The King of Black Fog

It had been a week, and Li Changzhou decided to see a doctor, with his sister accompanying him.

It was September 6, and the weather was scorchingly hot, the sunlight piercing every inch of exposed skin like needles.

Upon arriving at the university-affiliated hospital, a Professor Zhao, who was quite elderly, was in charge of receiving them.

The professor thoroughly examined his body and listened even more carefully to his speech.

"Lately I've been unable to concentrate. When I try to think about something, numerous unrelated thoughts flood my mind, just like... it's like a computer screen playing a game, the keyboard typing, the mouse playing Minesweeper, and the headphones listening to "Fly Higher," but it just won't watch online courses.

"Doctor, what's wrong with me?" Li Changzhou was eager to know the answer.

"This condition of yours," Doctor Zhao said, looking at the report in his hands, "looks a lot like indulging too much."

"..."

The sister looked at her brother.

"That can't be, Doctor," her brother calmly shook his head, "I don't have a girlfriend."

"I didn't say you had a girlfriend, I said you indulge too much."

Doctor Zhao set down the report.

He wore rimless glasses and was bald on top, with just a stubborn ring of hair still clinging to the skull, looking highly proficient and trustworthy in his medical skills.

"Dark circles, a sense of daze."

Doctor Zhao continued with a serious expression:

"The harm from indulgence is much greater than you think, it's definitely not to be underestimated. What you should be doing now is not coming to see me, but finding a way to adjust your lifestyle."

"...Doctor, I don't think it's a matter of my lifestyle."

"You're quite normal." Doctor Zhao interrupted him.

"I'm not normal." Li Changzhou stubbornly refused to accept the diagnosis.

Li Qianxia checked her phone and said to her brother: "Bro, stop being stubborn and just listen to the doctor."

Just as Li Changzhou was about to say something else, he bit the inner wall of his right cheek.

"Excuse me, Doctor Zhao, what kind of routine should my brother adopt to solve his current problem?" Li Qianxia asked.

"Don't pick up smoking and drink less alcohol, even at parties. Make sure to get to bed by 11 p.m. and ensure a full 8 hours of sleep daily."

"Understood," Li Qianxia nodded, committing these points to memory, "Thank you, Dr. Zhao."

"You're welcome, it's my job."

After finishing the consultation, as the siblings were about to leave, Doctor Zhao suddenly remembered to add:

"Also, it's best to drink a glass of warm milk before bed, it helps with sleep and is good for your health."

"Thank you very much." Li Qianxia once again spoke for her brother.

Leaving the hospital, the two walked towards the bus station, the chirping of cicadas roaring around them like a waterfall.

"Need to buy anything?" Li Qianxia, with her ponytail, asked.

How to describe her appearance?

Slender body, small palm-sized face, delicate white skin, her tidy ponytail hanging behind her head, and her long, powerful legs that she used for playing tennis, and occasionally on her brother.

Throughout their lives, countless people had respectfully called Li Changzhou "Big Bro," willingly offering him pickled vegetable pork buns, bagged milk, spicy strips, sesame dough balls, and the first rights to read new novels.

Li Qianxia wasn't at a loss either.

She was always the little sister to all the girls, and although they didn't suck up to her like the boys did to her brother, it's safe to say she was the most sociable, always welcome to join the girls' play.

Every time a new girls' chat group emerged, she was never left out.

This shows just how handsome her brother, Li Changzhou, was.

One summer evening during the second year of high school, during a study session, a girl stared at Li Changzhou, not just staring, but to the point of trance.

Only when the teacher reminded her and the whole class looked her way, did Li Changzhou's handsomeness get an even more specific description in the gossip that followed—a girl stared at him for an entire period during an evening study session, awakening only when the teacher called her name.

"Hmm—" having heard his sister, Li Changzhou thought for a moment, "Don't need anything, let's just head back."

"...Right."

"What's wrong?" Li Changzhou turned his head, looking at his sister.

The siblings frequently tormented each other mercilessly, but no matter what, they were twins who had grown up together and hadn't spent a day apart, understanding each other's minds extremely well.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Li Qianxia's handsome face.

"It's nothing." she said.

Li Changzhou moved closer, staring intently at her.

"What are you doing." Li Qianxia pushed him away, showing clear disgust.

"You're troubled," the brother pointed at his sister, his tone certain, "you're in love!"

"Do we have money for me to be in love?" His sister dismissed the suggestion indignantly.

Money, the pride of men, and equally, the pride of women—at least that's how Li Qianxia saw it, feeling she didn't have money and couldn't be bothered with boyfriends.

In her words, financial dependency through marriage was nothing more than golden shackles.

Not that it was bad, but she didn't like it.

"Not in love?" Li Changzhou mused as they walked.

"I've figured it out!" He suddenly looked enlightened.

"You figured it out?" Li Qianxia stared at her brother.

"Having just seen the doctor, I'm halfway to being a doctor myself, little girl. Your condition, this is overindulgence."

"Over·in·dul·gence." Li Qianxia gritted her teeth, enunciating every syllable and pinched his rear with clawed fingers.

The rear under attack, Li Changzhou reflexively gave a "smack," landing a fierce slap on her rear.

An unmerciful strike aimed at severing sibling ties, so powerful even his own hand hurt.

"Ah—Li Changzhou! I'll kill you!"

"You started it!"

The siblings chased each other, and in the sweltering heat, they were soon drenched in sweat, their bodies feeling like they were on fire.