There was no such thing as a surefire moneymaker in this world. Even investing in a rock-solid money market fund could leave you facing a financial crash the very next day, hitting you like a sledgehammer.
But then again.
If you spent money on a flower not expecting it to bloom forever, but just hoping for one whiff of its fragrance.
In that case, no matter how much you shelled out, as long as it brought even a moment of pure delight, that “deal” could never be considered a loss.
Ye Zhibai blinked her eyes rapidly, staring intently into Lin Zihan’s gaze.
It was the signature way a lovable airhead showed her confusion.
At such close range, even the cicadas seemed to respect the mood and fell silent, leaving only the soft sounds of their breathing clearly audible between the two girls.
And once the flickering lights in their eyes steadied.
Little Zhibai understood everything.
She wasn’t particularly moved!
See? See?
Guang Yu used to say she couldn’t make friends, but hadn’t she just made a real one?
She was even willing to splurge a fortune on me! (Meaning a thousand bucks.)
Ahem, of course Ye Zhibai knew money wasn’t the true measure of friendship, but sometimes it was just so touching anyway!
Why hadn’t she been touched when Yun’er transferred her two million?
Thanks, but she’d been too shocked stupid at the time to feel anything.
Seeing Little Bai’er staying silent for so long, Lin Zihan got her blood boiling. She was about to whip out her phone again and add amusement park popcorn to her cart!
Ye Zhibai quickly grabbed her slender fingers to stop her.
Then let go in the next instant.
“Don’t buy it. I get it now… I’ll go when the time comes.”
“Really?! Just the two of us, Little Bai’er, right? Great…!”
“I’ll buy one for Yun’er too, so the three of us can go together.”
“……”
Yay, but it didn’t quite come out that way.
Of course.
Lin Zihan slapped her forehead speechlessly.
She’d really gotten carried away there.
Getting Little Bai’er to agree to the amusement park was already a huge win. Did she really need to push for a two-person date?!
Give me a break—this wasn’t paradise, and there was still Ye Zhiyun, that flying-kick demon, to contend with.
Ye Zhibai pulled up the Meituan app and added a ticket to her cart.
Over five hundred bucks. She hit purchase looking decisive.
In truth, her head gave a nervous twitch.
Whew… Expensive or not, it was fine. The ticket for Yun’er didn’t hurt to buy.
What kind of big sister went out to have fun without her little sibling?
That Comic-Con trip with Little Qiu didn’t count—they hadn’t even known each other back then, no need to force it.
This time was different. Yun’er and Zihan already knew each other, so it could be a nice team-building outing. They could all get along, and maybe even ease Yun’er’s hostility toward Zihan. After all, harmony was the real blessing!
Lin Zihan watched the whole time, propping her elegant profile on her hand, as Little Bai’er swayed her silver hair and bought the tickets with a blank expression.
“What are you thinking about, Little Bai’er?”
The question came out of nowhere, and Ye Zhibai blurted out her response just as suddenly.
“I’m thinking this is a good chance to make Yun’er stop beating you up in the future. Or at least beat you less.”
“…Little Bai’er, you’re the best! Uh… but doesn’t that sound a bit weird? Whatever… out with it! I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Like, say at the amusement park, there’s one of those two-person Ferris wheels where only two people can ride together. Who would Little Bai’er pick to go with? Me, or Zhiyun? Friendship, or love?”
What about family?!
Did you just skip right over family?!
Ever since Zihan found out about the “improper” things between the Ye Sisters, she stopped seeing love as family affection!
The question was a little awkward… but Ye Zhibai thought for a moment, and her answer came out pretty decisive.
“If it really came to that…”
“If it really came to that…?”
“If it did, I’d just skip the Ferris wheel. The carousel’s better—I’m a bit afraid of heights, and that way all three of us could ride together.”
“……”
Not surprising, Little Bai’er.
Your flawless logic shows me just how far I still have to go.
Lin Zihan gave a wry smile and sat up straight. She stretched her arms back, hands planted on the stone steps behind her for a lazy backward lean. Her golden hair fell naturally with gravity, basking in the sunlight. From this angle, she could hear the sizzle of oil heating up in the kitchen. Her murmured words as she tilted her head back were too quiet to catch in the slightly noisy surroundings.
“School’s starting again soon… I wonder if I can make any progress before we have to say goodbye…”
“Did you say something?”
“I said, I want to eat you up, Little Bai’er?”
“？！”
Are you straight out of Diary of a Madman or something, wanting to devour me?!
Seeing Little Bai’er’s calm demeanor, Lin Zihan could sense a flicker of alarm deep in her heart.
She tilted her head with a mischievous grin and explained playfully.
“Didn’t I just say?~ The thing I want to ‘eat up’ is Little Bai’er’s smile. Yeah, having Zhiyun along is fine too. On my own, I might not be able to make you have fun. This way, I can maybe borrow some of her luck! Seeing an angel’s smile would make the whole trip worthwhile!”
“It’s not that exaggerated. As long as we have a good time, that’s enough. If you want to see me smile, no need to go to all that trouble.”
“Oh ho, Little Bai’er talking big? Fine, you little rascal, give me a smile!”
“No problem.”
You all think I’m poker-faced.
That’s true.
But setting facts aside, couldn’t I maybe smile if I tried?
Ye Zhibai decided to give it a shot.
She gathered her emotions and slowly turned her head toward Lin Zihan.
Under Zihan’s rapt anticipation.
Ye Zhibai switched her expression on the spot!
Here comes my smile!
“Wah, Little Bai’er, why are you glaring at me all of a sudden? Uh… Didn’t we turn off the AC? Why’s it suddenly so chilly? I’m getting cold…”
“I’m not glaring. Just feel it—I’m smiling.”
“Real or fake…”
“……”
I’m not glaring.
Can’t you see?
The smile in my heart!
Ye Zhibai finally dropped her “chilling aura.”
She’d tried hard to smile, but it hadn’t come out at all. Her face just fell.
Disappointment settled over her completely, without a single blind spot.
Ah, whatever… just leave it like this.
Outgoing people know they’re outgoing—they don’t need compliments on their smiles.
Little Zhibai’s words of wisdom collection—added.
Lin Zihan reached out and patted Ye Zhibai on the back in comfort.
“It’s okay, Little Bai’er… Everyone has things they’re good at and not. It’s normal. I just think smiles would suit you even better…”
“Born this way. You understand my ins and outs—that’s enough.”
“Exactly! Of course I know how gentle Little Bai’er is! If anyone dares call you cold or heartless, I’ll be the first to punch them into orbit!”
Thanks.
But your earlier comment about it getting cold was still echoing in her ears. It’d probably linger for days.
Lin Zihan fumbled through her reassurances.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She cleverly smacked her left fist into her right palm!
“Oh, right! I think I know how to make you smile!”
“Tell a cold joke? No thanks. We tried that last time—it just made things colder.”
“Hey~ That’s outdated now. Come on, Little Bai’er, follow me. This trick’s guaranteed to work!”
“?”
Ye Zhibai was fiddling with her fingers, trying to force a smile physically at her mouth.
Suddenly, Lin Zihan grabbed her arm and pulled her up.
She had no idea what the girl was up to, but it was hard to refuse that enthusiasm.
Lin Zihan led her toward the house. Before going in, she kicked off her rain boots, neatly placing them on the stone steps by the door—they were caked with mud from working the fields earlier.
Once inside, Lin Zihan carefully shut the door.
Then she scurried back mysteriously, arms spread wide toward Ye Zhibai’s bed in eager invitation.
“Come on, Little Bai’er! Lie flat on the bed and don’t move. I’ll make you laugh!”
“Ha…?”
She feared the air suddenly going still the most.
She feared a friend’s sudden concern the most.
Friend, what are you even saying?!
