6 Stage 6: Sparks of Revenge

October 19, 2083

Lixin couldn't believe how fast these last few months had flown by. Despite the difficulties he faced adapting to his new environment, he felt as though he was managing okay, or at least he liked to think he was.

There were still a lot of things he couldn't get used to, like the oddness of being in a loving family. It was just something he'd never experienced as a child. The things he used to have to do himself, such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry, were all done for him.

It was strange having people look out for his well-being, when before he only had himself to rely on. But even though it took some time to get used to, a part of him really enjoyed being taken care of.

Even though his mother's attention could be overbearing sometimes, Lixin knew she meant well; she was simply trying to make up for what his father had done and offer him a loving home life. Though it could be a little irritating at times, he enjoyed spending time with her.

As the bond between him and his mother grew, one also developed between him and his stepfather. The man was nothing like his dad, but rather a kind-hearted academic who offered to help him with his studies when Lixin enrolled at the prestigious online school Crescent Academy.

Lixin worked hard in his studies because he had never had the opportunity to complete his schooling in his previous life, so he wanted to work hard. The classes were difficult, but it had been years since he had taken any, so he wasn't too hard on himself.

After class, he went to a therapist his mother suggested he speak with, which really helped him a lot even if he could not reveal every detail because of various reasons. As a result, Lixin let down his guard more and interacted more with the children in his family.

One such relation was Xu Zeyu, who was slightly older than him, but Lixin felt at ease with him because he was always friendly, despite being a bit of a playboy. Whenever they hung out together, Lixin couldn't help but crack a smile or chuckle. Lixin and Zeyu had become close during the past six months. While he was comfortable around Zeyu, he still had some underlying trust issues.

He discussed it with his therapist, which was beneficial to some extent. While his apprehension subsided, his phobia persisted. However, other aspects of the situation improved. When someone made a sudden movement toward him, he no longer recoiled. Despite the fact that it was a minor victory, Lixin felt proud.

~

"So the same girl I was telling you about the other day started flirting with me for the fiftieth time this week," Zeyu began with an exasperated sigh. "I think she's stalking me! Like I know I'm handsome, but geez, give a guy some space."

"How is she flirting with you?" Lixin asked as he flipped through the channels on the TV.

Exhaling, Zeyu dragged his fingers through his hair. "She does it in the lamest way possible. She keeps coming up to me and asking for help to distribute assignments for the class and send things to the teacher. Like what the frick."

"You wouldn't happen to be a class monitor, would you?"

"How did you know?" Zeyu asked, looking at him in awe.

This caused Lixin to crack up. He couldn't believe how dense his cousin was.

"Dude, there's something called 'common sense'. Of course, she'd be targeting the class monitor." He put down the remote and looked at Zeyu in amusement. "I bet she's the one annoyed with you since you're obviously not doing your job."

His cousin gave him a harsh look before chucking a pillow at Lixin's face, which he swiftly caught. Sticking out his tongue at his cousin, he threw the pillow back, striking Zeyu in the face, causing them both to burst out laughing. They continued to tease each other for a few moments until their attention was drawn to the TV in the room.

A news broadcast proclaimed that PLight, the most successful virtual reality game company in the world, had partnered with twenty of the best-known restaurant chains all over the globe for their latest update, which was focused on serving food.

"I can't believe how big Watashinojinsei-dan Online has become. They are now partnering with the top food chains and my parents still won't let me get a pod," Zeyu groused as he stared at the news broadcast with shining eyes.

However, Lixin paid no mind to his cousin as he was focused on the screen. Each of those companies that were partnering with the PLight had a brand ambassador, and as he was looking at each of them, he saw his stepsister.

As he watched her smile and wave to the camera, Lixin felt rage boil up inside of him, exploding with the force of a thousand suns. All the memories from his past came surging back like an unstoppable tsunami, reminding him of how, when drugged and helpless, he had watched this exact broadcast as he lay naked next to that woman.

Because Solar wasn't able to get the apprenticeship for Blue Jay restaurant, her mother invested in a second-rate food chain called SilverBack instead. With Solar's limited cooking skills, there was no way she could have become the face of a brand on her own merit, so her mother resorted to bribery and manipulation in order to manipulate the PLight's restaurant recruiter into adding SilverBack to their list of candidates.

It worked; SilverBack flourished and quickly grew big enough to buy out other restaurants until it was on par with Disney.

But if it weren't for Lixin and his recipes being used in real life and in the game, SilverBack would have amounted to nothing.

Lixin smiled as he thought that would certainly happen this time. That woman and Solar would fall to ruin without him. The thought filled him with satisfaction as he imagined their investment crumbling before his eyes.

Clenching his fists in anticipation, he looked on with disdain, never noticing his cousin looking at him with a thoughtful gaze. Zeyu had never seen his cousin this focused on anything since he met him.

'He must really want to play the game as well,' Zeyu thought, making a mental note of it.

~

Author Says:

Lixin: I can't wait to see how they fail without my help.

MomoCatt: It should be a wonderful sight to see.

Lixin: Want to drink some Chocolate Chai Tea as we watch this drama unfold?

MomoCatt: I thought you would never ask.