “anger” crept onto Bai Yao’s delicate face.
“Bai Feifei!”
“Wahhh, Sis is gonna kill me!”
Bai Feifei scrambled to her feet, but Bai Yao was faster!
She grabbed her mischievous sister, pinned her over her lap, and spanked her hard.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
“Sis, I’m sorry, don’t hit me, waaah ”
“Sorry? What did you do wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have gotten mad at the game and kicked the table over ”
“Next time, no phone for you.”
Bai Yao gave a few symbolic spanks before stopping.
Truthfully, she wasn’t angry; she was just pretending because Bai Feifei was too wild.
Kicking over a table while gaming—how much furniture got wrecked?
“Clean up the living room.”
Bai Yao kept a stern face as Bai Feifei’s fingers flew across the phone screen.
Her eyes flicked to Bai Yao but didn’t fully meet her gaze.
A textbook gaming addict.
“After this match, I’ll clean.”
“…”
Bai Yao silently thought to herself.
Don’t get mad, don’t get mad; no one’s here to take your place if you get sick.
Feifei’s my little sister—breaking her would only hurt me.
Kids love games, so let her play.
Comforting herself, Bai Yao went to the bathroom to wash up.
She grabbed her toothbrush and cup, noticing they were wet.
Her gaze shifted to the dry blue couple’s toothbrush cup beside it.
“Feifei, can you open your big ol’ eyes when you brush your teeth? You used my cup again—it’s unhygienic!”
Bai Yao let out a long sigh, squeezed toothpaste, and started brushing her pearly whites.
Moments later, a voice came from the living room.
“Oh, Sis~ I don’t mind you, but you’re minding me? Who’s the one dreaming of their soft little sister… Screw you, jerk! ”
“You Han Jump-Jump on the other team, have the guts to stop stealing my red buff!”
In the bathroom, Bai Yao was utterly speechless.
After washing up, she changed into a simple white dress and a wide-brimmed sunhat.
Time to head out.
“Feifei, change your clothes. We’re going to buy your phone.”
“Ohhh!” Bai Feifei pounded her chest in excitement. “Hahaha!”
She embodied her joy so vividly, Bai Yao could practically see her turning into a primal ancestor.
“…”
Can I return this sister?
Minutes later, the sisters set out, ready to enjoy their precious holiday.
On the way, a massive overhead screen played shocking news.
“Due to yesterday’s pollution entity attack in Daxia causing thousands of casualties, the Flower Council has decided to revoke Iris’s magical girl title effective immediately…”
Bai Yao stared at the giant screen, her heart a mix of emotions.
The news pinned all the blame on Iris, even though she’d only chosen the better option.
“Sis, did Iris get fired?”
“Yes, Iris failed to fulfill everyone’s expectations and got sacked.”
Bai Yao smiled as she answered her sister. She could handle letting go.
So what if she was a magical girl?
If she’s done, she’s done!
Wasn’t that thirty million sweet enough?
“So you’d better be a good student at school. If you keep being naughty like at home, the principal will expel you!”
“Sis, you can rest a million times assured! How could I, Bai Feifei, ever get expelled? I’m destined to be a magical girl!”
Bai Feifei stood on a nearby stone block, shouting loudly, earning “idiot” stares from passersby.
As if anyone could just become a magical girl?
Like they’re cabbages on the street.
They picked a random phone store, and Bai Yao didn’t hesitate, buying the most expensive, top-of-the-line model for Bai Feifei.
As a sister with means, she had to give her little sibling the best!
Getting her long-desired phone, Bai Feifei was so happy she couldn’t stop grinning.
“Sis, you’re the best. I’ll never fight with you again.”
“For real?”
“Totally! But I’ll still argue with you, hehe!”
Bai Feifei played with her phone, her voice adorably cute.
Bai Yao ruffled her sister’s head, full of affection.
Instead of heading home, they went to an amusement park.
Being a weekend, the park was packed.
Many attractions had long lines, dampening their good mood.
The sisters sat on a yellow-brown bench under a giant parasol.
“Sis, your ice cream looks tastier.”
“Does it?”
Before Bai Yao could react, Bai Feifei leaned over and took a bite of her ice cream.
“Yours is better. Here, take mine.”
“Fine.”
They swapped ice creams, but soon Bai Feifei was at it again.
“Sis, I think mine’s tastier after all.”
“…”
Bai Yao rolled her eyes and ate the rest of her ice cream in one bite.
Spoiling her sister was a big sister’s duty.
But overindulging would only harm her.
So Bai Yao chose to finish the ice cream, leaving Bai Feifei looking at her pitifully.
“Sis, you…”
“Shh.”
The magical ring on Bai Yao’s left ring finger suddenly grew warm, an inexplicable feeling surging within her.
Boom!
The towering Ferris wheel collapsed without warning, the fate of its passengers unknown.
“Ah!”
“There’s a pollution entity! Run!”
The amusement park filled with screams, chaos erupting.
The air reeked of thick blood.
A person in a strange mask stood on the roller coaster tracks, laughing maniacally.
“Listen, what a beautiful, captivating sound!”