6 Six: A Soothing Atmosphere: Home

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Shao Liling was having a headache. One so severe she could barely hear anything other than the ringing and the 'beeping' sound which she wasn't sure of. Her whole body would act up when she tries to move an inch. Every body part was aching like someone hammered her muscles. It was difficult for Shao Liling to even lift a finger.

Shao Liling tried to open her eyes but it felt so heavy, as if hundreds of pounds were placed on top of each eyelid.

She wouldn't be able to describe the pain herself because each movement costed her an ache as it hurt, hurt so much, it was unbearable.

Footsteps were heard as it grew closer and closer as Shao Liling felt like she was slipping away from reality, she felt drunk. She felt intoxicated, she wasn't able to handle the dizziness as she squeezed her eyes shut tighter than it was before. The pain in her head growing rapidly as she couldn't do anything about it.

She felt tears running down her cheeks, unable to tolerate the pain as she started to scream. Her screams were filled with agony and pain as she moved and each part of her body responded to her movements negatively and the pain grew more.

"Jie jie! What happened? Why are you screaming all of a sudden? Open the door!"

The pounding on the door continued as her door knob rattled furiously with force from outside, trying to get the door to open.

Shao Liling moved her head up with all the energy she has left as she opened her. Her eyes wide as she moved up straight from the soft surface she was lying on. Her breathe rapid. Trying to catch the beat as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. Sweat dripping down her forehead as her back was also covered in sweat.

The clothes she wore, a tight gown, sticking to her body from all the sweat. Shao Liling looked around as she saw she was on her bed as she quickly climbed down and towards the door as she opened it shakily.

Shao Liqin stood there, with her eyes growing wide with surprise as she saw her sister in a state she couldn't imagine in. Shao Liqin was dressed in a pair of lamb pajamas as the sun climbing up from behind the tall mountains from the window made her silk clothes appear orangey, Shao Liling hated the color orange along with it being very bright.

Too bright for Shao Liling as she averted her eyes from her godly looking younger sister and focused on her spread out hands as she blinked her eyes some times to clear her vision.

"What happened? Why were you screaming just now? Didn't you change yesterday when you came home? Were you having a nightmare just now? It's morning no-it should be sunmare? Oh! Or better, daydream? But that word has another kind of meaning."

Shao Liqin asked her a bunch of questions with some of her thought spoken out aloud. Shao Liling just nodded towards as she went back inside her room. Her bed had a wet body print from her sweat covered body. Shao Liling stared as she felt disgusted, she could not stand the foul smell while she stripped from the wet, tight dress her sister gave her as she clambered towards her en suite and soon began showering.

Thoughts left her mind once she was below the soothing warmth of the hot shower head. Calming her from all the nightmares, which looked so real she shuddered as she would never be able to do something as crazy like that in reality.

Shao Liling took hours to finally finish showering as she didn't have to worry about going to school late since it was Sunday today.

'Uhhh, what do I do today? Teacher Yang didn't gave any homework, maybe I should just play games!'

She grinned to herself under the water force but that smile quickly faded away. Memories from the day before resurfaced in her mind as she remembered all the details of the dream, no a nightmare, the worst nightmare she had ever had. Shao Liling would not want another thing or dream like that occur to her, even again!

Shao Liling shook off all the nasty thoughts since she wanted her day to go smoothly today. She wore a pair of comfortable sweats as she pulled on a black shirt since it was hot today unexpectedly.

Her bed, now clean and made out looked way better than before, probably done by the maids. Sitting down on her bed, she pulled out the new game she bought yesterday and readied her posture and adjusted the cat headphones she put on as she was ready to begin her adventure.

'Knock knock.'

"What do you want now?"

"Dad wants you to eat breakfast."

"Oh, yeah I forgot I was even hungry," Shao Liling reluctantly set the equipments down as she hurried down the stairs to greet her amazing father, who was waiting on the dining table.

Wonder why she calls him amazing?

He was the one who introduced her to the gaming world when she felt like she lost her everything, yes her mother.

Shao Liling would mourn over her day and night as she stood by her grave, completely dazed as memories from childhood would come back into her mind.

Not listening to anyone as she just talked to herself in the air, she would hallucinate some times as she saw her mother, cooking, cleaning, taking care of both the sisters, she would breakdown knowing all of those were fake as even if it seemed so vivid she would not be able to avert her glance to anything else, occupied by the hallucinations of her dead mother.

Her father, Shao Luhan, would always encourage Shao Liling to do activities in order to distract her from all the thoughts about her mother, he simply did not want to see his daughter feeling sad all the time as he stopped himself for going to work for a few months and accompanied both his daughters through all of this together.

Shao Liling casted him an innocent smile as she sat down along with Shao Liqin who sat in front of her, both of them on each sides of Shao Luhan on the long extravagant, wooden table. Empty aside from the three family members.

"Good morning to both of you, did you guys sleep well last night?"

He asked as his eyes swept over both of them, paternal love visible in his eyes, as his gaze lingered a bit more on Shao Liling as if he knew what she had gone through and dreamt about.

"Oh, yeah we did slept alright, right jie jie?"

Shao Liqin asked, hidden meaning coated with white lies as she was the only one who dreamt of her crush, adding on as a nice one. Shao Liling nodded with a crooked smile, appreciation seeable in her dark brown eyes.

"Alright, since both of you had good sleep, alongside with today being Sunday, would you like it if I recommend us going on a family date?"

"Oh yes! We do want to go! Where are we going? Do I need to get ready for it?"

Shao Liqin bursted with glee evident in her voice, without the consent of her sister, agreeing on the date on behalf of her.

Shao Liling did not understand why she thought she's able to relate to her sister all the time when all Shao Liqin does is oppose to her ideas? She shook her head animatedly in her mind, just going along since her father was the one asking both of them to go with him, she did not want her own dad to be let down by his daughter.

"Oh, that's what I expect from such a filial children like mine, you should both go and get ready, we're going to dinner together."

'Dinner? Ugh it'll probably take only a few minutes for me to get ready, I should just finish my game first.'

Shao Liling determinedly thought time herself, as she began eating with peace, savoring the food unlike yesterday when she acted like a pig, she had to set her hunger down yesterday, not caring about the sweet, smooth texture of the cake. She can't treat food like this any longer, they've been alongside her since birth, Shao Liling has to repay them for what they've done for her.

Shao Liling ate it slowly, lost in thoughts with hazy eyes staring at the eggs like it was her own children. Love clear in her lost eyes, as she slowly put it in her mou-Shao Liling snapped out from her thoughts when she heard the chair being pushed out by Shao Liqin who started to insist Shao Liling to eat faster, for god knows why.

Shao Liling did not heed the things said by her sister as she ate with the art of laziness, slowly, only focusing on the meal in front of her.

"Jie jie~ Don't you want to get ready? I'll help you dress up!"

"Oh, yes, you looked absolutely fantastic in that dress yesterday! It's been long since I've seen such a beautiful side of you."

Shao Liling glared at her father and sister with distaste as both of them indirectly called her ugly, which they both found funny and tried to erase any hint of any subtle signs of a smile or a laugh.

"Haha, I'll just go with a pair of jeans and a shirt, what's even wrong with that?"

"Pft! Don't tell me you're REALLY gonna wear them outside! They're 90s farmer's clothes, jie jie! Even the jeans you wear are big and hideous. Please don't embarrass me in front of a whole bunch of people once we reach the restaurant"

Both the mischievous father and daughter pair laughed as Shao Liling rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Roll your eyes as much as you want, maybe you will have a chance of finding a brain back there."

Shao Liqin hollers in her hideous laughs at her own father roasting her jie jie, right in front of her!

Tears leaving her squinted eyes filled with jolly. Shao Liling was used to both of their wacky humor as she ignored the two goofballs and headed up the stairs, forced to abandon her unfinished breakfast. Even though she was way better in studies from Shao Liqin, they still enjoyed teasing her.

'Ugh, I'm sure they won't back out and force me to dress like an ugly girly girl or something, *sigh* lets just enjoy the moment of freedom with my beloved.'