“Ahh... Mm... It’s... kind of tasty.”

“Ehehe, Big Sis, if you like it, have a couple more bites. Here, open wide~”

“Ahh~”

Out of nowhere, Ye Zhibai got to experience the thing she’d once dreamed of: getting fed by a beautiful girl!

Ye Zhiyun held a steaming bowl of nutritious oatmeal. Every time she brought a spoonful to Ye Zhibai’s little cherry-red lips, she’d carefully—very carefully—blow on it until it cooled.

In short, she was incredibly considerate.

The maids had already withdrawn. Once they’d confirmed that Ye Zhibai was out of danger, there was no need for them to stay and interrupt the sisters’ reunion.

As her body gradually grew lighter, Ye Zhibai could clearly feel herself getting better.

And along with her returning strength...

Came a rumbling hunger! And an increasingly intense thirst.

It felt like she hadn’t had a drink in ages. She desperately wanted water to flow down her throat and rehydrate her body.

The porridge was still too dry. It didn’t have much water in it.

So even though there were still plenty of things she wanted to ask, what Ye Zhibai wanted most right now was to try asking for some water.

Her voice still wasn’t very loud, but her words came out much more clearly now.

“Can I ask... is there any water...? I’m thirsty.”

“Oh, just a second, Big Sis! I’ll go get you some water right now!”

Ever since a little while ago, the second young lady of the Ye Family had been granting Ye Zhibai’s every request.

Ye Zhibai still couldn’t figure out why she was being so nice to her... but it warmed her heart all the same.

In her previous life... no one had ever taken care of her like this.

All she’d ever gotten were cold looks and scoldings. Or people looking down on her because of her background. It was just...

Ah, no. Thinking about this stuff was making her all gloomy again.

Ye Zhibai patted her soft cheeks, putting those painful memories aside for now.

This wasn’t like before... Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she should think about how to live from now on.

How was she supposed to live... as a girl?

That was the one thought that brought a pale look to Ye Zhibai’s usually stern little face.

Damn it... If I ever see that glowing orb again, I’m stomping on it! No, twice!

Well... there’s a good chance I’ll never see it again. Probably?

“The water’s here! Sorry, Big Sis. This is the only bottled water I could find on short notice. Do you think you can drink it?”

“If it’s water, then... Hiss!”

Ye Zhibai stared at the fancy little water bottle in Ye Zhiyun’s hand.

She could practically feel the power of money...

Wasn’t that Qiansui Mountain, the king of bottled water?!

It might not have been the most expensive, but in Ye Zhibai’s previous life, it had absolutely been beyond her reach—an unattainable, god-tier mineral water!

How luxurious...!

Ye Zhibai shakily took the bottle and hugged it to her chest, unable to let go for a long, long while.

Qiansui Mountain... I finally got my hands on you.

Ye Zhiyun looked down at her big sister clutching the bottle of mineral water and felt her nose sting again.

Big Sis had only just woken up... She was still dazed, after all.

She must’ve mistaken the bottle for me and hugged it instead... Hah... Ehehe... Ehehehe...

But, Big Sis, if you’re thirsty, you should drink some water, okay?

“Big Sis, shall we have a little water?”

What?

Open the bottle cap?!

Wasn’t this mineral water for admiring? If she drank it, it’d be gone!

Just as she was thinking that, a maid standing guard outside gently pushed a box into the room.

“Second Young Lady, the rest are here. Do you need more?”

“That’s enough. Just leave it there. We have plenty.”

“Of course.”

The maid set the box down in the room, closed the door, and left.

What was in that box?

Ye Zhibai cautiously peeked out and took a closer look.

Good grief...

A whole case of Qiansui Mountain!

She looked down at the pitiful little bottle in her arms and swallowed.

So thirsty...

Well... life means having to compromise with one thing or another, every now and then.

Like how, when you’re thirsty, you have to drink water. It’s only natural.

She placed her tender palm over the bottle cap.

With the instincts she’d carried over from her previous life as a boy, Ye Zhibai was sure opening a bottle of mineral water would be easy. No problem at all.

But...

“Huh?!”

She twisted it a few times.

The cap didn’t budge.

No way...

Girls being unable to open bottle caps was just an urban legend, wasn’t it?

Or was this body really that weak?

As it happened, while Ye Zhibai was trying to open the cap, Ye Zhiyun had gone to the door to get another bottle of water. She missed Ye Zhibai’s furious attempts and painful struggle.

Ye Zhibai frantically tried again while she still had time. All she got for her efforts were sore hands. Qiansui Mountain stood firm as an actual mountain!

“...”

Ye Zhiyun was already on her way back.

This was bad.

Really bad!

Even though she’d become a girl, Ye Zhibai still had a boy’s pride. She didn’t want to be unable to open a bottle in front of a girl—especially the younger sister she had in this life!

But...

She was thirsty. Really thirsty.

She’d already been parched, and now she could see the clear water sloshing around inside the bottle. It was torture.

She couldn’t take it anymore... She just couldn’t.

Ye Zhiyun was carrying a bottle of water too. She sat back down on the chair beside the hospital bed.

The moment she sat down, a bottle of water was shoved right in front of her.

Ye Zhibai held out her arm and offered Ye Zhiyun the untouched bottle, her eyes wandering off to the side rather than meeting hers.

I can’t even open a bottle cap. How could I look her in the eye? What kind of face would I have?

Ye Zhibai spoke.

“You... open this.”

“!”

Things just got even worse!!

Ye Zhibai had meant to ask politely. How could she ask someone for help without minding her manners?

But she was so embarrassed and nervous that she wanted to get the words out as quickly as possible. And since speaking was still difficult, she left out way too much.

What she’d just said sounded exactly like an order!

Especially with this body’s unbearably cold tone.

That made her sound like she was practically asking to get hit!

Ye Zhibai squeezed her eyes shut in anguish, bracing herself for a beating.

But... she thought she heard someone breathing heavily...?

The breathing sounded lovely, and hurried.

But by the time Ye Zhibai opened her eyes, the sound had vanished without a trace.

“.....”

What was going on?

When Ye Zhibai looked up again,

a faint blush still lingered on Ye Zhiyun’s usually elegant face.

And her voice... had an uncontrollable tremble to it.

“O-okay! Big Sis, I’ll... I’ll help you!”

“You?”

Had she just called me “you” in that respectful way?

Before Ye Zhibai could wonder about it, Ye Zhiyun had already carefully taken the bottle from her hands.

She only had to twist it a little for the cap to come off. It was easy, but some of the water sloshed out of the full bottle and onto the floor.

Qiansui Mountain... What a waste!

By now, the strange blush on Ye Zhiyun’s cheeks had faded.

Ye Zhibai took the bottle back from her. The sound of the clear water sloshing inside, and the ripples moving across its surface, finally overwhelmed her desire to drink.

In two lifetimes, she’d never been this thirsty!

She lifted the bottle with both hands, pressed its rim to her rosy lips, and tipped it up slightly. The clear water flowed into her mouth under the pull of gravity.

Gulp... Gulp...

Ye Zhibai could feel her whole body rejoicing, every cell cheering as the long-awaited water finally reached her!

She’d never realized water could taste this good...

Ye Zhiyun swallowed too. The way Big Sis drank... was so pretty!

Before long, Ye Zhibai had drunk half the bottle. Her body still couldn’t chug the whole thing in one go.

Her thirst was already much better, and Ye Zhibai was just about to lower the bottle and pull it away from her lips...

But her grip was unsteady, and she couldn’t quite control her body. The bottle... suddenly slipped from her hands.

“Ah...!”

“Big Sis!”

Splash!!

In an instant, the bottle tipped downward and spilled. Ye Zhibai was drenched in a sudden, bone-deep chill.

Her pajamas... her pajama pants... They were soaked...

The empty bottle rolled off the edge of the bed, spun twice across the floor, and came to a stop.

Ye Zhibai looked down at her pajamas.

The mineral water had soaked through her pajamas, making them cling tightly to her body. The skin of her lower belly and thighs showed faintly through the fabric, its delicate color perfectly natural.

Mm... But it felt sticky... and uncomfortable.

I’m sorry, Qiansui Mountain... I really didn’t mean to waste you. I swear.

Why hadn’t Ye Zhiyun said anything since... just now?

Ye Zhibai hardly dared to look up. She was sure that her stupid mistake had made Ye Zhiyun angry.

But at least I need to borrow a towel...

Ye Zhibai was just about to speak.

When Ye Zhiyun suddenly grabbed the hem of her top at her lower belly with both hands!

The cool fabric instantly peeled away from her skin, leaving Ye Zhibai’s snow-white little belly completely exposed!

Then Ye Zhiyun’s voice reached her ears. It was hard to tell whether she sounded excited or worried.

“Big Sis, don’t move! You’ll catch a chill! I... I-I-I! I’ll get you cleaned up right away!”

Huh?

Was she imagining it...

Why did Ye Zhibai keep feeling like...

Ye Zhiyun was really excited right now?!