At the end of the boardwalk stood an upgraded ball of jealousy 2.0 version, too far away for Ye Zhibai to catch even a whiff of the sour scent.
Truth be told, all those worries from Ye Zhiyun were totally unfounded~ Ye Zhibai was a true gentlewoman through and through now, even after turning into a girl. How could she possibly be ensnared by mere curves?
“Li… Little Bai? What exactly are you looking at…?”
“Nothing. Just gazing off into the distance.”
Damn it.
The eyes really didn’t listen to the brain sometimes!
It was like trekking through a vast, barren desert and suddenly spotting a lush emerald oasis! You might not dive in for a drink, but you’d sure as hell stop and stare.
The Lake Heart Pavilion wasn’t some desert—it had gorgeous scenery all around.
Yet under Sister Liang’s overwhelming presence, even those beautiful sights seemed to lose their luster and grandeur.
So yeah, compared to natural wonders, “human scenery” was way more captivating!
All things considered, she couldn’t blame herself for those occasional glances at those generous curves. If anyone was at fault, it was Sister Liang for developing on such an epic scale!
Chi Yuliang loosely shielded her chest with one arm, her long purple hair cascading between it and her skin. A faint blush colored her soft features, like the morning mist rising off the water.
The hem of her subtle beige knit dress clung tighter with the shy girl’s shielding motion.
Thank goodness Chi Yuliang always favored modest outfits. Otherwise, that squeeze would have been an epic boost to her curves’ presence.
“Little Bai… Sis isn’t blaming you or anything… It’s just… kinda embarrassing. Even at dinner last time, you’ve gotten a bit pervy lately…”
“……”
Guilty as charged!
But was she pervy? Not one bit.
If she came off that way, it was all Yun’er’s doing!
Ye Zhibai was just a sneaky lowlife who secretly ogled curves in her dreams while pinning the blame on Yun’er.
Chi Yuliang didn’t bother covering up any more, chalking it up to Little Bai’s playful mischief.
She settled onto the redwood bench, rummaging through her small brown purse for something while asking Ye Zhibai with a wry smile.
“Little Bai, I heard all that splashing nearby earlier. Was that Guang Yu playing around?”
“Yeah, she’s fishing. Don’t worry about her—she’ll climb back up on her own.”
“Climb…? Al… alright then.”
Don’t even ask.
Somehow, Guang Yu had conjured a tiny fishing rod and was sitting on the pavilion’s edge, dangling her short little legs as she fished happily.
Ye Zhibai hadn’t figured she’d actually catch anything. After all, this was the amateur deity who resorted to divine power just to snag butterflies.
But lo and behold, she actually hooked one!
Though… it was hard to say whether the fox was fishing the fish or the fish was fishing the fox. In her excitement, Guang Yu jumped up to reel it in—and with a yelp, got yanked straight into the water by the big fish below.
That was the source of the “plop” Sister Liang had heard earlier.
As for the current “splashing” sounds…
—Guang Yu was locked in combat with the fish underwater!
The fish wasn’t all that huge, but compared to Guang Yu’s tiny frame, it qualified as a big one.
Little Guang Yu clung desperately to it, pummeling its head with fox punches!
Of course, the fish’s tail was slapping back at her fox face just as fiercely.
Water sprayed everywhere. Anyone unfamiliar with the scene might think someone had lobbed a torpedo into the Artificial Lake.
What a brutal, world-shaking battle it was.
At the same time, Chi Yuliang finally fished out the item from her purse.
Ye Zhibai pulled her gaze from the water and glanced over at Sister Liang—only to spot…
Those curves…! Bah! Get it together, eyes!
What Ye Zhibai actually saw was Sister Liang pulling out a neatly folded deep blue scarf.
Chi Yuliang set the scarf down on the spotless stone table of the Lake Heart Pavilion. She ran her fingers over its smooth knit texture and spoke calmly, meeting Little Bai’s puzzled gaze—which Little Bai herself hid well.
“Little Bai, congrats again on your stellar Gaokao results. This is Sis’s gift to you. It’s not anything extravagant, but handmade stitch by stitch, so it’ll keep you way warmer than some factory churn-out.”
“Stitch by stitch…? You mean…”
“Mm-hmm, Sis knitted it herself?”
“!”
The scarf’s light weight suddenly felt heavier than the massive stone table!
Truth be told… Yun’er had mentioned that morning how the Ye Family warehouse was already piled high with gifts from big shots across the land since the Gaokao scores dropped. Rumor had it those presents were worth enough to build a skyscraper from scratch. For Ye Zhibai, who’d known lean times, the news hadn’t sparked much excitement.
As long as she had food and clothes, she was content.
No need for endless mall trips.
But now, staring at the scarf and Sister Liang’s warm smile, a flood of pure joy welled up in Ye Zhibai’s heart.
This truly was the best gift imaginable.
“The damned fish! Stay put! Waa!! Keep thrashing and I’ll bite you!!”
“……”
Guang Yu!! Could you stop wrecking my perfect mood every time? Just catch your fish quietly!
Little Zhibai quickly tamped down the urge to dive in and team up with the fish to thrash Guang Yu.
Instead, she gathered the scarf to her chest.
The yarn mingled with her trailing silver hair, and the exquisite handmade feel warmed Ye Zhibai’s heart.
Now Chi Yuliang could relax.
She’d thought Little Bai disliked it at first, given her cool expression. But seeing her fiddle with the scarf so carefully now proved otherwise.
Ye Zhibai cradled the scarf in both hands, savoring its lingering warmth while voicing a nagging question.
“By the way… Sis, can you really knit a scarf in just one day? Scores only came out yesterday—I figured it took way longer.”
“Silly little dummy~ No way in one day. Sis started the day your Gaokao results dropped. Hmm… about half a month. Rushed like crazy, but made it just in time.”
“Eh…? You started that early? What if I’d bombed it…? Then you couldn’t have given it.”
“Pfft, that’s why you’re such a little dummy. It has nothing to do with your scores. Sis just worried you’d catch a chill come winter. The celebration part? That’s just a bonus~”
“Uh… I see…”
“Mm, exactly~”
This wasn’t just a gift.
Sister Liang, you’re basically lighting a little furnace right next to my heart!
Wuu, too heartwarming.
Chi Yuliang stood and circled around to wrap the scarf around Ye Zhibai herself.
“Perfect fit. Last time at the restaurant, when I hugged you, I sized you up. You’re such a tiny thing now—eat more and aim for 1.7 meters!”
Wuu… She used to be nearly 1.8 meters tall, and now she was barely over 1.6!
She’d had to tilt her head down slightly to meet Sister Liang’s eyes before.
Now she had to tilt it up.
How the times had changed. What a poignant shift.
Once the blue scarf was snug around Ye Zhibai’s graceful neck, Chi Yuliang dropped a bombshell that put her on high alert.
“Sorry, Little Bai… Sis had to rush and finish it early. Come autumn, I’m heading back to the Capital. I’ll be swamped then, so visits will drop off.”
“Eh…? But Sis, didn’t you say you’d prep for grad school from home this year?”
“Wuu… Sorry. I only said that because I couldn’t bear leaving Little Bai—I wanted to stick around longer… But the truth is, I got a guaranteed spot for grad school at Capital University. No need for exams. My advisor’s been nudging me to return after fall break, so… I had to tell you.”
Listen.
Do you hear what people say?
No grad school exams needed, because she’d already secured the spot?!
Damn it—with Sister Liang’s grades, she should’ve seen it coming!
More than reluctance, Ye Zhibai felt she should offer congratulations.
“Got it, Sis. Wishing you smooth sailing through grad school—life easy, papers all approved.”
“Thanks, Little Bai! Phew, feels so much lighter telling you the truth. Though Sis is still looking forward to something?”
“Looking forward?”
“Yeah. With your killer Gaokao scores, it’s a huge surprise. You’ll probably pick Capital University, right? Grads and undergrads are on different campuses, but not too far apart. We could still hang out plenty.”
“Ma… maybe?”
Gaokao volunteering.
Truth was, Ye Zhibai hadn’t given it much thought yet.
—This was her first time with scores high enough to pick any top national school she wanted!
Talk about freedom!
