Jiang Huai pulled open the curtains, and the sunlight outside blinded him.
Below, traffic bustled, and tall buildings rose in the distance, making him feel disoriented for a moment. He distinctly remembered fighting Lin Qing, eventually triggering a heavenly tribulation and intending to perish together. Yet, after falling unconscious, he found himself here.
Was this the world after death? Or… had he entered a Tribulation of Inner Demon while breaking through?
Jiang Huai had discussed the Tribulation of Inner Demon with Luo Yueguan before. Luo Yueguan’s own Tribulation of Inner Demon consisted of waves of illusions. Initially, they had fooled her completely. Later, even when she realized they were illusions, she couldn’t easily break free until she finally found a loophole in the illusion and escaped, almost at the cost of her life.
So, what was happening now? Jiang Huai felt another wave of dizziness. He refused to believe that the memories of the past few decades were all dreams; dreams couldn’t be this real. Luo Yueguan had told him that the illusions in the Tribulation of Inner Demon were entirely different from the outside world. She had been lost in her Tribulation of Inner Demon for nearly five or six years, but only an incense’s worth of time had passed when she emerged.
Jiang Huai rubbed his face, but the sensation was incredibly real, not fake at all. He found a mobile phone nearby and glanced at the time, frozen in thought for a moment.
It was three years before the death of his past self, the summer after Jiang Ning finished her college entrance exams. He had promised Jiang Ning that he’d take her to eat an ice cream she’d been wanting for a long time once her scores were out.
Damn it, if this was his Tribulation of Inner Demon, what would his inner demon be? The guilt he felt towards Jiang Ning?
Jiang Huai tried to ponder these questions, but Jiang Ning, outside the room, had already run in. She was wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts, revealing a pair of slender, long, and perfectly straight beautiful legs. She had on white silk stockings covering her calves, paired with white sneakers. Her hair was tied into twin ponytails, making her look gentle and obedient.
“Why aren’t you dressed yet!” Jiang Ning put her hands on her hips, staring at him indignantly. Jiang Huai finally snapped back to reality and glanced at her. “Wait, wait, your brother had a really long nightmare… I need a moment to recover…”
Jiang Ning slumped onto the lounge chair, swinging her white-stockinged legs irritably, no longer in such a hurry. She crossed her arms and looked at him. “What did you dream about?”
“Oof, that’s hard to say. The dream was quite long. I dreamed I transmigrated into a historical harem story, then almost died from a sudden mecha-god-like boss that appeared out of nowhere. Then I triggered a lightning tribulation, and the next thing I knew, I woke up.”
Jiang Huai shook his head. Jiang Ning looked at him with exasperation. “I told you to stop reading web novels! And the last time I tried to find some reading material on your phone, it was all censored. You’re always reading smut in bed and rewarding yourself, and now you’re getting your comeuppance!”
“…” Jiang Huai was speechless for a moment.
He and Jiang Ning were as close as could be, even more so than typical siblings. They had long since cut ties with most relatives and elders, relying on each other. Because of this, Jiang Huai sometimes felt that their relationship was too close due to their lack of supervision. Their playful banter was often unfiltered. At eighteen, Jiang Ning liked to lie on his bed after showering and chat with him to find sleep before returning to her own room when she could no longer keep her eyes open.
Mainly, Jiang Ning always liked to play pranks on him, with no bottom line or conscience. Jiang Huai gradually got used to it and was too lazy to struggle.
“Tsk, and you’re reading sister-complex harem novels. Such a low-class preference,” Jiang Ning criticized mercilessly. Jiang Huai shot her a sideways glance. “People who actually have sisters wouldn’t like sister-complex novels; they’re for fools.”
“Hey, what did sister-complex novels do to you? No, what did *I* do to you? Hmph, you should be blessed to have me as your sister. Many people would envy it, so just be happy.”
“Are you referring to a useless woman who only knows how to eat and be lazy, who spends her holidays lying in bed, tossing you the recipes for whatever she wants to eat, and is too lazy to even wash her own underwear?”
“What! My underwear smells good; it’s a perk for you!”
“I’m going to puke.” Jiang Huai made a vomiting gesture at her. Jiang Ning’s expression immediately turned indignant. “They really do smell good!”
“Enough,” Jiang Huai covered his ears and finally lifted the quilt to start getting dressed. He wasn’t particularly shy; Jiang Ning liked to walk around her room naked after showering in her white nightgown. He never felt any desire.
This seemed to have a specific psychological name: the “Westermarck Effect” – two children who grow up together from a young age typically do not experience sexual attraction towards each other as adults.
Even though Jiang Ning had grown more beautiful over the years, especially after their parents died when she was in high school, and they began living together. Her figure had matured, turning her into a petite woman with a slender waist and long legs. She liked to wear his oversized T-shirts at home, exposing her long, slender legs, and would kick him occasionally to get his attention. Jiang Huai could honestly say he never had any strange thoughts, not even a stir.
He put on a T-shirt and shorts. Jiang Ning had already brought over a razor. “Time to shave!”
“We’re not going on a date, why be so concerned about your appearance?” Jiang Huai said with a troubled look, glancing in the mirror. He had only just started to grow stubble, but Jiang Ning was already speaking indignantly beside him. “What if we’re mistaken for a couple? Your image would damage my selection criteria for a mate.”
“Then there’s even less reason to shave.” Jiang Huai went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. When he came out, Jiang Ning was already sitting on his bed, looking expectant. They lived on the fourth floor of a walk-up building, a typical older, small apartment. Each room belonged to one of them. After hopping downstairs, Jiang Huai found the electric scooter based on his memory. Jiang Ning sat behind him, reaching out to tightly embrace his waist. Her soft chest pressed against him, her chin resting on his shoulder, and a pleasant fragrance wafted into Jiang Huai’s nose.
“Do you really need to be this close?”
“I’m scared.”
“It’s so hot!” Jiang Huai grumbled unhappily, riding the electric scooter. Jiang Ning, however, clung even tighter, her delicate pink lips moving closer to his ear. “Let you get hot, let you get hot.”
The sunlight was brilliant, and Jiang Huai still felt a bit dazed. Everything felt real, not like a dream or an illusion. He began to wonder if this was his Tribulation of Inner Demon, how could he escape it?
The Tribulation of Inner Demon in the summer of his third year of high school – did it have any special significance? Was it due to the guilt he felt towards Jiang Ning? Jiang Ning was indeed the only person he had wronged in his life. He had died saving someone, and Jiang Ning would have been sad for a long time if she had known… So, was he meant to compensate Jiang Ning more in this illusion? Jiang Huai remembered that when people break through the Tribulation of Inner Demon, the Heavenly Way traps them in an inner demon cocoon, and outsiders cannot reach the person within. If that were the case… could he have held out a bit longer against Lin Qing?
Jiang Huai’s head was still a bit fuzzy. Jiang Ning was biting his ear behind him impatiently. “We’re going to crash!”
Jiang Huai’s mind instantly snapped back to the present. He swerved, narrowly avoiding a lamppost by the roadside. Jiang Ning held him tightly and let out a sigh of relief. “Why did you get distracted again?”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I’ll concentrate.” Jiang Huai slowly returned his focus, letting Jiang Ning use her phone to guide him. He rode the electric scooter at a slower pace, meandering towards the edge of the shopping district. After parking the scooter, Jiang Ning had already taken his hand, looking impatient. She skipped along, leading him into the mall, where the air conditioning made Jiang Huai feel much more comfortable.
“It’s just ice cream…” Jiang Huai felt like a small horse being led around, he was listless, while Jiang Ning was full of energy. Jiang Ning raised her head proudly, “This ice cream is super famous on Dianping! And there’s a couple’s set that’s supposed to be amazing!”
“How much is it?”
“One hundred and sixty-eight!” Jiang Ning innocently stuck out her tongue at him.
“They’re robbing us.” Jiang Huai looked at her with a bitter expression. Jiang Ning immediately became cautious, her eyes slightly downcast, showing a hint of dejection. She then waved her small fist and looked at him eagerly, “I can be sensible too.”
“Alright, alright, one hundred and sixty-eight isn’t much.” Jiang Huai waved his hand. “I still have a bit saved up. Let’s get two.”
Jiang Huai’s long-dormant memories slowly surfaced. He had dropped out of vocational school long ago, while his sister had excellent grades. After their parents died in her second year of high school, they lived together. He started working, from being a barber’s apprentice to a waiter in a hotel, doing all sorts of part-time jobs. This summer, if everything went as planned, he was going to start delivering food on his electric scooter.
Jiang Ning had always been very sensible. Her grades were enough to earn her a substantial scholarship, and she had also applied for student loans herself. Jiang Huai worked hard and saved diligently, hoping to improve her life later. Their lives weren’t exactly desperate.
Jiang Ning led him to order and chose a couple’s set ice cream. Fortunately, they arrived early and only had to wait a short while in line. When their number was called, they walked into the ice cream shop. They were supposed to sit opposite each other, but Jiang Ning suddenly sat beside him, raised her phone, leaned in, and pressed her cheek against his.
“What are you doing?” Jiang Huai instinctively tried to evade.
“Couples ordering the couple’s set to post online for a chance to win a free meal.”
“Oh…” Jiang Huai felt Jiang Ning’s small face pressed against his. “Do you really need to be this close?”
“Hey, hey, can you have a better attitude? Don’t you have a bit of affection for your sister in your eyes? Why do you look so disgusted? You’re not photogenic at all.”
“Who on earth would be so neurotic as to have their eyes full of love for their sister?”
“Sigh, you dead straight man. You’ll only ever have your Gentle Catgirl in bed.”
At the mention of this, Jiang Huai’s face became filled with resentment. His eighteenth birthday present was a Gentle Catgirl that Jiang Ning had saved up to buy. When she handed it to him, she had a mischievous grin. Jiang Huai had struggled internally for a long time before finally restraining himself from pouncing on her and spanking her soundly.
Jiang Ning’s pressed cheek finally pulled back a little. But as she looked at the photo, she immediately became displeased and pointed at Jiang Huai’s nose with her finger. “You, now, look at me with deep affection.”
“You’re sick.” Jiang Huai looked at her helplessly.
“We’re trying to win free ice cream permanently.” Jiang Ning puffed out her cheeks. “If we win, we can come here every week for a free couple’s set!”
“We’re not going to win anyway,” Jiang Huai muttered. He remembered clearly that Jiang Ning didn’t win in the end. She had angrily poked her phone screen, pointing at the winning couple’s photo and cursing them to break up tomorrow.
“I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care! Hurry up and give me a loving gaze so I can take nine photos.”
“Just kill me.” Jiang Huai wanted to die.
“Hurry up.” Jiang Ning reached out, grabbed Jiang Huai’s face, and gently pulled. Her delicate pink lips pouted slightly, as if giving an order, or perhaps, acting spoiled.
Jiang Huai was always completely under her thumb, and no matter what, he could never get angry at her.
