"Brother… do you really want me to drink this?"
Li Miao'er licked her soft pink lips. A faint, unusual fragrance lingered there, stirring an inexplicable urge to taste it.
"Yes. Drink it, and you'll become stronger."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, quietly wondering whether Miao'er would awaken a supernatural ability.
"Okay…"
Li Miao'er took the small bowl and swallowed the energy crystal in one gulp. It was sweet, with a hint of saltiness—surprisingly delicious.
"Ugh…! Ah—!"
Just as she set the bowl aside, a sharp cry escaped her lips. Her pretty face twisted in a strange mix of pain and pleasure.
Enduring the pain, she instinctively climbed into her brother's arms. The familiar scent of his body wrapped around her, and the agony coursing through her instantly eased.
Her breathing, heartbeat, and blood flow accelerated at an astonishing rate. Heat surged through her body as her temperature continued to rise.
It felt as though every cell inside her had come alive—she could clearly sense her strength increasing at a rapid pace.
"Miao'er, close your eyes. Take a deep breath. The pain will fade soon."
Chen Yi gently held his sister, letting her rest against his arm while his other hand softly caressed her cheek.
"Hee…"
Li Miao'er squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. Large beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks like shattered pearls, soaking her entire body.
"Meow! What are you doing—?!"
Suddenly, Li Miao'er pressed Chen Yi down beneath her. She hugged his slender waist tightly, her fingers lightly tracing over him before she bent down and sealed his lips with her own small, cherry-soft mouth.
"Mmph—!"
Chen Yi froze.
He could smell the scorching heat of Sister Meow's breath and feel her delicate body trembling from the lingering pain.
He struggled weakly, but his wrists were pinned firmly—he couldn't push her away at all.
All he could do was stare helplessly with his clear, ice-blue eyes, letting out a muffled whimper, half wanting to bite her just to make her stop.
But he was afraid of hurting her.
It was unbearable.
"Mmm…"
A delighted hum escaped Li Miao'er's throat. Her watery eyes sparkled with excitement.
This sweet, fragrant taste… it was intoxicating.
"Haa…"
Only when Chen Yi was dizzy and nearly suffocating did Li Miao'er finally release him, clearly satisfied.
She licked her pink lips excitedly, looking as though she might do something even more outrageous next.
"Meow!"
Chen Yi gasped for air and pushed the soft body off him. His beautiful face was flushed a deep, seductive red.
He never expected his first kiss to be stolen so forcefully—so excessively—by Sister Meow.
It was… utterly shameless!
"Huh? Brother? What just happened?"
Li Miao'er looked completely innocent as she gently shook Chen Yi's arm, her voice sweet and coquettish.
Staring at her cute, clueless expression, Chen Yi sighed helplessly.
Fine. He'd barely managed to accept it. He'd just treat it as a gift to a troublesome little cat.
"Miao'er… did you gain any supernatural ability?"
He pushed her hand away and asked in a deliberately cool tone.
"I didn't get a power," Li Miao'er replied, pouting slightly before giggling. "But I feel way stronger than before."
Her brother seemed unhappy. Maybe if she kissed him again, he'd soften up…
"Hope, check Li Miao'er's status."
Chen Yi called out inwardly, puzzled.
Name: Li Miao'erAge: 15
Constitution: 30Spirit: 17Charm: 94Favor: 100
"Hope, did she become a super soldier? Her constitution only increased by thirteen points. That's barely anything," Chen Yi asked silently.
"I already told you," Hope replied calmly. "You need a first-order energy crystal to unlock the gene lock, or consume ten zero-order crystals. What she consumed was a zero-order energy crystal—it enhances physical fitness and slightly increases mental strength."
"Right… I remember now."
Chen Yi nodded.
"It looks like we'll need to kill more zombies to get energy crystals if we want to evolve. Zombies evolve much faster than humans."
Suddenly, he felt an itchy sensation on his stomach.
Looking down, he saw Sister Meow mischievously scratching his belly with her fingertips.
"Miao'er, you'll need to eat several energy crystals to become a super soldier. One isn't enough, and it won't give you supernatural abilities."
He pried her troublesome little hand away.
"Go take a bath first. After we eat, we'll head out to kill zombies."
He really wanted her to understand the meaning of 'men and women shouldn't be so intimate'.
"Sniff—"
Li Miao'er lifted her arm and smelled herself, then stuck out her pink tongue with a grin.
"Ew… I stink. Bath first, then."
She suddenly turned back and called out cheerfully,"Brother! I want rice with pickled mustard greens! No meat!"
With that, she trotted off to the bathroom.
Listening to her happy voice, Chen Yi shook his head helplessly.
If the world were still normal… she wouldn't be acting like this, he complained silently.
He went to the kitchen, took out all the vegetables and meat from the fridge, and sorted them carefully—apples, mangoes, eggs, and noodles were stored separately. The overripe bananas were brought to the living room.
This pork and beef must be over thirty jin…
"I don't feel like eating meat right now. I'll cure it into bacon for storage."
After tossing the spoiled watermelon and fruit into the trash, he cut the pork belly and beef into neat strips, washed them thoroughly, soaked them, and then began marinating them.
"Brother… I forgot to bring clothes. Can you get some for me?"
Li Miao'er's soft voice drifted from the bathroom as she leaned against the door.
"Go get them yourself. I'm not peeking."
Chen Yi refused flatly, his expression dark.
He was already starting to feel like her full-time caretaker—he couldn't spoil her any more than this.
"Hmph! Then I'll bully my disobedient brother tonight!"
Li Miao'er smirked, already plotting mischievously. Wrapped in her towel, she ran barefoot to the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of neat little footprints on the smooth floor.
"We have to finish all the vegetables today, or they'll turn yellow tomorrow."
Chen Yi rinsed the rice and set it boiling in a steel pot. He washed the greens, blanched them in hot water, then mixed them with vinegar, salt, MSG, and chili oil.
Cold vegetable dishes were especially appetizing in summer.
Li Miao'er quietly walked over, now dressed in cool blue short sleeves and white shorts. Standing behind Chen Yi as he sliced apples, she hugged him tightly from behind and said sweetly,
"Brother, I'm starving. Is the food ready yet?"
"The rice isn't done. We'll eat soon."
Chen Yi caught the faint floral scent on Sister Meow and didn't push her away. Lately, he couldn't help feeling that their relationship was starting to resemble that of a couple more than siblings.
"Oh…"
Li Miao'er hugged his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder as she watched curiously while he prepared a fruit platter.
Chen Yi worked quickly and skillfully. He peeled one apple into clean slices for the base, then halved another—carving one half into a crab's body and slicing the rest into claws.
A cute apple crab took shape.
Sprinkling a handful of sugar over it, he smiled proudly.
"Ta-da. Crystal-Fur Hairy Crab. Meow—does it look good?"
"It's beautiful! Brother, you're amazing!"
Li Miao'er praised him with an exaggerated grin.
Though deep down, she thought that if she had made something this simple, it definitely would've looked even better.