She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but whenever Bai Ziyu looked at Luo Yunzhi’s face, she always felt a flash of cold smile pass through the other girl’s eyes.
Yet after blinking and looking again, it seemed she had only been seeing things.
The other’s expression was calm, completely without any emotion.
“What are you looking at me for?”
Seeming to notice the gaze after being stared at for so long, the girl spoke.
“Could it be that there’s something on my face?”
She touched her cheek.
She didn’t feel anything.
“N-no.”
Bai Ziyu shrank her body a little, like a little chick, and forced a smile.
“I was just looking at the trees just now.”
She found an excuse and pointed a finger toward the lush tree by the roadside.
“I was just thinking that tree has grown so tall.”
Luo Yunzhi followed the hand and looked over. It was only a very ordinary tree, but it was true that it was quite a bit taller than the ones around it.
She laughed softly.
Feeling a little helpless.
It wasn’t that the tree was too tall… it was that this child Bai Ziyu was a bit too short.
But in order to protect her self-esteem, she didn’t say that.
“It really is very tall.”
She pretended to sigh with emotion, then took the little loli’s hand and changed the subject. “We should hurry and go buy food.”
“Ah, okay.”
Bai Ziyu nodded her head and obediently let herself be pulled forward, walking slowly, as if she were a little sister following her older sister.
But inside her heart.
She let out a slight breath of relief.
“No no no.”
The little loli silently chanted in a voice only she could hear, her expression filled with fear. She bit her lip.
If I get discovered, with her personality, I definitely won’t have a good time.
There definitely won’t be any delicious food left.
This wasn’t good… not giving snacks was already the most terrifying punishment Bai Ziyu could think of, because the other knew she was greedy.
Only physical punishment?
There wouldn’t be any.
The little loli knew that even if she deceived her, the other wouldn’t have the heart to hit her. But it was still better to have some precautions for this kind of thing.
She swallowed her saliva and wanted to run away, but the strong force she felt from the hand in hers immediately extinguished that difficult thought.
She couldn’t escape. There was simply no way to escape… even if she could run away right now, she would definitely still be caught by Luo Yunzhi.
Even if she wasn’t caught for the moment.
She would be later.
The little loli raised her head and secretly looked at the girl’s current expression.
The other was carefully watching the road and hadn’t noticed anything wrong at all.
No matter what, at least for now, she didn’t have to worry about her true form being discovered… and later?
Forget it. She would just take things as they came.
Bai Ziyu hemmed and hawed, then very decisively gave up thinking.
She wasn’t that smart to begin with—she simply had talent in other areas.
She completely belonged to the type.
That would go home when it rained.
Mm… that was it.
“Xiao Bai, we’re here.”
“Mm, eh?”
The voice from beside her brought the little loli back to her senses.
She looked up and only then realized they had already arrived at Sister Li’s convenience store.
Luo Yunzhi led Bai Ziyu into the store. The sound of the door being opened was heard.
Looking from outside into the store, a middle-aged woman was busy inside, sorting goods and placing those products onto the shelves.
Sister Li looked over, a rare trace of surprise in her eyes.
She wiped her palms.
And walked over quickly.
“Xiao Luo? Why are you here?” The corners of Sister Li’s mouth carried a thick smile. “I remember this place isn’t on the way from where you live, right?”
Then her gaze briefly rested on Bai Ziyu for a few seconds, seeming not to recognize her. “Who is this child?”
The little loli looked at her and coldly hummed, thinking this person was really good at pretending. Clearly the first time they met, she had already known she was a yokai.
Even though she had transformed now, she didn’t believe Wang Jia hadn’t told this Sister Li.
Always putting on acts like this—didn’t she find it especially tiring?
Bai Ziyu blinked her eyes.
And silently stared.
“She… is my friend’s child.”
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Yunzhi patted the little loli’s head and ultimately chose not to tell the truth.
“Leaving her aside for now, the reason I came over is that I planned to go back and look at the old home.”
The girl smiled. “And while I’m at it, take care of your business a little.”
Hearing her say that, Sister Li waved her hand, the smile on her face growing even brighter. “Hey, what do you mean take care of business? Do I still need you to spend money?”
The middle-aged woman was rather generous.
“Your Sister Li isn’t short of that little bit of money, so the two of you don’t need to be polite with me at all.”
She pointed toward the shelves.
And spoke.
“Whatever you like, just go take it directly. Later just scan the price for me. As for the money, keep it yourselves and don’t give it to me.”
Luo Yunzhi froze for a moment.
“But…”
“There’s no but.”
“Sister Li?”
“Look, you’re already calling me Sister.” The middle-aged woman was completely cheerful. “I also know you feel like I’m taking a loss this way.”
“How about you think of it like this: as an elder, these foods are just gifts I’m giving to the child.”
As she spoke she took out a red envelope from behind her.
Then she pulled five hundred yuan from her pocket, stuffed it into the red envelope, and held it out in front of Bai Ziyu.
“Here. When meeting an elder you must give a red envelope.”
The little loli was a bit dazed.
This polite?
“Th-this isn’t good, is it?”
“It’s fine.”
After a slight refusal, Bai Ziyu directly took the red envelope into her hands, as if she was afraid that if she was slow the other would snatch it back.
“Take it.”
But after accepting it, she still didn’t forget to say, “Thank you.”
After all, the two of them had no relation at all. This was being given to her for free.
Watching the little loli full of delight, Luo Yunzhi shook her head a little helplessly.
She looked at those shelves, still carrying a bit of hesitation.
Sister Li of course saw through it.
She immediately spoke.
“Why aren’t you going yet?” She brought out the tone of an elder.
“Hurry and take things, hurry and take. If you take too little, that means you’re looking down on me.”
Since it had already come to this, Luo Yunzhi couldn’t refuse well.
She could only nod and lead the little loli over to the shelves to pick things out.
Sister Li smiled and watched the two of them from behind, then sat on a chair, slightly narrowing her eyes, looking rather composed and unperturbed.
Yet she was also sighing with emotion.
About their relationship.
“Maybe this can serve as a model.” The middle-aged woman softly muttered.
“This cat and the girl are even closer than I imagined.”
“The organization has been discussing recently about picking a typical example from human-yokai coexistence. I think these two aren’t bad. Should I report it to the organization and try?”
Sister Li thought for a moment and finally made up her mind.
“As expected, I should still report it. What’s more, if they’re chosen, it would also be a good thing for Xiao Luo.”
“This child is so pitiful.”
She shook her head, kept what she needed to do in her heart, then looked at the two of them again, the corners of her mouth carrying a slight smile.
The coexistence of humans and yokai.
It was truly wonderful.