The Three Gorges stretch long from Baidong to Witch Canyon, where the apes’ cries thrice bring tears to wet one’s robes.
Alas, my weary palm grew sore, my clothes soaked through once more.
In those brief few minutes, the sounds spilling from Yun’er’s lips were a thousand—no, a million times more enchanting than any ape’s mournful cry.
And the emotions woven into them? Far richer and more thrilling!
At this moment, Ye Zhibai sat alone on the sofa.
She gazed down at her right palm, now reddened from the impacts, lost in thought.
The shower in the bathroom had kicked into gear for the second time that night.
—That meant Yun’er was washing up again.
Logically speaking, two showers in one evening were entirely unnecessary.
Especially not back-to-back within ten minutes.
But Yun’er needed it.
After all, the bath towel she’d wrapped around herself had nearly dried out before suddenly becoming drenched all over again.
Ye Zhibai had to admit it.
She’d gotten a little carried away earlier.
Her original plan had been to give a light pat—just a token gesture, nothing more.
After all, she could never truly strike Yun’er with any real force as “punishment.”
But when that first gentle palm met its mark…
Yun’er had said something that really pissed Ye Zhibai off.
—Huh? Didn’t Sister eat dinner tonight either?
Hah.
No need for words.
So when her palm came down the second time, Ye Zhibai held back some but put real effort into it.
And then! That springy rebound! It felt utterly magical to Ye Zhibai!
One led to two, two to three.
But three times was the limit.
After the third smack, Ye Zhibai meant to stop.
She wondered if she’d hurt Yun’er—why else had she gone so quiet?
But when Yun’er finally lifted her head, the drool pooling at the corners of her mouth convinced Ye Zhibai otherwise. No pain there.
I see. You’re still underestimating my palm technique.
From one comes two, from two comes three, from three comes all things.
The Dao works this way, and so does the art of the palm.
By the time Ye Zhibai realized this might be going too far, her hand had a momentum all its own.
She’d fully transformed into a rhythm master!
Yun’er’s melodious cries and reluctant pleas—each brimming with delight—filled every corner of the living room.
This was Ye Zhibai’s revenge for last night’s indignities, served up in spades!
When the final smack echoed alongside Yun’er’s startled yelp, fading into the living room air, her tensed toes finally uncurled and settled back onto the sofa.
She’d taken a solid spanking, no doubt about it.
Yet beneath her sweat-dampened forehead, with her dark hair half-veiling her face, Yun’er’s eyes—mirroring Ye Zhibai’s features—shone with dazed bliss.
As Yun’er made her shaky way to the bathroom, she glanced back and gave Ye Zhibai a thumbs-up.
—Her highest praise for her sister!
Punishment truly was sublime.
Ye Zhibai stared at her palm, slumped on the sofa, questioning her life choices.
Was it possible… she had a gift for practicing the Anse Waist Drum?!
Only when the redness faded from her palm did the bathroom door creak open once more.
Another waft of steamy warmth.
This time, however, Yun’er emerged wrapped in a fresh towel without the frantic energy of before.
After all… she was here to own up to her mistake.
Punishment (or reward) came at a price.
Hadn’t Sister said it? After the spanking, time to explain the real reason for dieting.
Ye Zhiyun shuffled over with her head hung low, not even bothering to pin up her silky wet hair. It draped over her smooth shoulders as she stood before Ye Zhibai like a contrite child.
Ye Zhibai looked up at Yun’er’s face at a slight angle.
“Whew… So, about what happened earlier. Ready to explain now?”
“Yes… yes! Thank you for the punishment, Sister! My head’s so much clearer now!”
“Less talk, more facts.”
“Right! The key point is… I hope Sister makes this kind of punishment a regular thing from now on.”
That’s enough out of you!!
Is that the “key point”? Regular thing?!
Regular? You mean regularly turning into a total pervert at home?!
Nice try with that “regular”!
Under Ye Zhibai’s icy stare, Ye Zhiyun shook her head and decided to quit messing around.
She clutched the front of her cotton towel with both hands, gripping her right index finger with her left as she mumbled her real reason.
“It’s not some big special reason for dieting… Before Sister came home, I was super chill about eating. With Sister away, skipping dinner didn’t seem like a big deal. But now that we’re together and being totally honest with each other! I realized keeping my figure in check is crucial—to give Sister the best experience possible! Waa… But these past few days with Sister home, I’ve been so happy, cooking all these high-fat meals every night. At this rate, I’ll pack on a pound or two!”
A pound or two is nothing!
Look how skinny you are right now.
Strip off those clothes, and aside from your chest, what’s left besides hollows? Hardly any curves!
You’re already on the thin side—slender to a fault.
Ahem… It wasn’t just Ye Zhiyun who knew Ye Zhibai inside out; Ye Zhibai knew her equally well.
She hadn’t exactly kept her hands to herself last night.
Compared to how pointless Yun’er’s dieting was…
This revelation only fueled Ye Zhibai’s irritation.
—So you’re dieting… for my sake!
Skipping dinner, yet full of energy at night? Ridiculous!
I ate and still couldn’t keep up with you? Even more ridiculous!
Ye Zhibai had no issue with Yun’er’s desire to stay pretty.
But having starved in her past life, she knew all too well the misery of skipping dinner long-term.
No money, no food? Fine. But with money, why skip? That’s just silly!
She didn’t want Yun’er suffering for such a pointless reason.
Racking her brain for the perfect solution…
Suddenly!
Inspiration struck Ye Zhibai.
“Yun’er.”
“Hm? What is it, Sister?”
“Being too skinny isn’t good.”
“But… doesn’t everyone online say slimmer is better?”
“Too fat’s no good, too skinny’s no good either. Actually, I prefer a healthier Yun’er with a little meat on her bones. You’re too thin right now… the experience isn’t great. It digs in uncomfortably.”
“!”
Dig… digs uncomfortably?!
Ye Zhiyun’s thoughts underwent a massive reshuffle.
Too thin… is bad?
She glanced at her slim arms, lacking much softness.
After a brief fret…
It clicked!
A hint of apology clouded her expression.
“Sorry, Sister! I get it now—I must’ve dug into you before. I’m so sorry!”
I’m the one who’s sorry… I exaggerated just to get you eating properly.
Truth is, you didn’t dig into me at all.
Guang Yu, on the other hand… sometimes she shifts to human form and flops beside me in a daze, and her flat chest? That’s the real digger—like an iron board!
Ye Zhibai nodded, satisfied with the outcome.
“No big deal. As long as you get why dinner matters.”
“Mm! Got it. Next goal: gain three pounds! Waa… Sister, please understand—three pounds is my limit. Anything more, and I won’t be able to handle it.”
Your tolerance is way too low!
You’re barely a hundred pounds now—three more won’t make a dent!
But… this should get Yun’er eating properly.
Truth be told, Ye Zhibai’s approach killed two birds with one stone.
Yun’er was gorgeous now, but a touch too slim. A little weight gain for some healthy curves would make her even more alluring.
Take Sister Liang’s figure, for example—the subtle plushness elevated it perfectly!
Yun’er lacked Sister Liang’s natural gifts, so she couldn’t match that exactly, but healthier, cuter, prettier? Why not?
With the issue settled, Ye Zhibai breathed a silent sigh of relief in her heart. A major win for the day.
Alrighty then, off to bed.
A happy day drawing to a joyful close—tomorrow would bring fresh adventures!
However…
Just as she stood to head off…
A hand from behind—Yun’er’s—grabbed hers fiercely.
Ha.
I knew it.
No use fooling yourself, Ye Zhibai. You knew damn well it wouldn’t end so neatly with you toddling off to bed.
That Anse Waist Drum session hadn’t doused Yun’er’s inner flames—it had fanned them into a roaring blaze! “Sister can’t just light the fire… and leave it burning. That’s cheating.”
Yeah, yeah—I’ll put it out, and you’ll burn me to a crisp, right?
Hah, trying to take control again? Not so fast.
Brave words in her mind, but Ye Zhibai had no intention of battling Yun’er to exhaustion tonight.
Forcing it would only lead to defeat.
To preserve her fragile frame, wits over brawn.
Playing into Yun’er’s anticipation, Ye Zhibai slowly turned back.
She said calmly, “Fine… but three ground rules.”
“Th-three… ground rules?”
“Mm. Last night you went way overboard—I was exhausted. Tonight… not impossible, but we do it with restraint. You follow my lead.”
“You got it! I’ll only move when Sister says, and stop dead still when you say!”
Sorry, Yun’er.
It wasn’t that Ye Zhibai didn’t trust Yun’er. It was just that once they got started on this sort of thing, if they didn’t set some ground rules in advance—like an alarm clock symbolizing the end and bedtime—they’d never be able to stop.
Okay, fine. She really didn’t trust her.
Yun’er claimed she would stop if Ye Zhibai told her to. But would she really calm down and behave?
Yeah, right.
Yesterday, Ye Zhibai had shouted “stop” at least ten times, but Yun’er had only gotten more enthusiastic.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Ye Zhibai wasn’t falling for that again.
She turned back around and laid out the condition to Yun’er very clearly.
“Moderation can’t just be talk, Yun’er. It’s fine to let loose once in a while, but after yesterday’s no-holds-barred indulgence, today we need to focus on recovery. I’ll set a time limit. When it’s up, we stop and go to sleep.”
“Ten hours!”
What a huge ask!
“Half an hour.”
“Huh?!”
Yun’er finally got a taste of being haggled down hard!
I’d asked for ten hours, and big sister slashed it straight to half an hour?
Yun’er muttered under her breath, clearly unhappy.
“Half an hour… We haven’t even finished warming up…”
“Forty minutes.”
“Two hours!”
“Fifty minutes.”
“One hour! Waaah, good big sister! Just one hour… One hour isn’t that long! Pretty please?”
“…”
It wasn’t that Ye Zhibai had a soft heart.
It was just that the way Yun’er grabbed her hand and wheedled was hitting her right in the feels.
No wonder she was the purebred daughter of a business dynasty—haggling prices came to her smooth as silk!
An hour…
Ye Zhibai weighed her own stamina.
In the end, she nodded.
“Fine.”
“Yay! Hehe… Time’s set. Any other demands from big sister? Better get them all out now~ Once we’re in bed, it’ll be too late to bring them up.”
That reminded her.
She really couldn’t let her guard down.
Of course, Ye Zhibai had one more thing to add.
“Also, no using that thing from last night. It was really uncomfortable.”
“Wha—! Fine… fine. I’ll reluctantly put it away.”
Had she hit Yun’er’s sore spot?
From the conflicted look on Yun’er’s face, Ye Zhibai knew she’d struck gold!
Yeah, that “divine artifact” with its spikes and edges.
She never wanted to see it again in this lifetime!
With the conditions settled, Ye Zhibai headed back to the room first, awaiting the main event.
Yun’er said she wanted to change into pajamas in her own room.
Today’s Little Zhibai was utterly relaxed.
Her heart still pounded with nerves, but she wasn’t scared like yesterday anymore.
Yun’er, what could you do to her now?
First off, with the time limit in place, Yun’er’s advantage in marathon endurance battles was neutralized. Ye Zhibai could go all out without worry for that short window. Forget counterattacking—holding the line should be no problem.
Second, that “divine artifact” of hers was sealed away.
It was like the enemy’s fortress had lost its heavy artillery; their offensive would naturally weaken.
All in all, today Ye Zhibai just needed to bide her time and rest up. Victory without bloodshed was guaranteed—she’d have the enemy begging for mercy beneath her!
The thought of Yun’er pleading for mercy even sparked a little anticipation.
All the humiliations she’d endured these past days…
Today, she’d pay them back in full!
Guang Yu, transformed into Little Tea Cat, lay flat on the floor. With a shift, she reverted to her Fox Girl form.
She stretched out her limbs in a big X, sprawling on the ground and staring at the ceiling, utterly at peace with the world.
“Ye Zhibai, you heading into battle today too?”
“Yeah. I’m feeling pretty solid.”
“Oh? Here’s hoping. Though honestly, don’t aim too high. For you, not passing out with your eyes rolled back would already be a win. Hope you get some good sleep. I’m off to bask in the moonlight in the yard. Oh, right—any animation recs? Big-Nosed Tutu was decent.”
“I’ll recommend another one for you today.”
“Shoot.”
“Bide your time with forbearance, and three thousand armored warriors can swallow Wu whole.”
“…”
Guang Yu was well-read and knew the allusion well.
She was even more familiar with ancient Yue history.
Alright then.
Looks like Ye Zhibai really was steeling herself with that “sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall” mindset, raring for revenge.
Guang Yu offered a silent prayer for her good fortune in her heart, slung her shoulder bag over her shoulders, and prepared to soak up the moonlight for a nice nap in the yard.
Before long, Yun’er arrived right on schedule.
She’d changed into a pure cotton nightgown just like Ye Zhibai’s, but in a different color.
Ye Zhibai’s was white, while Yun’er’s was a soft purple nightgown, brimming with the mysterious allure of the night.
She’d picked that color~ probably to psych herself up.
But Ye Zhibai wasn’t afraid.
You crushed her in long hauls.
In a short bout, it should at least be a fair fifty-fifty split, right?
However…
After Yun’er entered the room, why were her hands clasped behind her back the whole time?
A meaningful smile played on her face.
It made Ye Zhibai’s heart skip uneasily.
“Big sister~ I’m here.”
“Oh… you’re here. What’s behind your back?”
Ye Zhibai’s lovely eyes narrowed slightly.
Yun’er… you weren’t breaking the agreement and bringing the “divine artifact” after all, were you?!
No way.
Yun’er always honored her promises.
Especially ones with Ye Zhibai—she followed them to the letter.
Slowly, she brought out what she’d been hiding behind her.
She waggled it for Ye Zhibai to see.
Ye Zhibai squinted at it.
She was dumbfounded.
What new trick was this!
What was that purple plastic thing in her hand?
It wasn’t as small as last night’s “divine artifact.”
If the finger sleeve’s extension was a 1, this thing was at least a 5!
And it wasn’t just the size.
More strikingly, this new divine artifact was perfectly symmetrical on both sides around the center that Yun’er held.
Drawing from her experience with doujinshi,
Ye Zhibai was growing certain what this thing was.
Yun’er’s face beamed with a kind smile!
“I didn’t break big sister’s rule, okay? I put away last night’s one, but… since you limited tonight’s time to such a short window, we need something that maximizes efficiency in the least amount of time. And this is perfect!”
Holy crap!
They’d taken out the enemy’s heavy firepower, and they’d rolled out a weapon of mass destruction!
This was straight-up cheating!
Ye Zhibai’s pale soles pressed against the bedsheet as she scooted backward a bit.
“C-can I… revise the rules now?”
“Too late!! I told you already—no changes once we’re here!”
“!”
She really should’ve been more cautious!!
Guang Yu gazed at the moon.
Silently reciting the old tale in her heart.
—Bide your time with forbearance, and three thousand armored warriors can swallow Wu whole.
