"Li Wei! Hurry up or I'll drag you out myself!" Mom's voice pierced through my half-asleep haze. Ugh… mornings like this should be illegal.
By the time I stumbled into the convenience store, still rubbing sleep from my eyes, the city was buzzing around me. Mom handed me a small list. "Just get these quickly!"
I wandered toward the snack aisle, scanning the shelves. That's when I saw it — the new flavor of my favorite chips. My hand shot out instinctively.
"Hey!" another voice shouted at almost the same time.
I froze. Lin Yue. She was small, with wide eyes and a backpack that screamed "I just arrived from the village." She was staring at the same bag of chips — the exact one I had just grabbed.
I held it up, smirking slightly. "Looks like we have the same taste."
She narrowed her eyes. "I saw it first!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Nope. My fingers were faster."
And then it happened again. I reached for the second bag — my backup — and she did the same. Our hands collided over it.
"Hey! That's mine!" she snapped, her cheeks reddening.
"Mine," I shot back, grinning. "Tough luck, city rules — first come, first served."
She crossed her arms, scowling. "You're so annoying!"
"Ha! Finally, someone noticed," I teased, holding the chips triumphantly.
The cashier and a few early shoppers stared at us, probably thinking we were crazy. But honestly… I didn't care. There was something about this stubborn girl — the way she fought for something as silly as chips — that made me want to tease her even more.
I grabbed my bag of chips and left the store, still grinning at the thought of that stubborn village girl. Lin Yue, huh? Definitely not someone who would let a city boy like me have it easy.
By the time I got home, the morning sunlight was pouring through the windows, and the apartment was quiet. Too quiet. That could only mean one thing: my sister hadn't woken up yet.
Her name was Li Na — only a year younger than me, but somehow still managed to sleep like the dead. And that, of course, made her the perfect target for some morning fun.
I tiptoed to her bedroom, holding my phone like a DJ controller. With a wicked grin, I cranked up the volume to full blast and pressed play.
A loud, ridiculous pop song blasted through the room, shaking the bed frame. "Rise and shine, lazyhead!" I shouted, leaning against the doorframe.
There was a muffled groan. "Li Wei… stop it…"
"Stop it?" I laughed, grinning ear to ear. "I'm helping you start the day with energy! You need it more than anyone, sleepyhead!"
Her blankets moved, and a little foot shot out, trying to kick me. "I'm… not… sleepy…" she mumbled, half-asleep.
"Sure, sure," I teased, adjusting the speaker so it blasted even louder. "Maybe if I play this song, you'll finally get out of bed!"
By now, her hair was sticking out in all directions, and her groggy eyes peered through the mess of blankets. "Li Wei! You're evil! Turn it off!"
I laughed and raised my hands innocently. "Me? Evil? Never. I'm just… energetic!"
Finally, she flopped back onto the bed, fully awake, glaring at me. "You're impossible."
"Thank you," I said proudly, stuffing my bag of chips into the kitchen. "I try my best."
As I walked toward the living room, I couldn't help thinking about Lin Yue again — the village girl who dared to fight me over snacks. My sister might be easy to tease, but Lin Yue… she was a challenge. And somehow, that made her even more interesting.