Ye Zhibai actually couldn’t bring herself to comment on the matter.
She couldn’t impose her own values to judge whether Lin Zihan’s decision to sacrifice one eye for treatment had been right or wrong, worthwhile or not.
In this world, the vast majority of things had nothing to do with other people’s opinions. Only the choices made by those directly involved, under those specific circumstances and at that particular time, held any real meaning or value.
Reckless or rational, it didn’t matter.
If Lin Zihan believed her decision had been correct and it had steered her life in a better direction, what more could Ye Zhibai say?
Life was something you chose for yourself, after all. There was no need for anyone else’s input.
And yet, even so…
Ye Zhibai couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Zihan’s smile wasn’t as relieved as she claimed.
Ye Zhibai lowered her head slightly.
She watched a few ants on the ground, struggling forward as they hauled away bits of sticky rice that had fallen to the pavement.
Those crumbs came from the osmanthus cake Guang Yu was gnawing on.
Stop that, you!
Once Lin Zihan had finished recounting her story, she settled back down beside Ye Zhibai.
This time, she finally picked up her drink and took a sip.
Letting those old memories out into the open really did seem to lighten the load on her heart!
She even chugged down a full third of the bottle in one go!
“Whew…! Is this stuff always so delicious? Hey, thanks a ton, Little Bai’er, for listening to all that. This is actually the first time I’ve ever opened up to anyone about my life! Feels great to get it off my chest!”
“The past hurts to look back on, but it’s better than bottling it up inside.”
“Exactly!”
Guang Yu might have looked like she was just listening to the story, sipping her drink, and munching on osmanthus cake without a care in the world.
But in truth, the little fox had plenty of thoughts of her own.
Eating and pondering weren’t mutually exclusive, after all.
She even set aside her favorite drink for the moment and let out a soft, divine sigh.
“Sigh… Ye Zhibai, the human world is full of suffering. I get it now. This girl’s life has been nothing but rough patches… just like yours in your last life. Both of you are such pitiful souls.”
“…”
You could feel sorry for her.
That was your prerogative.
But did you have to lump me in with her?
Poor Little Zhibai—always catching friendly fire!
How rude!
Still, Guang Yu wasn’t wrong.
Lin Zihan really was a pitiful soul.
And Yun’er had been spot on a few days back too.
Lin Zihan’s smile really was “very fake.”
It was the kind of grin you forced out in the face of life’s cruel helplessness—fake on the surface, but with a kernel of truth beneath.
That truth was simple resignation.
With a sidelong glance, Ye Zhibai watched her suck on the straw like a little hamster.
Behind the faint silver threads veiling her pale purple eyes, a flicker of barely perceptible pity surfaced.
“You’re… really strong,” Ye Zhibai murmured softly.
“Hm?” Lin Zihan paused mid-gulp from her happy chugging and turned toward her. “Little Bai’er? Did you say something just now?”
“Nothing… I just think you’re pretty optimistic.”
“Optimism is a must! No one gets it like I do! Life’s all about keeping that smile plastered on! Ah… actually, scratch that—there is someone who gets it even better. When it comes to that, Little Bai’er, you’re basically my life coach!”
“?”
What
are you on about?
How did I just get promoted to life coach out of nowhere?!
I never taught you a thing!
Truth be told, Ye Zhibai felt deeply ashamed of her own track record with optimism.
In her previous life, she’d gone without dinner money more than once, chowing down on a few green onions before bed and bawling her eyes out from hunger under the covers!
And you call that optimistic?!
As Lin Zihan brought it up, she gave the back of her head a sheepish scratch with her right hand, her wry smile tinged with embarrassment.
“While we’re confessing things, I haven’t come clean about this one yet, Little Bai’er… Yeah, now’s as good a time as any.”
She leaned in close to Ye Zhibai’s ear.
Her voice dropped to a genuine whisper.
Like sharing the world’s biggest secret.
It was sharing a secret.
“Kid me was such an ignorant brat—I called you mute, retard, all that awful stuff… No number of apologies can make up for it. I was a real terror back then. The other kids I’d bully would run crying to their parents to tattle, but thanks to the huge gap in our families’ status, they’d always slink off with their tails between their legs.”
“But you were different, Little Bai’er. You’ve been optimistic and tough from the start. I’d hurl abuse at you, and you’d just stand there like one of those sturdy roadside trees—totally unfazed! Zhiyun would even come beat me up! At first, I legit thought you were slow and couldn’t even react. But eventually, I figured it out… You just couldn’t be bothered with me. Couldn’t be bothered with all of life’s little frustrations!”
“And that’s not even the half of it. What really blew my mind was how you got hit by that car, ended up in the hospital, just got discharged a few days ago—and despite all that tragedy, you didn’t wallow. You showed up at the Gaokao like it was nothing! Come on, if you’re not optimistic, who is?”
“Every time I feel like breaking down and crying, I just picture your stance, Little Bai’er, and suddenly life doesn’t seem so terrifying. No matter how tough it gets for me, it can’t hold a candle to what you’ve been through.”
“That’s why I was hiding in the bushes that day, dying to meet you? Even knowing Zhiyun would probably clobber me, I had to. In a way, you’re my idol, Little Bai’er…! Hee hee, getting to sit here chatting with you like this—doesn’t that count as nailing my idol chase? Yes!”
Her excitement built with every word.
Ye Zhibai could only listen in stunned silence.
That whole spiel was just packed with things to unpack.
She didn’t even know where to begin.
One sentence summed it up:
Congrats—you went ahead and idolized your own fanfic version of me!
Talk about confidence!
My kid self was sharp in her own quiet way, not some noble saint like you’ve built up in your head!
But…
Ye Zhibai decided to let it slide.
No point in correcting her.
If that’s how Lin Zihan saw it, fine by her.
And if it fueled her drive to push through life, then Ye Zhibai had basically played the hero for once!
What a win!
Lin Zihan grew happier by the second.
By the end, her joy was something she hadn’t felt in years!
“Haha… sorry, Little Bai’er, got a bit carried away there. Oh, right! You in a rush now? Got any plans next?”
Plans?
Dinner with Sister Liang tonight.
But right now… she was free as a bird.
Ye Zhibai gave an honest shake of her head.
“Nope, I can stick around and hang out a little longer.”
“Awesome! Little Bai’er, wanna check out my family’s flower shop? It’s super pretty!”
“I mean, sure, but didn’t you mention your mom…”
“Ehh~~ That wasn’t the plan at first, but chatting with you is way too fun—I gotta show you the place, no matter what! Call it sharing with a friend? Relax, I’ve got a sneaky way to dodge Mom. Let’s go!”
“…”
Before Ye Zhibai knew it, Lin Zihan had seized her hand with a firm tug, yanking her up from the chair and dragging her toward the flower shop.
The flower shop was one thing.
But if Mom spotted them, she didn’t want to be blamed for window-shopping without buying!
She could afford a flower or two, at least!
Except…
The instant Lin Zihan grabbed her hand, Ye Zhibai sensed that tangible “killing intent” closing in from all sides once more!
Huh?!
A chill ran down her spine.
Freezing.
She figured Guang Yu must be up to her tricks again.
“Guang Yu, you’re a god—surely you don’t come with built-in AC, right?”
“Badass.”
Talk about a total misunderstanding of the divine.
If anything’s cold, it’s your corny jokes!
The source of that “killing intent” and icy vibe? Ye Zhiyun’s eyes, brimming with jealousy!
She was squeezing her mineral water bottle so hard it was on the verge of bursting!
From her hiding spot behind a nearby bench.
Ye Zhiyun spoke through clenched teeth, her voice even cracking a little with strain.
Jealousy turned women downright feral!
“She’s holding my sister’s hand…! She actually…! Head Maid, how much more of this am I supposed to take?!”
“Second Miss, I believe we should hold off just a bit longer.”
“Give me one good reason!”
“Very well. For starters, hand-holding is pretty normal between friends—especially girls. You just haven’t spent much time at school, but there, close gal-pals do it all the time: holding hands, hugging, the works. It’s just their way of showing friendship. Nothing as sinister as you’re imagining.”
“Fine—for the sake of Sis having fun, I’ll let her slide this once.”
“Understood, Second Miss.”
“Press on. Find new cover!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Truth be told, Ye Zhiyun hadn’t charged out to declare war yet only because of the Head Maid’s steady stream of level-headed explanations.
Was it easy being the Head Maid, keeping world peace one pep talk at a time?
The Head Maid broke into a sweat.
The Second Miss’s protectiveness over the Eldest Miss had long since surpassed mere family bonds.
It was straight-up lover-level jealousy!
Good grief.
The Head Maid kept her thoughts to herself.
She could only repeat it silently in her head.
Good grief.
“Little Bai’er, over here… shh! Super quiet now—only one shot at this, and it’ll be gone in a flash! If Mom catches us, I’m toast!”
“…”
Wasn’t this your own family’s flower shop?
Why sneak into your own shop like some kind of burglar?
To avoid detection, Lin Zihan had led Ye Zhibai through the back door of the flower shop.
This was while her mother, Elsa, was busy at the front entrance, guiding customers in selecting fresh flowers.
Lin Zihan swiftly ushered Ye Zhibai around to the back door and up the stairs leading to the flower shop’s second floor!
The shop consisted of two stories altogether.
The first floor housed the sales area—the place where flowers were displayed for customers to purchase.
The second floor functioned as a sort of “warehouse,” where stock awaiting restocking was temporarily kept upstairs.
Mama rarely came up here.
The two of them, plus one fox, climbed the stairs to the second floor with feather-light steps, not making the slightest sound.
It was only after slipping through the small door on the second floor and closing it behind them that Lin Zihan placed a hand on her shapely bosom and exhaled a long breath.
“Phew… good, good. We made it up without any close calls.”
“Why all the sneaking around…?”
“That’s because…! Er, it’s hard to explain. Don’t worry about it, Little Bai’er. Like I told you, my mom’s personality is a bit quirky. If she catches you here without buying flowers, she’ll pounce on you like a big tiger!! Rawr!!”
“……”
Miss Lin Zihan—even baring your teeth and claws like that, you’re not scary at all?
In fact, you’re kind of adorable.
Hidden away, Guang Yu grew bold.
She mimicked Lin Zihan’s pose, balling her little hands into claws and swiping them playfully right back at her!
“Rawr!”
Don’t get into weird contests like that!
That said,
Ever since they’d entered through that small door—or really, since slipping into the flower shop via the back entrance—
