Chapter 52: Relax
Ye Zhibai quickly typed her reply. It was quite concise.
[Ye Zhibai: We’re full, leaving now.]. [Yun’er: Great! I’m downstairs. After you come out, look to the right, and you’ll see your dear Yun’er!].In modern times, people are used to adding a dog-head emoji after a sentence when sending a message.
If not, then it’s a sticker.
But Yun’er didn’t have that habit. If she sent a message, it was strictly business—she would never send meaningless emojis.
But this time, she included a rare sticker at the end: the “excited hand-rubbing” sticker!
—When someone’s words reveal an unusually ecstatic mood, it means they’ve been holding back for a while.
“A while” here refers to at least half an hour.
And what you should do at this moment is respond to their anticipation as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, they might explode on the spot.*
[*” Explode on the spot (原地爆炸, yuán dì bào zhà)”: A humorous internet slang phrase meaning to burst out in frustration or anger if something doesn’t go as expected, often used when someone’s patience runs out.].
Zhibai’s proverb—take note.
By now, Guang Yu had already turned invisible again. She was packing things into her backpack, ready to head home and sleep!
Meanwhile, Chi Yuliang, at some point, had diligently gone outside the room and brought back several large plastic bags.
“Hmm? Ye Zhibai, that little fox earlier… Miss Guang Yu, where did she go?”
“She’s knocked out.* Went invisible, but she’s still here.”
[*” Knocked out (歇菜, xiē cài)**: A slang term meaning “to be knocked out” or “to be done for,” commonly used to describe someone who is too tired or has given up on something.].
Guang Yu let out a little howl!
That was her way of letting Chi Yuliang know she was still nearby!
Ye Zhibai: Honestly, don’t do that.
Ye Zhibai: Cool Sister can’t see you now and can only hear your voice—you really do sound like a ghost!
Ye Zhibai took a few of the plastic bags from Chi Yuliang’s hands, helping her sort and pack the leftover food.
Chi Yuliang, with steady movements, tied the plastic bags one by one without spilling a drop of soup.
As she tied the last one, a mischievous smile slowly appeared on her gentle face.
“Ye Zhibai’s in such a hurry to leave—I guess that your little sister is the one rushing you.”
“You… can guess that?”
“Mm-hmm, after all, you looked at your phone and suddenly decided to leave, right? Sigh… Even though I wanted to chat with you some more, it’s indeed late already. It must be around 10 o’clock. It’s not good to keep your family waiting for too long. Here, take these leftovers with you.”
“No, no, let me take them. These dishes won’t last until tomorrow anyway; you keep them, Cool Sister.”
Just think about it.
Yun’er, who cooks every day, personally prepares meals, and who just recently bought a new iron pan, is already planning to develop new dishes.
At a time like this, she definitely wouldn’t allow leftovers from a restaurant to clutter the fridge at home!
What would happen if I brought these dishes back?
You can imagine.
They’d probably end up in the trash by the end of the night!
After explaining all this to Chi Yuliang, she no longer insisted.
At least, if she took them, she could still enjoy two more meals.
Alright, alright~ Seeing that Cool Sister had finished packing up all the plastic bags, it was about time to leave!
Tonight’s chat with Cool Sister had been so enjoyable—setting the mood for a good night’s sleep!
Just as Ye Zhibai reached out to push open the three-panel screen to say her goodbyes and leave with Guang Yu, behind her, the sound of plastic bags being picked up and then slowly put back down on the table rang out.
And then, Chi Yuliang’s slightly anxious voice, full of hesitation, followed.
“Ye Zhibai…! Could you wait just a little longer?”
“Hmm?”
Waiting a little longer wasn’t a problem, but it was a dangerous situation, Cool Sister! If possible, it’d be best not to wait at all!
Ye Zhibai was just about to turn around to explain this, but as she turned, she already caught a whiff of a sweet breeze with a faint scent of milk.
It was the refreshing sensation brought by Chi Yuliang as she swiftly approached her.
Ye Zhibai was in a hurry, and Chi Yuliang understood that.
That’s why, when she asked her to wait, there was hesitation and urgency.
But… there was something Chi Yuliang desperately wanted to do!
Since Ye Zhibai was pressed for time, Chi Yuliang didn’t waste words.
Better to act first and explain later!
As Ye Zhibai turned her head, she suddenly felt her shoulders being grabbed!
Before she could react, Chi Yuliang had already swept aside her own purple hair with one hand, leaned down, and brought her face close to Ye Zhibai’s!
Huh?
Huh?!!
What was happening? Again?!
Lin Zihan also brought this kind of pressure today!
Guang Yu, watching from the side, was too lazy to get excited this time—there weren’t any snacks to munch on, after all. She figured it’d just be like what happened with Lin Zihan earlier.
A friendly forehead-to-forehead gesture?
Boring.
Just as Guang Yu was shaking her head with a wry smile, suddenly, she heard a faint but unmistakable— Smack!
Huh?!
She kissed her?!
Yes, but it wasn’t a full kiss.
Ye Zhibai felt a warm and soft sensation, but it was on her right cheek.
Gentle, like the shape of Cool Sister’s lips, as light as a cherry blossom.
She left a feather-light kiss on Ye Zhibai’s cheek.
Chi Yuliang slowly lifted her head, and on her mature, composed face, there was a rare hint of a girlish blush.
Ye Zhibai, stunned, lightly touched her cheek with her hand.
But her touch was very gentle.
As if she didn’t want to wipe away the remaining warmth.
Because she wanted to keep some evidence that she had been kissed!
But… why?!
Instead of explaining, Chi Yuliang preferred to let her actions speak for themselves.
While Ye Zhibai was still dazed, Chi Yuliang quickly pulled her into a hug, cradling the back of her head and pressing it against her chest!
This time, Ye Zhibai’s entire face felt the elasticity of this “deformation”!
Wow… so amazing…!
Her rational mind told her she should break free, that she should be reasonable.
But marshmallows don’t reason with you!*
[*” Marshmallows don’t reason with you (棉花糖不会跟你讲道理, mián huā táng bú huì gēn nǐ jiǎng dào lǐ)”: A playful metaphor. “Marshmallows” symbolize softness and comfort, and the phrase humorously implies that such coziness makes it impossible to argue or resist.].
Like being drawn into a soft, gooey embrace, it was tempting to sink into it.
The hopeless Ye Zhibai… buried her face in the marshmallow, deciding not to speak for now.
Just… for a little while.
From Guang Yu’s point of view, even though Ye Zhibai’s expression was still as cold as ever, it was obvious… now it was a relaxed kind of coldness.
She seemed to have truly calmed down.
Chi Yuliang gently patted Ye Zhibai’s back.
The rhythm of the pats reflected the deep desires that Chi Yuliang had buried in her heart all these years.
“Ye Zhibai… good girl, be good… I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. You specially invited me out for dinner… Do you know how happy I was when I got your message? But what I wanted wasn’t just to enjoy the food… but to hold my Ye Zhibai like this. Now that we’ve finished eating, do you think you can just leave without letting me hug you?
Not a chance.”
Wow, Ye Zhibai had never heard such a gentle “not a chance” before!
She lay “greedily” against Chi Yuliang’s soft chest, shaking her little head.
Her cheek rubbed against the fabric of Chi Yuliang’s clothes, making her chest feel a bit itchy.
Ye Zhibai… was mischievous.
Ye Zhibai spared the little bit of energy she had left to focus on the sound of footsteps in the distance.
If Yun’er shows up, I’ll rush home immediately!
But if I have even one more second… please let Cool Sister hold me just a little longer.
Time flows like water, gentle like the moon, light like a willow.
We can’t stop time, but thankfully, there’s always tomorrow, and the future is long.
Chi Yuliang wouldn’t make Ye Zhibai uncomfortable for long.
Reluctantly, she loosened her embrace. Her eyes, as warm as the gentle night, were filled with affection.
“It’s okay… Ye Zhibai, let’s hang out again sometime. Keep in touch, okay? If you ever want to see me, just call me anytime.”
“Sure… but Cool Sister, you should understand something.”
“Hmm?”
“Even though I was a bit… well, I’m not a kid anymore, okay?”
“Pfft… did I hurt Ye Zhibai’s pride when I called you ‘good girl’ earlier? Hahaha!”
“Stop laughing…”
This is so frustrating!
Sometimes it’s impossible to control when you want to act cute! But at least let me win this small verbal battle!
Chi Yuliang went over to the table and picked up the packed leftovers again.
She walked ahead, pushing aside the folding screen, opening the path for Ye Zhibai to leave.
“Let’s go, Ye Zhibai. Your sister must be anxious by now.”
“I think so too…”
Sorry, Yun’er.
I’ll buy you a little pudding ice cream to cool off later.
