Ye Zhibai hadn’t noticed the massive guard team trailing behind her.
She was still blissfully happy, breathing in the air of freedom.
Guang Yu shouldered her backpack and strode along beside Ye Zhibai with steps that brooked no compromise.
Out in the open air, Guang Yu had once again donned her fluffy princess dress and white knee-high socks.
She was thrilled too! Guang Yu had been cooped up in her room every day and was turning into a sulky little fox!
Outdoors, whenever Ye Zhibai and Guang Yu spoke, they stuck to mind transmission as much as possible.
Otherwise, to passersby, Ye Zhibai would look like a wise soul holding one-sided conversations with thin air.
“Guang Yu, you said this morning you wanted to bring the backpack—what’s it for?”
“Nothing special. I just have to carry my worldly goods with me at all times: osmanthus cake, wasabi paste, and that doujinshi from before (mental sustenance). It’s all I own in the human world, so it has to stay by my side.”
“Uh… huh?!”
You’re still carrying that doujinshi?
Citrus Saga: The Surge of Love, right?
Ye Zhibai had tried snatching it outright, but no dice.
She’d have to wait until Guang Yu was asleep one day and tear it up on the sly.
She hoped the little fox wouldn’t cry.
With no particular destination in mind—just out for a stroll—they walked along for a bit before Ye Zhibai decided it was time to head to their goal.
She stopped, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and opened the map.
She entered the address for Lin Zihan’s flower shop that had been sent ahead of time.
It was two-thirty in the afternoon, and the weather was perfect—not too hot, not too cool. So Ye Zhibai figured some real exercise, not the bed kind, was the way to go!
“Guang Yu, you up for it? We might have to walk a ways this afternoon. Call it a post-lockdown revenge hike. What do you say?”
“Heh, who do you think you’re talking to? This god is meant to roam the four corners of the earth, and that means on my own two legs! Your human tin cans are nice and all, but they make you lazy, and with AC to boot—that’s straight-up poison!”
Now that was a commendable attitude!
Ye Zhibai and Guang Yu were both brimming with confidence, righteous and resolute.
They were geared up for an early summer walking adventure.
At the same time, Ye Zhibai tapped the walking navigation button on her phone.
The Degenerate Map app’s voice chimed from the speaker.
“Total route: 17 kilometers. Estimated walking time: 250 minutes. Degenerate Map will guide you the whole way.”
“……”
“……”
All that bold talk from the previous second, and now the clown was none other than herself.
Ye Zhibai quietly turned off the map.
Guang Yu blinked in a daze for a moment before clearing her throat and offering her brand-new divine wisdom.
“Ahem! On second thought, we should call a tin can. Yours make you lazy and all, but everything else about them is great.”
Words were truly an art form.
Same sentence, rearranged, and suddenly it sounded reasonable.
But the ride-hailing app was as merciless as the Degenerate Map.
After entering the address, the three-digit fare estimate made Ye Zhibai’s finger twitch.
Freedom came at a price, after all.
Ye Zhibai sighed in the face of reality.
In the end, she dialed the Maid Corps number that Yun’er had sent her before they left.
Yun’er had said something about… the area being covered.
The Maid Corps was protecting her.
So could they send a car?
She just wanted a casual walk.
Not a freaking marathon!
Half an hour later.
Ye Zhibai was back on the move!
The Maid Corps had dispatched a luxury car within two minutes of the call, whisked Ye Zhibai and Guang Yu away, and dropped them right at the street with the flower shop!
Efficiency through the roof!
Once they arrived, the maids melted back into the shadows, concealing themselves as they resumed executing the Second Miss’s secret protection orders.
Ye Zhibai glanced back at the departing vehicle, gratitude swelling in her heart.
She got out on the roadside, stood on the asphalt, and plopped down on a bench for pedestrians to rest. She opened the map again.
She was checking her surroundings.
A quick scan revealed a bustling commercial district: towering buildings, wide roads.
Looking at the map’s pinpoint… Ye Zhibai had a vague memory of the place.
She hadn’t come here much in her previous life, but head a few more kilometers north, and you’d hit Qihai University territory.
~~~
That was the school from her previous life.
A place of sorrow—best not dwell on it.
The dump trucks there were vicious. Steer clear.
Ye Zhibai re-entered the flower shop’s location.
This time, the Degenerate Map showed a shred of decency.
“Destination: West City Pure Heart Flower Shop. 200 meters away. Estimated walking time: five minutes.”
Sweet!
Now she could shoulder her load with pride!
Ye Zhibai cranked up the navigation volume, slipped her phone into the pocket of her dress, stood, and called out to Guang Yu to get going.
“Come on, Guang Yu. Let’s go get that vine.”
“Vines are boring. Pick up some flowers too—the yard at home is barren. Doesn’t look good.”
“You’re the last one who should be saying that.”
As if the yard was empty through no fault of her own!
Who else but you yanked every last plant that could be yanked?
The only one you couldn’t touch, the cactus, you boiled to death with hot water today!
Were all gods this hopeless?
Ye Zhibai had a thousand gripes bubbling up inside, but she didn’t want to bicker with Guang Yu right there in the busy street.
If there was a fight to be had, they’d settle it at home!
To reach Lin Zihan’s flower shop, Ye Zhibai had to cross the pedestrian crosswalk to the other side of the broad road.
Then straight ahead about a hundred meters.
Guang Yu trailed behind Ye Zhibai, her steps still boldly carefree—until they reached the crosswalk.
Then Ye Zhibai came to an abrupt halt, no warning whatsoever.
“Oof!”
Guang Yu smacked her forehead right into Ye Zhibai’s back. The impact sent the little fox maiden stumbling backward before she caught herself.
Almost another butt-plant!
The fox loli rubbed her forehead, baffled as she scanned around.
Why’d you stop like that?
Guang Yu didn’t know traffic rules, but she could read.
The sign next to them said: Red light stop, green light go.
And across the street, there was a huge green light!
Everyone else was hurrying across—no one stopping.
Except Ye Zhibai… who hadn’t budged.
“Ye Zhibai? Ye Zhibai? What’s wrong?” Guang Yu hopped up behind her, asking.
But no answer came.
Ye Zhibai seemed to be trying to step forward.
But every time she lifted a foot… she pulled it right back.
Guang Yu was utterly confused. She circled to Ye Zhibai’s side and craned her neck to check on her.
Ye Zhibai’s face was blank.
But the cold sweat beading on her forehead didn’t match the mild weather.
“Guang Yu… wait a sec. I… I just need a moment.”
“Huh?”
“Too many cars around. Just hold on—I’ll be fine in a bit…”
“……”
Guang Yu could be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.
But the little fox was plenty smart.
She closed her eyes and listened closely, only then picking up on…
How noisy it all was.
Engines roaring past at the next intersection, horns blaring.
Cars idling at the light on both sides of the road, gears humming lowly.
None of it fazed Guang Yu.
But she understood: to Ye Zhibai, this symphony might as well be the roaring of wild beasts.
What must it feel like for someone who had been flung into a bloody puddle by a car at life’s end, now standing once more at such a vast crossroads?
Even a god could imagine.
Ye Zhibai swallowed hard, her emotions churning.
This was the first time in this life she’d stood at a busy intersection like this—not inside a vehicle.
During the Gaokao lockdown, the roads had been closed.
To Ye Zhibai, the opposite side seemed impossibly far.
So far that one step felt like it might take her somewhere she’d never return from.
The engines and horns around her faded to a hush in her ears.
Her mind replayed vehicles barreling toward her without braking—that pure despair.
It’s fine… it’s fine… this is nothing.
Just crossing a crosswalk. What’s the big deal?
She repeated it to herself over and over, but every tentative step forward painted her vision blood-red.
Her head buzzed.
“Huh…?”
Suddenly.
In Ye Zhibai’s line of sight.
The world slowly regained its color.
Because her attention had shifted.
Her hand was suddenly clasped in a small, soft one.
Firmly, gently.
Guang Yu’s fluffy tail brushed Ye Zhibai’s arm, patting rhythmically.
Like a soothing caress.
Ye Zhibai looked down at Guang Yu in astonishment.
At some point, Guang Yu’s petite frame had positioned itself in front of her.
The little fox reached back with her slender arm and took Ye Zhibai’s hand.
Suddenly tsundere, Guang Yu avoided Ye Zhibai’s eyes.
“W-Well… Ye Zhibai, just relax. You’re not crossing alone. I’ve got you—no car can touch you. If one tries, it’ll be scrap metal before it gets close. Don’t forget, I’m a god! Good people get good karma. You fed me wasabi and pancakes; I’ll keep you safe.”
The colors of the world sharpened.
The sounds of life filtered back clearly into Ye Zhibai’s ears.
She stared in disbelief at Guang Yu, standing right before her.
I just wanted to reward her with a few bottles of soda!
Was Guang Yu really this reliable?
What do you think?
The Deity only showed its divine grace at crucial moments like this. Normally, it couldn’t be bothered!
Reluctantly, Guang Yu offered these words of comfort.
Ye Zhibai was reluctant too, but she at least whispered her thanks.
“Thank… thank you.”
“Did you just thank us?!”
“No.”
“You definitely did! We heard it! Did you or didn’t you?!”
Ye Zhibai was furious!
This girl was worth thanking, sure.
But she was still so infuriating!
No matter what, though, holding Guang Yu’s little hand made Ye Zhibai feel completely safe.
Then… Lord Deity, at least this once, please let me rely on you.
Just leave it to us!
Guang Yu said this with full confidence, trying to pull Ye Zhibai across the street by the hand.
But the Ye Zhibai behind her didn’t budge an inch!
Guang Yu couldn’t help but frown. She turned back, baring her little tiger teeth as she grumbled.
“Can’t you show a little spine? Still scared?”
“No.”
“Then what’s wrong with you?!”
“Because… the light turned red. We have to wait.”
“……”
Guang Yu turned back awkwardly to stare at the big red light across the street.
She fell instantly silent.
No more grumbling.
Traffic rules came first.
Hiding behind a bench in the distance, wrapped in a detective’s trench coat, Ye Zhiyun was streaming with tears!
This wasn’t an exaggeration—she was really crying!
Gazing at her sister crossing the street, she felt an indescribable swell of pride in her heart!
“Head Maid… d-did you see that? That’s my sister! That’s the Ye Family’s Eldest Miss! She overcame her fear of crosswalks all on her own! Isn’t she amazing?!”
Wahhh, Sis, I’m seriously bawling here!
Why are you pushing yourself so hard?!
If you were that scared, you could’ve just called Yun’er!
Yun’er can rush to your side anytime!
The utterly drained Head Maid had bought a pack of tissues from the nearby convenience store.
“Second Miss, dry those emotional tears first.”
“Eldest Miss is truly inspiring, but…”
“But please hide better!
“Even if you can’t hide properly, don’t start wiping away tears out of nowhere!
“Didn’t you see how the shopkeeper auntie was so freaked out she almost whipped out her phone?!
“If I hadn’t stopped her just now, who knows whether she’d have called the cops or a psych ward?”
