Chapter 582: Sister, Wait for My Return

Good! If I lie to you, you'll ignore me for the rest of your life!

Well... I'll tentatively believe you!

But... don't... for a lifetime.....

Zhang Jie wiped his older sister's tears, and the siblings clung tightly to each other.

Sister... wait for me to awaken my will, wait for me to become strong... I'll personally bring Mom and Dad back... okay?

Okay... we'll do it together...

On that day's official announcement, it was unclear whether it was a death notice or a disappearance; Zhang Jie and Zhang Yan could not be certain, nor did they dare to find out.

While alive, one should always find something to hold onto for oneself, right?

But no matter what, from now on the siblings must depend on each other to survive.

You lied to your sister, although it was to get this family back on track, but... this is ultimately a lie, and it will eventually be exposed.

And facts prove you don't have the heart of stone you imagined; you often suddenly think of your family's little moments in the middle of the night, recalling when they were around.

The aftermath of 'loss' is great; perhaps you don't feel especial sorrow at the moment of loss, but whenever the future presents that familiar scene, you can't help but burst into tears.

Whenever this happens, you pick up that martial arts manual you once found disgusting, clumsily imitate the movements—whether useful or not, you at least do it.

Your heart also constantly worries: your older sister's emotions are abnormal, so she cannot awaken her will; what about yours? Are your emotions normal?

You don't know, but you know, this family's strange recovery has returned to the right track....

Older sister, what you made...

How is it! Looks good, right!

Zhang Jie gazed at the table full of substance like charcoal lumps, feeling that if he really ate it into his stomach, his contamination value would surely jump up several percentage points.

Sigh, forget it, older sister, let's just eat some decent rice.

?

How did you come up with the idea of cooking yourself...

I was thinking to save a bit, cooking myself is cheaper...

Zhang Yan doesn't know if her contamination value will stabilize, but she indeed hasn't eaten expensive anti-contamination food for a long time.

Not only her, but actually the Zhang Jie family hasn't eaten anti-contamination food for a long time.

Then! You eat! Sister will learn again!

Since discovering she cannot awaken her will, Zhang Yan has constantly wanted to do things within her ability.

Thus, until night, Zhang Jie could still see that figure constantly busy in the kitchen....

The next day, looking at the decent-looking piece of meat on the table, Zhang Jie silently swallowed it.

Not saying how good the taste is, but at least it can go into the mouth.

He knows, this is the result of his older sister's hard work all night.

From then on each day, older sister's skill keeps improving; she finds things to do for herself, as if only busyness can arouse her enthusiasm for life.

This situation hasn't gotten much better; it's just burying a time bomb for the future—older sister like this cannot awaken her will.

And recently, this situation has become even more severe; she even voluntarily goes to work after finishing her heavy studies, just to keep herself busy.

15 years old: time... unknowingly has passed a long time; since that incident, it's been over two full years.

You and your older sister depend on each other to survive, and as you expected, she still hasn't awakened her will to this day.

She seems to have given up herself; lately she no longer actively tests whether she can awaken her will, but instead earnestly cooks for you, takes care of you, works, finishes her studies—you can see her busying herself like a top.

You can feel that she.... from initially harboring fantasies, now gradually shifts her focus onto you, gradually becoming that as long as you're still here, life has hope....

She has already taken you as her only....

And unknowingly, you too have reached the age when you could awaken your will....

In Zhang Jie's room, a figure with bare upper body is waving his fists.

The fist wind howled, the air crackled with each strike; the movements flowed smoothly, from the initial clumsy imitation to now being polished—only Zhang Jie knows the effort involved.

Hoo....

After completing a set of fist techniques, his body besides becoming hot and flushed had no other effect.

Still just for show, huh.

Zhang Jie shook his hands; he is no longer the weak little kid he once was.

Like his older brother, he has a sturdy build, muscles with distinct angles, well-proportioned; the youth already has the prototype of a future hardy physique.

Buddy! Mealtime!

Just then, the room door was flung open, and Zhang Yan's carefree appearance appeared at Zhang Jie's doorway.

Wait, older sister! I still haven't....

Hey, you're shy?

Tch! What part of you hasn't your sister seen? Now you're pretending to be a sly fox?

Hiss, didn't expect it, kid, your physique is pretty good.

Zhang Yan, this carefree one, actually started stroking her chin to appreciate him; Zhang Jie pursed his lips, then stopped hiding, stood with hands on hips and walked over.

Hey?

Zhang Yan thought Zhang Jie wasn't shy anymore, but the next moment Zhang Jie placed his hand on his pants, making a motion to pull them down....

You wait!!!

The innocent older sister hastily covered her eyes; she just said it as a joke, how did this kid get so worked up! If you look, you'll surely get sty in the eye!

However, when she glanced sideways with her peripheral vision, she discovered Zhang Jie had already put on his school uniform.

Older sister, you're no different...

Hey!

Older sister got furious and gave Zhang Jie a few hard punches, but to Zhang Jie it felt no different from a tickle.

Don't make trouble, older sister.

Hmph.

Today I will... try to awaken my will....

The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence; after a moment, it was still the older sister who first broke the silence.

If we awaken, we awaken! If we can't awaken, then we'll just be ordinary people for the rest of our lives!

As for dad, mom, and big brother, they're not dead, so... we just wait for them to come back on their own!

These words were not only comforting Zhang Jie, but also herself.

But! You have to promise me! No! You must not abandon your sister alone!

This is what she fears most; she can accept her and Zhang Jie, as a whole family, falling together into the forbidden zone, and she can accept her and Zhang Jie living ordinary lives together for a lifetime.

But she cannot accept Zhang Jie abandoning her and going into the forbidden zone alone, like the gourd babies saving their grandfather.

Speak up! Promise me!

Don't worry, sis, I promise you.

Hmph, that's good. Today is your birthday; remember to come back early, sister will make something delicious for you.

And there's your birthday present too!

Okay.

The older sister tidied Zhang Jie's clothes, and then, as an afterthought, ruffled his head.

Be careful going out...

Sister will be waiting for you to come back.

Zhang Jie left the door, and she watched him walk farther and farther away until he disappeared around the corner.

Little guy... when did you grow up so fast....