Was today the day for top-tier beauties to tour the place? How were they all so stunning?!
Counting that loli from just a moment ago, plus the blonde girl who’d been sitting by the entrance sipping a drink even earlier, this was already the third ridiculously gorgeous specimen.
Humanity’s beauty evolution was leaving her behind!
However, Ye Zhibai’s naturally icy little face still caught the clerk off guard, leaving her momentarily too stunned to speak.
Ye Zhibai wasn’t there to buy a drink for herself.
From under the counter, she deftly snatched the phone right out of Guang Yu’s hand.
Hey, still clinging to it?!
Hand it over!
This wasn’t Ye Zhibai bullying the little fox.
Guang Yu was just too proud to admit defeat.
Her first shopping attempt hadn’t gone smoothly, so she had to be feeling down.
But she couldn’t be allowed to keep causing a scene, or Ye Zhibai’s blood pressure would skyrocket.
Better luck next time.
Ye Zhibai unlocked the phone, pulled up the payment code, and informed the clerk.
“I’ll pay for this person’s drinks. Go ahead and scan the code.”
“Eh…? Oh! Right away!”
The female clerk scanned the QR code that Ye Zhibai held up.
Payment complete.
Little rich girl Ye Zhibai’s bank card—loaded with two hundred million—had just taken a twenty-yuan hit.
Twenty…?
Guang Yu, you ordered two cups for yourself!
What a glutton!
Lin Zihan was still waiting outside.
During their exchange, the clerk had already prepared the two drinks. Ye Zhibai handed them over to Guang Yu.
Before leaving, she leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“Listen… take your drinks and go hide behind that sculpture again. You’re better off staying invisible for now. Giving you that advice earlier was my mistake.”
“You don’t need to feel bad about it, Ye Zhibai. We’re not blaming you—we both messed up.”
“…”
I really want to punch you!
Don’t you have any self-awareness?!
Ye Zhibai decided not to engage further.
Arguing with this kind of blind stubbornness would get them nowhere.
She gave an awkward smile, drink still unopened in hand, and stepped out of the shop. She sat back down on the bench beside Lin Zihan and let out a soft sigh.
Lin Zihan greeted her return like a hero’s triumphant homecoming, her enthusiasm overflowing.
“You must be tired, little angel~ That kid’s definitely going to thank you for it.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that…”
“Really? But look—she’s coming over!”
“？！”
She really was!
Ye Zhibai noticed that Guang Yu had nearly reached the sculpture, ready to vanish again.
But her steps faltered several times. In the end, she pivoted on her toes with a light tap, turning ninety degrees and heading straight toward Ye Zhibai.
What are you up to?!
That faint, sly smirk on Guang Yu’s face escaped Lin Zihan’s notice.
But Ye Zhibai saw it crystal clear.
Fearless of the chill, Guang Yu clutched her two iced drinks to her chest and planted herself right in front of Ye Zhibai.
She bowed deeply toward her, letting her brown hair cascade down.
And she deliberately pitched her already youthful voice into something adorably childish and milky!
“Th-thank you, big sis! Thanks to you, I got my drinks. Otherwise… I wouldn’t have known what to do… You’re such a kind person!”
Scram.
This is nauseating!
What’s your scheme this time?!
When Guang Yu looked up, her innocent gaze concealed a gleam of triumph.
——And just like that, Ye Zhibai understood.
She’d lost face earlier by failing to buy the drinks, ceding ground in that round. Unwilling to accept defeat, she was fighting back from another angle.
Like, politeness!
Ye Zhibai had told her before that politeness was a human virtue, and rude kids weren’t well-liked.
So this was Guang Yu’s ploy: using Ye Zhibai as a stepping stone to claim her “politeness achievement”!
Guang Yu, you schemer!
No need to thank me.
Ye Zhibai watched as Guang Yu finally retreated behind the sculpture and vanished for real this time.
Heh.
Truth be told, Ye Zhibai was the one laughing last in this little skirmish.
You, a deity who’s lived for millennia…
Calling me “big sis”?
Anyone could see who came out ahead.
Thanks for making it so easy to win, Guang Yu, always blowing your own cover.
Wait, what are we even competing over?!
Ye Zhibai shook her head, jabbed the straw into her cup, and chugged several gulps in exasperation.
Lin Zihan heard the loud gulping sounds.
Delight flickered across her refined little face, mingled with a touch of conflict.
Without betraying any of those mixed emotions, Lin Zihan smoothly launched into conversation.
“Sorry about this, Little Bai’er~ I wasn’t prepared today and ended up shortchanging you. We should’ve crossed the street to that commercial district’s teahouse. I went there as a kid—perfect for chatting, super quiet! But right now… hehe, we’ve got to live within our means. My budget only stretched to a drink. You don’t… mind, do you?”
“Hm? No need for tea—the drink’s great.”
Now fully invisible again, Guang Yu swayed her big tail as she swigged her drink and strolled back, throwing up a thumbs-up in agreement.
Ye Zhibai was right: drinks were great!
Ye Zhibai’s casual remark unintentionally soothed one of Lin Zihan’s lingering pangs of guilt.
Her hand trembled slightly around her drink.
She immediately leaned in for a loving hug!
“Little Bai’er, my angel! My angel! Hug!”
“Stop.”
“Eh?”
Lin Zihan’s arms froze mid-embrace.
The instant Lin Zihan opened her arms, Ye Zhibai reached out to halt her.
Never mind the possibility of the Maid Corps lurking nearby for protection, ready to report back to Yun’er at any moment.
That wasn’t the main reason—Ye Zhibai wasn’t some strict sibling overseer! (Probably.)
No, the real issue was… the moment Lin Zihan spread her arms, Ye Zhibai suddenly sensed a faint, ominous killing intent in the air around them.
She glanced left and right out of habit, but saw no one.
How strange.
The hug thwarted, Lin Zihan lowered her arms.
She primly folded her hands over her lap, atop her plaid skirt.
Hehe, no hug, but she was content anyway.
Truth was, Lin Zihan had felt terrible when buying those drinks.
This was her first time inviting a friend to hang out.
Yet she couldn’t offer the best hospitality.
Those two fully loaded drinks had already eaten up her entire daily allowance.
She only had about twenty-odd yuan to spend on herself each day; the rest went to household expenses. With business slow lately, the Flower Shop needed subsidizing, and even her pocket money had to contribute.
Little Bai’er could casually cover a drink for a total stranger.
Lin Zihan couldn’t help but feel bad about her own situation.
But Ye Zhibai’s words from earlier had truly eased her heart!
Lin Zihan thought back to how she’d deliberately dressed up today for their meetup, pulling out her best outfit… now it seemed kind of silly.
She set her drink down on the bench between them and used her chilled hands from the iced beverage to pat her cheeks, cooling herself down a bit.
Whew… time for business.
Lin Zihan rummaged in the pocket of her plaid-patterned top.
In short order, she produced the gift she’d prepared for Ye Zhibai today.
—A brand-new Vine Ring.
“Ta-da!! Quick, Little Bai’er, look at this!”
“!”
A vine!
How moving, not seeing one for even a day!
But this vine… had evolved again, now in ring form.
Ye Zhibai carefully took the ring from Lin Zihan’s hand and held it up to the sunlight for a closer look.
She was genuinely impressed.
Even as a vine-weaving artisan herself, Ye Zhibai couldn’t help but praise it.
“So much care went into this… The weave is clear and orderly, tons of interlocking loops, bark still intact—super delicate…”
“Really?! Thanks for the praise, Little Bai’er~ I really put in the effort this time. Stayed up half the night searching for tips to refine it further. As long as you like it, it was worth every bit of research!”
“Half the night…?”
You… you didn’t have to go that far!
Gaokao’s barely over—get some rest! Don’t obsess over vines!
Ye Zhibai turned to her in surprise.
Only then did she notice Lin Zihan’s right eye, unobscured by her blonde bangs. It still sparkled vibrantly, flushed with pink, but there were faint, barely detectable dark circles under it.
You… you’re the true vine-weaving master.
I surrender.
Conceding gracefully, Ye Zhibai asked softly.
“Can… can I really accept this? It took a lot of work. Or you could keep it as a memento…”
“You must accept it!”
“…”
See? That’s true master demeanor!
Not a shred of selfishness!
Deeply admiring her from the heart, Ye Zhibai no longer demurred. She splayed her fingers and slipped the ring onto her index finger.
Then… she was a bit surprised.
The ring’s band fit her finger perfectly.
Not too tight, not too loose—just right.
“Does it fit, Little Bai’er?”
“Yeah, perfect.”
“Phew… looks like I nailed it. Last time in the classroom, didn’t I make that ring a bit too big for you? I’ve learned from my mistakes and burned the shape of Little Bai’er’s finger into my memory. The whole time I was crafting this ring, I kept thinking about Little Bai’er’s finger, handling everything with the utmost care… Good thing the size is perfect this time!”
“!”
Cough cough!
I really admire your dedication to craftsmanship.
But the way you put it—why does it sound so weird?
The weirdness came from the fact that Ye Zhibai, after last night, now harbored a deep-seated fear of fingers!
