Chapter 65: Colder
Amidst the bamboo of Wanye Zhu Jian (The Bamboo Interlude), Ye Zhibai immediately noticed that flash of gold.
That was… a golden balloon!
Ah, no, not that. There was indeed a golden balloon near the cash register that looked quite nice, but that wasn’t the main point!
It was next to the balloon—a much more dazzling golden brilliance.
That golden hair draped over the shoulders was way too distinctive.
Even from just a back view, it was enough to overshadow the peaceful beauty of the bamboo grove.
Is that… Lin Zihan?
She was standing behind the cash register, holding a scanner in hand, occasionally scanning payment codes, and then placing the automatically printed receipts beside the counter.
This… this is a cashier job!
Weren’t you busy working at the flower shop? How come you’re working a part-time job here now?
To confirm, Ye Zhibai shifted her position, craning her neck to get a better look.
Her exaggerated movements naturally caught Ye Zhijun’s attention.
Zhijun had just finished mixing her condiments and, turning around, saw her older sister standing on tiptoe, making an adorably curious posture!
The chili in her condiments was nothing compared to the surge of heat rushing through Zhijun at this moment!
Stay calm, stay calm…
Reciting the Great Compassion Mantra* to calm herself, Zhijun carefully carried the two small plates of condiments and asked, “Sister, why are you acting like you’ve seen a rare animal? What are you looking at~?”
[*” Great Compassion Mantra (大悲咒 Dàbēi Zhòu)”: A well-known Buddhist mantra recited to invoke compassion and calm the mind.].
“Rare animal? Really?”
“Instead of asking me, why don’t you just follow my gaze and see for yourself!”
Apologies~ In Zhijun’s eyes, there was only her sister, so her field of vision was rather “narrow.”
When Ye Zhibai extended her finger to point at the figure busily checking out customers at the cash register, Zhijun followed her gaze with a smile.
But that smile quickly disappeared!
Blood pressure rising!
“Ssss… My comment is: persistent ghost.”
“What did you say, Zhijun?”
“Nothing, sister, I meant, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to run into someone we know here. Wait here, I’ll go say hi!”
“Stop.”
Are you going to say hi?
I think you’re just looking to cause trouble!
Ye Zhibai grabbed her arm to stop her.
Zhijun was confused at first but quickly realized— She understood!
“Oh, I see now… As expected of my sister, always so calm and composed.”
“?”
Why are you suddenly complimenting me?
Oh, if you’re talking about how I stopped you from giving Lin Zihan a flying kick, then I guess I do deserve to be praised as the epitome of calmness.
Zhijun glanced once more in Lin Zihan’s direction but didn’t go over.
Instead, she picked up the condiments and led Ye Zhibai back to their table.
Huh?!
Ye Zhibai was stunned.
Why are we going back all of a sudden? Shouldn’t we at least say hello to a friend before leaving?
Carrying the condiments, Zhijun’s voice was filled with admiration.
“I get it, sister is reminding me that we’re on a secret mission today. Lin Zihan doesn’t even know we’re here for a meal, so the fact that she’s working here is just a coincidence, nothing more. Since it’s just a coincidence, we should continue with our secret mission as planned. After all, it’s a family dinner, and we don’t need to let a coincidence interrupt that~ Sister, how do you manage to think so much in just a second? So amazing!”
You ask me, and I want to ask you!
Was this my thought?!
Wasn’t this the brilliant deduction you just came up with out of nowhere?!
Ye Zhibai was once again forced to ascend to the highest peak of intelligence. When she sat back next to Guangyu, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Ye Zhibai: You know, Guangyu, just now, I’ve become a genius again.
Guang Yu: Woo woo, it’s mustard! Ye Zhibai, say no more. If you want to be a genius, then in my heart, you are forever a genius!
Ye Zhibai: Shut up.
Guang Yu: I was just joking.
Ye Zhibai: Guang Yu, you’re so out of touch with modern times. Don’t you know that in today’s society, being called a ‘genius’ is an insult?
Guang Yu: Being called a ‘dumb little thing’ actually sounds way cuter. You need to read more, you little fool!
Whether to greet Lin Zihan or not wasn’t a big deal. I could always just message her later.
But one thing was clear—Lin Zihan working here part-time was indeed impressive. After all, she still had to help her family with the flower shop. Ye Zhibai knew this struggle all too well!
If not for life’s pressures, who would want to work several part-time jobs in a day?
Putting myself in her shoes, I can totally relate.
Ye Qinghe may be wealthy, but he’s a thrifty kind of rich.
There were three people at the table (not counting Guangyu), and Ye Qinghe only ordered four dishes in total.
Just enough to eat. A few signature dishes, nothing more to waste.
Steamed osmanthus fish, bamboo shoots with pork ribs, and clear boiled cabbage.
There was even actual cabbage!
Besides that, there was a special dish—‘In Heaven, May We Be Birds Flying Side by Side’ Ye Zhibai was curious about what kind of dish this was.
When it arrived, she realized—it was roast pigeon.
How nice, the “birds flying side by side” arrived as a pair on the table.
Each with a bowl of rice, they started eating. Naturally, Ye Zhijun brought up what had happened earlier.
“Dad, we just saw Lin Zihan.”
“That kid from the Lin family?”
“Yeah, she seems to be working here as a cashier.”
“This… such a coincidence? This place only hired staff two days ago. Sigh, the kid must be struggling. I’ll leave a bit extra when we settle the bill later.”
“You’d better not,” Zhijun, who understood Lin Zihan’s pride, said. “If you give her money, she might not think you’re doing her a favor. The Lin family has always been like that—super concerned with the face. Instead of giving her money, it’s better to secretly raise her wages.”
“That’s true… but this is something I can’t handle directly. You kids should figure it out among yourselves. That child Lin Zihan is ambitious and hardworking; she probably doesn’t even need our help.”
“Help or no help, that’s a different story… Lin Zihan~~ she’s ‘good friends’ with sister now.”
Ye Zhibai almost choked on her rice!
Why does it feel like every time Zhijun mentions this, I can smell vinegar in the air?
Oh, wait, there’s vinegar in the condiments Zhijun brought over, so that’s why I smell it.
But Ye Qinghe’s weathered face was full of delight!
“Really?! Zhibai made a friend? That’s wonderful! Zhijun, tell me, what happened?”
Zhijun’s explanation was filled with clenched teeth precision.
While she was mentally blessing her sister, that didn’t stop her from speaking with a sharp tone.
The intensity of it made Ye Zhibai retreat a few steps in her heart.
She quickly stuffed a few bites of rice into her mouth, then leaned back against the sofa chair, slightly distancing herself from Zhijun’s powerful aura!
Ye Zhibai thought, You guys go ahead and talk… I need a moment.
I’ll start eating again when you’re done with this topic!
But as soon as she leaned back, the noise from her table grew softer.
With the bamboo leaves acting as a screen, the sounds from the neighboring table became faintly audible.
Just now, the table next to them had left, and it seemed like a new group had just arrived.
Even though the dense bamboo obscured her view of the next table, she could barely make out their conversation.
It was two young men talking.
At first, Ye Zhibai had no interest in listening to what they were saying.
But when she accidentally overheard their conversation, her brows began to furrow.
“Brother Xu, did you see the girl standing behind the register when we walked in? You know, the one with the weird hairstyle.”
“Which one? The one behind the register? What kind of stupid question is that? A girl that pretty, do you think I’m blind?”
“I wouldn’t dare! Brother Xu, you’re known as the number one player at West City Technical School. Rumor has it you go through three girlfriends a week. How could you possibly be blind?”
“Cut it out, that’s all just nonsense. If I were counting for real, it’s at least four a week.”
“Wow, impressive, Brother Xu! Alright, enough joking. To be honest, I think that girl is really pretty. So, what do you say, Brother Xu? Think you could show me how to hit on her later?”
“Hmm…”
“You can’t do it?”
“What? Of course, I can! Women are all the same. With your Brother Xu’s skills, there’s no woman I can’t handle with just a few lines. Just wait and watch me work. But… if I help you out, how are you going to thank me?”
“A carton of Hua Zi cigarettes.”
[*” Hua Zi (华子 Huázi)”: A popular brand of Chinese cigarettes. Offering a carton of Hua Zi cigarettes is a typical gesture of thanks or bribery in certain casual or low-stakes contexts.]
“Deal.”
Ye Zhibai’s eyes were cold to begin with.
But at this moment, they were colder than usual.
It seems that… no matter how elegant the dining environment is, there are still bound to be a few pests that sneak in.
