When Ye Zhibai stepped out of the car on her long, slender yet somewhat awkward legs, planting her heels on this familiar ground she hadn’t seen in a full two days, only one phrase came to mind to describe her current mood.
It was like a lifetime away.
Woo woo, forget a lifetime away—it was literally another world!
Spot on, no issues there.
Ye Zhiyun was off helping the Head Maid find a parking spot.
This apartment complex was in an oddly remote location, and even finding a place to squeeze in the car nearby was a real hassle!
Unable to lend a hand, Ye Zhibai could only stand there like a fool for the moment.
She scanned the area again, this old turf where she had once lived for nearly a decade.
The apartment was a rundown two-story building, shabby and dilapidated, not along any street, not near shops, not in a business district. It just sat there, isolated from the world in this dim, secluded alley.
Being remote had its perks, right? No constant car horns from the road? Peaceful and relaxing? Sounded nice enough?
Yeah, right!
This place was only shielded by the row of high-rises in front. The incessant blaring of car horns from the street across the way reached it without fail!
Sigh… this dump of an apartment was falling apart, sure, and that could be chalked up to age. Every corner reeked of imminent collapse, like crows might come flapping out at any moment.
That was tolerable, at least.
The real killer was that it never saw the light of day!
Blocked by those towering buildings, not a ray of sunlight ever made it through. Back when Ye Zhibai lived here in her previous life, her days felt as dark as night even in broad daylight—pitch black, and she didn’t dare turn on the lights.
Electricity was way too expensive.
If there was one silver lining, one reason she stuck it out here for ten whole years, it was this:
The rent was dirt cheap!
Just over two hundred bucks a month, cheaper than even the university dorms. And back then, with her part-time jobs, living off-campus like this was just more convenient.
Ye Zhibai gazed at the decrepit little building with a tangle of emotions, paying her respects for a full minute.
Alright… enough griping. She was here today to say goodbye.
My apartment… even if you’re a total wreck, you sheltered me for so long.
No merit, but plenty of hardship.
And looking closer, maybe this place of hers wasn’t all that bad? Maybe it wasn’t so—
“Whoa!! Zhibai! This is where you used to live? It’s so old, so rundown!”
Whoa!!
Thanks a lot, Guang Yu!
Guang Yu had dawdled, savoring the car’s air conditioning that much longer before finally arriving.
She tugged at the tops of her white thigh-high stockings with her small hands.
Earlier, Ye Zhibai had squished her against the car door, and the friction had dragged the socks all the way down to her calves.
Suddenly, Guang Yu felt a heavy thwack on the back of her head!
“Ow!!”
“No ‘ow’—listen to me, Guang Yu.”
“？！”
Ye Zhibai just wanted to reason with her!
“Guang Yu, don’t say it like that. Sure, it’s a dump compared to our new place… but it has its value. Living here’s at least somewhat convenient, and right outside—”
“Sis? You sure this is the spot? This apartment’s way too shabby, isn’t it? What if you got it wrong in the dream?”
“……”
The car was parked out on the street by now.
Yun’er hurried back, looked up at the building, and offered that assessment.
Ye Zhibai fell silent, hanging her head sorrowfully as she stared at Guang Yu.
Grinning through the pain while clutching the back of her head, Guang Yu eyed Ye Zhibai warily in return.
Forget it… apartment.
I don’t even want to defend you anymore.
Nothing else to say.
Here’s hoping you get demolished soon.
For this trip, Ye Zhibai had to take the lead.
Guang Yu aside—she could probably sniff out whatever she wanted anyway—for Ye Zhiyun and the Head Maid, this place was completely unfamiliar territory. They didn’t know the way and found the surroundings a bit sketchy!
The Head Maid had gone into full alert mode from the moment she set foot on the creaking stairs, her expression grave.
Yun’er was even more on edge, sticking close to Ye Zhibai’s side and watching every flicker of movement around them.
Come on… no need to be so dramatic!!
It’s just dark here, not some den of thieves!
Ye Zhiyun wrapped an arm around Ye Zhibai’s, asking cautiously.
“Sis…? Where are we headed? This place doesn’t feel safe for long.”
“It’s fine… I think it’s safe enough here.”
“No, I mean all this dust—it’s bad for your lungs.”
Are you for real?!
I’ve been breathing this crap for ten years and didn’t choke to death on it!
Ye Zhibai let out a soft sigh and emotionlessly recited the address.
“Qicheng Apartment, north side of the second floor, Room 203… almost there.”
“Eh… is this from the info on Sis’s Dream Chessboard?” “Yeah.”
When in doubt, consult the Dream Chessboard.
That was Ye Zhibai’s way of handling things.
Ye Zhibai stared straight ahead with calm resolve. She had walked this path on the rusty iron-floored corridor of the second floor so many times she could do it blindfolded to her old apartment door.
Just one more turn, and Room 203 would be at the end of the hall.
That’s when the Head Maid suddenly spoke up.
“Someone’s there.”
She meant around the corner—sounds were coming from that direction.
Ye Zhibai had picked up on it too.
No big deal, totally normal. She hadn’t been the only tenant here back in the day. From the rustling, it was probably the folks in 201 or 202 sorting stuff or hanging laundry.
But the Head Maid had a keen ear for discerning things by sound: “Sounds like… scavenging junk. Empty cans and bottles clinking in a bag.”
Oh, junk scavenging.
That was normal too. Old Man Zhang, the junk god, and Liu Dayi, the junk goddess, prowled around here often.
So junk scavenging was—
Junk scavenging?!
Oh no!
Something clicked for Ye Zhibai. Before Ye Zhiyun or the Head Maid could react, she bolted forward to confirm her worst fears!
“Sis?!”
It was only a few steps to the corner.
Ye Zhibai skidded to a halt at the bend in the corridor and peered toward Room 203.
The door to Room 203 stood wide open, several burlap sacks piled at the threshold. At that moment, Liu Dayi—the walk-the-streets junk scavenger goddess—had just tied off another big sack and was dragging it out from inside the room.
Her bulldozer of a face beamed with the joy of a bountiful harvest.
Liu Dayi’s thick skin was legendary around these parts.
Ye Zhibai’s head buzzed.
Her first instinct was to stop her!
That’s not junk—I’ve still got stuff I want to keep!!
No way, I’m still alive! You can’t clear out my… uh, even if I’m dead, you can’t clear it!
Ye Zhibai didn’t hesitate, striding forward briskly, grabbing the other end of the sack, and calling out to intervene!
“…You can’t take this stuff. Please put it down.”
“Huh?”
Liu Dayi whipped her head around to see a heavenly beauty glowering at her.
What the—?
“Who’re you, girlie?”
“This is private property. You can’t take it.”
Ye Zhibai kept her tone polite.
But Liu Dayi’s temper was as fickle as they come—no joke.
Among the neighbors, she went by “Shrew.”
Not only did she not let go of the sack, she yanked hard to pull it her way.
“Girlie, this ain’t stealing—I’m just helping tidy up.”
Hah!
Ye Zhibai’s temper flared right up. What, you old bat—think I can’t out-tug you?!
But as she gripped the sack tighter… she realized her strength was actually giving way.
Wahhh, fallen on hard times, brothers and sisters!
By then, Ye Zhiyun and Guang Yu had rounded the corner.
Ye Zhibai held the line steady, issuing a calm warning.
“The previous tenant’s lease hasn’t expired yet… you can’t clear it out now. And even if you could… there’s property management.”
Small as it was, the apartment had overseers. Ye Zhibai knew Liu Dayi was just picking up freebies here.
Call it scavenging unclaimed junk politely; bluntly, it was theft!
That set Liu Dayi off instantly!
The shrew unleashed!
“You uppity girl, talking nonsense! Private property my foot—everyone around here knows that kid who lived here is dead! Flattened by a car! Stuff from a dead guy? First come, first served—if you’ve got the guts! It’s junk anyway! Why hand it to property management? Let them hog all the perks? You can tell you’re young and clueless!”
“……”
Ye Zhibai’s fingers trembled faintly.
But before any deeper shock could ripple through her heart,
A clear, resolute voice cut in.
“Sis, step back.”
“Huh?”
Beside Ye Zhibai’s hands appeared a pair of slender jade-like ones, seizing the same side of the sack.
With a deft twist of force, Ye Zhiyun yanked.
In an instant, she separated Liu Dayi from the sack—and sent the woman stumbling back several steps!
Ye Zhiyun shielded both Ye Zhibai and the sack behind her.
A chilling glint in her eyes turned to blades, piercing straight toward the unsteady Liu Dayi.
Although the situation was still unclear,
the thing elder sister wanted to protect—
no one could take it away.
