Ye Zhibai had been grinning from ear to ear all day long, deep down inside.
After all, yesterday’s Gaokao scores had come out—off the charts, explosively good. Today, she’d received a congratulatory gift from Sister Liang, and Guang Yu had miraculously stayed out of trouble, behaving herself perfectly.
And looking ahead to the future, it wouldn’t be long before she could head to Comic-Con with Little Qiu—an event that was still a thrilling novelty for Ye Zhibai!
All good things lately. How could Little Zhibai not be thrilled?
But…
She had this nagging feeling that she’d forgotten something important. Something extremely, vitally important.
Night had fallen deep. Ye Zhibai took a quick warm shower and returned to her room.
Just as she was about to slip blissfully into sweet dreams…
That taut string in her mind finally snapped into place—the fact that had eluded her all day but had always been there, undeniable.
It hit her all at once!
And in that instant of recollection, Ye Zhibai’s little face drained to a ghostly white.
Just like that, her cheer evaporated.
In the afternoon, Guang Yu had shifted into her cat form for a bath. Now her fur was all brand new and fluffy as could be.
The Little Kitty noticed and propped herself up on the chair’s backrest with her paws. She asked via mindspeak.
“What’s wrong? Did the bathwater suddenly feel not warm enough, and now you’re mad?”
“Guang Yu… don’t project your own hang-ups about bathing onto me. It’s over, it’s all over… I forgot. Today, I’m doomed!”
Amid the Little Tea Cat’s puzzled head-tilt, a flicker of genuine fear actually surfaced on Ye Zhibai’s dazed face.
“If I haven’t miscounted the days… today marks the end of the three-day break we agreed on with Yun’er. Which means tonight… the agreement expires.”
“Oh, got it.” Guang Yu pawed open a drawer and fished out the fresh batch of osmanthus cakes Chi Yuliang had mailed over. “We’ll pack up then—time to head to the courtyard for some moonbathing! Fine, fine. I just binged that anime all night anyway. Keep it down tonight, Ye Zhibai. Even headphones don’t always block you two howling like banshees!”
“You heartless beast. Are you even human?”
“I’ve never been human.”
“……”
This blasted fox cat was infuriatingly unassailable.
Ye Zhibai slapped her thigh and shot to her feet. She tapped her finger against her chin and paced the room.
This time was different. The agreement with Yun’er had been crystal clear: no time limit today. Yun’er could go for as long as she wanted, and there were no restrictions on tools!
The mere thought of those outrageous “divine artifacts” Yun’er had brought last time—and doing it for a whole night—made Ye Zhibai certain she would die.
The odds were grim.
No, beyond grim. Utter doom.
Maybe she hadn’t remembered right away because her subconscious was practicing “passive risk avoidance,” shielding her from the despair.
Calm down. Calm.
There might still be hope.
Yun’er wasn’t here yet. Maybe she wasn’t in the mood tonight. If Ye Zhibai talked to her first thing tomorrow, begged shamelessly to revise the terms and seal away those “divine artifacts,” there could still be wiggle room.
That’s right! She might not…!
Knock knock knock. (The sound of the door being rapped.)
Knock knock knock. (The sound of Ye Zhibai’s heart screeching to a halt.)
“Sister~~ You still up? Can I come in?”
Doomed!
Any wiggle room vanished in an instant, traceless!!
She couldn’t very well yell back through the door, “I’m not here,” could she?
Ye Zhibai forced herself to stay calm. She sat on the edge of the bed and said lightly.
“Not here.”
“Yay! So you were waiting for me, Sister?! Hehe…!”
Creak. That was the door opening—and the countdown to Ye Zhibai’s body drying out like a husk.
There stood Yun’er in a brand-new snow-white off-the-shoulder nightgown.
The hem seemed custom-made for tonight, barely skimming halfway down her thighs—scandalously short.
Beneath it, flawless snow-white skin gleamed spotless.
Silky, fragrant black hair cascaded over the elegant curve of her collarbones, while the gown’s straps were secured with dainty bowknots.
None of this matched Yun’er’s usual modest style, even for sleepwear.
So! There was only one explanation. She… she was deliberately tempting her with raw sexiness!
Cough cough. It felt rude to slap such a label on her own little angel, but Ye Zhibai was convinced it was true!
Yun’er shut the door behind her with no trace of reserve. She openly owned up to it.
“Hoo… sorry, Sister. I got here late. Packing up, changing into something to make you happy—it all took time. Hehe… look at this little bow. It feels like I tied myself up as a gift for you! Gift… toy… for Sister… Hiss… ahh… oh no… I’m getting excited already.”
Um… Miss Ye Zhiyun? Could you maybe consider my current terror?
No, wait.
She’d said she was packing stuff?
Damn it—what was in that knit handbag she was carrying?!
Yun’er was so considerate, never one to keep her sister waiting. She flipped the bag upside down over the bedsheet and dumped everything out with a clatter.
Guang Yu took one look over her shoulder and bolted straight for the courtyard!
Why run? Those toys weren’t for you!
Guang Yu: All those bright colors—creepy!
No kidding.
Big ones, small ones, purple, white, manual, automatic—the full assortment, everything you could imagine.
Just seeing them made Ye Zhibai’s legs turn to jelly!
Yun’er’s breathing had already grown ragged and urgent. Impatient, she pressed close, leaning tightly against Ye Zhibai’s shoulder as she sat.
But Ye Zhibai hadn’t given the word yet, so Yun’er was holding back—for the most part.
Her mindset, though? Far from restrained.
“Sniff… Sister, look at these. Our treasure trove just got an upgrade! I had the Maid Corps commission a manufacturer. Took days to arrive. Same as before—purely natural materials, totally harmless. Hehe… what do you think? You can praise me, you know?”
Mm, purely natural and harmless. The only thing it harmed was Little Zhibai’s body.
And please—call it your treasure trove. Not ours!
Whenever it came time for the real action, she was always the one in control of those divine artifacts!
When faced with hardship, one mustn’t cower. One must confront it head-on.
That was the hard-won wisdom from all the storms Ye Zhibai had weathered in her previous life.
So in moments like this, stay calm, stay firm, and admit defeat. Beg Yun’er to go easy.
“Yun’er, listen to me.”
“Mm? Ah… I know, I know. You’re excited too, right, Sister~? Me too… Wuu… It’s embarrassing to say it out loud. Makes me sound like some pervy kid. But… I’ve held back for three whole days already? Back when you were in the hospital, I endured two years without issue. But ever since you came home… every day feels like a year.”
Before she knew it, Yun’er’s sneaky little hand had wandered onto Ye Zhibai’s thigh.
Even her usual cool, emotionless tone turned soft and whiny as a child’s pout when they were alone together.
“But… if it makes you happy, Sister… I can admit I’m super pervy. The kind that’s only for you.”
“……”
Hear that? I’m the target!!
And I didn’t need the confirmation—I knew!
Ye Zhibai had been about to plead her case, but now? No point.
Come on—Yun’er had laid it all out like this. Was there really any room to haggle? Sure, Ye Zhibai had become a girl in this life, but she still held onto a shred of her gentlemanly spirit from before.
Even in tough spots, you didn’t turn down a girl when she bared her sincere heart.
—Even if, in her previous life, besides Sister Liang, she’d barely interacted with any women at all.
“Like that, huh…”
Ye Zhibai sighed. Then she just flopped.
Leaning back with the flow of momentum, she sprawled flat on the bed. Her slippers tumbled to the floor, but it didn’t faze her. She lay there like an emotionless ice sculpture, staring at the ceiling in total surrender.
—Do whatever. Just leave me my life.
To Yun’er, that move screamed permission!
No one could imagine the magnetic pull—or sheer destructive power—that Little Zhibai lying flat on the bed held for her.
It was like catnip to a feline!
Look at Yun’er—excited enough that even digging through that pile of “natural” goodies left her fumbling clumsily.
Through Ye Zhibai’s hollow peripheral vision, she barely made out Yun’er pulling out a stretchy plastic soft rope.
Mm… a soft rope.
Mm?!
A rope?!
No way. You give her free rein, and it’s still not enough? She wasn’t planning to tie her up or something, was she?!
Ye Zhibai flipped over and bolted upright.
Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes brimming with refusal.
“Yun’er, that’s too much.”
“Eh? Too… too much? But I don’t think so? You don’t need to feel any mental strain, Sister!”
What mental strain? She’s the one getting tied!
Wait.
Given Yun’er’s personality, pulling out a rope like that—her goal was probably…
“Mm! In a bit, Sister can use this rope to tie up my wrists. That way, I won’t be able to go wild anymore! Sigh… I still remember last time when Sister said it was too much. It’s all my fault. I knew I should have stopped, but I just couldn’t control myself. With these restraints this time, there’ll absolutely be no problem. I’m doing all this for Sister’s sake! Hiss-ha… hahaha…”
Do you even believe the words coming out of your mouth?
You’re just doing this because you want to be tied up, aren’t you? You pervert!
If you could just wipe up that drool of yours, I might trust you one percent.
But if this can limit Yun’er’s performance even a little…
Ah.
I think I’ve got a way.
“Yun’er, no need to wait. Let’s start right now.”
“R-Right… right now?! Just a moment, Sister. Let me comb my hair, do some mental prep, and maybe a little warm-up!”
What do you think this is, a marathon or a swim meet?!
No more waiting. Better to rip off the band-aid than drag it out, and Ye Zhibai already had a brilliant idea in mind.
She took the short rope from Yun’er’s hand and, with gentle movements, bound Yun’er’s hands together.
Yun’er tried flexing her clasped palms and found she could only touch her fingers together.
The sensation of restraint filled her with wild delight!
It really worked.
Ye Zhibai felt much more reassured.
But this wasn’t her final plan.
She wasn’t the same naive girl anymore. Now, she knew to be cautious.
Ye Zhibai rummaged through the pile of all-natural materials and quickly pulled out a second short rope.
“Sister? One is enough already, but if Sister wants to add a second, I don’t mind… Whoa! Sister?!”
“From now on, I’m taking charge of this battlefield.”
“？！”
Without another word, Ye Zhibai bent down and seized Yun’er’s ankles with both hands.
The sudden loss of balance sent Yun’er tumbling back onto the bed with a thud, her ink-black hair spilling across the sheets.
Before she could even voice her confusion, Ye Zhibai had the short rope in her mouth. She freed one hand to unfurl it, then, with slightly clumsy motions and a straight face, began looping it around Yun’er’s ankles, now pressed together!
Goddamn it! Dead knot, make it a dead knot!!
Ye Zhibai had always been clumsy with knots.
She was putting every ounce of effort into it, approaching it with the determination of someone who couldn’t afford to lose, trying to make it as secure as possible. But to Yun’er, that clumsiness looked like endless tenderness.
Ahh… Sister’s so clever and deft usually, but right now she keeps fumbling with the knot. She must be afraid of hurting me, so she’s being extra careful…
And so, after Ye Zhibai finally secured the dead knot around Yun’er’s ankles, she heard Yun’er’s soft, grateful murmur.
“Sister… you’re so good to me. Yun’er feels so warm inside…”
“?”
You little fool, have you lost your mind? I’m tying you up!
Ye Zhibai had no idea why Yun’er was saying that all of a sudden, but her spur-of-the-moment plan was complete.
She straightened up and looked down at her “masterpiece” on the bed.
Yun’er’s hands and feet were both bound with soft rope, her body curled up.
The most she could manage was rolling back and forth. Any other agile movements were a pipe dream.
Ye Zhibai swallowed quietly.
Because… Yun’er looked far too enticing like this.
If she ignored the perverse blush on Yun’er’s cheeks from being bound, and just took in her helpless, ready-for-the-plucking posture—unable to move, barely able to wiggle her fingers or toes—a surge of conquest welled up in Ye Zhibai’s heart.
Is this how Yun’er felt when she had me pinned underneath her?
Then, Ye Zhibai’s gaze fell on the divine artifacts scattered across the sheets.
Realization dawned.
Tonight, I’m the chosen one.
A voice kept rising in Ye Zhibai’s mind.
It was telling her—You can do this, Ye Zhibai! Tonight, make Yun’er learn her lesson. Make sure she never dares to take the initiative against me again. Let her know who’s number one!
Her inner cheers were already running a bit hot, and then Yun’er had to fan the flames.
“Hiss-ha… Come on, Sister. Yun’er’s all ready. Please… be gentle with me.”
“!”
A streak of silver light trailed a faint fragrance.
It was the arc of Ye Zhibai’s silver hair as she pounced on Yun’er.
With Yun’er’s startled cry, her nightgown was soon tossed to the edge of the bed.
You think Little Zhibai’s a pushover, huh?
No! I’ve got a temper and a vindictive streak too! (After tying up Yun’er, that is.)
You… you’d better be prepared!
Who knows who’ll be chugging water like crazy tomorrow!
The next day, Ye Zhibai slept until noon before dragging herself out of bed with difficulty.
With Guang Yu’s help, she struggled to sit up, then downed an entire bottle of mineral water.
She wished she had another.
She had loved how last night’s battle heated up, when Yun’er— at her most excited—leaned close to Ye Zhibai—who felt like a goddess of war incarnate—and whispered those words into her ear.
“Sister~ This soft rope is a toy too, you know? Just pull this knot, and it unravels automatically. See…? There, it’s undone~”
“!”
