You couldn’t blame Ye Zhibai for being so easily impressed.
The living room alone had to be over two hundred square meters, and that didn’t even include the rooms tucked into its corners.
Even more astonishing... There was a wooden spiral staircase in the middle of the living room, leading up to the second floor.
Which meant the second floor had another huge living room, just as spacious as the one downstairs!
But Ye Zhibai’s expression remained cold and unfeeling.
As if to say, “Hmph. So what?”
But in reality...
She was completely awestruck, thanks for asking.
Little did anyone know that Ye Zhiyun was even more nervous than Ye Zhibai right now.
She watched Ye Zhibai stare blankly around the room, her face as expressionless as ever.
At last, Yun'er couldn’t hold back. She clenched a fist and held it against her rather well-endowed chest before speaking.
“S-Sis!”
“...Huh?”
Sorry... Ye Zhibai was a little slow on the uptake.
She still wasn’t used to being called “Big Sis” by her...
It’d probably take half her life to get used to it.
She turned to look at Ye Zhiyun. Unease was written all over her delicate face.
Yun'er said anxiously, “The second floor’s decorated pretty much the same as the first... Oh! If you’re not happy with the way the house is decorated, you have to tell me. We can tear it all down and redo everything the way you want! After all... we’re going to live together again, Sis~ You shouldn’t have to settle when it comes to your home! It should be perfect in every way!”
And you call this settling?!
Ye Zhibai was outraged!
She put on a stern expression.
Thinking back on the bitter hardships of her previous life, she uttered two words of wisdom.
“Wasteful... Be grateful...”
“I’m sorry!!”
Huh?!
Why are you panicking again...? And... don’t bow your head!
Ye Zhibai had no idea.
When she said “wasteful” to Ye Zhiyun in that cold, quiet voice, it sounded exactly like a scolding.
All she’d meant was that there was no need to waste money!
Of course Ye Zhiyun was happy to take that lesson to heart!
Hehe... And there was more.
She’d bowed to hide the excited blush that had appeared on her face~
................................
The living room was where they spent their everyday lives.
But the most important place in a home was, without a doubt, your own room.
When Yun'er led Ye Zhibai to the room at the very end of the first-floor hallway—the room that belonged to her in this life...
Ye Zhibai had just one thing to say about it.
Th-This isn’t manly at all!!
Pink, pink walls.
A whole half-bed piled high with fluffy stuffed animals!
And the scent of flowers wafting in through the window on the breeze.
No matter how you looked at it, this was the room of an adorable girl!!
Oh... Right. I am a girl now.
Never mind, then.
But honestly... compared to the living room, this place felt much more lived-in.
A big bed, a row of bookshelves, a solid wood desk and chairs, and wooden floors. That was all.
Yeah, simple. Ye Zhibai had owned cheaper versions of this furniture in her previous life... Maybe much cheaper versions. Her old chair used to creak like it could collapse at any moment, so “cheaper” was putting it mildly.
Ye Zhiyun tilted her head and gave Ye Zhibai an affectionate look, then stepped forward. She took hold of the spotless, pale-blue curtains and pulled them open with both arms!
At once, gentle sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling window behind them, making Ye Zhibai squint.
Yun'er turned back with a smile.
“This is your room, Sis. I clean it every day, so it’s really tidy, right~? Oh, look—the yard’s right outside. Whenever you feel like taking a walk, just open the door and head out.”
“The yard’s... right outside?”
“Ah! Sorry...! If you don’t want the yard connected to your room, we can blow the whole thing up!”
Holy—no!
I was just surprised. I didn’t know a room could open straight into a garden!
I take back what I said. So much for a simple, ordinary, lived-in room!
Sure enough.
Ye Zhibai padded over to the window in her slippers and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yun'er.
She looked outside, taking in a neat little courtyard filled with potted plants.
Even though it had been neglected for two years, there wasn’t a weed in sight. There was a row of flowers, a row of greenery, and sunflowers in the middle, with neat stone paths on either side.
Yun'er must have been the one taking care of it all this time...
The square courtyard was about fifty square meters, judging by its length and width!
Ye Zhiyun suddenly linked arms with Ye Zhibai.
“Hm?!” Ye Zhibai had been admiring the courtyard, marveling at it to herself.
Then she felt Yun'er link arms with her—and felt that soft, springy touch against her arm.
She immediately furrowed her brow (meaning, she panicked inside) and turned around!
There, she found Ye Zhiyun gazing at her with eyes full of expectation.
“Sis, is there anything you’d like to change about the house? Or is it fine as it is?”
“Why... would we change anything?”
“Because you always used to decorate the house according to what I liked... You never gave your own opinion.” Ye Zhiyun sounded a little sulky when she brought that up.
She whipped her head around, and her waterfall of black hair swept across Ye Zhibai’s face.
With her cheeks puffed out in a pout, Ye Zhiyun looked just like a little hamster~
Then she explained what she’d meant.
“When I was little, I was so selfish. I’d just say what color I wanted the walls, or where the desk should go. You’d just nod and let me have my way. Now that I think about it, you were totally spoiling me... No, Sis, you have to give your opinion! We’ll change the house however you want! Yun'er’s all grown up and sensible now, okay?”
Ye Zhibai had already seen how mature and dignified Yun'er could be around other people.
But now that it was just the two sisters, she was shamelessly acting cute with Ye Zhibai.
Maybe this was who she really was.
As the one being showered with affection, Ye Zhibai could only say she felt pretty honored.
Aww.
But...!
You’re kidding, little sis!
I didn’t nod because I was spoiling you. I nodded because I didn’t know how to do anything else!
Still, to be fair... After spending the past few hours together, Ye Zhibai genuinely thought Ye Zhiyun was a very soothing, healing kind of girl.
She still didn’t understand why Yun'er was so attached to her, though...
I used to be a complete idiot.
Fine... If making a few little changes would make you happy, I might as well give some suggestions.
Ye Zhibai slowly raised a finger and pointed at the pink walls. In a quiet voice, she said, “What if... we painted the walls blue?”
“Sure, sure! I’ve got it down, Sis! You like blue, right? What else?”
She’s writing it all down in her little mental notebook, isn’t she?
One simple suggestion from me, and she was this excited.
Ye Zhibai found it kind of amusing, but then she suddenly remembered she’d forgotten to ask the most important question!
It wasn’t too late to ask now.
“How much would it cost... to repaint the walls?”
“Huh? Well... I’m not really sure, but it’s pretty cheap! We’d definitely use completely harmless paint, and if we look for a good deal, we could get it done for four figures.”
“Then we’re not painting them.”
“Huh?”
“Pink is nice.”
“Uh... is it? Didn’t you just say you liked blue...”
“I said pink is nice.”
“Yes! Pink is nice!”
The moment Ye Zhiyun heard the sudden firmness in Ye Zhibai’s voice, she had no desire to argue back at all.
Phew...
If the room’s pink, girly charm
had to be weighed against spending thousands to repaint it,
then clearly, leaving it as it was would be the best choice.
Spend money? Absolutely not!
Ye Zhibai was a miser through and through.
Remember this.
Even if you have a hundred million, you’ll spend it all one day if you don’t watch your money.
So if you don’t want to run out, you have to start by saving every single dollar!
Ye Zhibai knew this lesson inside and out.
Even though she’d never had a hundred million to begin with.
She was traumatized by being poor, sob sob!!
