The twenty-seven members of the Ye Family Maid Corps squad received their orders and split off to either side.
They cleared a broad, smooth avenue leading out of the manor for Ye Zhibai!
The Head Maid had defied the Second Miss’s command, making this decision entirely on her own.
But not a single one of them in the Maid Corps would breathe a word of it.
After all, they knew the Head Maid’s character all too well.
Generous and righteous, never seeking personal gain—and most importantly of all…
There was a spark in her eyes now.
The Head Maid strode ahead, blazing the trail for the Eldest Miss, and she cut such a majestic figure!
Ye Zhibai followed along with Guang Yu, her own determination just as steadfast.
Don’t worry, Head Maid… I absolutely won’t let you take the fall for me.
I have no idea how much pull I really have… but once I see Yun’er, I’ll put in the best word for you that I possibly can.
At the very least, you’re completely innocent here.
At most, I can swing you a promotion and a raise!
Woo woo, thank you, benefactor!
Guang Yu, the deity lounging in total victory, happily looped circles around Ye Zhibai while ambling onward.
Her devil-may-care stride was still just as punchable as ever!
At the same time, her light, ethereal voice echoed once more in Ye Zhibai’s mind.
“Yay! Ye Zhibai, I didn’t know you had that trick up your sleeve! Uh… but to be honest, I still don’t get it. How’d you pull it off?”
“To attack your foe, strike at the heart.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m panicking my ass off too. Ask again, and I’ll pluck your fur.”
“!”
Guess I’d better shut up quick!
“Eldest Miss, please get in the car. We’ll escort you to Qihai No.1 Middle School.”
Mm, fine. The problem is…
Where’s the car?!
Ye Zhibai gazed blankly down the main road outside the villa manor, utterly lost on which direction to head.
The Head Maid saw that the Eldest Miss still seemed a bit slow on the uptake and led her a little farther to the roadside.
She bowed slightly toward Ye Zhibai, while her back faced the open rear door of a top-of-the-line luxury sedan sports car, arms spread wide.
“Eldest Miss, please, get in.”
“……”
Ohhh, no wonder I hadn’t spotted the car earlier.
Sorry—in Ye Zhibai’s mental dictionary, anything bigger than a tricycle was pretty much the same as a bicycle.
No one was pointing out a four-wheeler? Yeah, she wasn’t about to recognize it!
How embarrassing!
A touch awkward, Ye Zhibai stepped her long, elegant legs into the back seat with slightly clumsy poise.
The moment Ye Zhibai settled in, the maid stationed outside shut the door without delay.
It was sweltering out there, and the car had the AC blasting—better not let the Eldest Miss suffer a heatstroke.
Wishing her a smooth journey to school from the bottom of her heart, the maid swiftly pushed the door closed from the inside.
Ye Zhibai heard the door click shut and froze.
Wait, no!
Guang Yu hasn’t gotten in yet!
She stared wordlessly at the scummy fox pawing frantically at the window glass outside, too scared to make any real noise, and slapped a palm to her forehead.
Guess it’s up to me to save you.
Why couldn’t you have hurried up? Were you chasing butterflies again?!
Ye Zhibai cracked the door open quietly to let Guang Yu hop in.
To dodge any awkward explanations, she slammed it shut again as fast as she could!
And then…
“Ow meow!!”
“Huh?! Alert! What was that noise?!”
The twenty-odd maids around them snapped into high alert.
Only Ye Zhibai knew the truth.
Guang Yu had been grinning ear to ear as she scrambled aboard when Ye Zhibai shut the door mid-climb—and clipped her fox tail right in the gap!
How was I supposed to know her tail was that damn long?!
The scummy fox wore a full mask of agony; that pinch had been no joke.
Ye Zhibai yanked the trapped Guang Yu inside with lightning reflexes!
The door sealed shut on its own.
To everyone else, of course, it just looked like she was yanking at thin air.
Even in her frantic scramble, Ye Zhibai kept her cool, calm, and utterly stoic facade.
She jabbed a finger toward the opposite side of the window. “Just now… a stray cat darted across the road. It’s fine.”
“Is… that right?”
The Head Maid couldn’t take Ye Zhibai’s word alone. She inspected the vehicle thoroughly, satisfied there were no issues, then slid into the driver’s seat herself. She turned back with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry about that, Eldest Miss… Look at us, going all out for your 100% safety, and we still get jumpy over nothing. Didn’t even spot the stray cat… Though yeah, there are plenty of them prowling around here.”
“No worries.”
“Got it! Please buckle up, and we’ll be off! Eh… You don’t know how to do seatbelts, do you? Want me to…? I… uh! Eldest Miss, can you manage it yourself? The Second Miss was clear: no getting too close to you.”
“!”
Yun’er!
Human possessiveness… what a delightful, terrifying thing.
But good thing Ye Zhibai wasn’t actually helpless.
She might not own a car, but taxis? She’d ridden plenty.
She snatched the belt beside her and clicked it home with a smooth snap.
“I got it. Learned how.”
“Woo woo… You’ve really grown up.”
So gratified?!
With all preparations complete, the Ye Family convoy rolled slowly away from the manor gates, swung around the street corner, and merged onto the ring road.
Ye Zhibai peered roughly out both windows. Aside from her own car—with its two maids up front—the convoy included three identical vehicles all around, offering zero blind spots in protection.
Really… this over the top? All I wanted was a casual stroll!
Ye Zhibai sighed heavily to herself before remembering something.
Oh, right. I’ve still got a fox with me.
She tilted her head and saw Guang Yu’s cute little face still locked in that mask of agony.
The girl clutched her big tail, slumped pitifully across the back seat.
Sigh.
Thank goodness for the car stereo humming away. Ye Zhibai scooted her butt closer to Guang Yu’s head so she could whisper.
“Hey… Guang Yu? You still with us? Sorry about before… I slammed the door too hard.”
“The Mortal Realm… lurks with peril at every turn!”
“Hm?!”
Ye Zhibai let out a quiet gasp.
Guang Yu had suddenly leaped upward—and plopped right onto her thigh as a pillow!
The Head Maid caught the motion and asked with concern, “Eldest Miss, everything all right? Any discomfort at all, and we turn right back.”
No turning back! She was finally out!
“I’m fine.”
Fuming, Ye Zhibai grabbed Guang Yu’s fox ears and tugged downward. “Keep driving.”
“Understood. We’ve got about twenty minutes to go. The Second Miss takes this route almost every day—please, enjoy the same views she does along the way.”
Woo, this Head Maid really was a sweetheart!
But right now, Ye Zhibai had zero attention for the ring road scenery flying by.
Her hand was still clamped tight on Guang Yu’s ears.
Hang on… why had Guang Yu gone so still since earlier?
“Hey… what’re you doing on my lap?”
Ye Zhibai glanced down.
Guang Yu’s entire body trembled faintly.
Her little face flushed red as an apple; she worked her mouth a few times before forcing out words.
“Urgh… don’t touch the ears right now… don’t…! Tail’s still throbbing from the door…! And you grabbing them like this… urgh?!”
“?!”
Guang Yu suddenly buried her cheek deep into Ye Zhibai’s soft abdomen.
She twitched once or twice, then slowly settled.
Everything went flat and dull.
What the hell just happened?!
Carsick? Unwell?!
Panicking, Ye Zhibai let go of the ears and cradled Guang Yu’s head, trying to soothe her.
It didn’t take long.
Once Ye Zhibai eased her arm away, Guang Yu slowly lifted her head.
The deity’s eyes shimmered with teary grievance, sulking like a petulant child as she nestled back onto Ye Zhibai’s thigh.
She even nipped at Ye Zhibai through the fabric with her little fangs—out for revenge!
But it was all soft and feeble; she could barely muster any force.
Guang Yu rolled over, refusing to face Ye Zhibai, and mumbled words that didn’t quite reach her ears.
They rang directly in Ye Zhibai’s mind instead.
“Hateful human… so what if you let me rest on your thigh… stingy jerk…! Mere Ye Zhibai…! Mere mortal…! Aaaah, utter humiliation!!”
“?!”
What did I do wrong this time?!
