Zhou You couldn’t be bothered with what Chen Tangtang would do next. He dimmed his phone screen, switched off the light, and drifted into sleep.
After finishing her notes, Chen Tangtang eagerly messaged Chen Youzi.
Chen Tangtang: "Youzi, Youzi! Still awake? I’ve got major intel about your brother~"
Chen Youzi: "What kind of intel?"
Wearing pink rabbit-print pajamas, Youzi lay facedown on her bed, chin pressed to the pillow. Her phone hovered a finger’s width from her nose. Big eyes locked on the chat window, heart fluttering with anticipation.
*Big sister Tangtang really is reliable and efficient. No wonder she’s my dearest sister. When Brother’s wedding comes, I’ll save you a special seat.*
But Chen Tangtang wasn’t spilling anything yet. She had to dramatize her "sacrifice" first—make her sister sympathize, maybe even coax her a little.
Chen Tangtang: "Let me tell you—I sent your brother *so* many flirty photos just to squeeze out a tiny bit of info! My sacrifice was HUGE, honestly!"
"?"
Youzi’s hopeful expression froze. *What did Sister actually send Brother?!*
Stay calm… maybe "flirty photos" just meant normal pics.
She knew neither she nor Tangtang had real experience with guys. They were both feeling their way forward using only internet wisdom. The difference? Youzi had Ning Mengmeng strategizing for her.
Chen Youzi: "What flirty photos did you send him?"
Chen Tangtang: [Image]
She forwarded the last photo she’d sent Zhou You—the one showing her midriff.
"…"
Youzi stared at her sister’s shy-yet-coquettish "seduction" pose. So all that "I don’t like him" talk? Pure lies. Bringing up those ambiguous chats with Zhou You was straight-up provocation!
Chen Youzi: "I’m cutting ties with you, Chen Tangtang!"
Chen Tangtang: "Eh?! Why?! I sacrificed so much to get this crucial intel!"
Rage boiled in Youzi’s chest—she nearly hurled her phone. *Don’t even mention the intel!* Just thinking about it made her see red.
She opened another chat.
Chen Youzi: "Waaah~~ Mengmeng, how could my sister do this… Help me think of a plan…"
Ning Mengmeng: "Don’t worry, Youzi. I’m your best friend."
*As long as you stay Brother Zhou’s little sister, I’ll always be your loyal sidekick.*
…
…
Youzi and Mengmeng schemed deep into the night. Exhausted, they finally fell into sweet slumber.
Meanwhile, in a villa bedroom, someone else still slept.
Faint morning light seeped through the curtains. Yun Mingyue—youthful face serene, body curled beneath a thin sheet covering her long legs—breathed softly. Stray hairs brushed her cheek, swaying with each breath.
*Ding-ding~~ Ding-ding~~*
The alarm rang for the nth time.
"Mmm."
A soft hum escaped her lips. Long lashes fluttered; brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed.
She rolled onto her back, hugged a pillow to her chest, buried her face in it for three deep breaths, then opened her almond-shaped eyes.
"Morning already?"
Yun Mingyue murmured, a rare urge to linger in bed tugging at her. She missed that dream.
It had been so long—*so* long—since she’d slept this peacefully.
"What time is it?"
She grabbed the buzzing phone.
11:31 AM.
"Huh?!"
Clarity snapped into her eyes. Overslept? For the first time in years?
*All because a boy coaxed me a little… Will I really turn into a lazy little kitty?*
She’d once joked she was a "biting little kitty"—now the phrase carried a teasing lilt.
She swung out of bed, smoothed her hair, folded the sheet neatly under the pillow. The image of herself sunbathing like a pampered kitty in her owner’s arms surfaced.
"Not a bad idea." That life actually sounded… nice. Happy.
After washing up, she went downstairs. Late already, no rush. She calmly steamed yesterday’s homemade baozi. Her cooking wasn’t gourmet, but edible—enough to fill a man’s stomach. If he disliked it? Eat out. Though knowing her, she’d drill cooking for weeks… then stop entirely once he got attached.
While baozi steamed, she tied her hair, hand-washed tomorrow’s clothes, loaded the washer. Bustling quietly, she radiated unexpected domestic warmth.
But it made sense. She remembered changing a bulb alone in pitch darkness, phone light guiding her for four sweat-drenched hours, arms and legs bruised from bumps. That day, she vowed: *I rely on no one.*
Other girls her age had boyfriends or backups. She had nothing—and a troublesome burden. Plus wolves circling Yun Group with hungry eyes.
She pressed the washer button, gazed at drifting clouds. *The world smiles… then shows its suffocating malice.*
"Father, Mother… I hope I was easier on you than Dai Dai was. …Ah, why dwell on it?"
Wiping hands on her apron, she returned to the kitchen, bit into a baozi.
This utterly ordinary taste mirrored her: decade after decade, moving like a purposeless tool. Family legacy demanded heirs.
"Pathetic."
She chewed fiercely, swallowed, stood. Outside, she’d be Yun Group’s iron-willed leader again.
"But."
Sternness melted from her face, replaced by a genuinely warm smile.
A variable had entered her life. These days—her most indulgent in years—felt wonderful. Like becoming human again.
Reborn.
