Chapter 32: As long as you are happy
Ye Zhijun’s braised pork eventually turned to ash.
The unfortunate victim alongside the braised pork*—was the poor pot.
[*”红烧肉(*hóng shāo ròu*)” – Braised pork, a popular Chinese dish cooked in soy sauce and sugar, often with rich, caramelized flavor.]
Even though the Ye sisters worked together to save the smoking iron pot, after putting out the fire and removing the charred braised pork, judging by the bottom of the pot, which looked like it had been filled with crushed coal and was impossible to clean…
It was likely that this pot would no longer be able to serve the family in the future.
At the lunch table, there was one less dish of braised pork.
In Ye Zhibai’s heart, there was also one less big iron pot.
My pot from my previous life lasted seven whole years! But this one, it didn’t even last a few days before it was ruined!
How can I not be shocked by the comparison?
This made little Zhibai sad. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of fish, and put it in her mouth.
“Tasty, but not that tasty.”
She still couldn’t forget about the poor pot that the maids had taken away to throw out earlier.
Ye Zhibai said, “We lost our pot… sigh.”
Yun’er responded, “Cough! Sister, don’t worry! Losing the pot won’t affect tomorrow’s cooking. I’ll have the maids—no, I’ll order a new one online myself, with expedited shipping. We’ll buy ten pots!”
Ye Zhibai continued, “What the heck, no!”
“Buying ten pots, are you planning to hold a pot exhibition or something?!”
The burnt braised pork incident didn’t dampen Yun’er’s mood at all.
She spent the entire lunchtime savoring the memories from the previous night, enjoying her meal with great relish.
Every time she chewed her food slowly, Ye Zhibai could see a faint air of seductiveness in her lips.
Hmm, there’s a saying that goes like this:
If you think some things look suggestive, it might be because you’re wearing “colored glasses”* when viewing the world.
[*”带着颜色的眼镜 (*dài zhe yánsè de yǎnjìng*)” – “Colored glasses,” an idiom meaning to view things with bias or a certain perspective, often implying prejudice or subjective interpretation.]
So if you think others seem suggestive, maybe you’re the one being suggestive!
In any case, today’s lunch was as peaceful as usual.
Ye Zhibai was quite satisfied with the food.
But!
Now, after lunch, is when the real focus begins!
Whether or not Yun’er would fulfill the promise she made this morning—now was the crucial moment!
Ye Zhibai glanced at Guang Yu, who was sitting on the floor munching on a bun, hoping to draw some courage from her.
But Guang Yu just kept munching, not even looking up.
She had no courage to offer.
Since that was the case, Ye Zhibai could only face this on her own.
She put down her chopsticks and rested her arms on the table.
Casting a graceful glance at Yun’er, who was swaying her head and humming a tune while also looking at Ye Zhibai.
“Yun’er, I have some plans for this afternoon. I need to go out for a bit.”
“Huh? What plans, Sister?”
As per the agreement with Yun’er, Ye Zhibai had to inform her whenever she went out.
She carefully chose her words and began to explain.
“This afternoon, I’d like to go to Lin Zihan’s flower shop. She’s returning the vine I gave her yesterday, and I thought I’d take a walk and clear my head. Also, I plan to have dinner with a new friend, Chi Yuliang, in the evening. That’s all.”
Yun’er listened patiently.
But she just blinked without saying a word.
Ye Zhibai’s heart sank.
Oh no.
Is she going to go back on her word?
Is she going to lock me up at home again?! I didn’t even say anything weird!
But no.
After a moment of thought, Yun’er tilted her head with a bright, cheerful smile, her black hair sliding gracefully off her shoulder—a beautiful sight.
“Mmhmm, I understand, Sister. You don’t have to explain in such detail, you know? All of these activities are your freedom. You’re not obligated to report them to me.”
But wasn’t it you who asked me to report everything?! Ye Zhibai thought.
Even though she said it didn’t matter, Yun’er pulled out a small notebook from who knows where and jotted down Ye Zhibai’s plans for the day.
After writing them down, she put the pen and paper away.
Then she got up to clear the dishes.
“Alright, Sister. I’ll arrange for the maids to protect you in secret. They’ll follow you without disturbing you, so you can rest easy.”
“Oh… okay, and Yun’er, what about you…”
“Me? Hmm… I’ll probably take a nap. Thanks to you, Sister, I’m so exhausted from last night that I feel like I could sleep the whole afternoon!”
“……”
Why is Yun’er so easygoing today?!
After clearing the dishes, yun’er left.
Ye Zhijun was genuinely proactive, helping Ye Zhibai find the underwear she needed, a dress, and shoes.
She even thoughtfully prepared a parasol for her.
After making sure everything was ready, she waved her hand from the entrance, sending her off.
“Well, Sister, have fun with your new friend! And remember, don’t come back too late! Stay in touch at all times.”
“Okay…?”
Ye Zhibai held nothing but the air in her hand, though, in reality, she was holding the little fox.
Confusion filled her heart as she stepped out the mansion’s front door.
For the first time in her life, she was walking out the door completely free!
The air of freedom felt so refreshing!
But—
Everything went too smoothly.
So smooth that it was hard to believe.
Ye Zhibai questioned, “Guang Yu, do you think this is some kind of trick?”
Guang Yu replied, “Deep-fried? What deep-fried? Braised pork? The pot’s already gone.”
Ye Zhibai warned, “Don’t mention the pot. Both you and I are partly to blame for that.”
Guang Yu gets confused, “Wha?!” She didn’t understand.
She continued, “What responsibility?”
“Wasn’t it you and Ye Zhijun feeding each other dog food all morning that led to the pot being burned?!”
“You’re the ones spreading dog food,* and now you’re pinning the blame on me?”
[*”撒狗粮 (*sǎ gǒu liáng*)” – Literally “spreading dog food,” a slang phrase used to describe couples showing public displays of affection, often making single people feel like they’re being force-fed their affection (hence the “dog food”).]
“Not fair! After all, I’m just a little kitten,* I don’t even eat dog food.”
[*”小猫咪(*xiǎo māo mī*)” – “Little kitten,” here used as a self-reference by Guang Yu, implying innocence and detachment from the couple’s romance.]
“Well, I don’t eat cat food either.”
Asking Guang Yu was pointless.
Ye Zhibai patted the unfamiliar white dress she was wearing and gripped the parasol tightly.
No need to overthink it.
At the very least, the goal was achieved. Being able to walk freely on this land was the most important thing, right?
Maybe Yun’er was telling the truth—she’s brimming with confidence now, has no worries, and is giving me complete freedom!
Happy little Zhibai set off on her journey!
The Ye family’s maid squad was all specially trained in the art of concealment.
They were adept at hiding their presence, staying out of sight.
From a distance, the head maid used a walkie-talkie to continuously command the team of dozens of maids, following behind the young lady, and protecting her while keeping a respectful distance so as not to disrupt her mood for a pleasant outing.
The young lady’s expression, which showed no sign of emotion, didn’t give away whether she was in a good mood or not.
But the head maid knew that her feelings at that moment were quite exasperated.
She glanced helplessly to the side.
—At this “suspicious figure” who was crouching with her behind the utility pole, observing the young lady from afar.
This person, in the height of summer, was wrapped head to toe in a thick brown trench coat, wearing sunglasses and a face mask, with a large sun hat pulled low over her head, obscuring everything.
Not so much suspicious—more like terrifying.
The kind of figure who would get taken in by the police for questioning if they saw her.
The head maid couldn’t help but say something.
“Second Miss… aren’t you hot? Isn’t this a bit much? If you want to go out with the young lady, why not just accompany her openly? Why go to such lengths?”
“You don’t understand.”
Disguised beyond recognition, Ye Zhijun—her deep blue eyes hidden behind the sunglasses—kept a sharp gaze locked on her sister Ye Zhibai’s distant back and spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
“My sister wants freedom. She’s meeting a new friend, and if I keep following her around, what would that be? Once or twice is fine, but if I do it too often, she’ll end up hating me. I don’t want that.”
“……”
“Oh, Actually, I think if the young lady catches you stalking her like this, that’s what will make her hate you.”
Before the head maid could sigh and say anything more—
Ye Zhijun had already snuck around the utility pole and moved to the next hiding spot!
“Quick! Sister’s heading east!”
“Sigh…”
“Fine, fine.”
“As long as you’re happy.”
These sisters…
The headmaid was truly impressed!
