Don't Laugh Challenge Interesting.

The next day.

At the break of dawn, Su Qi woke up.

A faint sound came from the kitchen.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he sat up in bed, puzzled.

He did need to wake up early today, after all.

Getting out of bed, Su Qi shuffled toward the kitchen in his slippers.

Inside the kitchen, the little fox was standing on her tiptoes, trying to reach a plate from the cabinet.

She was wearing the shirt Su Qi had lent her, its sleeves rolled up to reveal slender wrists, the hem barely covering her thighs.

On the counter, beaten eggs were already prepared.

Su Qi stood nearby, his gaze drifting over her profile before casually scanning the scene. He noticed the edge of a bandage peeking out where he had treated her wound the day before.

Hearing movement behind her, the little fox turned to glance at Su Qi.

Then she lowered her head, fiddling with the buttons of the shirt.

"My wound is much better. Since you took care of me yesterday, I thought I should do something in return."

Su Qi stepped into the kitchen, effortlessly grabbing the plate she couldn’t reach and handing it to her.

The little fox took the plate, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Without a word, she skillfully whisked the eggs, added a pinch of salt, and poured them into the frying pan.

As the eggs gradually solidified, a tempting aroma filled the air.

With practiced ease, she flipped the eggs, spreading them into a thin crepe before sprinkling chopped ham and cheese on top.

Folding the omelet, she placed it on a plate, then retrieved milk and bread from the fridge.

Setting the plate on the dining table, she said, "Eat up before it gets cold."

Su Qi sat down and took a bite of the omelet. Its fluffy texture and rich flavor instantly filled his mouth.

"So? Am I better at making a heartfelt breakfast than your silly little sister?"

She sat down as well, serving herself a bowl of plain rice porridge.

Su Qi’s expression flickered with uncertainty.

What was going on?

Could it be…?

A vague suspicion formed in his mind.

He silently continued eating.

Then, instead of picking up her chopsticks, the little fox pressed her feet lightly against the floor, slid off the chair, and bowed to Su Qi.

"Thank you very much for taking care of me yesterday. I’ll go call your sister for breakfast now."

With that, she padded across the floor, her footsteps tapping lightly as she headed toward Liu Yuan’s bedroom.

A soft click sounded as she opened the door and stepped inside.

...

A few minutes later, Liu Yuan emerged, dressed in her usual JK outfit, yawning and stretching so hard her clothes rode up.

Her sleepy voice was muffled. "Mmm… morning, bro~"

Rubbing her eyes, she shuffled to the table and sat down.

She stared at the elegantly prepared breakfast, then at Su Qi, who was focused on his meal.

"Bro, did that stinky fox make this?"

Her tone carried a hint of scrutiny.

Su Qi: ???

[Delight +9999]

It seemed…

His guess might actually be right.

Ever since he entered the kitchen, a strange thought had lingered in his mind for about a minute.

As if someone had been whispering in his ear:

"Your sister and the little fox persona she’s playing will compete for your attention. It’s not multiple personalities—just her having fun. All you need to do is enjoy it and play along."

At first, Su Qi thought he was still half-asleep, or maybe the lack of games on his computer (thanks to his sister’s deletions) had driven him into "imagination mode."

But…

She was actually serious?

Su Qi nodded vaguely and kept eating the omelet.

Liu Yuan huffed. "That fox must not be hurt too badly if she can get up early and cook like this. Yesterday she was acting all pitiful."

She picked up a piece of the omelet and took a bite. "Ugh, why is her cooking so good?"

[Delight +999]

Su Qi: ???

Playing along, he sighed. "Yuan’s breakfasts are great too…"

His silly sister pouted stubbornly. "No way! This is definitely the best breakfast you’ve ever had, bro. Don’t lie just to make me feel better!"

Su Qi: …

Actually, admitting it would make her happier, wouldn’t it?

Still, objectively speaking, today’s breakfast was at least twice as good as usual.

Had she suddenly leveled up her cooking skills? Or was this the result of accumulated experience?

But the shameless self-praise was a bit…

An encounter with a natural-born abstract genius—impossible to refuse.

Wait, no. Not an encounter.

"Yeah… this is the best breakfast I’ve ever had."

Liu Yuan tore into the omelet with her little fangs, cheeks stuffed as she mumbled, "Ugh, fine! I’ve decided—I’m challenging her to a heartfelt breakfast showdown! Let’s see who’s better!"

Su Qi had no response. He just sipped his milk.

"By the way, bro, how old is that little fox?" Liu Yuan suddenly asked.

Su Qi blinked. "I never asked. She looks pretty young."

"Hmph, just the age you like best~"

Liu Yuan smirked slyly. "So, dear brother… you’re not actually into that tiny fox, are you?"

Su Qi looked at his sister, fighting back a laugh.

A "don’t laugh" challenge?

Interesting.

The problem was…

He really did like her.

Seeing his expression, Liu Yuan grew more convinced. "Fox spirits are experts at shapeshifting into beautiful women to enchant human men. There are tons of folk tales about it."

"Bro, tell me the truth—is she super pretty?"

Su Qi: "Yeah, she’s really pretty. Exactly my type…"

"Bro, tell me—is she the cutest in the world?"

"She’s the cutest in the world…"

Liu Yuan puffed up like an angry pufferfish, though her flushed face seemed a little different from usual. "Tch. So you are bewitched."

"I heard fox spirits suck the life out of people."

"If you insist on keeping her around, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Su Qi quickly cut off his silly sister. He suddenly felt like the "Yan map" was a bit too short today. "Just eat. We’ve got the tournament later."

Satisfied, Liu Yuan chugged her milk. "Ew, this milk is too bland. Tastes bad."

"Bro, get me a cup of thick, fragrant milk instead, okay~?"

Su Qi felt his sister was getting a little too carried away with her "excuses." He tapped her head lightly to stop her. "Enough playing. Finish up so we can go."

Liu Yuan blinked up at him with watery eyes, pouting in exaggerated disappointment before finally relenting. "Fine~ Stupid bro."