On the way home, Yun’er and Guang Yu presented a stark contrast in moods.
Guang Yu had eaten her fill, drunk her fill, and slept well. Bursting with energy, she hopped out of the car and flung her arms wide, as if to embrace that swath of starry sky at the horizon!
“Home at last! Fresh wasabi, fresh snacks, a fresh big scallion! No more wandering for us! Woo-hoo!”
She dashed on ahead, scampering back and forth along the lakeside with her front and back legs pumping away. Bouncing and leaping about, she hadn’t a shred of a deity’s dignity.
In her own words, this was the first time since arriving in the mortal world that she’d been out and about for more than eight hours straight. Her on-hand supply of wasabi and snacks had run bone-dry, and she was teetering on the brink of starvation at any moment.
Next time, she thought, she’d confiscate that backpack before they headed out—give her a lesson in true wilderness survival.
Hang on, though: they’d only strolled around the district. That hardly counted as the wilds!
Under the backdrop of the gleeful little fox—one person’s joy being built squarely on another’s pain—Yun’er’s sullen mood stood out all the more.
She’d seemed lost in thought the entire ride.
Even after they arrived home, she was still deep in contemplation as she walked the path back to the villa. She hadn’t even noticed the willow leaf that had drifted down onto her head.
Needless to say, her reverie didn’t stop her from clinging to Ye Zhibai’s arm the whole way.
Ye Zhibai’s left arm had gone thoroughly numb and might never recover, so she freed up her right—the one itching to grab Guang Yu’s tail instead. She reached up, pinched the edge of the leaf, and gently plucked it from Yun’er’s lustrous hair.
Only then did she finally pull Yun’er back from whatever distant shore her thoughts had wandered to, perhaps even beyond the stars themselves.
“Sister?”
“Yezi.”
“Ah… Yezi? Wuu… Sister, are you still thinking about that little online friend of yours? I know—your username is Yezi!”
“Uh… no. I mean this leaf.”
Ye Zhibai dangled the willow leaf in front of her.
Then she tossed it casually into the little lake nearby, letting it drift away at will.
Once Yun’er realized she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion…
She was utterly mortified!
“How could I be so…! Sigh! I should examine myself three times a day. Sister, you ought to scold me, smack me, whip me more often! Just look at me—always getting paranoid over the tiniest things. This won’t do at all. I deserve a good, hard beating from you!”
Yun’er… did you really have to speed up your steps like that while you said it, deliberately swinging that butt of yours—wrapped so snugly in those loose casual pants—right into my line of sight to jog my memory?
Hadn’t she gotten her wish just the other dawn, during their little “happy time,” with a proper spanking?
Back then, Yun’er had been howling and begging for mercy, summoning every ounce of her flood-fighting spirit to endure it. Ye Zhibai had figured she must hate it.
Just as Ye Zhibai had pointed out, Yun’er had that proactive streak—nipping problems in the bud. She knew full well that as long as she didn’t go overboard, everything would be fine.
“Don’t jump straight to talk of beatings and killings… It was nothing, really—no need to make a fuss. Yun’er, you need to relax. Feel the evening breeze, gaze out at the lake. Doesn’t it make your heart feel calmer already…?”
“The evening breeze…” Yun’er brushed back her long black hair and gazed languidly at the serene lake surface. Her profile was like ink painting and bamboo—ethereal as a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm. “Mm… I’ve lived here since I was little, but I’ve never truly
stopped to savor the wind like this, to really take in how beautiful the water is… Sister, before we left—what did that little online friend of yours say to you? You two slipped off to the side all secretive…”
Little sister.
Are you sure you’ve calmed down and focused on the lake?
I’d just told you not to pry, not to pry! So how come those sneaky little glances of yours are back already?
Fine, yes—before they left, Little Qiu had whispered a few words to her. But it was all perfectly normal stuff between friends. No need for Yun’er’s eyes to throw up that full-on Great Wall defense!
Sigh… whatever.
Who was she to begrudge her little sister her talent for brewing vinegar out of thin air? It was effort enough as it was. Time to cut her some slack.
Ye Zhibai let out a light sigh and came to a temporary halt.
She patted Yun’er’s shoulder gently with her delicate hand, signaling her to pause.
The little fox, scampering far ahead, glanced back.
Oh-ho—these two had suddenly stopped to admire the view?
She dithered for a moment, ears twitching. Then she hopped sideways onto a nearby landscape rock, swung her little legs idly, and sat there waiting patiently.
Spit it out already! I wanna get home and chow down on snacks—I’m starving!
Good grief. Had the fox grown this loyal already?
Ye Zhibai was grateful she hadn’t beaten them home to yank up a scallion first. Keeping it brief, she answered Yun’er’s question.
“Secretive? Hardly. Little Qiu just had a few things she was too shy to say in front of you all. She mentioned how tonight had caught her off guard. She’d never wanted us to know about her condition or for me to start treating her like an invalid. But now that the cat’s out of the bag, she hopes everything stays the same—no special treatment, just business as usual. Then Aunt Tang pulled me aside too and shared some thoughts that really gave me a lot to reflect on.”
“Mm? Tell me more, Sister.”
“Aunt Tang took me off to the side and asked me to keep a closer eye on Little Qiu’s mental well-being from here on out. She said what Little Qiu truly needs isn’t money or fancy medical care—it’s company. She keeps all those cats at home because she’s terrified of being alone. A dozen or so felines give her a bit of comfort. Of course, it might also be because her late sister adored cats. Aunt Tang’s deepest wish is for a day to come when Little Qiu can be truly happy, even without her furry companions. She spoke from the heart, and… well, I think I can sort of understand. Or maybe not entirely. Either way, she’s such a wonderful mother—so responsible.”
“Sister…”
It was rare for her sister to rattle off so much in one go.
And when she did, it meant there was a whole heartfelt essay brewing deep in that heart of hers.
The Ye Family Manor’s remote location offered more than just quiet serenity—it came with one glaring perk.
—Namely, when you looked up, the night sky glittered with stars.
In this hectic, noisy age, forget a canopy of stars; in the city, all you’d see overhead was an inky void. But here in the manor, those twinkling points of light dotted the heavens. No Milky Way, perhaps, but it was treasure enough.
Yun’er, though, had no interest in those distant stars.
Some dreamed of plucking them from the sky, but not her.
Because… the brightest star she cherished
had long since been plucked and tucked safely away in her heart.
Her very own “North Star”—the one that shone brightest for her—had always been right there by her side.
Hooking her arm through Ye Zhibai’s once more, Yun’er flashed a wry smile and urged her onward.
That wry smile softened by degrees into one of relief and quiet elation, until it blossomed into sweet nothings that lingered by Ye Zhibai’s ear, carried on the clear breeze and moonlight.
“Hee hee… You know, Sister, like I said before—you’re getting more and more human by the day. Other people’s troubles might not touch us directly, but seeing your empathy shine through like this? It makes me so proud… The old you, who struggled with words, was already amazing. But this you? This is the Sister Yun’er loves most! Come here—hug!”
“Mm…!”
A hug… Why was she talking like a three-year-old again?
Where had that poised, elegant Yun’er gone—the one from her chat with Aunt Tang?
Arm in arm and thoroughly entangled, the sisters passed the landscape rock.
Guang Yu tilted her wasabi bottle this way and that, catching the colors of the leaves to mimic a traffic light clearing their path.
Aiya… Sticky-sweet again, huh? Humans were something else—one day on the road and they still weren’t tuckered out. Tougher than gods!
At long last, Yun’er perked up again.
Ah?
But wait—why had she been brooding the whole trip?
By normal logic, Ye Zhibai figured it had to do with Little Qiu’s parting whispers to her, stirring up some jealousy?
No, that didn’t add up.
If it were that straightforward, Yun’er would’ve pestered her about it in the car and gotten over it right then and there. Why drag it out this long?
And… wasn’t Yun’er squeezing her arm with twice her usual force?!
Ow, ow, ow—easy there, little sis! Give me a couple days to pump some iron first!
Even by the time they reached the villa door, Ye Zhibai hadn’t pinned down the source of that nagging unease.
Whatever. Probably just her imagination! Life was full of little self-inflicted illusions like that.
The two of them and their fox slipped inside the villa.
The warmth of home washed over them in an instant.
Overcome, Guang Yu hugged her own big tail tight. Eyes half-closed in bliss, she rolled back and forth across the living room floor, giving fervent thanks for the wonders of the human world.
Her lazy, carefree vibe roared right back to life.
Ye Zhibai felt the exact same way.
Heh—heh, quick now: swap into slippers, then flop onto the bed for a bit. Now that was living.
The slippers sat waiting on the shoe rack at the entryway.
With her back to Yun’er, Ye Zhibai bent down to untie her laces.
That’s when she heard the decisive click as Yun’er locked the front door.
“Sister, we’re home~”
“Mm. I know.”
“I mean, we’re home.”
“So, yeah—I know.”
The villa’s interior lights were voice-activated. The moment the door opened, the whole place lit up bright as day.
Ye Zhibai had just finished with the lace on her left shoe and was reaching for the right…
When she froze mid-motion.
From her toes to the crown of her head, her entire body shuddered in unison!
That sensation… it felt exactly like the primal warning a hunted prey sent surging through its body when locked in a predator’s sights—an instinctive cry for self-defense.
Uh… what the hell was going on?
By the way, why was Yun’er staying so quiet? Wasn’t she going to change into slippers?
And that question from earlier had been downright weird.
A swirl of indescribable feelings compelled Ye Zhibai to stop fumbling with her shoelaces. Instead, she straightened up first and glanced back to see what Yun’er was doing.
The result?
“!?”
A cascade of black hair flashed right before her eyes!
Yun’er had pounced!
By the time Ye Zhibai snapped out of it, she was flat on her back in front of the coat rack.
Yun’er’s slender hands cradled the back of her head and her waist, shielding them both.
Yun’er said nothing. She simply pressed down on top of Ye Zhibai.
Her voice emerged muffled against her.
But each word rang out clear and deliberate, tightening her embrace around Ye Zhibai by a fraction with every syllable.
“Sister… we’re home…”
“Uh… yeah? I know…?”
I’ve told her over and over that I know! I really know! I recognize the damn house!
Yet Yun’er’s next words hit without warning, sending another violent shudder ripping through Ye Zhibai.
“We’re home… so… let’s do the things we do when we get home, hmm…?”
?
Things to do when we’re home?
You mean a full house cleaning?!
Of course not.
Ye Zhibai was more lost than ever.
Clear or not, that was a matter for her own heart.
Yun’er…
I really hope that’s not what I’m thinking.
Because they’d barely been inside for a minute.
And this was the entryway.
First order of business: change shoes. Not… whatever else was running through her mind.
Right? Right?!
