July’s weather was as fickle as a cat’s whims—one moment sweltering hot, the next turning cool, with summer hightailing it away before you knew it.
The days passed in peaceful bliss, marked by countless sunrises and sunsets. By now, Little Zhibai’s summer vacation was already half over.
This was summer: lounging with the AC blasting, munching on watermelon, and suddenly, it was the end of August.
August meant the start of school was just a couple of weeks away.
Sigh… “before you know it” was just a lie people told themselves.
Truth be told, this summer had been packed with one jaw-dropping event after another.
Ever since reincarnating into this life, every day brought unprecedented shocks, broadening her horizons in ways she never imagined.
Oh, right—Old Dad and Mom had mentioned yesterday that they wanted to host a big gathering for the city’s business elite. They hoped their eldest daughter would grace the event with a few words. If she did, it would bring honor to the whole family!
Yun’er had sized it up perfectly: Mom and Dad were getting ahead of themselves. Just because big sis could talk now, they wanted to show her off?
No way in hell.
Ye Zhibai fully backed Yun’er’s verdict.
She really wasn’t up for it. Being able to speak and being good at speaking were two different beasts. As she often said, even a husky could outdo her at public speaking.
Lost in memories of the summer’s escapades, Ye Zhibai delicately lifted her intricately carved teacup—adorned with drifting cloud motifs—and took a slow sip of the tea infused with the subtle aroma of goji berries.
She sat poised at the center of the Lake Heart Pavilion, gazing out at the rippling blue waters of the lake.
She had already sighed who-knows-how-many times, shaking her head endlessly.
Her demeanor left the visitor seated across from her, Chi Yuliang, utterly uneasy.
“What’s wrong, Little Bai? Dreading the start of school? Actually, going back isn’t so bad… You’d get to meet new classmates. And the best part—no more holing up at home with the AC cranked up all day! Didn’t you always say you prefer a natural breeze over artificial chill?”
“Sister Liang… September’s around the corner. Even if I skipped school, I doubt I’d need the AC anymore… Sigh, it’s not school I’m worried about. It’s something else. Sorry—you made the trip over, and here I am lost in my own head. Must be annoying you.”
“Don’t say that. I didn’t come for you to entertain me. Hmm… Little Bai doesn’t get this tangled up often. You’ve got something weighing on you, don’t you? Why not talk it out with your big sis? I might have some advice. We’ve always been on the same wavelength, after all~”
Ha… weren’t they just.
Back when they were kids, Ye Zhibai had caught a stag beetle in the orphanage yard, eager to show it off to Sister Liang. But Sister Liang thought she was scared of the bug and charged three hundred meters to the wall, hurling it over with all her might.
Devastated at losing her prized catch, little Ye Zhibai had sobbed through the night.
Though… she remembered it had come back in the end, hadn’t it?
Before dawn the next day, a purple-haired little girl from the orphanage grabbed a net and scoured the streets all day for a replacement stag beetle.
At dusk, when Chi Yuliang thrust a bigger one toward Ye Zhibai, beaming sheepishly with an apology, Ye Zhibai only cried harder.
Wailing, in fact.
“What’s wrong, Little Bai?! Wuu… I know it’s not the same one—I’m sorry! Should I… go look for another?”
“Forget the stupid stag beetle! Your hands—they’re all scratched up! Look at those cuts! Quick, let’s go to Dean Grandma for some Band-Aids!”
As they sipped their tea, Ye Zhibai mentioned the incident offhand, drawing a chuckle from Chi Yuliang.
“Haha… And you have the nerve to bring it up, Little Bai? Crybaby—bawling without the beetle, bawling with a new one. I really didn’t know what to do back then.”
“I wasn’t that much of a crybaby… Maybe just sometimes?”
“I’ve got the final say on that~ You’d scrap your knee and not make a peep in front of others, but the second you pulled me aside alone, those eyes of yours would be red as beets. Come to think of it… Little Bai’s always been pretty stubborn, even as a kid?”
“Ahem… Let’s not dwell on ancient history.”
The topic ended there—no point dragging it out.
Woo, Sister Liang knew her inside and out, and with two years on her, she had an absolute edge when it came to dredging up embarrassing old stories!
The artificial lake shimmered under the light, lotus leaves stretching across its surface. Sister Liang smiled gently.
If Little Bai didn’t want to revisit it, then they wouldn’t.
Little Bai’s expressions weren’t as vivid now as they’d been in childhood. If anything, they seemed a bit subdued.
But every time that impossibly beautiful little face flushed with a hint of pink, Chi Yuliang noticed.
She elegantly lifted her teacup for a sip, as if blending the lovely sight before her into the tea, savoring it alongside waves of nostalgia.
Today, Chi Yuliang had come to Ye Family Manor to check on Little Bai.
School was starting soon for her, after all.
The same went for Chi Yuliang.
She was in grad school now, with no real “vacation” to speak of—plenty of papers and research projects assigned by her advisor to tackle over the summer.
In truth, she’d dragged her feet in Qihai City for over a month with one excuse after another. But now she had no choice; she’d have to head back to the capital in a few days.
So, she couldn’t resist dropping by to see her Little Bai.
Er… though snagging alone time with her hadn’t been easy. Miss Zhiyun’s vibe earlier… how to put it?
—More aggressive than any stag beetle Chi Yuliang had ever seen.
But thankfully, Little Bai’s word was law. A slightly firmer tone from her, and Miss Zhiyun’s formidable aura shattered like glass.
Little Bai’s standing in the family was higher than expected… A pleasant surprise. It put Chi Yuliang even more at ease.
As for the “stag beetle”—cough, Eldest Miss Zhiyun—she was still off on the distant lakeshore, dragging over a little chair to sit with a folding fan, pretending to cool off in the lakeside breeze.
Haa… No need to worry so much. You care about Little Bai, and so do I. We’re on the same side.
With August’s tail end came the first whispers of autumn chill in Qihai City.
The Lake Heart Pavilion felt it even more, the freshly brewed tea cooling to just the right temperature.
“Alright, Little Bai—ready to open up to your big sis now?”
“Mm…”
“That’s the spirit. Lean on me more. You’re not a kid anymore, but that doesn’t mean you have to bottle everything up. At least with me, you can say anything.”
“Anything…?”
“Of course. Have I ever lied to you?”
Fair point.
These words had been festering in Ye Zhibai’s heart for over half a month.
She couldn’t tell just anyone—except Sister Liang. With her, it felt safe.
Ye Zhibai dove right in with a bombshell secret.
“…I’m at my wit’s end. The cat at home keeps raiding the green onions—no matter what I do, she won’t stop.”
“You’re dodging again. Cats don’t raid green onions.”
“Guang Yu’s the cat.”
“Ah, got it… Yeah, that sounds like a headache.”
“Right?”
“But that’s not the real issue bugging you, is it? Spill the actual tea.”
“Urgh… You’re right.”
Sorry, she really had been deflecting.
Aah, even with Sister Liang, this topic was mortifying!
But just as Ye Zhibai considered backing out—
She looked up and spotted the “orbs” propped on the table by Sister Liang… No, not orbs.
—Breasts.
Tired of sitting up, and with no one else around, she’d simply leaned forward, resting her chest on the table to ease the load. Pure comfort.
Gazing at the vast expanse beneath that blue-patterned dress… Ye Zhibai felt a profound reverence.
Sister Liang had always been right.
If it was Sister Liang, maybe—just maybe—she could offer real guidance!
Because she was all-encompassing, like the sea embracing a hundred rivers.
“Little Bai…? What are you staring at?”
“It’s fine, Sister Liang. Just thinking. Yeah, I’ve got it… Hoo, hoo…”
Ye Zhibai took several deep breaths, carefully choosing her words.
This mattered—a lot.
As the tea in the stone table’s center boiled anew—
Ye Zhibai spoke, laying her heart bare.
“Sister Liang… What if—hypothetically—my body’s already maxed out, but I’m wondering if it could handle more down the line? I mean, is there even a chance?”
“?”
“Sorry, I muddled that. Look at this goji water in front of me—the stuff I drink every day. That’s my body’s state right now. Basically, Sister Liang, you agree emotions need restraint, right? Not endless back-and-forth turmoil, getting tossed around. Sure, desires exist, but you have to learn control. Yeah?”
“……”
Little Bai…?
Why was her speech sometimes so clipped it made no sense,
and other times so convoluted it was baffling?
Helpless, Chi Yuliang gave a wry smile and groped for an entry point with the few words she’d caught.
“Tossed around? Little Bai, who’s giving you trouble? Care to elaborate?”
“Yun’er—my little sister. Every few days, she wears me out, leaves my body wrecked. But it’s love, so I can’t say no.”
“Wears you out… love? Oh, I get it… You mean Miss Zhiyun wakes you up super early all the time? Ha, that’s actually good—sleeping in harms the body.”
“No, Sister Liang, don’t get the wrong idea. Since we’re on this now, let me vent. You’re my only big sis—if you won’t listen, who will?”
The woes Ye Zhibai had buried all summer long.
Finally, someone to hear her out.
I’m dying here.
Sister Liang… I should’ve come to you ages ago.
This pressure’s been crushing me too long.
It’s nothing major—no help needed. I just want to vent!
~~~
—and the only person who could bear to listen to me vent was Sister Liang.
“What I meant by ‘torment’ are matters of that kind…”
And there it was again—Ye Zhibai’s signature blank-faced blush!
This time, she even made a gesture.
She pressed her two palms together… rubbing them against each other, now lightly and playfully, now heavily and intently.
Her fingers intertwined intimately, thumbs brushing together, until she finally formed a heart shape with them.
At last… Ye Zhibai picked up her teacup and downed the goji berry health tea in one gulp.
Chi Yuliang froze for a moment.
But in the next instant! She slammed her palm on the table, her eyes flying wide as she shot to her feet in shock!
“Little Bai…? Don’t tell me you’re saying that Miss Zhiyun has those kinds of feelings for you?!”
“Yes, and lately, I’ve been mulling over how to reply to Zihan. A little while back, she came right out and said it’s love.”
“!”
“And then there’s the thing with the cat yanking green onions—I already told you about that…”
“Little Bai, hold on a sec.”
“Sister Liang?”
“Just hold on… wait, wait… stop talking right now!”
“？!”
Sister Liang! You’re the one who promised I could say anything!
Now you’re telling me to shut up!
“Hang on, Little Bai, seriously—just don’t say another word yet.
At least let me catch my breath first.
You have no idea.
The truth is, big sis is about to suffocate here.”
