This thing needed to be found.
But it absolutely should not have been found by Yun’er!
The cover of that doujinshi wasn’t quite explosive enough to detonate right there on the spot. It merely depicted two cute girls pressing their lips together in a friendly exchange.
It was already explosive enough!
If it got discovered now, it wouldn’t implicate the current Ye Zhibai in any way, but it would still be a billionth of a bit embarrassing!
Ye Zhiyun clutched this sacred object in her hand. The emotions in her eyes went beyond mere confusion—there was clearly a hint of anticipation as well.
Seeing that she was about to flip open the doujinshi, Ye Zhibai hurriedly rose to her feet to stop her.
Sister, I can’t let something like this dirty your eyes.
If anyone’s eyes are going to be dirtied, it should be mine!
Ye Zhibai extended her pitiful little hand, which was stained with a bit of oil, trembling as she reached toward Ye Zhiyun.
“Yun’er… let me take a look at that.”
“Eh…? But Sister… this book is…”
“Be good.”
“……”
To Ye Zhibai’s surprise, Ye Zhiyun broke from her usual pattern and didn’t hand over the doujinshi right away.
Yun’er, you’re the Eldest Miss, a thousand-gold young lady. You wouldn’t understand.
No matter how curious you are, you absolutely can’t let yourself get curious about something like this!
Driven by a mysterious sense of responsibility (utter shame), Ye Zhibai decided to step forward and snatch the doujinshi away herself.
Sure enough, what should have gone smoothly didn’t.
Ye Zhibai hurried forward too quickly and failed to notice the thin rope trailing out from the sack underfoot.
She suddenly felt her ankle snag. Then her balance gave out, and she pitched forward violently!
“Uwah…” An emotionless yelp escaped her lips.
“Sister?!”
Ye Zhiyun set aside the now-irrelevant book in her hand without a second thought.
She was worried sick. In a panic, she flung the doujinshi to the side.
The doujinshi sailed right over the railing and plummeted from their second-story perch!
Ye Zhibai saw the whole thing as she tumbled toward the floor.
The doujinshi!!!
Ye Zhibai’s descent was pure heartache.
The instant she landed, however, the sensation was soft and pillowy.
Ye Zhiyun wrapped her arms tightly around Ye Zhibai’s head, cradling it against her chest. Realizing there was no way to steady their steps, she simply allowed herself to fall backward as well, landing on her back to give Ye Zhibai the softest possible landing!
Thud—that was the sound of the two of them hitting the ground, one stacked atop the other.
Jiggle jiggle~—that was the sound Ye Zhibai heard right in front of her face.
Bouncy and elastic, just like jelly.
“Ow, ow, ow… Sister, are you okay?”
“……”
Shame overwhelmed her, too profound for words.
Ye Zhibai inwardly berated herself for her carelessness as she kept her face buried in Yun’er’s chest.
Still in that position, she reached out with a small hand and patted Yun’er’s back.
It was a silent way of saying, “I’m fine,” while also apologizing for dragging Yun’er down with her.
Oh… my hands still have oil on them. It looks like I got some on your uniform.
Wah, I’m even more sorry now!!
Over by the Head Maid, her heart skipped beats in fright, but she was beyond caring at this point!
You two sisters—how do you cause such a ruckus? You’re nothing but trouble!
Ye Zhiyun didn’t rush to make Ye Zhibai get off her.
Instead, she stayed lying down, lifted her arms to encircle Ye Zhibai’s waist, and leaned in close to her ear. With gentle indulgence, she blew a soft puff of air.
“?! “
Ye Zhibai’s delicate frame shivered.
Then came Yun’er’s whisper, soft as silk.
“Sister… don’t blame me for not giving you that book earlier~ Because I know what a doujinshi is. The stuff inside… well, it’s pretty great, but it’s also a little intense. Wouldn’t it be too soon for you to see it?”
Who are you underestimating? Those are old things I’ve already glanced at and set aside!
No, wait—you actually know what a doujinshi is?!
Of course she did.
Ye Zhiyun had stumbled upon some yuri-flavored doujinshi online before.
In this internet age, who couldn’t dig up a little treasure or two?
The interactions between all those adorable girls—the tales of courage and cleverness—had shaken her to the core.
After seeing them, she’d quietly saved the files.
And she’d saved them for a reason.
The moves and positions in those doujinshi were plentiful. Once Sister woke from her coma, Ye Zhiyun planned to try them all on her!
Study materials were study materials for anyone else.
But for Ye Zhiyun, they truly were study materials!
Unable to hold back any longer while hugging her sister, Ye Zhiyun’s heart fluttered wildly.
And so, with a surge of affection she couldn’t contain, she let one more sentence slip.
“Sister… Yun’er is way lewder than you think. These past two years… no, ever since I was born, I’ve been waiting for you. Once your health improves… I’ll show you those doujinshi too?”
“!”
Ye Zhibai knew she was doomed!
There was no fixing this.
No fix… Well, she’d worry about it later.
For now, at least, she realized that staying buried in Yun’er’s chest any longer was going to suffocate her!
It was so stuffy!
Ye Zhiyun also noticed she’d held on a bit too long. She loosened her arms, allowing Ye Zhibai to climb off her.
Ye Zhibai drew in a deep breath of fresh air. Her heart a tangled mess of emotions, she averted her gaze.
Then she extended a hand, silently offering it so Yun’er could help her stand.
Ah… I forgot again! My hand has oil on it!
Yun’er, however, couldn’t care less. Without a second thought, she grasped that small hand.
Once she was on her feet, her face lit up with pure bliss.
Damn it—this little sister was just too sweet!
Ye Zhibai shook her head, sending her silver hair swaying. She thanked Yun’er—who knew exactly for what?—before returning to the sack to rummage once more.
This time, she dragged Guang Yu along for the ride.
Guang Yu wasn’t Ye Zhiyun. She took one look at the oil stain Ye Zhibai had smeared on her arm and recoiled in disgust!!
“Eh… what the hell? You’re not making me help look too, are you? No way! Finding your own stuff is a virtue!”
“As if I need you digging for me. Even if you offered, I’d pass. I’m just afraid you’d wreck my things.”
“Here we go again… You and your attitude are gonna piss off the gods someday…”
Ye Zhibai didn’t need Guang Yu’s help searching, but she did need her for something else.
“Guang Yu… did you see that book fall earlier? Head downstairs, find it, and then…”
“Then bring it back?”
“No. Then tear it to shreds and toss it in the trash.”
“?”
Don’t ask—just go rip it up!
Otherwise, I might hesitate and change my mind!
Who knew what resolve it took for Ye Zhibai to make such a “heartless” call…
That doujinshi had kept her company for so, so long.
But now, she feared far more that Yun’er would pick it up later!
If she had to keep seeing those old doujinshi around the new house every day, Ye Zhibai was sure she’d die of embarrassment!
So, doujinshi—for the sake of my carefree days ahead, make this sacrifice.
Guang Yu pouted, cradling the back of her head with her long brown hair draped behind. She grumbled under her breath.
“Eh… no thanks. That’s such a long way to run… too tiring.”
It was only two floors down!
With no other choice, Ye Zhibai gritted her teeth and held up one finger. “One cup… of Honey Rain Ice City.”
“Oh…”
“Two cups…”
“Deal!!”
The Scummy Fox beamed from ear to ear. With happy little pattering steps—da da da!—she bounded down the stairs to hunt down and destroy the book!
Drinks fixed everything!
Ye Zhibai mentally flipped Guang Yu the bird before squatting down again to search the sack.
How had she still not found it?
Was it really not there?
Nothing had turned up in Ye Zhiyun’s pile either.
The Head Maid had dumped out everything from the bags—junk and all—and still come up empty.
Just when Ye Zhibai was starting to lose hope,
she spotted the edge of a dark red, exquisitely crafted box poking out from her sack!
Found it!
There it was!
Ye Zhibai carefully shifted the junk piled around the box and eased it out with the utmost caution.
It was a perfect little square gift box, tied up with a golden ribbon bow.
The substantial weight of it in her palm sent ripples through Ye Zhibai’s vacant eyes.
—The sunlight was making her squint, damn it.
Ye Zhiyun noticed the development and hurried over. “Sister, did you find it?”
“Mm… This box was right by the edge of the chessboard in my dream… That dead person said it was important.”
“Can you open it?”
“Yeah…”
Ye Zhibai gently lifted the lid.
Nestled inside was a sleek black fountain pen accented with golden rings.
Compared to the pile of trash in the sack, the fountain pen looked utterly out of place—exceptionally unique.
Yet to Ye Zhiyun, who was accustomed to all sorts of high-end fountain pens, it seemed perfectly ordinary.
Puzzled, she asked, “A fountain pen…? Sister, does this one have some special meaning?”
“No.”
Ye Zhibai lifted the fountain pen from the box and inspected it to ensure it was undamaged. Only then did she let out a breath of relief.
She slipped the pen back into the box and turned to Yun’er. “The person in the dream told me to keep this fountain pen safe for him—that’s all there is to it. Now that I’ve found it, everything’s fine.”
“Is that right… Good, then.”
Ye Zhiyun wasn’t particularly hung up on any deeper meaning.
Seeing her sister’s expression relax brought her relief too.
Only Ye Zhibai would have noticed it, though.
No one else would have bothered to look closely at the row of tiny engraved letters on the back of the fountain pen.
Ye Zhibai had just taken another glance at those words.
—”To Xiao Bai, Happy Birthday.”
