I had always loved a certain lesson from my childhood, one called “Clay Figure Zhang.”
Art truly imitates life. In the gently flowing streams of the Flower Field, two young women perfectly embodied the roles of Mud Girl Ye and Mud Girl Lin.
Sure, the moment Lin Zihan tripped, she had flung out her arms in midair to shield Ye Zhibai. But the mud puddle’s splash was like area-of-effect damage in a game—a wide indiscriminate attack!
There was no real harm done. The soil was soft and loose, so falling didn’t hurt.
But soil mixed with water? The resulting mess spoke for itself.
After this baptism by mud, the only bright spots left on the girls were probably their wide eyes, staring at each other—one above the other—in dazed blinks.
The mud puddle finally settled.
Even the butterflies had returned from their dances among the flowers.
As if reluctant to shatter the quiet, Mud Girl Ye and Mud Girl Lin shared an uncanny tacit understanding, staying silent for a good long while.
They simply held the position: Lin Zihan hugging Little Bai’er’s waist, both flat on their backs in the mud.
The last person who’d enjoyed playing like this was Peppa Pig.
“…”
“…”
If they weren’t speaking, it wasn’t out of fear of disturbing nature. After all, Mother Nature had just ambushed them.
No, the reason for this sudden silent rapport was simple.
Ye Zhibai was too mortified to speak.
Wah, sorry! Not only did she trip, but she smashed her good friend into the mud too. Don’t blame me, okay?
Even if you do blame me, it’s pointless. Punch me if you want—you’re a mud person too!
Lin Zihan’s silence stemmed from her up-close view of Little Bai’er’s eyes.
—So beautiful.
Lin Zihan had always thought that whether before her family’s fall from grace or after their ruin, she’d never harbored any obsession with the world’s luxuries, like jewels or gems.
But Little Bai’er’s eyes sparkled more brilliantly than any gem, clearer and more flawless than priceless jade.
They seemed to conceal towering icebergs, their depths winding and impenetrable.
Yet even deeper, beyond those peaks, lay a serene paradise—a gentle haven inviting one to hide away, to surrender and lose oneself in its peace.
Ye Zhibai thought: At this distance, I’m just waiting for you to poke my eye!
Being stared at like this by Lin Zihan was starting to make her a little uneasy.
Sure, being pinned under a girl was a novel sensation. Little Zhibai was always the one under Yun’er, after all—her pride was already battered and in dire need of mending.
But lying in the mud like this forever? Hadn’t they gotten something backwards?
Ye Zhibai tried to lift her waist.
Nope. No dice.
Lin Zihan’s arms were clamped firmly around her waist like a vice.
She must have loved lying in the mud as a kid. Probably a big Peppa Pig fan.
This stalemate couldn’t go on forever.
Ye Zhibai figured she’d clear her throat lightly to get her attention.
But… nah. Better not. At this range, she might cough spit right in her face. The mud was bad enough—no need to make it worse.
“Zihan?”
“Hm? What’s up, Little Bai’er?”
You’re asking me what’s up?!
Do I really need to spell out the situation?!
Oh, right… I did tackle you down here. Fair enough.
“Sorry for knocking you into the mud.”
“Pfft… Little Bai’er, the way you put it, it sounds like you did it on purpose~ Weren’t you just tripped by that hose?”
Exactly—the hose tripped you.
Yay, Little Zhibai is innocent!
Wait, no…!
If we’ve got stuff to say, can we say it on our feet?!
Lin Zihan snapped out of her trance over Little Bai’er’s stunning beauty and noticed her repeated attempts to raise her waist, still struggling away.
Oops… look at me. I always say Ye Zhiyun’s the possessive one, but now? Anyone would want to claim a Little Bai’er like this for themselves.
Lin Zihan gave a wry smile and released her arms, granting Little Bai’er her freedom.
Sensing her liberation, Ye Zhibai quickly propped her hands on the mud beside Lin Zihan’s head and struggled to sit up.
Great—now her hands were caked in mud too.
Yet, strangely, Ye Zhibai didn’t mind the sensation at all.
Ha… it just reminded her of tumbling into rain-soaked dirt with Sister Liang as a kid.
Back in her orphanage days, fun was scarce, and being young and fearless, she couldn’t even remember if they’d done it on purpose or not.
All she recalled was the two of them covered head to toe in mud, getting a thorough scolding from Dean Grandma. Thinking back now, it was kinda nostalgic.
Lost in the memory, she heard Lin Zihan’s playful voice from below.
“Little Bai’er~~ Give me a hand. I can’t get up!”
“…”
You’re young and fit—tripping into mud and suddenly can’t get up? Playing the damsel, huh!
But hey, it was my fault for knocking you down.
Sighing inwardly, Ye Zhibai leaned over and extended her little muddy hand toward Lin Zihan, who lay there with her golden hair encased in a layer of mud sculpture.
Lin Zihan didn’t care a bit! She happily grabbed Ye Zhibai’s hand and pulled herself up.
Once steady on her feet, she clasped her hands behind her back. Taking in Little Bai’er’s mud-covered state, she held back several laughs before bursting into a grin.
“Puhahaha…! Little Bai’er turned into Little Mud’er! Ha… sorry, sorry. No injuries, right? Good thing the soil’s so soft, pfft…”
“It’s fine. You’re just as muddy yourself… and you’re still laughing?”
“Eh, am I? Whoa! I really am—totally covered! Oh no, Little Bai’er, this maid outfit—isn’t it super expensive? Getting it this dirty… do I have to pay for it? Boss Ye, can I apply for a discount?”
“I have a thought: maybe dirty clothes just need washing.”
“Oh yeah, why didn’t I think of that~”
You definitely thought of it.
Nah, this employee just wants to tease her “boss”!
Seeing Lin Zihan’s cheerful grin, Ye Zhibai relaxed.
She herself was unfazed, no big deal.
But she’d figured someone like Lin Zihan—born an eldest miss—would hate getting clothes dirty. Picky habits like that don’t change easily.
Actually, Ye Zhibai wasn’t wrong. Lin Zihan was usually very particular about staying clean.
But tumbling into the mud with Little Bai’er? That feeling had somehow been incredibly stress-relieving and healing!
How to put it? All the pressure she’d built up over years seemed to melt away in one go!
Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but the lightness was real.
Ye Zhibai tried patting the mud off her clothes. Big mistake—the pure white dress only got more gloriously filthy. No way to fix this by hand.
Fine. Time to call on the multifunctional washing machine.
“Zihan, come with me. We’ll get changed—you go wash up first.”
“Wait a sec!”
“?”
What now? Mud fun is over—this is getting uncomfortable!
Lin Zihan eyed Little Bai’er up and down.
Even with specks of mud on her pretty face, Ye Zhibai could tell the right crimson eye peeking from beneath her golden fringe was plotting something no good!
Sure enough.
Just as Ye Zhibai sensed trouble and tried to leap from the mud pit, Lin Zihan grabbed her arm.
Glancing back, she saw Zihan’s face lit with mischief!
“Hehe… Little Bai’er, we’re already like this. We’ve gotta wash the clothes and shower anyway. Before that, why not…”
Why not what?!
I beg you, be merciful!
Too late.
Lin Zihan’s playful mood had ignited.
Her heart fluttered with excitement. From the heights of prosperity to the lows of hardship over nearly twenty years, she’d never craved simple fun like this before!
“No need for words, Little Bai’er. Hehehe… don’t worry, it won’t hurt… here I come!”
“You…! Yah.” (Flat tone, but startled.)
Splash! ~~~
The butterflies were swamped today.
They had just returned, only to flap away in fright again, fearing the mud splash would clip their wings.
Do these two have some kind of problem?!
Without a word, Lin Zihan seized Ye Zhibai’s shoulders and tackled her straight into a flower-free patch!
The mud erupted three feet high once more!
Ye Zhibai felt her world spin, and when it righted, she was staring up at the sky.
But she didn’t need to squeeze her eyes shut against the falling globs.
Before they hit, Lin Zihan’s head darted forward, blocking the flying summer mud.
Ye Zhibai shivered with exasperation.
Playtime’s playtime, but pinning me under you again?!
Move aside—let me be on top! Let me take control!
Kidding.
This back-and-forth tussle? No big deal.
Unlike with Yun’er, there was zero threat here—just friendly horseplay. Pure bliss!
“Hahaha, Little Bai’er, did I scare you? Doesn’t look like it… seriously, I snuck up like that and you didn’t even flinch. Way too chill!”
“Not bad. Steady as a rock.”
“We’ll see how steady you really are~ Mud attack!”
“!”
A chill bloomed on Ye Zhibai’s cheeks.
—Zihan had smeared a handful of cool, wet mud on her face as a prank!
“You childish little rascal.”
“You’re really getting carried away now, aren’t you?”
“Fine then.”
“This naive former Eldest Miss, who knows nothing of the world, actually wants to challenge me—the handsome kid who used to roll around in the mud at the orphanage?”
“Have you forgotten the fear of being dominated by my vine-weaving skills?!”
“You want to play? Mud, huh? Then let me teach you how it’s really done!”
“Hahaha… Little Bai’er, I’ve got you pinned! You can’t fight back… Whoa!”
“Take this. Get ready.”
“Ah! Little Bai’er, you’re cheating! That’s playing dirty—no legs allowed!”
“All’s fair in war.”
So naive. Way too naive!
You think playing in the mud means following rules of etiquette?!
You started it!
Ye Zhibai naturally wanted to minimize physical contact with Lin Zihan as much as possible, but mud wrestling was like that—ruthless and unforgiving.
Hands would occasionally brush places they shouldn’t, but that was unavoidable.
As the battle heated up, there was no time to worry about it!
“Hey! Little Bai’er, surrender yet? You’ve got no chance now!”
“No way… We’re just getting started.”
“Whoa! No stuffing mud down my neck! Truce, truce—the water from the hose is running down my legs! It’s freezing!”
“Press the advantage. Strike while ahead.”
In the muddy patch, two girls so beautiful they outshone the sunlight were at play. At the same time, they were two childish rascals, carefree and utterly true to themselves.
