Amid the sea of bamboo leaves, Ye Zhibai spotted that flash of gold right away.
That was—
A golden balloon!
No, scratch that.
There was indeed a golden balloon near the cash register, and it was pretty enough, but that wasn’t the point!
The real focus was beside the balloon—another, even more dazzling splash of gold.
That cascade of shoulder-length golden hair was far too distinctive.
Even from just a glimpse of her back, it outshone the serene beauty of the bamboo grove.
Was that… Lin Zihan?
She stood inside the cash register counter, scanner in hand, occasionally zapping a payment code before ripping off the auto-printed receipt from the machine and setting it on the counter nearby.
This—
She was a cashier!
Weren’t you busy at the flower shop?
What are you doing picking up a side gig here!
To confirm, Ye Zhibai shifted her position, craning her neck for a better look.
The exaggerated movement naturally caught Ye Zhiyun’s attention.
She had just finished mixing the dipping sauces when she turned and saw her big sister up on tiptoe, striking an adorably curious pose!
The chilies in the sauce weren’t anywhere near as flushed as Yun’er’s thoughts were right then!
Heart like still water… heart like still water.
Silently chanting the tune of the Great Compassion Mantra to calm herself, Yun’er picked up the two small dishes of sauce and asked, “Why’s big sis acting like she’s spotted some rare animal? What did you see~?”
Rare animal, huh.
Instead of asking me, why don’t you just follow my line of sight?
Sorry~ Yun’er’s eyes are only on big sis, so her field of vision is a bit “narrow.”
Once Ye Zhibai pointed toward the back at the busy cashier, Yun’er followed with a grin.
But the grin vanished in an instant!
Her blood pressure shot up!
“Hiss… My take? Persistent pest.”
“Did you say something, Yun’er?”
“Nope, big sis. I mean, what a coincidence—running into a familiar face here. Hang on, I’ll go say hi!”
“Hold it.”
You call that saying hi?
More like you’re itching for a fight!
Ye Zhibai grabbed her arm to stop her.
Yun’er looked puzzled at first, but enlightenment dawned quick!
She got it again!
“I see… As expected of big sis. Always so cool-headed.”
“?”
Why the sudden praise?
Oh, if you’re talking about me stopping you from flying-kicking Lin Zihan, then yeah, I’m a model of calm.
Ye Zhiyun glanced Lin Zihan’s way again but didn’t approach.
Instead, she picked up the sauces and led Ye Zhibai back to their table.
Hey?!
Ye Zhibai blinked in surprise.
Why are we heading back all of a sudden? Shouldn’t we at least say hi to a friend before leaving?!
Yun’er balanced the sauces carefully, her voice brimming with admiration.
“I get it, big sis. You’re reminding me this is a covert op. Lin Zihan has no idea we’re here for lunch, so her working the register is pure chance—no ulterior motives. Since there’s no scheme, we just keep the mission secret. After all, no need for a random coincidence to crash our family meal~ Big sis, how do you think of all that in a split second? You’re amazing!”
You ask me? I want to ask you!
Was this my idea?!
You’re the one who just spun that whole theory!
Ye Zhibai was once again elevated to peak genius status against her will. As she returned to her seat beside Guang Yu, she even sighed, “You know, Guang Yu, just now I turned into a genius again.”
“Woo-woo, it’s the wasabi! Ye Zhibai, no need to say more—you wanna be a genius? In my heart, you’re a genius from now on!”
Scram.
I was just kidding.
Guang Yu, you’re so out of touch. Don’t you know in today’s world, “genius” is an insult, while “little airhead” sounds way cuter?
The slang of this era has flipped good and bad—time to hit the books, little airhead!
Whether to say hi to Lin Zihan or not was beside the point… Ye Zhibai could always text her later.
But one thing was clear: Lin Zihan hustling this side gig on top of helping at the family flower shop was seriously dedicated. Ye Zhibai got that all too well!
Who’d choose to juggle multiple jobs a day unless life forced their hand!
Empathy welled up, putting herself in those shoes.
Ye Qinghe was loaded, but the thrifty kind in daily life.
With three people at the table (Guang Yu aside), he’d ordered just four dishes total.
Enough to eat, spotlighting the specialties—anything more was waste.
Steamed Osmanthus Fish, Bamboo Shoots Stir-Fried Pork Ribs, and Plain Boiled Cabbage.
There really was cabbage!
And one signature dish—
In Heaven Wish to be Winged Birds.
Ye Zhibai had been curious what that even was.
Turns out, it was roast squab.
Nice—those “winged birds” made a perfect pair on the plate too.
One bowl of rice each, and they dug in. Naturally, Ye Zhiyun told Ye Qinghe about the sighting.
“Dad, just now big sis and I saw Lin Zihan.”
“The Lin family kid?”
“Yeah, looks like she’s cashiering here.”
“No way… such a coincidence? They only posted the hiring notice two days ago. Man, tough break for the kid. When we settle the bill, maybe I should leave a little extra.”
“Don’t you dare.” Ye Zhiyun had some read on Lin Zihan’s pride. “Give her cash outright, and she might not see it as kindness. The Lins have always been like that—face over everything. Better to sneak her a raise than hand over money.”
“True enough… I can’t stick my neck out on this. It’s between you kids—handle it yourselves. But Zihan’s a go-getter; maybe she doesn’t need our help.”
“Help or not aside… Lin Zihan~~’s apparently big sis’s ‘good friend’ now.”
Ye Zhibai nearly choked on her rice!
Why did vinegar waft through the air every time Yun’er brought this up!
Oh, right—Yun’er’s sauce had vinegar in it.
Ye Qinghe, though, lit up with thick delight on his weathered, steady face!
“Really?! Zhibai’s made a friend? That’s great! Yun’er, spill—how’d this happen!”
Yun’er’s retelling came through gritted teeth, every word deliberate.
She blessed her sister in her heart, but that didn’t stop—
Her mouth from unleashing a savage edge!
The intensity forced Ye Zhibai to concede ground.
She shoveled down a few bites of rice, then leaned back against the sofa-style booth, putting some distance from Yun’er’s aura!
You two chat… I’ll catch my breath.
Once you’re done with this topic, I’ll eat again!
But just like that, as she leaned—
Their table’s voices quieted.
With the bamboo leaves muffling, sounds from the next booth filtered through faintly.
The previous neighbors had just finished and left; now a fresh group had arrived.
The dense bamboo blocked the view, but voices carried vaguely.
Two young men, chatting.
Normally, Ye Zhibai would’ve tuned them out.
But catching snippets of their talk… her brows furrowed deeper.
“Brother Xu, you see that girl at the register when we came in? The one with the weird hair.”
“Which one? In the register? What kinda dumb question—think a knockout like that could slip past me?”
“No way, no way~ Brother Xu, West City Technical School’s top player, rumors say three girlfriends a week—blind? Never.”
“Cut it, that’s all hype. By my count, it’s at least four a week.”
“Legendary, Brother Xu! Anyway, straight talk—little bro thinks that girl’s a total babe. So, reckon you could show me the ropes later? Teach me how to chat her up?”
“This…”
“Can’t swing it?”
“Bull! What’s so tough? Women are all the same. With my specs, a few lines and it’s done. Watch the master. But… if I do you this solid, you gonna show some gratitude?”
“One pack of Hua [cigarettes].”
“Deal.”
Ye Zhibai’s gaze was already cool.
But right now—it was even colder.
Looks like—
Even in the most refined dining spot, a few cockroaches were bound to crawl in.
