Wasn’t there a saying that went something like this?
Once you’ve accepted someone’s hand, it grows soft. Once you’ve eaten their food, your mouth grows reluctant.
During the exam, she’d quietly copied so many answers from her. How could she just ignore her now after she’d asked her to stop?
Guang Yu was still chattering nonstop about wanting to hurry home for scallion pancakes wrapped around big scallions, her incessant chirping giving Ye Zhibai a throbbing headache.
There was no helping it.
Ye Zhibai reluctantly delivered a sharp smack to the back of Guang Yu’s head.
With a resounding thud, the fox girl fell silent.
Lin Zihan glanced around in confusion, wondering if some balloon had popped nearby.
Ye Zhibai showed no mercy.
“Guang Yu, since one of our heads has to hurt, and it’s not going to be mine, that leaves you.”
Ye Zhibai tapped the floor lightly with the sole of her canvas shoe. Careful not to step on Guang Yu’s tail as the girl crouched there clutching her head, she turned around.
This was her final act of mercy.
By now, the classroom was empty except for Lin Zihan and Ye Zhibai.
The proctor had sealed the test papers and rushed off to turn them in.
The students, finally freed from the Gaokao, poured out of the school like wild dogs off the leash.
Sunset light streamed in, brushing past the feather-like curtains by the window and illuminating Ye Zhibai’s breathtakingly beautiful face, which seemed cold enough to freeze the sunlight itself.
Strands of silver hair fell loosely, shimmering like treasures left behind by a deity in the mortal world.
Even Lin Zihan was momentarily stunned at the sight when Ye Zhibai turned her head.
Ha… Little Bai’er had always been beautiful beyond words as a child.
Now that she’d grown up, one look was enough to bring ruin to nations and topple cities.
No wonder Ye Zhiyun never let her guard down for a moment—who wouldn’t covet a sight like Little Bai’er?
She was just kidding.
Ye Zhibai had turned around to wait for Lin Zihan to speak.
She’d told her to stop, and Ye Zhibai had even sacrificed the back of Guang Yu’s head for it. What was she doing now, lost in thought with a smile?
Speak up!
Stopping was fine.
But Ye Zhibai had something she needed to warn Lin Zihan about.
“If you have something to say… better make it quick.”
“Is Little Bai’er in a hurry?”
“Not really, but Yun’er will be here soon.”
“!”
Thanks for the reminder!
Lin Zihan didn’t dare linger admiring the view any longer.
She hurried over to Ye Zhibai in two quick strides instead of three.
Then she rummaged in the pocket of her school uniform skirt for something.
Soon, she pulled out a small trinket from her pocket.
Ye Zhibai peered at it closely. It looked like a “ring”—
a little “ring” woven from vine branches.
Oh! Ye Zhibai knew this one well.
Back at the orphanage with nothing to play with, she’d often woven willow branches into all sorts of things alongside Sister Liang.
Rings, crowns—even baskets, thanks to Sister Liang’s deft hands!
Little Zhibai had been utterly amazed back then.
Lin Zihan held out the vine ring to Ye Zhibai with both hands, approaching carefully.
Her scarlet eyes, not hidden by her golden bangs, brimmed with delight.
“Found it! Found it! Hehe… good thing I didn’t squash it during the exam. Little Bai’er, this is for you!”
“…”
The mouth grows reluctant after eating, the hand grows soft after accepting.
Ye Zhibai had just reviewed that saying.
Copying her answers had already made her mouth reluctant.
If she inexplicably accepted this gift now, wouldn’t that add a soft hand to the equation?
With Ye Zhiyun’s warnings in mind, Ye Zhibai regarded Lin Zihan with a touch more caution.
Seeing that Ye Zhibai didn’t reach out to take it, Lin Zihan’s jade hand trembled as she held the ring.
A hint of helplessness—and rare self-deprecation—flickered in her tender gaze.
She quietly withdrew her hand, clenching the vine ring gently in her palm.
“Sorry… Little Bai’er thinks this gift is too shabby, right?”
“That’s not it.”
“Wuu… Little Bai’er, you’re so kind, but you don’t have to comfort me! I know my place!”
Listen to me! I already said that’s not it!
But the dejection in Lin Zihan’s words didn’t sound like a joke.
“I don’t have any money right now… I wanted to give you a gift to celebrate getting out of the hospital, but I couldn’t afford anything fancy. Before coming to the exam hall at noon, I picked up a decent vine in the school pavilion and thought of weaving it into a ring for you. If Little Bai’er doesn’t want it… that’s fine, ahaha… I figured as much! Our Little Bai’er is the Ye Family’s Eldest Miss, after all. Any ring she wears would have to be priceless!”
What an emotional whirlwind Lin Zihan was.
She’d just said no need for comfort.
Yet as she finished speaking, a glint of tears appeared in her right eye.
It was hard to tell if they were real.
But they were no doubt fueled by Guang Yu’s merciless taunts after getting smacked on the head earlier!
“Eek!! Look at you, Ye Zhibai, making a girl cry again! Shameless! Aren’t you ashamed?!”
“Not ashamed. Scram.”
“Wuu wuu, Little Bai’er, I’ll scram right now!”
I didn’t tell you to scram!
Ye Zhibai grabbed Lin Zihan’s arm just as she seemed about to burst into tearful flight.
The girl had some real strength—nearly yanking Ye Zhibai off her feet!
It took some effort to steady herself in a stalemate, Ye Zhibai panting as she braced one hand on a desk.
With her other hand, she extended her palm toward Lin Zihan.
“Huff… hand it over.”
“Eh?”
“The ring… I don’t mind it. If you really want to give it to me.”
“Little Bai’er, you’re just… great!”
Lin Zihan went from tears to smiles in an instant.
She wiped away the unfallen tears from the corner of her eye with one hand. Her thick slanted golden bangs swayed as she steadied herself, then opened her palm to reveal the carefully woven vine ring.
Ye Zhibai reached out to take it.
Phew… hurry up.
If they kept this up, Yun’er would arrive and beat her for real!
Then it wouldn’t be fake crying anymore!
However, what Lin Zihan did next left Ye Zhibai frozen in place, caught off guard.
She didn’t simply place the ring in Ye Zhibai’s palm.
Instead, her left hand lightly grasped the back of Ye Zhibai’s hand, gently turning it over.
Then, with her right thumb and forefinger steadying the ring, she aimed it at Ye Zhibai’s index finger—
and personally slipped it on.
In the sunset glow of the classroom, the girl bent slightly at the waist, her serious demeanor as she completed the act as beautiful as a painting.
Even a country bumpkin like Ye Zhibai had heard what this gesture meant!
She yanked her hand back abruptly.
The slightly oversized vine ring dangled loosely on her index finger, swaying.
Lin Zihan clapped her hands together, tilting her head with a mischievous grin.
“Yay! I personally put a ring on Little Bai’er. Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it, okay?
Actually… it was just my way of apologizing to Little Bai’er.”
“An apology?”
Yes, you should apologize for the fright you gave me this time!
Lin Zihan nodded, clasping her hands behind her back.
Her legs, wrapped in black mid-calf socks, planted firmly one in front of the other.
She still retained many of the etiquette habits from her days as the Lin Family’s Eldest Miss.
“Yes, for what I did before. When we were kids, I mocked you for being mute, even said you were… made for whipping. I’ve always, always, always wanted to apologize to Little Bai’er for that! Sorry…!”
“Oh, oh, it’s fine.”
“…”
Lin Zihan hadn’t even finished speaking.
Ye Zhibai had already voiced her forgiveness first.
Come on.
Never mind that kids were ignorant back then.
Besides, what she’d said was true (absolutely).
Of course, she should apologize, but Ye Zhibai didn’t think it needed to be taken too seriously.
Childhood ignorance was universal.
Lin Zihan blinked in surprise, her fine eyebrows twitching slightly.
“I… I feel like I can’t keep up with Little Bai’er’s rhythm sometimes. Um! Anyway, I’m relieved you accepted the gift. But this ring… it seems I wove it too loose. Come on, Little Bai’er, take it off for me first. I’ll tighten it for you.”
Fine, take it off then.
But at least let me do it myself!
Before Lin Zihan finished speaking, she reached out and swiftly grabbed Ye Zhibai’s little hand to remove the ring—totally unexpected!
But this time.
She didn’t get her way.
Just as she pulled the ring off and clutched it in her hand.
Ye Zhibai heard a sharp whoosh of wind rushing past!
Followed by Ye Zhiyun’s furious shout!
“Die, you traitor!!”
“Ugh—!!!”
Crash!
Thud!
That was the sound of three rows of desks toppling before it stopped.
Lin Zihan had been right in front of Ye Zhibai moments ago.
But with a gust of wind came the fragrance of Ye Zhiyun’s hair wafting into Ye Zhibai’s nose.
And Lin Zihan had already been sent flying several meters away.
Ye Zhibai and Ye Zhiyun were fated to become sisters for good reason.
So even she used the term “traitor”!
No—
Lin Zihan was still alive, right?! That flying kick was brutal!
Ye Zhiyun had once again upheld her promise.
—See you once, beat you once!
This time, though, she had every reason.
Were you just putting a ring on my sister?!
