What a Good Little Brother

Lu Yuan stepped out of the Land of Origin and checked the time. It was already four in the afternoon.

He had anticipated the extended stay. The Light Gate's repair progress gave a rough indication of elapsed real-world time. He'd entered at ten the previous night — eighteen hours ago — and since time flowed differently inside, that translated to nine full days.

The maximum a Trainee Grade warrior could remain in the Land of Origin was seven days. There was exactly one explanation for why he had stayed longer.

He had broken through to First-rank.

As far as Lu Yuan was concerned, that was nothing but good news. He also noted the neighborhood he'd chosen was conveniently close to Wild Wolf Materials — useful for whenever he got around to selling materials.

The streets, however, were still noticeably empty.

The one real inconvenience was today's apartment-hunting plan. He'd intended to be back by noon, but it was already well into the afternoon now.

He thought it over, then stepped across the hallway and knocked.

A moment later, Li Qinghe opened the door.

"Sorry, Qinghe jie. We had plans to go look at apartments today, but I only just got back from the Land of Origin. I thought I'd be back by noon — I didn't expect to be in there so long."

Li Qinghe smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. Important things come first."

A small headache was already forming, though. This neighborhood was nowhere near the slum district. She had only agreed to move in the first place to put Lu Yuan at ease — but if she rented here, her nightly investigation runs would cost her over an hour of extra travel each way. That was a genuine problem. And nothing wore Li Qinghe down faster than unnecessary hassle.

She would need to return to the slums every night to continue tracking the Aberration entity regardless.

"By the way, Qinghe jie — any explosions last night?"

Li Qinghe shook her head. "Nothing."

Lu Yuan nodded with relief. "Good. Still, this area isn't safe. We should move out as soon as we can."

She kept her expression pleasant, though frustration quietly simmered underneath. The night before, she had assembled her team and held a lengthy stakeout, waiting for the Shadows to appear. They never did. In the previous two days, the Aberration entity had been making considerable noise, and she had assumed it would keep pressing its advantage — exposing itself in the process. Instead it had gone completely silent. She had to concede that whoever was directing it was extraordinarily cunning.

She knew something else, too. Lu Yuan had entered the Land of Origin last night at ten o'clock and was only just emerging now.

Trainee Grade warriors had a hard cap of seven days inside. For Lu Yuan to have stayed longer, there was only one possibility.

*Lu Yuan had broken through to First-rank.*

Her inward shock was considerable.

From his Awakening to now — barely over a month. Already at First-rank?

This speed wasn't quite as fast as her own had been, but by any normal standard it was still extraordinary.

*Among the young generation of the entire Empire, there can't be many who've broken through faster than him. He just keeps surprising me.*

"Qinghe jie, how about we go look at those apartments now? I scouted out a few places — it shouldn't take long, and dinner's on me tonight. It's been ages, and I've never once treated you to a meal."

Li Qinghe snapped back to the present and smiled. "All right. Give me a minute to change."

She was back quickly, and the two of them headed out together. It was summer, and at four in the afternoon the sky was still blazing bright.

They hailed a cab to the first listing.

Lu Yuan had selected several apartments, all of them not far from the Jiuhu Shopping District — which also made future trips to Wild Wolf Materials more convenient. Every unit he'd picked was in an upscale residential complex, well-furnished and well-maintained.

Lu Yuan had the money to buy in a complex like this outright, let alone rent. But purchasing made no sense. He had less than a month until the college entrance exam, which meant he'd probably only be here through the end of summer vacation. After that, who knew which city he'd end up in. Worst case, he'd break the lease and forfeit the deposit. And really, a full year's rent here amounted to less than what he'd earn casually hunting a handful of Feral Beasts in the Land of Origin.

The streets remained noticeably sparse. Three gas explosions in recent days had left the whole neighborhood on edge, and it showed.

Inside one of the units, an agent in a black uniform led the two of them through the space.

"This is a three-bedroom, two-living-room, two-bathroom apartment — 126 square meters in total. The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and a small walk-in closet. The living area is generous, and there are two balconies. For two people, the size is just right — not so small you feel cramped, not so large it feels empty. Most importantly, the unit comes with a smart butler robot. It handles any household task for the residents: cooking, laundry, tidying — all at the highest standard..."

Lu Yuan glanced at the white robot standing quietly to one side, genuine curiosity flickering in his eyes. Outside of the Warriors' Association, this was his first time seeing a smart robot up close. Even in a high-tech world like this one, they didn't come cheap — you'd never spot one in the slum districts.

And it wasn't just the robot. Every piece of furniture in the apartment was a smart device, the whole space designed around a sleek, tech-forward aesthetic that Lu Yuan found quietly appealing. He was a little tempted.

Li Qinghe cleared her throat. "Do the two of us really need this much space? And the robot... honestly, I don't think we need it. I can cook and do laundry myself. No need to spend the money."

The agent pivoted smoothly. "Miss, a woman really does need to take care of herself! Cooking and washing dishes are so rough on the hands — why not let the robot handle it?"

Li Qinghe looked at her. "I don't mind rough hands."

The agent's smile went rigid.

Lu Yuan stepped in. "Qinghe jie, I think of you as my sister — not as hired help. Whatever the robot can do, there's no reason you should have to do it yourself. I can afford this."

Standing to one side, the agent underwent a swift, silent crisis of envy. *Why don't I have a brother like that?* She rallied almost immediately. *Even if I don't, I am getting this sale.*

Li Qinghe heard him and felt the familiar, complicated twist of irritation and warmth. She stood very still, fighting down a powerful urge to grab Lu Yuan by the collar and put him through the floor.

*And you — Lu Yuan! What a good little brother you are! So very, very good!*

The agent turned to Li Qinghe with a bright smile. "Miss, I honestly envy you. Having a little brother who cares for you this much..."

Li Qinghe very carefully did not look at her.

*I genuinely want to punch you right now. What exactly is there to envy?*

She tugged her mouth into a smile and said something flattering back.

"Little brother..." Li Qinghe tried a different approach. "Your sister still needs something to do, you know. Otherwise it's like you're keeping me."

Lu Yuan laughed easily. "Supporting you would honestly be no problem for me. If you get bored, you could always pick up something new, study a bit — or just do whatever you feel like."

Li Qinghe stared at him.

*???*

She was completely at a loss. She took a deep breath, collecting herself, and had just begun to formulate a proper argument — when Lu Yuan was already looking at the agent.

"This one. Let's sign the contract."

The agent's eyes lit up with undisguised delight.

Li Qinghe forced a smile, still internally wrestling. She surrendered.

"Whatever you say, little brother."

"Of course, Mr. Lu! I have the contract right here — rent goes to this account. First payment includes the deposit, four months total upfront..."

"How much is the monthly rent?"

"Twenty thousand a month. One month deposit, three months in advance. Minimum one-year term."

Lu Yuan had no interest in haggling. That kind of back-and-forth was precisely the sort of thing he hated.

He picked up the contract, skimmed it, confirmed there were no issues, signed his name, and transferred eighty thousand directly.

Throughout the whole transaction, Li Qinghe's face had gone faintly warm, and she hadn't quite managed to get it back under control.

Lu Yuan looked at her with puzzlement. "Qinghe jie, are you all right? You look a little — are you feeling unwell?"

Li Qinghe managed a laugh. "Ha... no, I'm fine. I'm just very happy. You're so good to me, little brother."

*Just wait until I track down this Aberration entity,* she thought, her smile going several degrees more fixed. *Then we'll have a real conversation, you and I.*

She exhaled slowly and looked up at the summer sky through the nearest window.

*Among the young generation of the entire Empire, there can't be many who've broken through faster than him.*

*He just keeps surprising me.*