Being cultured might be part of culture, but truly cultured people were never tacky!
On the contrary, Little Zhibai—with her limited cultural foundation—felt deeply ashamed of herself after hearing this entire discourse sparked by a single image.
And it wasn’t just that.
The flowery rhetoric in one’s words was merely the surface of literary cultivation. But when Ye Zhibai took extra time to slowly grasp the deeper meaning woven into Sister Liang’s words, along with her reminiscences of the past…
Her head—which had already dipped slightly in self-reproach—drooped even lower.
What she was reminiscing about were those days when the two of them had supported each other every step of the way.
Hmm… I know this reunion wasn’t easy, but hearing it put so poetically all of a sudden makes me feel kinda embarrassed.
People with icy exteriors weren’t incapable of shyness; they simply buried it deep beneath their glacial facade. Her face might be as cool as frost, but her heart burned just as hot.
Seeing Little Bai suddenly let her bangs fall over her face without saying a word, Chi Yuliang thought she’d grossed her out with her sudden literary outburst!
“Woo, sorry, Little Bai. Sis promises not to talk like that anymore. My taste in profile pics… it’s really outdated, isn’t it?”
“I-It’s… not that.”
When she lifted her head again, the rare blush on that frosty little face had already faded back into her usual rosy glow.
Rather than piling on more words of approval…
Ye Zhibai simply stuck out her thumb in a big thumbs-up!
Her words came out clumsy, flat in tone without any extra inflection, but that earnest effort to show her support carried a stubborn sort of cuteness.
“I… I think it’s pretty good. I used to read poetry sometimes too. The beauty of the imagery—that’s the pinnacle of aesthetics. And… the whole point of expressing emotions is just to share your feelings, right? I don’t know how to put it exactly… but everything you said earlier, Sister Liang… I could feel it too…?”
“……”
A strange silence hung between them for a moment.
Finally, Chi Yuliang blinked in rapid surprise and reopened the floodgates of conversation.
“Little Bai.”
“Mm…?”
“Sis is just curious. Do people ever tell you that you look like an angel?”
“!”
Does Sister Liang know how to read fortunes or something?!
You know, you’re spot on. I have no idea why, but Zihan keeps calling me an angel or whatever.
So random.
Chi Yuliang offered no further explanation.
She pressed a finger lightly to her lips with a gentle smile, then picked up her phone from its stand and brought the screen a bit closer.
“Alright, enough dwelling on that. It’s getting late, Little Bai—head to bed. Staying up isn’t a good habit.”
“Mm, okay. Uh… speaking of which, I should shower too. Got the amusement park tomorrow, and mornings are always rushed… Alright, Sister Liang, I’m gonna hang up.”
“Mm-hm… wait! Little Bai, what did you say you’re doing tomorrow?!”
“?!’
She’d been all gentle warmth the entire evening, but right as the call was about to end, she snapped—clenching her fist and slamming it down on the table!
Boom!
The crash not only startled Ye Zhibai but echoed outside Chi Yuliang’s room, drawing a call from her mother, Fang Wenyuan.
“Yuliang? What’s going on?!”
Chi Yuliang coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment, unclenched her fist, and snatched up a wooden comb. She madly ran it through her already perfectly neat purple hair.
“Cough cough cough…! It’s nothing, Mom! There was a mosquito on my desk—yeah…! Got it, squashed flat!”
“Sister Liang…? The mosquito…?”
“Squashed it.” Chi Yuliang dashed back into frame, her earlier shock now alight with eager anticipation. “Forget that for now—so, Little Bai, you said you’re hitting the amusement park tomorrow? Which one? Who with? What’s the plan?”
It was rare to see Sister Liang this worked up.
In Ye Zhibai’s eyes, Chi Yuliang had always been the unflappable big-sister type—the kind who wouldn’t bat an eye if a mountain collapsed in front of her or even if a beetle pinched her finger. No tears, no fuss.
Well… she’d asked, so time to answer.
With every reply from Ye Zhibai, Chi Yuliang nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling like stars. She looked adorably dopey doing it.
Chatting like this with Sister Liang felt refreshingly novel to Ye Zhibai.
But when Ye Zhibai mentioned that Lin Zihan had organized the outing, Chi Yuliang’s smile slowly froze on her face.
The joy was gone.
“Sister Liang, do you wanna come too? I figured your grad school proposal was swamping you last time, so I didn’t wanna bug you. Tickets are tough to snag now—prices have shot up these past few days. Thousands each.”
“Hold on, Little Bai… give me a sec to think.”
What’re you saying, Little Bai? Asking if I wanna go?
Does that even need saying?!
Out of Ye Zhibai’s view, Chi Yuliang had already yanked open her desk drawer and pulled out a special little card of her own.
On it, she’d scrawled countless dreams in watercolor pen.
—Save up for a nice fountain pen to gift Little Bai for her Gaokao. (Done—but Little Bai insisted on paying half. Boo, does that even count as a gift anymore?)
—Visit Little Bai’s home, check out her new life and if her family’s kind. (Done—super reassuring. Though her little sis is kinda weird.)
—Invite Little Bai over for lunch, chat about family stuff. (Done—so happy today! Little sis was scary, though.)
—Hope to take Little Bai to an amusement park someday. Used to envy other kids when I was broke; been dying to treat her. Now there’s a chance—but when to invite her? (Gathering courage.)
—Hope…
And so many more hopes.
These were Chi Yuliang’s “greedily endless” little wishes.
Talk about a duck practically landing in her mouth…! Ahem—more like Little Bai handing her the perfect opening!
But her hesitation stemmed from one thing: this outing wasn’t Little Bai’s idea. It was Miss Zihan’s.
If memory served, Miss Zihan was that blonde girl who’d shown up disguised as a delivery worker alongside Miss Zhiyun last time?
They’d only met the once.
Chi Yuliang wasn’t about to crash their fun just to satisfy her own whims—they weren’t close enough for that.
Hmm… what to do?
Ah.
She had a way.
Chi Yuliang was sharp; the idea hit her in a flash.
Ye Zhibai could tell Sister Liang wanted in but couldn’t say it outright, so Little Zhibai was racking her brain for solutions too.
“How about… how about this?
Sister Liang? I’ll go first, then in a few days, you and I can go together? Uh… but that kinda defeats the purpose. Double-dipping on tickets like a total sucker.”
—[Terrible Idea]
Chi Yuliang’s smile returned, brimming with her usual rational gleam.
“Don’t worry about it, Little Bai. You all go tomorrow like planned—ignore me. I’m good either way.”
“Ah, so you’re not coming?”
“Who said that? How could I miss it?” Chi Yuliang tapped the screen, as if poking Ye Zhibai’s forehead from afar. Her expression brimmed with doting affection. “Sis might pop up at the amusement park anytime tomorrow, so keep an eye out. Look at that—we’ve burned another half hour. Time to really sleep, or you won’t have energy to play tomorrow! Night, Little Bai. See you tomorrow!”
“Aw… night?”
When the screen went dark and the call ended…
Ye Zhibai was still thoroughly baffled.
But she’d at least pieced together one key takeaway.
Bottom line… Sister Liang would be at the amusement park tomorrow too, right?
Good grief. Tomorrow’s gonna be way livelier than I thought!
The human mind had a funny way of latching onto an idea, only to summon its direct opposite.
Lively… solitude.
The more Ye Zhibai pictured tomorrow’s roller coasters and thrill rides—the roaring chaos and vibrant energy—the more her thoughts drifted uncontrollably to a recent memory: a petite, ethereal figure standing alone under the moonlight, gazing up at the sky.
—Little Qiu.
Planning to shower later…
Ye Zhibai snuggled deeper into her covers, recalling Little Qiu’s mother, Tang Yuzhu’s, instructions.
“If you ever go out together, don’t startle her suddenly. Skip any rides that could spike her emotions wildly. When walking, match her pace—slow it down so she doesn’t feel rushed.”
In that case…
The amusement park was off-limits for Little Qiu.
Sigh.
Had those cool, moon-gazing eyes—then or now—ever yearned for such things?
The world’s cruelest illness wasn’t Little Qiu’s ailment.
It was poverty.
And fittingly, Ye Zhibai had suffered from “poverty” in her previous life.
Working late nights and passing the amusement park’s outskirts, she could no longer recall whether she’d lingered, entranced by the park’s crescent-shaped pendulum ride… or the half-moon hanging overhead.
She had no idea what Little Qiu had been staring at either.
Perhaps that’s why stepping into the park tomorrow filled her with that strange, thrilling flutter.
Poor Little Qiu—destined to miss out on it all in this lifetime.
On second thought… the world’s true terror went beyond even poverty.
A sigh escaped her, drawing Guang Yu—who’d finished her moonbathing. The girl patted an onion leaf from her brown hair and bounced back toward her room.
“Guang Yu, hold up.”
“What?! I didn’t yank any onions this time. They were fine before I even got there!”
“?”
In other words, they weren’t fine after you passed by, huh!
The art of human language… you’d mastered it down pat.
This score would be settled another day.
Right now, Little Zhibai was in a rather sentimental mood.
On a sudden impulse, she decided to ask Guang Yu a question.
“Guang Yu… You’ve been talking about this divine power and how miraculous it is. Can it cure diseases?”
“That depends on what kind of disease.” Guang Yu brushed the scallion leaf off her head and plopped down onto the swivel chair in front of Ye Zhibai’s desk. She slung both arms over the backrest, her feet dangling far short of the floor, yet she managed to look utterly domineering. “Something like the cancer you humans are always going on about? In our prime, that was child’s play! But now… well, we know our limits. We can’t save lives—just a fox trying to scrape by.”
“Then… what about the hereditary disease Little Qiu has? The one you mentioned last time?”
“Same deal. Our divine power in its current state is useless against it.”
“I see… Yeah, I get it. No helping it—you’re not a doctor, after all. What about something minor, like a cold?”
“Can’t fix that either.”
Then why bother talking crap?!
Ye Zhibai chided herself for taking that drivel seriously and resolved to just get on with her evening routine.
She shifted in bed, sliding her two long, snow-white legs out from under the covers one after the other.
Conversation over.
Time for a shower and bed!
It was only when her feet hit the floor that Ye Zhibai realized her body had made a full recovery.
Every trace of soreness had vanished completely.
Good as new!
No time for other thoughts right now.
Everything was ready. Tomorrow, first stop: the amusement park for some real fun!
Heh heh, and this body of mine sure pulls its weight. Doesn’t seem like it since I never work out, but it never drops the ball when it counts.
I’d bet that in this refreshed state of mine, even if Yun’er pulled that finger-stab trick on me right now, I wouldn’t so much as blink!
Nothing but swagger!
Thump thump thump.
Huh?!
“Sister, got a minute? You haven’t… gone to sleep yet, have you? Still feeling off?”
Creak.
She opened the door at the exact moment Little Zhibai dove back under the covers, lying stock-still and staring up at the ceiling.
Swagger? Gone without a trace.
Her voice turned earnest and heartfelt.
“My back aches, legs are sore, head’s buzzing. Yun’er, I think it’s time I rested.”
Everyone had their pride.
But to be human meant knowing how to bend without breaking, advance or retreat as needed.
Yun’er glided forward on light feet and perched on the edge of the bed.
As she gently massaged Ye Zhibai’s shoulders, her words carried the same warmth.
“Mm… Sister worked so hard yesterday. I just wanted to tell you to rest up today—get better by tomorrow so we can hit the amusement park. Oh, and speaking of… this’ll be our first time going together. Sigh… it’s a shame Lin Zihan has to tag along. Just thinking about her ticks me off!”
“You’ll get used to it… Wait, no—reason comes first.”
“Of course~ I’m being super reasonable today. See? I knew you weren’t feeling well, so I headed back to my room early to get ready for bed. Otherwise, I’d be like usual—unable to hold back and bothering you when you’re trying to sleep. That’d be awful.”
“It’s not really a bother… Huh?”
Hold on.
If that’s the case, then what’s this visit for?!
Before Ye Zhibai could finish puzzling it out or voice a question,
Silky black hair brushed smoothly across her neck and cheeks.
The next instant, a soft breath tickled her nose.
It lingered for a microsecond, as if patiently waiting for Ye Zhibai to brace herself.
And then…
…those lips pressed firmly against hers, delivering a warmth like no other.
Mm…?!
A sneak attack?!
Not even close.
The moment Ye Zhibai bolted upright, Yun’er drew back her head.
She retreated a playful step on tiptoe, hands clasped behind her back in smug satisfaction. The little devil’s pose practically screamed:
—See, Sister? Yun’er didn’t do a thing~
But you’re licking your lips right now!
Still,
Once she spelled it out,
Ye Zhibai understood the reason behind the ambush.
“I was planning to sleep, sure—but that doesn’t mean I can actually drift off~ It’s all your fault for teasing me this morning. There goes my dream of a perfect two-person amusement park date tomorrow. So, begging for a goodnight kiss isn’t over the top, right~? Otherwise, I’ll toss and turn all night and be wiped out tomorrow. Hehe, objective complete! Heading back to bed like a good girl now! Night, Sister!!
“Hey, Yun—!”
Click.
The door shut.
Yun’er, mission accomplished and coquetry fulfilled, made her getaway!
No doubt she’d sleep like a baby now.
Guang Yu hopped off the chair and struck the same hands-behind-back pose, sauntering forward with a smug sway.
She swished her big tail and bobbed her head now and then, muttering snarky asides.
“Sigh… Would you look at that. Your little sister’s such a handful. Not like us—nice and steady. All grown up and still pulling pranks, honestly.”
Enough, Guang Yu. Quit the daily self-own.
Right back at you.
What are you, some kid? Still pranking every day.
Tens of thousands of years old and not even human. Thanks.
So cut yourself some slack.
Ye Zhibai touched her lips, still warm and faintly moist.
That surprise peck from Yun’er, combined with Sister Liang’s oh-so-poetic commentary, prompted a simple decision.
Mm… Time for that shower—but make the water a touch cooler.
Cool off, clear the head, curb those urges.
Face tomorrow’s amusement park adventure in peak condition.
Wahh, it’s just a trip to the amusement park—why all the hurdles?!
