Life's Highlight Moments, Challenging Now

How many times in life can one truly experience their brightest moments?

So many beloved friends and family gathered together, celebrating his small achievement.

This had never happened in his previous life.

Though he’d known for a while that Aunt Qimeng and the others were secretly preparing a gathering,

Lin Yu still hadn’t expected it to be this grand.

Lin Yu: "Let me help with the washing?"

Mao Ruirui: "No need, Xiao Yu. Just wait a bit—everything will be ready soon."

Lin Yu: "Then I’ll help carry the plates."

Tang Yimian: "Xiao Yu, don’t steal my job. There’s already so little I can do."

Lin Yu: "But I’m great at cutting watermelons!"

Shen Buyao (snip, snip, snip): "Keep your hands away, or I might accidentally chop them off. Don’t blame me if that happens!"

"..."

After wandering around the kitchen for quite a while,

Lin Yu still couldn’t find a way to help.

And it wasn’t just him.

Even the Chi sisters, who returned late, could only pace around without finding anything useful to do.

The small kitchen simply couldn’t accommodate so many people.

Aside from a few of the older sisters who were busy working,

the younger ones could only offer moral support.

Over by the sofa in the living room,

Ying’er had set up a large display and a "retro" Sega console.

She was now locked in an intense "Yu Yu Hakusho" showdown with Shen Jiuyi.

Who was Ying’er, you ask?

When it came to reflexes and gaming obsession, she was undoubtedly the top contender in the apartment.

Yet, despite that,

Ying’er now wore a grave expression as she frantically mashed the controller buttons, struggling against "Hiei’s infinite counter-clockwise combo."

Within seconds, a cry of defeat echoed from the speakers.

Shen Jiuyi calmly remarked: "Fifteen to zero."

Lin Yu: "???"

Fifteen straight losses?

No wonder Ying’er was overheating!

This girl, who practically lived in arcades, really had some skills.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Shangying seemed to have a lot to say.

But in the end, only one sentence escaped her lips:

"One more round..."

Shen Jiuyi glanced at Ying’er and praised,

"Ying’er has such a good temper. If it were Yaoyao, she’d have started cursing by now."

"I bet Ying’er also wants to say my playstyle is cheap, right?"

Mo Shangying: "..."

If they weren’t still somewhat unfamiliar,

she would’ve already started wailing in frustration!

After setting up the console and display,

Ying’er had already defeated Maomao, Little Fufu, Chang Xiaoxiao, the King of Dirty Jokes, and several others.

Noticing that Shen Jiuyi, as a guest, had been silently watching without saying a word,

Ying’er, wanting to be a good host, invited her to play.

After Shen Jiuyi casually remarked, "I’m not that good,"

she proceeded to wipe the floor with Ying’er—fifteen times in a row!

And this was under the game’s three-character-per-match rule.

Aside from one round where Ying’er forced Shen Jiuyi to switch to her second character,

the other fourteen matches ended with Shen Jiuyi sweeping all three of Ying’er’s fighters with just one character.

Sure, her playstyle was a bit cheesy…

But even though Shen Jiuyi’s button-mashing didn’t seem that fast,

why couldn’t Ying’er win?

Noticing Lin Yu standing with his arms crossed, wearing a sage-like smile,

Maomao asked matter-of-factly:

"Yu, are you going to end this?"

Lin Yu gave her a puzzled look: "???"

Since when did this little one learn to joke around?

Admittedly, Lin Yu had better reflexes and game sense than Ying’er and Xiao Jiu.

But even he,

without any external help,

wouldn’t stand a chance against Shen Jiuyi.

"Yu Yu Hakusho" wasn’t a game where reflexes and instincts alone could guarantee victory—

you also had to know each character’s move list!

In Lin Yu’s childhood, his family only had a Nintendo.

Something as high-end as a Sega console was something he’d only played at a friend’s house, never studying it deeply.

By the time he got a computer in school,

he never had the chance to properly learn it.

Now, jumping in to face Shen Jiuyi, who even Ying’er couldn’t beat?

That’d just be handing her another confidence boost!

Not that there wasn’t a way to turn the tables.

Using a [Virtual Computer] talisman, he could easily look up the move list.

But…

was it really worth it?

Seemed like a waste of resources.

Maomao’s words, however, drew the attention of Ying’er, Shen Jiuyi, and the others.

They all turned to look at Lin Yu, eyes filled with anticipation.

Lin Yu waved his hand dismissively and said calmly:

"I’ll pass. I’m definitely no match for Jiuyi… I mean, Xiao Jiu."

"You guys keep playing. I’ll just watch."

Calling her "Jiuyi" in front of everyone felt oddly formal—

like he was lowering himself a generation for no reason.

Maomao suddenly added:

"That’s perfect."

Lin Yu: "???"

Huh?

What’s so perfect about him not playing?

Then,

Lin Yu noticed the shift in Maomao’s expression and immediately understood.

That look on her face—

wasn’t it the same one she wore whenever a "battle" was about to begin?

Wait…

Was this little one seriously planning to…

Just as Lin Yu suspected,

Maomao then said to him with utmost seriousness:

"Yu, if you’re not joining their game and have time to spare now,"

"does that mean I can… challenge you?"

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Maomao, are you serious?!

Challenging him now, of all times?

After Maomao developed her "question-drawing" software,

the two of them did have a "gentleman’s agreement."

As long as nothing urgent was happening,

Maomao could challenge Lin Yu anytime.

For the past few days since creating the software, Maomao hadn’t mentioned it.

With Aunt Ruxue’s impending visit keeping her on edge,

Lin Yu had assumed the "combat-ready Maomao" wouldn’t resurface anytime soon.

Yet here she was,

issuing a challenge in front of so many people!

It gave Lin Yu the impression that…

Maomao hadn’t been lying low these past few days—

she’d been training!

Most of the people present had no idea what Maomao’s "challenge" entailed.

But sensing potential entertainment, they all perked up with interest.

Mo Shangying, who was in the know, instantly brightened.

Shaking off her earlier frustration, she exclaimed excitedly:

"Xiao Yu, Maomao, are you two starting?"

"Hahaha, today’s audience is in for a treat!"

At her words,

everyone who wasn’t busy immediately crowded around.

Mo Shangying, Ye Mengfu, Shen Jiuyi, Chi Qingshui, Chi Qingchi, Chang Xiaoxiao, Fang Xinran, Huang Feirong…

The girls, all around the same age, stared curiously at Lin Yu,

each guessing what Maomao’s so-called "challenge" could be.

Chi Qingshui: "Maomao is challenging Lin Yu? At… video games?"

Chi Qingchi: "No idea. There’s no computer here, right? But it sounds fun!"

Huang Feirong: "Hahaha, is it Dance Revolution or something?"

Fang Xinran: "Lin knows how to play that?"

Chang Xiaoxiao: "Maybe it’s something else, like a word chain challenge?"

Shen Jiuyi: "Oh? Interesting."

...

(Second update for today, with an extra chapter coming soon—stay tuned!)