“Got to head out early tomorrow too?”
“Yeah, I do need to go out, but not as early as usual. The study room doesn’t open until nine tomorrow, so I can leave a bit later.”
“Oh… okay.”
The atmosphere at the Lin Family dinner table was as usual.
Just a teensy bit stuffy.
One of the four bulbs hanging above the table had burned out months ago, and it still hadn’t been replaced.
After all, as long as it provided light, there was no need to chase perfection.
Chewing slowly on a piece of beef, a burst of happiness exploded across her taste buds. Zihan squinted her eyes happily, propping her cheek on her hand as she savored her own cooking.
She had bought both steaks and fresh beef earlier that day. Since Mama wasn’t feeling well, she stashed the steaks in the fridge and switched to stewed beef instead—something easier to chew.
Naturally, that motion let her catch sight of Mama’s weary, not-quite-happy expression across the table.
“Uh… what’s wrong? Is the beef not stewed tender enough? Did I mess up the cooking time?”
“No… cough, cough. It’s pretty good.”
“If it’s good, then eat more! Hey, Mama, a cold’s no big deal, but low energy is serious business. You’ve got to eat properly—illness is just a paper tiger. If you fear it, it’ll come at you fiercer, but make it fear you, and it’ll scamper off in a puff of smoke. Here, let me ladle some soup over your rice. That’s the only way it really comes alive!”
“Ah, I can do it myself… haha, you silly girl. Take care of your own meal first.”
“Ehehe…”
Contrary to what most people imagined, money wasn’t the rarest thing in their home.
Mama’s smile was.
Even if it was a bit forced, just getting her to smile like that was a huge win!
Ten years ago, everyone had praised Mama’s smile as the most beautiful in the world.
So not smiling would be such a shame.
Using her spoon, Zihan carefully ladled beef stew over the untouched rice in front of Elsa until it was perfectly soaked. Then, with a satisfied grunt, she plopped back into her seat and dug into her own rice and beef with big bites—as if demonstrating for Elsa.
—This was how you ate.
Even though Elsa’s eyes were still cloudy and listless, seeing Zihan like that made her shake her head with a wry smile.
She picked up her chopsticks and clamped a piece of meat for her daughter.
“Eat slowly… no rush, cough cough…”
“Mm-hmm!”
Before long, despite her lack of appetite, Elsa started nibbling at her rice too.
Mm… the flavor really was good.
It was rare for Zihan to polish off a whole bowl of beef stew. As she got up to clear the dishes, Elsa was pushing back her chair, looking like she was heading to her room for an early rest.
“Mama, maybe take your temperature? You’re not feverish, are you? Or should I grab an ice towel for you?”
“It’s fine. More importantly… Zihan.”
“Hm?”
Elsa didn’t turn back.
But Zihan could clearly hear the weary concern in her voice.
She could see that world-weary golden-haired silhouette too.
“You… don’t push yourself too hard. I did say I hoped you’d study diligently and not settle for mediocrity. But you don’t need to spend your whole summer vacation studying. If you wear yourself out… cough, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? Get plenty of rest. Balance work and rest.”
“……”
No windows were open, yet it felt like a warm breeze had blown through.
The spacious but sparsely furnished living room had no heater, so that meant…
The breeze rose from the heart.
Mama… if only she could turn those words right back at her.
—You don’t have to try so hard either, you know?
But given the situation…
Daughters all over the world probably only had one response to a mother’s concern.
Even if there was a little white lie about the study room… it paled in comparison to this caring moment.
“Mm, don’t worry, Mama! Like I said~ I’ll head out later tomorrow, come back early, and take good care of myself. Hey, what about you? You’re exhausted and still not rushing off to bed? Go, go, go—sleep! I’ll handle the dining room!”
“Good… hey, kiddo, don’t push me. I can walk back myself.”
“You’re just trying to help with the dishes again! Off to bed with you!”
That evening.
Little Zhibai’s body had perked right back up.
She twirled her elbows twice, hopped in place a couple times, and even went through a relaxing routine of Iceberg Version Lightning Five Consecutive Whips.
Ehey, no pain!
Phew… good, good. Her body was back in fighting shape. If she’d had to drag that morning’s fatigue into tomorrow’s amusement park trip, forget tackling something wild like bungee jumping—she might not have even managed the carousel! Ye Zhibai hadn’t expected to recover so quickly. Lying motionless in bed all day was definitely the MVP decision.
As for the runner-up…
That would be the current source—soft, glutinous comfort from her back. A gentle but perfectly measured pressure.
“Mm… a bit higher.”
“Here?”
“Yeah… phew, that’s nice. Hm? Now the lower part’s aching again? Or should we go lower?”
“You’re such a pain, you know that?! I’m done! I’m going on strike!”
“Don’t~ I paid you with a whole bottle of wasabi. You can’t just quit—ever heard of labor contract spirit?”
“……”
Meow meow paws. Back to kneading on Ye Zhibai’s back like a kitten making biscuits.
Wasabi really was the best.
Yes, Little Zhibai’s runner-up hero was her own stroke of genius: having Guang Yu shift into cat form to massage her back with those paw pads.
It worked wonders!
A cat’s paw pads seemed naturally healing, bringing an indescribable relaxation wherever they pressed.
Regular cats couldn’t apply force or follow directions properly, but Guang Yu was different. She had all the advantages of a regular cat plus the smarts of a thinking one, making her massage skills top-tier!
The mention of wasabi had Guang Yu leaping back onto Ye Zhibai’s back again, catwalking in place from her spine outward.
But she seemed to mutter something unclear under her breath?
“What was that, Guang Yu? Did you say something?”
“I said… I want two bottles.”
You greedy little…
!
Fine, fine, two bottles it is. Then put some extra oomph into it.
“Does this really work? Or are you just trading my stamina for yours? Feels fun for you, but I’m about to drop dead here.”
“You could think of it that way under the extension of conservation of energy. It works… just not with enough oomph. Here, add a little more force.”
“Like this?”
“Still not enough.”
“Like this?”
“Not even close.”
“How about this?!”
“Guugh!!”
What was this sudden choking sensation?!
The meow-meow paw pads vanished.
In their place, Guang Yu abruptly shifted back to human form and stomped down on Ye Zhibai’s back with her little ice-cream-stick legs wrapped in white stockings—a killing blow!
No more wasabi for you!
Ye Zhibai flipped over, grabbing her ankle and pinning her to the corner of the bed!
One more stomp like that, and her whole evening’s recovery would go poof!
As the girl and the deity stared silently at each other, their faces mirrored mutual bafflement.
“Guang Yu… why? Are you always plotting my demise? I’ve never skimped on your drinks or wasabi, so what’s this about?”
“You said it wasn’t forceful enough… That was my max as a cat. You want big force? I have to shift like this. Tsk tsk tsk, told you you’re a hassle. And no, you haven’t self-reflected—you skimp on my wasabi drinks all the time.”
“……”
Late at night, she didn’t want to resort to violence.
This deity had better learn some of their traditional wisdom—the Doctrine of the Mean.
Everything needed balance, not extremes.
Asking for more force didn’t mean sending her to the afterlife.
Ye Zhibai was done.
Only when she cautiously released Guang Yu’s ankle did the other girl stand up with a shiver. Her princess dress dissolved into motes of light, reforming as a pint-sized version of Little Zhibai’s pajamas.
Handy as ever with the outfit changes.
Guang Yu hopped off the bed, flashed a raspberry over her shoulder, and bolted out to the yard to moonbathe before Ye Zhibai could retaliate.
You sly fox. Deduct a merit point.
She’s a deity? No merit deduction?
Never mind then.
Ye Zhibai slid out of bed too, stretching her wrists and ankles, relishing the long-lost ease.
Suddenly, her QQ rang from behind.
Glancing back, the caller was Sister Liang.
That simple avatar she’d recently changed to—a white cloud and blue sky with a single drifting leaf—stood out in an era of flashy, bizarre profile pics. Simplicity bred recognition.
Uh… why a drifting leaf in the clouds, though? Was Sister Liang into retro vibes lately?
Oh right, not the point.
The point was… it was nearly bedtime. What did Sister Liang want?
