The courtyard surrounding the villa had already been enveloped by the Heavenly Net.
Of course, this Heavenly Net was set up for Ye Zhibai’s benefit.
She cautiously parted the curtains from the living room and balcony windows to peer outside. Apart from the small courtyard connected to her own room, everywhere else was swarming with maids patrolling back and forth.
They never let up for a moment.
Their mission was clearly to protect Ye Zhibai’s safety.
Yet to Ye Zhibai, it felt like she was trapped in an airtight iron barrel!
The maids were all incredibly friendly. The moment they spotted the Eldest Miss from the windows, they waved happily and asked if she needed anything.
I don’t need anything! Ye Zhibai wanted to shout. Can you just not be so over-the-top!
Ugh… To be fair, Ye Zhibai wasn’t one to sit idle. She really wanted to go out for a stroll.
But these maids answered to Yun’er, who had ordered them to keep Ye Zhibai safe at home and prevent her from leaving.
If she voiced her request, they’d be put in an awkward spot.
Argh! No way could she just sit there waiting. She had to think of something. At the very least, she needed to swing by her old apartment from her previous life today. If she didn’t hurry back, everything inside might get cleared out and tossed—total loss!
There was one item in there… something Ye Zhibai absolutely could not lose.
She had to retrieve it.
Ye Zhibai slouched back to her room and flopped toward the bed.
Well, she couldn’t lie down.
The bed had been claimed by that Scummy Fox in a shameless spread-eagle sprawl.
Guang Yu was swaying her fluffy fox tail, sprawled out on the bed, humming some tuneless melody.
Was it a song from Guang Yu’s homeland? Ye Zhibai had no idea.
But it was clear Guang Yu was utterly delighted with Ye Zhibai’s soft, plush bed!
Ye Zhibai walked over.
With a casual shove, she pushed her aside and cleared a spot to sit down.
Guang Yu’s petite frame was easy enough for even Ye Zhibai to budge.
Pushed to the edge against the wall, Guang Yu flailed her little fists in protest!
“Hiss… That’s blasphemy against a deity!”
“Ah, sure, sure, sure. So, Deity Guang Yu… mind if I rest here a bit? I’ll head out for breakfast soon, and you can have the whole bed to yourself then, okay?”
“That works! Go ahead and lie down~”
This one… was way too easy to deal with.
But you’d forgotten, Stupid Loli—you have to eat breakfast too. What good is lying down?
Anyway…
Out of the corner of her eye—and really, purely by accident!—Ye Zhibai glanced at the Scummy Deity right then.
She had shifted to a prone position, legs kicking lazily in the air.
Her short little legs dangled and swung in midair… her dainty, crystalline feet and pale, chubby calves making Ye Zhibai’s vision blur.
She was wearing a nightgown with a fairly short hemline, after all.
That motion caused the skirt to flip upward.
Higher… and higher…
A glimpse of childish white fabric finally reflected in Ye Zhibai’s pale purple eyes!
Damn it!
Ye Zhibai swiftly reached out and pressed the hiked-up skirt back down!
“Hm? Human, what are you doing?”
“I… just have no interest in committing sacrilege…”
Ye Zhibai shot her a cold look, lecturing her like a misbehaving child, and released the skirt hem with clear irritation.
She even gave her butt a firm smack for good measure!
“You’re asking me…? Let me tell you one more time: girls need to mind their image, especially around the opposite sex. You have to keep your clothes neat and proper. Your skirt just rode up—got it?”
Guang Yu looked left, then right, utterly baffled.
“Opposite sex? Where? I don’t see any.”
“Aren’t I…!”
Ye Zhibai reflexively pointed at her own face.
But the moment she did, she fell silent.
Sorry. The term “opposite sex” no longer applied to her.
Wah… I’m a girl now too!
Guang Yu let out a foxy sigh and flicked her tail, ignoring Ye Zhibai.
She tossed in a casual remark anyway.
“Relax. Leaving you aside, no one else can even see me. Besides, I’m only this carefree indoors. Back in the Heavenly Realm, I was wrapped in seven-colored auspicious clouds! All snug and proper. You think I don’t get the principle you just preached? A god’s sense of shame is far stronger than you humans’.”
Then what about when you showed up at my house buck naked—no shame there!
Oh right… she didn’t have her clouds then. Wasn’t used to it.
Ye Zhibai didn’t bother arguing further.
She pushed herself up from the bed’s edge, drew back the curtains to let in the sunlight, which made her silver hair gleam even more strikingly.
Guang Yu lay flat on her back, rolled over, tail splayed out like a dead salted fish.
“Heading out now? You can’t seriously plan to hole up here forever, right? If you don’t die of boredom, I sure will.”
A brief silence followed.
The figure standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, bathed in light, finally spoke.
“Guang Yu, did you know?” Light danced in Ye Zhibai’s eyes. As she turned back, her cool features framed by the gentle morning sun looked utterly dashing. “Humans are creatures who boldly explore and dare to innovate. Today, no matter what, I’m seizing an opportunity to step out of this courtyard and breathe in the street’s carbon dioxide once more.”
Striking a cool pose made even Ye Zhibai’s words flow smoother.
Guang Yu chuckled at that.
She sat up on the bed, arms folded across her chest, flashing her little tiger teeth in admiration. “This human has a bit of the spirit I had ten thousand years ago. I approve of you!”
“Speak normally.”
“You’ve gotta take me out for some fun today… I’m bored to death! Haven’t even gotten a proper look at the Mortal Realm yet!”
Should’ve just said so earlier.
Taking the fox out for a walk? Not too much to ask, right?
Still… Ye Zhibai needed a solid excuse to leave legitimately first.
No rush on that. Breakfast came first.
Yun’er had said she’d prepared it ages ago—not eating would be a waste.
Just before grasping the doorknob to head out…
Ye Zhibai remembered something and paused.
Half-turning, her silver hair veiling half her profile, she looked back at Guang Yu.
“And… stop calling me ‘human’ every other word. It grates on me. If you’re addressing me, use my name.”
Calling out to “human” like that—there were seven billion humans in the world. Felt all wrong!
“Oh, got it, human.”
“Huh?!”
“Eek! Got it! Ye Zhibai!!”
Speak normally—no need to glare at my ears like that!
Before breakfast, Ye Zhibai toured the new house—the two-story building—up and down several times.
With Yun’er out, it was the perfect chance to explore the place properly!
The more she saw, the more amazed she was.
She’d only given the living room a quick once-over yesterday before crashing in her room, no time for details.
But now, with time to really look, she realized the home’s fixtures were top-tier!
She fiddled with the microwave, coffee maker, induction stove, and such, looking up instructions on her new phone. She grasped most of it.
Her learning aptitude had always been decent—practice made perfect, even if her brain wasn’t the sharpest.
With this new body, though, her mind felt several levels faster!
By the way, she still couldn’t stand coffee.
She spent ages figuring out the fully automated toilet in the bathroom too. Ye Zhibai deeply realized how out of touch she’d been with modern human tech in her past life.
Money was absolutely essential!
Now standing in the first-floor living room, Ye Zhibai wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, brimming with accomplishment.
Phew… If I get serious about exploring every nook and cranny of this new home, it’s a piece of cake.
Of course… there was one spot Ye Zhibai hadn’t explored.
Ye Zhiyun’s room.
Ahem… It was a girl’s room, after all. Unlocked or not, Ye Zhibai wouldn’t barge in without permission. She wouldn’t want anyone doing the same to her—putting herself in their shoes.
If she ever wanted to check it out, she’d ask Yun’er first.
Ye Zhibai was quite pleased with her own gentlemanly demeanor today!
Sigh… Enough self-congratulation. Time for some food to refuel the brain and plot an escape.
Nearby, beneath a golden lampshade on the dining table, sat a neat row of plates sealed with plastic wrap.
Ye Zhibai leaned in for a closer look.
The plates held a variety of dishes: scrambled eggs with toast, lean pork congee, steamed dumplings, steamed shrimp sliders—you name it.
All light and suitable for breakfast… except none of it felt like typical breakfast fare.
What kind of high-roller setup is this!
In the center of the plates was a note.
“Sis, you have to eat a proper breakfast! I’ll call at nine to check. Breakfast is important! Made everything to your old tastes—pick what you like.”
Staring at the spread, Ye Zhibai felt a sudden surge of emotion.
Because… there were nearly ten dishes here!
Even working at that restaurant in her past life, she’d never seen a table with this much food!
Of course, the real issue wasn’t just the variety.
Yun’er had left for school around seven this morning.
To prepare all this in advance… how early had she gotten up?
Earlier than Ye Zhibai could imagine.
So heavy… This whole table of dishes suddenly felt so heavy!
At some point, that Scummy Fox strutted over with a carefree swagger that recognized no kin. She glanced at the dishes covering the table.
She let out a gasp of amazement just like the others.
Along with the amazement came the growl of her stomach!
“Wah… Amazing! They look so delicious. Is this what mortal food is like? Can you whip some up for me too?”
“You’ve got cat food, don’t you? Go chew on that.”
Guang Yu clamped her fox tail between her legs, her little face turning pale.
Often, just a single sentence was enough to pierce straight to the heart.
Those cold, indifferent words of yours… Were they really serious?
“You… You aren’t seriously going to make the Deity eat cat food, are you?! Devil! Pervert! Anti-human!”
“Hey?! Sigh… Fine, I was just joking. Let’s eat together… But later, come out with me. We’ll take some cat food to feed the stray kittens. If the cat food at home isn’t reduced at all, Yun’er will get suspicious.”
“Sure thing! Human, you’re really… No, Ye Zhibai, you’re the best!”
Mm.
Ever since this Scummy Fox had arrived, everything out of her mouth had been infuriating.
This was the one exception.
It sounded pretty sweet.
