Human temperament truly requires tempering.
In this regard, Ye Zhibai had already been forged in her previous life.
Just look—if it had been anyone else hearing this news, they would have trembled from head to toe, their pupils dilating in utter shock, overwhelmed beyond measure!
But Ye Zhibai was different.
Her previous life had been miserable enough that her mental resilience far exceeded the ordinary person’s imagination. She could withstand what others could not.
So, when she heard that she likely had no mother in this life either, her heart merely skipped a beat.
It wasn’t a big deal… Even if reality fell short of her ideals, life had to go on, didn’t it?
Ye Qinghe hurriedly gave a few more instructions before leaving ahead of them.
He had apparently postponed a critically important business meeting at his company just to personally pick up Ye Zhibai and bring her home.
He had already delayed it for far too long. If he didn’t head back soon, things would descend into total chaos there.
Ye Qinghe promised that once he wrapped things up, he would rush back right away for a proper family reunion dinner!
A family reunion dinner.
The term itself evoked warmth and togetherness.
But now, it seemed there was no mother to share it with.
Holy cow, Ye Zhibai was still dwelling on it!
She cared… she really cared.
Fine, perhaps Ye Zhibai needed to revise her earlier assessment.
The gap between ideals and reality might not inflict any mental damage on her,
but damn, she still cared so much!
Why didn’t she have a mom in this life?! And what was that about Yun’er mentioning she had gone missing?
Right before they stepped inside, Ye Zhibai reached out from behind the railing and gently pinched the hem of Ye Zhiyun’s clothes with her fingers.
“Sister…?”
Ye Zhiyun merely turned around—and she was done for, utterly melted.
Her sister was making this expression, one tinged with grievance and confusion!
Beneath the silver bangs, those melancholic eyes weren’t grasping Ye Zhiyun’s hem—they were clutching her very soul!
No, Ye Zhibai wasn’t aggrieved.
She was just lost in thought, but it sure looked like grievance.
After a moment of contemplation, all of Ye Zhibai’s swirling thoughts distilled into a single, soft question.
“Do I… not have a mom…?”
“!”
Ye Zhiyun suddenly felt two diametrically opposed emotions surging within her, and she hurriedly pressed a hand to the bridge of her nose.
Her sister was so cute… so incredibly cute… Hiss… she could feel a nosebleed coming on.
But
the other emotion made Ye Zhiyun’s heart ache.
—Pity.
Originally, she had wanted to avoid the topic for as long as possible, let her sister rest and sleep it off before bringing it up.
But now that her sister had asked so directly, what was she supposed to do?
She had to tell her the truth.
Her sister had no prior memories, but she had the right to know everything.
Ye Zhiyun composed herself, steeled her resolve, and wrapped her slender hands around Ye Zhibai’s pale, bloodless palm.
“Sister… alright. If you want to know… I’ll tell you.”
She paused briefly, a spark lighting in her eyes as she gathered her words.
“About how you’re the one Mama picked up… I won’t dwell on it. Please don’t overthink it. There’s no blood relation, but you’re still my real sister!
No matter if the sky falls, that will never change!”
Hiss.
Thanks, Yun’er.
But facts were facts.
Picked up.
Wah, even though she’d confirmed it moments ago, hearing it stated so bluntly again—that she was an orphan in this life too—still stung!
Cough, it made sense, though. The Light Orb had said this body was God’s Creation, the kind that only suffered superficial injuries even after being flung by a car. Clearly, it wasn’t born of a human.
Being picked up was fine, at least—at least there had been a mom.
By this point, Ye Zhiyun’s eyes were glistening with tears. “Mama… she’s not here anymore. No… like I said earlier, saying she’s ‘gone’ isn’t quite right. She didn’t pass away. She went missing when we were ten.”
“She went… missing?”
“Yes… I was little too, so I only heard about it secondhand. She was abroad on business when she encountered extreme weather and lost contact. After that, she never reappeared… the kind where it’s probably hopeless. It’s been almost eight years now, so…”
There was no need to finish the sentence.
After so many years missing, “probably hopeless” was just a comforting lie people told themselves.
“I see…”
Ye Zhibai lowered her head, gazing at her small hand enveloped in Ye Zhiyun’s grasp. A chill of desolation settled in her heart.
So cold, so empty.
This life… she really had no mom after all.
Perhaps sensing her sister’s sudden gloom, Ye Zhiyun quickly changed the subject!
“S-Sister! Don’t dwell on those details! Forget the unhappy stuff. For now… let me show you around inside, okay?”
Ah.
Ye Zhibai realized that after becoming a girl, she did seem a bit more sentimental than before.
Did she need a girl to comfort her?
As if!
Besides, for Ye Zhibai, it was just a mother she’d never met.
But for Ye Zhiyun, it was the mom who had vanished after ten years together.
Who needed comforting more? It was obvious.
Ye Zhibai took a few small steps to the side, her silver hair swaying.
This girl, who struggled to organize her words, took half a day before finally producing a complete sentence.
“Alright… Yun’er, you too… Be strong without Mama.”
“Sister…”
“Hm?”
“I love you so much!!”
Another hug!!
I was just comforting you—did you have to get this excited?
I don’t get it!
At the entrance to the little villa, this little interlude came to an end amid Ye Zhibai’s profound exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhiyun was brimming with energy. She was determined to give her sister a proper tour of their new home!
New home… well, not exactly.
Ye Zhibai’s body had lived here for over a decade, but for her soul, it was brand new.
Ye Zhiyun figured she was just helping her sister refamiliarize herself with the place.
But to Ye Zhibai… it was like touring a museum!
“What’s… this?”
“That’s the coffee machine, Sister.”
“And this?”
“That’s the automatic water purifier. I’ll show you how to use it.”
“What about that one…?”
“Hm? Oh, that’s the ice maker, connected to the fridge. Perfect for storing ice cream in the summer! You used to love those little pineapple ice creams. Has your taste changed? I’ll go buy some to stock up later. Ah… I’ll get a lot. The freezer’s been empty ever since you went to the hospital.”
“N-No… it hasn’t.”
Ye Zhibai noticed a small detail—if her past hobbies had all been imitations of Yun’er, then Yun’er should love those ice creams too.
Yet ever since she’d been hospitalized… the freezer had stayed empty.
Maybe moods really did affect appetites.
Also, sorry, I’ve never had little pineapple ice cream. Back in the day, I only ate those cheap popsicles, fifty cents each.
No, no… never mind the coffee machine. An ice maker? Was that really something a home needed?!
Leaving aside these machines that looked terribly high-end to someone as poor as Ye Zhibai.
The genuine leather sofa, the mahogany tables and chairs, the marble walls.
The scent of money hit her like a tidal wave!
They were loaded!
