The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 941: Well, On That

Half an hour later, Spectres’ Mansion.

The fireplace crackled in the mansion's living room, casting dancing shadows across the walls along with the light fixtures. On the large cozy sofa, a blond boy and a silver-haired girl sat in stark contrast to each other.

Wang Zikai perched on the sofa, barefoot and red-faced, his fingers flying over the controller as he stared wide-eyed at the screen. Fresh Snow curled into herself, chin resting on her knees, eyes narrowed drowsily as she clicked her controller with lazy precision.

She yawned and tapped another button. K.O. The green-skinned beast collapsed, while the twin-bunned character leaped in victory.

"No way!" Wang Zikai hurled the controller aside and jumped off the sofa. "No fricking way!"

Five matches lost in a row. He'd held back at first, then gone all out when he sensed something was wrong—and still, Fresh Snow had crushed him effortlessly.

It couldn't be! Last time they'd played, she could barely keep up.

Fresh Snow lowered her controller and flashed him a mischievous smile. "Maybe next time, stupid."

"You, you you you..." Wang Zikai's eyes widened with revelation. "You lost to me on purpose last time?"

Fresh Snow pursed her lips. "Nah, you were better then."

"Lies! Terrible lies!" Wang Zikai paced, his arms flailing. "Why would you do that?!"

Fresh Snow remained silent.

"Ah!" He whirled around. "Gao Yang was there last time! You were trying to win his sympathy... Whoa, Fresh Snow. You've changed. You've become so fake! I'm gonna tell Gao Yang!"

"You can't!" Fresh Snow straightened, alarm breaking through her usual composure. "I, I'm not fake. I'm just..."

"Just what? Say it!" Wang Zikai leaned forward.

"I just want us to fight and argue like before." Fresh Snow's gaze dropped to her controller. "Gao Yang's been through a lot. I want him to be happier."

Wang Zikai fell silent, then dropped back onto the sofa with a heavy exhale.

"You're right. That brat's been acting more and more strangely ever since he became a leader. We have to do something about it."

"Yeah." Fresh Snow nodded.

"I have an idea!" Wang Zikai's eyes gleamed as he turned to her with a smirk. "Why don't you be his girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Fresh Snow's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Think about it. Best bro is best bro, but a girlfriend waiting at home every day..." He pounded his chest triumphantly. "See what time he'll get home then!"

"Pfft."

Fresh Snow waved him off with a laugh, though disappointment flickered in her eyes. "But my sister said Gao Yang doesn't like me, and that fruit picked by force won't be sweet."

"But it'll make you less thirsty!" Wang Zikai declared as if stating the obvious.

Fresh Snow paused, taken aback by this unexpected addition to the proverb.

Wang Zikai leaped up, warming to the idea. "History teaches us that you have to be bold and decisive to achieve great things! Just going with the flow? Nonsense! If I'd done that, Gao Yang and I would still be strangers!"

"Really?" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Fresh Snow had assumed Wang Zikai must have grown up with Gao Yang like she and her sister had, but they'd only become brothers halfway through their lives.

"Hmph!" Wang Zikai lifted his chin, chest puffing out. "You're in luck. I'm gonna give you a few tips."

"Yeah." Fresh Snow sat up straighter, hugging a pillow to her chest. Anything involving Gao Yang instantly captured her attention.

"The first day of high school," Wang Zikai began with a dramatic pause, "I drove a car to school for registration—"

"Wait, how did you get a license when you were a freshman?" Fresh Snow interrupted, proud of her growing knowledge about human systems.

"Don't interrupt me!" Wang Zikai waved his hands in exasperation. "That's not the point!"

"Oh, okay."

"So I was driving, and this idiot who wasn't looking the right way almost crashed into my car." Wang Zikai jumped up, acting out the scene. "I'd just bought that car! What kind of bad omen would it be if I'd hit someone the first day?"

He punched the air for emphasis. "I was pissed. Kicked the door open, ready to teach him a lesson. Usually, I would've beaten the idiot up and knocked their teeth out."

A grin split his face. "But guess what? That idiot was Gao Yang!"

“Haha.” Picturing the scene in her head, Fresh Snow laughed, happy for reasons she didn’t quite understand.

“The moment I saw him, I felt a strong sense of familiarity. There was a voice in my head saying, ‘Wang Zikai, this is someone you can befriend!’”

“Then?” Fresh Snow asked excitedly.

"Then I asked about his name, his class, his address, his family members, if he played games, did he have a girlfriend..."

Fresh Snow giggled. "Stupid Kai, why were you interrogating him like you needed to check his household registration?"

"Oh, look who's grown up! You even know what household registration is." Wang Zikai thumped his chest proudly. "Are you kidding? Of course I had to get to know my future brother properly. I have really high standards!"

Fresh Snow pulled a face at him.

"Haha." Wang Zikai's eyes sparkled as he lost himself in the memory. "And it turned out he was my classmate! That's fate, right? So I invited him to play games and treated him to meals. Before long, we got closer."

"Whoa," Fresh Snow nodded slowly. "So you picked Gao Yang by force."

Wang Zikai shifted uncomfortably. "Ahem, how should I put this? No relationship is just about forcing things one way. It's about...taking initiative. Ah, it depends on individual cases, right? Gao Yang and I...it wasn't exactly about forcing anything..."

"Alright." Fresh Snow snorted. "You don't have to explain yourself."

Wang Zikai dropped the pretense, grinning. "I'll be honest with you, Fresh Snow. Pretty sure Gao Yang didn't like me much at first. He seemed kind of scared of me. But look now—I'm his best bro!"

"So if you want something, you have to fight for it. Especially with a reserved one like Gao Yang. You got me?"