If it was just about drinks, then forget it.
Gulping down two iced beverages in such a short time wouldn’t be good for anyone who wasn’t a voracious monster like Guang Yu.
It wasn’t kind to the stomach.
After leaving the Flower Shop.
~~~
Ye Zhibai walked beside Lin Zihan, strolling aimlessly along the north side of the shopping district.
—Because it was far enough from the Flower Shop.
Guang Yu, cradling the sunflower in her arms, tagged along at their side.
The flower’s head was bigger than her own!
It was clear Guang Yu really liked it.
Otherwise, she would have stripped it bare by now.
Ye Zhibai’s heart was a tangled mess of emotions, and she couldn’t settle her thoughts.
The reason was simple.
Mainly…
How was Guang Yu still sipping on that drink?!
She hadn’t even gone to a beverage shop earlier!
“Guang Yu, why do you still have a drink? Tell me, did you take my phone again?”
“No way! This is from my stash! What did you think?”
Guang Yu shook the backpack slung over her shoulders.
And then she shook the wasabi sauce packet in her hand too.
Fine.
So it really wasn’t just for show.
She actually had a stockpile!
Their footsteps fell in a steady rhythm as they pressed on.
Ye Zhibai tilted her head slightly, using her peripheral vision to check on Lin Zihan.
During their walk, her expression remained relaxed, but she’d clearly spoken less.
She only asked a question here and there now and then.
“Little Bai’er, it’s getting dark.”
“Mm.”
“You said earlier you had to rush off tonight and had something to do… right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then… let me walk you back. Haha… I had such a great time today! If there’s a chance, can I invite you to hang out here again? We should just avoid the Flower Shop though—you saw how dangerous it is!”
If she meant the stone flower vase compared to Guang Yu’s skull.
Then yeah, it was pretty dangerous.
Ye Zhibai let out the faintest, barely audible sigh.
She kept strolling forward.
Her gaze drifted to the distant sky, tinged with the colors of encroaching nightfall.
It wasn’t early anymore.
It really was time to go today.
Ye Zhibai rubbed the delicate vine ring on her index finger with her thumb.
Originally, that had been the whole reason she’d come to find Lin Zihan today.
But now…
Plans couldn’t keep up with changes.
Ye Zhibai wasn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business.
But she also wasn’t one to turn a blind eye.
Just like she’d said before—every time she saw a stray kitten shivering in the rain, no matter how much she told herself it was a hassle and tried to ignore it, she’d end up coming back with an umbrella for the little thing.
Even when she couldn’t afford her own meals, she’d buy it a sausage.
Anxiety welled up in her chest, mingled with helpless frustration.
Before she could voice any complaints…
Ye Zhibai stopped in her tracks.
“Little Bai’er?”
“Is this a hutong?”
“Hm?”
Lin Zihan stopped alongside Ye Zhibai and followed the direction of her gaze.
Nestled between the neat shops lining the street was a deep, shadowy alley.
The alley’s cracked tile path stood in stark, jarring contrast to the smooth asphalt of the commercial road.
Lin Zihan peered inside, then turned back with a smile.
“Little Bai’er, interested? I remember, this was left over from when they planned and demolished parts of the shopping district. Some local holdouts refused to move, so the Old Hutong stayed. But most of the residents have moved to the city over the last couple years—it’s pretty empty now. It’ll probably get torn down eventually. Or maybe turned into a tourist spot?”
“Let’s go check it out.”
“Huh? Little Bai’er, you’re not in a rush anymore?”
Who said she wasn’t?
But no matter how pressed for time she was, some things couldn’t be ignored.
Ye Zhibai wasn’t interested in the alley itself.
She’d chosen it for its quiet seclusion.
A narrow path.
Rows of old houses on either side.
Not a soul around.
Guang Yu glanced left and right at the dim, eerily quiet surroundings, cut off from the world like a hidden pocket.
Inspiration struck, and she hoisted the sunflower high overhead!
She boldly voiced her suspicion. “Ye Zhibai! You’re not bringing a girl to a secluded spot like this just to take advantage of her, are you? I want you to do it, but not if it means breaking the law!”
“Is your brain scrambled from that flower vase or something…? Do I really look like a bad guy to you?”
“No, you’re great. This is just my hope—don’t mind me.”
What kind of weird hopes do you have every day!
Lin Zihan and I have only known each other a few days—we’re barely ordinary friends! Take advantage of what?!
I ought to pin you to the wall and shut that fox mouth of yours!
Even if Ye Zhibai went off the rails and wanted to try something like that…
She wouldn’t stand a chance against Lin Zihan?
Lin Zihan could heave a vase that big!
With Ye Zhibai’s current physical condition, she might end up getting overpowered instead!
Ye Zhibai had brought Lin Zihan to this quiet alley for one reason only.
—She wanted to hear what was really on Lin Zihan’s mind.
Heart-to-heart talks in the bustling streets just turned into headaches.
But a deep, shadowy alley like this was perfect for getting Lin Zihan to open up about her true feelings.
Speaking them out loud would help a lot.
Call it meddling if you had to.
But ignoring something after seeing it would just weigh on Ye Zhibai’s own heart.
Lin Zihan followed obediently beside Ye Zhibai as they walked deeper in.
She figured Little Bai’er must find the surroundings novel.
That made sense. Someone used to high-rises wouldn’t often see old hutongs like this. Lin Zihan had felt the same wonder at first.
They’d gone far enough now.
The clamor of ads and car horns from the alley’s exit had faded to a murmur.
Only then did Ye Zhibai stop again and turn around.
Strands of silver hair fluttered up, brushing past Lin Zihan’s face in the last rays of sunset, shimmering with an almost translucent, starry glow.
“Little Bai’er, time to head back?”
“No, I want to ask you something.”
“Sure, go ahead! Ask away—I’ll tell you anything!”
I hope so.
Ye Zhibai casually kicked a pebble aside.
This time, she’d gathered her words carefully along the way!
Once she found the right opening, there’d be no mishaps—she wouldn’t botch it like a conversation disaster again!
Ye Zhibai nodded confidently.
And spoke.
“I saw your mom earlier.”
“Ah…? Yeah, I saw her too. We saw her together, right? In the Flower Shop.”
Let me finish!!
Is interrupting me fun? I’m just a bit slow sometimes—give me a chance to flow smoothly for once!
Ye Zhibai rallied herself.
Stubbornly picking up her half-said words, she continued smoothly.
“I saw your mom earlier, but I didn’t say hello. Does that make me rude?”
“No, no!” Lin Zihan waved her hands hurriedly, dismissing it. “That was me asking Little Bai’er to hide from her! It has nothing to do with politeness!”
“But I heard… friends should greet each other’s parents when they meet.”
“Normally, yeah… but…”
“But we’re not friends?”
“We are!! As long as Little Bai’er wants to be, you’d definitely be my best friend!”
“So we’re friends, but no hello to Auntie?”
“This…! I mean…! Our family situation is a bit special!”
Prying wasn’t polite.
Ye Zhibai didn’t want to turn into someone worse than Guang Yu.
But today, she had to be rude just once.
Sister Liang had said something before.
“If something’s on your mind, you have to tell your big sis! If you bottle it up, you’ll get sick—and by then, it’ll be too late.”
Ye Zhibai pressed forward instead of backing down.
Her icy eyes locked onto Lin Zihan’s right eye, sharp as if piercing straight to her soul.
“So friends aren’t supposed to be totally open with each other after all. Mm, I get it now. I won’t ask about it anymore.”
“……”
“I absolutely won’t ask again, okay? Don’t worry, fri—end—.”
“!”
Guang Yu’s little mouth paused mid-sip from her drink.
Ye Zhibai.
You’re ruthless!
What was this move called again?
Oh right.
It was called “to catch by letting go—wait, playing hard to get!”
