Chi Yuliang had just been about to take a sip of tea, but now she didn’t dare to touch it.
Not because Ye Zhiyun’s aura was all that intimidating.
No, it was the quality of this teacup that seemed highly questionable!
It had shattered in her grip!
Maybe these teacups from great families were all about the looks—fancy on the outside but useless in practice.
The broken teacup clattered onto the table, spilling tea everywhere, but Ye Zhiyun had no interest in pouring another cup right now.
Her face darkened as she rose to her feet, her gaze sharp and piercing, clearly on the verge of barking those two fateful words at the maids waiting outside the conference room.
—Out!
In fact, that’s exactly what she said.
Or at least, she got halfway through.
“Out…!”
“Yun’er, wait.”
“Sister?!”
It shook Ye Zhiyun to her core—the kind of shock that would linger for a whole year!
A few days ago, her sister had shielded that Lin Zihan from a beating, and sure, starting a fight wouldn’t have been ideal. That was understandable.
But now, she was even interrupting her from kicking someone out!
Wahh! She must not love me anymore!
Yet when Ye Zhiyun looked sorrowfully into Ye Zhibai’s swirling purple eyes at that moment, brimming with a thousand thoughts…
After a brief daze, realization dawned in Yun’er’s eyes!
She leaned in close to Ye Zhibai’s ear, her voice full of reverence for her sister’s wisdom.
“Sister, are you thinking…! Is it because of that? That’s why you won’t let me chase her away?”
“?”
That? What ‘that’?
She just wanted to say there had to be a misunderstanding! Sister Liang’s words surely didn’t mean what they seemed on the surface!
Though she had no idea what Yun’er had latched onto, the adoration in her eyes made it impossible for Ye Zhibai to refuse.
And so, the shameless Little Zhibai nodded decisively.
“Yes, exactly what you guessed.”
“As expected! Not for nothing is she my sister—her wisdom and strategy are beyond me! I’ve learned something!”
Is this for real…? Why do I suddenly feel like my own smarts are in short supply?
Yun’er settled down this time, though jealousy still simmered inside her. At least she regained her dignified poise.
She called in a maid to clean up the shards of the broken teacup and even brewed herself a fresh cup of tea.
Ye Zhibai figured she should take the lead in the conversation with Sister Liang.
After all, Chi Yuliang had made it clear she was here for her.
Ye Zhibai propped her arms on the table.
Her silver hair draped over her shoulders, falling naturally like the Milky Way cascading from the ninth heaven.
“Chi Yuliang, I don’t recall any appointment with you tomorrow. Or to put it plainly, we’re not close—just ships passing in the night, right?”
Come on, Sister Liang, say yes! Then I can be sure you don’t suspect me!
But Chi Yuliang just blinked in her endearing, dazed way and smiled gently.
“Yes, Miss Ye, we don’t have an appointment. So I just wanted to invite you… Um, I’ve picked out a remote but lovely spot in the Tomb Garden for Xiao Bai. Tomorrow we’ll inter the cremation urn. Miss Ye, last time you mentioned meeting him in a dream. At first, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. But after going home and thinking it over… I realized it might really be some kind of fate. I’ll do as you said and place his favorite osmanthus cakes at the grave. I’ll bring plenty.”
At this point, Chi Yuliang suddenly bowed her head deeply.
Her purple hair fell across the table, and her voice brimmed with pleading.
“My little brother Xiao Bai… he was such a pitiful child. In life, he hardly had any real friends to talk to. If tomorrow it’s just me seeing him off, I feel like… he’d be so lonely. So, Miss Ye, if you truly believe in this connection, in the reality of that dream, please spare some time to send him off too. He’d be so happy… I’m thanking you on Xiao Bai’s behalf… and my own!”
“…”
Her head was nearly touching the table now.
At first, Sister Liang’s tone had been calm, just laying out the facts.
But as she went on, especially when she mentioned Xiao Bai having no friends…
Her voice had clearly grown hoarse.
It was this unyielding care that moved Ye Zhibai so deeply.
Truth be told, Ye Zhibai had originally thought… once the crematorium business was done, it would be best to cut ties with Sister Liang entirely.
Let each other go free, live their own lives.
Peaceful parting, bidding farewell to the past—it was a kind of happiness too.
But if Sister Liang couldn’t let go like this…
Even if she had other motives…
Ye Zhibai found it hard to say “no.”
“Chi Yuliang, please lift your head.”
“Miss Ye… does that mean you’ll come?”
“Sigh… no harm in it.”
Ye Zhibai hadn’t learned much else lately, but she’d picked up those two words from Yun’er.
—No harm!
Sounded pretty cool when she said it!
The moment Ye Zhibai nodded, a spark of inexplicable joy lit up Chi Yuliang’s clear black eyes!
No, it was practically ecstatic delight!
By now, Ye Zhiyun had pieced it together.
She respected her sister’s choice.
But some things had to be said.
“I see… Chi Yuliang, when you mentioned heading out of town, you meant the Tomb Garden in the suburbs, right?”
“Yes… yes, Miss Ye! That’s exactly it!”
“Spell it out clearly… Sigh, if that’s the case, then your talk of going alone with my sister must be a misunderstanding too, right? It’s downright absurd.”
Wahh, Yun’er, if something this minor qualifies as absurd, then the word’s gotten way too cheap!
But on this point…
Chi Yuliang shook her head.
“This might be presumptuous, but I was hoping just you and I, Miss Ye. The Tomb Garden isn’t suited for a crowd. Xiao Bai and I were like siblings, and you and him shared that dream encounter, so the two of us going…”
“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible.”
“Huh?”
Ye Zhiyun cut off Chi Yuliang’s suggestion without a shred of mercy.
Under the table, out of Chi Yuliang’s sight, Yun’er quietly took her sister’s hand.
She gripped it tight—very tight.
“Miss Chi, you might not know, but my sister was just discharged from the hospital a few days ago after falling ill. Before that, she was in a severe car accident. If you want her traveling far without anyone to accompany and protect her, I’m sorry—it’s out of the question for me, even if she agrees. It simply won’t happen.”
“Car accident…!”
Chi Yuliang hated that word—hated it so much right now!
Her shoulders trembled faintly as she looked at Ye Zhibai with sympathy, her expression dimming.
Ye Zhiyun fell silent too.
That resolute gaze, burning with the desire to protect her beloved sister, kept flickering toward Ye Zhibai.
Ugh… you two…
You two are really…
You two are making it sound like I’ll get smashed by a car the second I step out the door!
Do you think I’m some ultimate jinx or what?!
After some discussion among the three, they finally settled on a compromise.
—Yun’er and the Maid Corps would escort Ye Zhibai to the edge of the Tomb Garden, where no vehicles could enter, and only then would they allow her a brief time to proceed alone.
So I’m at odds with cars, huh!
Is it them barreling into me, or me playing mantis against the cart?!
Infuriating!
The brief conversation wrapped up.
The mood hung heavy overall.
Only Ye Zhibai couldn’t figure out where the heaviness came from.
As they saw Chi Yuliang out of the conference room…
Ye Zhiyun, her face stern, told her something very seriously.
“Miss Chi, my sister going out tomorrow is fine. But you should know… she’s making a huge sacrifice. The Gaokao is the day after, and she’s giving up her study time to see off the departed. As her sister, I have every right to tell you this. So don’t take it for granted. Please—harbor some gratitude.”
“!”
Ye Zhiyun and Chi Yuliang turned back, their gazes on Ye Zhibai growing even more sympathetic and tender.
Ye Zhibai thought…
You two would be better off pitying the ants blocked by bricks at the door than pitying my Gaokao!
Don’t ask why.
Just know—I have Guang Yu!
Right now, Guang Yu was in Ye Zhibai’s room, divvying up drinks.
Two cups in total, and out of the kindness of her heart, she’d left half a cup for Ye Zhibai—or maybe a bit less than half? Anyway, it wasn’t empty!
And she’d added wasabi.
Hehe, Ye Zhibai would surely be thrilled when she got back.
Ah… better put the drink out in the sun to warm it up! Cold wouldn’t do!
