CHAPTER 9 GROUP
Ye Zhibai’s phone lit up with messages from the vibrant chat group, where her internet friend “Qiufeng Qi” used the ID “Autumn Breeze.” Ye Zhibai usually referred to him affectionately as “Xiao Qiu.” He was the group’s administrator and had once humorously appointed Ye Zhibai as a co-admin, a role that came with its own playful authority within their tight-knit community.
Her thoughts were interrupted as another message popped up from Xiao Qiu, jokingly threatening her for not responding earlier: “Yezi? Called you this morning, why no reply? Don’t act all high and mighty, or I’ll kick you out!” The message was accompanied by a fierce little cat emoji, pouting and growling.
Xiao Qiu was always quick to playfully threaten to use his admin powers, but Ye Zhibai knew it was all in good fun. Just as she was about to craft a reply, other group members chimed in, teasing both Xiao Qiu and Ye Zhibai.
**Ice Cold Night**: “Wow, another threat to kick someone out! Our co-admin must be trembling.”
**Breeze Waiting for the Cutie**: “Here they go again, Xiao Qiu and Yezi flirting in public. It’s always ‘I’ll kick you out,’ but really, isn’t he just jealous he hasn’t gotten a reply all afternoon? It’s supposed to be about discussing the latest anime episode, but he only ever tags Yezi. It’s heartbreaking.”
**The Trashy Member Hoping for a Cross-Dressing Admin**: “If Yezi doesn’t reply in three hours, it’s hopeless. Time for a cross-dressing apology!”
Ye Zhibai couldn’t help but laugh at the last comment, always amused by how the group joked about cross-dressing punishments. Standing up to speak doesn’t hurt the back, she thought wryly. If I were to cross-dress, it’d be a sight for sore eyes—given my average looks. But then she glanced down at her current attire, the dress fitting snugly, enhancing her new, curvaceous form.
*Wait, am I technically cross-dressing right now?* she mused, realizing the irony. *Well, I suppose I’m already impeccably dressed as a woman.*
Resolved to keep her new look to herself for now, Ye Zhibai finished typing her response, a playful retort to the group’s teasing, and hit send.
The playful banter in the chat group took a hilarious turn as Ye Zhibai attempted to join in the fun with her usual sass, commenting on the latest anime episode. Her response, however, triggered a wave of typical group humor with members mockingly mourning her as if she were gone for good.
“A Piece of White Leaf: ‘Here I am, overslept from my nap, Xiao Qiu what are you howling about! Every episode of the new series is explosive! Look at you making a fuss, like you’ve never seen the world.'”
The chat paused for a few seconds before the humorous, predictable responses rolled in.
“Lady Kaguya Eats the Moon: ‘It’s over, Yezi, rest in peace, no saving you now.'”
“Cold Night: ‘It’s over, Yezi, rest in peace, no saving you now.'”
“I Will Always Love Qiong Sister: …+1”
The echo chamber of repeated messages followed, with nearly everyone in the small group of about a dozen members adding their +1, emphasizing the jest that Ye Zhibai’s minor tardiness in response was a dramatic tragedy.
Human nature is indeed a repeating machine… as expected.
The group owner, Xiao Qiu, took a moment longer to catch up with the chat. His response began with a humorous shark-with-a-knife emoji, expressing mock anger, followed by a flurry of typed indignation.
“Qiufeng Qi: ‘Stinky Yezi!! Damn it, here I am sharing the emotional impact of the show, and you, having watched countless shows, think you can act all high and mighty? Alright, today I will show you what true lawlessness is!'”
—A Piece of White Leaf has been muted for one hour.
Ye Zhibai couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity, her blood pressure rising not from anger but from the sheer silliness of the situation. The group members revelled in the mock disaster.
“HAHAHA indeed! I told you, Yezi is in danger!”
“See you in an hour, Yezi, let us know if the solitary confinement is cool.”
“Xiao Qiu goes nuclear!”
Xiao Qiu, still playing his part as the stern group leader, added a cheeky conclusion.
“Qiufeng Qi (Group Leader): ‘Humph, this is what happens when you challenge the authority of this group leader. I believe after this battle, Yezi will clearly understand who’s superior and who’s inferior.'”
“Breezy Cute Sis: ‘Wow… Xiao Qiu even marks himself as the group leader in brackets. But only silenced for an hour? Clearly, Xiao Qiu loves Yezi, woo hoo, another beautiful day shipping this couple, long live!'”
—Breezy Cute Sis has been muted for five days.
Some people are alive, yet they are already dead. Some people are dead, yet they still live.
With the chat group quieting down after a flurry of jokes and mock threats, Ye Zhibai turned off QQ and contemplated in silence. She had looked up the location of her old apartment in the eastern part of the city, where she had lived in her previous life. The apartment held not just her belongings but memories of a life once lived—items she had scrimped and saved to buy, like kitchenware, which seemed trivial yet held significant value.
Ye Zhibai wondered about the practicality of retrieving these items in her current state. Visiting her old apartment to collect pots and pans might raise questions, given her dramatic change in appearance. Moreover, her current needs seemed different; perhaps she didn’t need these items anymore. However, the thought of simply abandoning them felt wasteful.
More than the practical items, there was something much more important at her old apartment that Ye Zhibai felt compelled to retrieve.
It’s something very important, at least to Ye Zhibai. Humans are like that; Ye Zhibai had thought about starting anew, cutting off all ties with her past life. But obviously, while you can let go of most things, some just can’t be ignored as long as memories persist. Even for Ye Zhibai, there were things from her past life that were very important to her… so she definitely needed to retrieve them.
Having made up her mind, Ye Zhibai suddenly felt an odd sensation. Ah, what was this feeling? It was like a waterfall wanting to cascade down a thousand feet, only to be blocked by a large boulder across the cliff, cutting off the flow. She had drunk too much water! Now, she needed to use the restroom!
