Chapter 40: Do You Believe Me?

This time, Xiong Yibai gently squeezed her hand back, stopping her movement.

“No need to hide from my colleagues this time. We can just walk.”

Feng Miwan was stunned for a moment before she reacted, scratching her head embarrassedly. “Right!”

She subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but she felt that the other woman’s grip hadn’t loosened.

She paused, then stopped moving. Their hands stayed lightly clasped as they walked side by side, slowing their pace.

The riverside at night was exceptionally serene. The city lights on the opposite shore reflected on the water’s surface, gently swaying with the ripples.

A breeze brushed by, carrying the damp scent of water and fresh grass.

Xiong Yibai pointed toward the scenery across the river and said softly,

“See, sometimes slowing down lets you notice a different kind of beauty.”

Feng Miwan looked in the direction she pointed.

She usually sped past in her car and rarely had the chance to appreciate it like this.

Now, looking closely, she realized the riverbank’s outline was indeed beautiful under the night sky and lights—peaceful and winding.

“Wow, you’re right,” she exclaimed sincerely. “I always whooshed by without really looking. It’s so pretty.”

The two strolled slowly along the riverbank, occasionally chatting about trivial things. Mostly, Feng Miwan talked while Xiong Yibai listened.

After about ten minutes, the sounds of bustling crowds and bright lights gradually grew clearer.

A lively night market appeared before them, with stalls of all kinds lined up densely. The aroma of food mixed with people’s laughter wafted over.

“We’re here!” Feng Miwan’s eyes lit up. She excitedly pulled Xiong Yibai’s hand and headed inside.

They hadn’t gone far when Feng Miwan suddenly stopped in front of a balloon-dart stall, her eyes glued to the wall of prizes.

Xiong Yibai followed her gaze but didn’t spot any standout grand prize. “Do you want to play this?”

“No,” Feng Miwan shook her head and pointed to the highest spot on the prize wall. “Look at that one!”

It was a snow-white, fluffy little bear plushie. What made it special was that it wore a pair of tiny gold-rimmed glasses and had a classic “deadpan” expression.

Feng Miwan looked like she’d discovered treasure. She shook Xiong Yibai’s arm excitedly.

“Yibai! Look at it! Doesn’t it look just like you? It’s identical! And it even has glasses! I want to win it for you!”

Xiong Yibai glanced at the stern-faced little bear, then at Feng Miwan’s expectant eyes. She helplessly pushed up her own real gold-rimmed glasses.

“…Where does it look like me? Am I that serious?”

“Yes!”

Feng Miwan answered decisively. She turned to the stall owner.

“Boss, how many balloons do I need to pop to get that bespectacled little white bear?”

The stall owner looked up. “Oh, that one? You need to hit ten balloons.”

Feng Miwan paid readily. “Then give me ten darts!”

Some tourists who had been watching others play gathered around curiously at the request.

Someone whispered,

“She’s only getting ten darts? So confident?”

“She looks pretty sure of herself…”

She took the toy gun and ten plastic darts from the stall owner, checked them,

then turned to face Xiong Yibai. With a mischievous yet serious expression, she asked,

“Yibai, do you believe me?”

Xiong Yibai thought the line was a bit childish but nodded cooperatively, her lips curving up slightly. “I believe you.”

“Heh heh, watch this!”

Feng Miwan’s smile grew even brighter at the affirmation.

She hadn’t noticed that in the past, she would have consulted her lucky coin by now. But this time, the thought didn’t even cross her mind—she’d asked Xiong Yibai directly.

She turned around, raised the gun. Her stance wasn’t like a pro shooter’s, but it had the instinctive feel of a racer.

She barely aimed, going purely by feel.

Bang!

The first balloon burst on impact.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then the second, third, fourth… The colorful balloons on the wall popped one after another, shreds fluttering down.

The surrounding murmurs turned into gasps and cheers.

“Wow! All hits!”

“So accurate!”

“That was only seven shots? Amazing!”

Feng Miwan stayed focused until the tenth shot rang out, popping the last balloon.

She set down the gun, her face beaming with unmasked pride. She looked at the stall owner. “Boss, ten balloons, all hit!”

The stall owner was a bit surprised too. “Impressive, miss!” He stepped on a stool to grab the bespectacled white bear and handed it to Feng Miwan.

Feng Miwan took the bear and promptly stuffed it into Xiong Yibai’s arms. She stepped back,

then solemnly compared Xiong Yibai—who was holding the bear, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and looking slightly exasperated—with the deadpan little white bear in her arms.

She rubbed her chin and nodded seriously.

“Yup! They really do look alike! Like they came from the same mold! Even that ‘what can I do with you’ expression matches!”

Xiong Yibai looked at the “mini-me” in her arms and heard Feng Miwan’s punchable commentary. Her face darkened slightly, and she was about to say something.

Feng Miwan caught the expression change and burst out laughing. She spun around and bolted, nimbly weaving into the bustling crowd, calling back over her shoulder,

“Don’t be mad, Yibai! It’s so cute!”

Xiong Yibai watched Feng Miwan run off. In the end, she couldn’t hold back a shake of her head and a chuckle.

She gently pinched the little bear’s face and murmured to herself, “…It doesn’t look that much like me.”

She followed after her, and the two wandered the lively night market for quite a while.

Feng Miwan was like a curious kid, checking out every interesting stall—trying ring toss one moment, picking out a hair clip for Xiong Yibai the next, though Xiong Yibai politely declined.

As they browsed, Feng Miwan turned to Xiong Yibai with a pitiful look. “Yibai, I’m hungry. Shall we grab some food?”

Xiong Yibai checked the time—it was getting late—and nodded. “Sure.”

They found a popular open-air barbecue stall and sat at a small table in the corner.

The skewers arrived quickly, sizzling with glossy oil.

Xiong

She said to Feng Miwan, “This beef is grilled nicely. Try it.”

Unexpectedly, instead of taking one herself, Feng Miwan leaned her head over, eyeing the skewer in Xiong Yibai’s hand and opening her mouth.

“Ah—”

Xiong Yibai’s hand froze mid-air with the skewer. She stared at Feng Miwan’s expectant feeding pose, stunned for a moment.

Her ears grew slightly warm, but she kept her composure and pushed the skewer toward her. “Get it yourself.”