Eight

After weeks of exhausting work, Ye Yin realized that this one-person acquisition method was woefully inefficient, and sometimes even resulted in wasted resources. Unfortunately, she couldn’t explain her need to stockpile things, and there was no way to ask for help. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear it alone. She had originally planned to gather all supplies within half a year, but judging from the current progress, she’d probably be a walking corpse before she’d met her goal.

One afternoon, Ye Hua came back from working out and found her sister sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep. The lists on the coffee table were scattered everywhere, making it look like a scene of an overworked office worker’s sudden collapse. She felt both sorry and amused. Quietly, she carried Ye Yin to the bedroom and carefully tucked her in.

Ye Yin forced her eyes open and smiled. “You’ve improved. You can carry me now.”

“Yep! My coach said if I keep training for another month, I might really start to see abs.”

Ye Yin burst out laughing and reached out to tickle Ye Hua. “Really? Let me feel.”

Ye Hua was incredibly ticklish and squealed, giggling as she dodged away. “Sister, just lie down. I’ll go make dinner.”

“Okay.”

Because Ye Yin was often away from home, and Ye Hua refused to eat takeout, she’d had to teach herself to cook. Over time, her dishes had become pretty decent, rivaling those of any average housewife.

Dinner was a plate of corn and okra, a serving of fried chicken nuggets, and a fish ball and kelp soup, all colorful and appetizing. Ye Yin, eager to encourage her sister, ate with gusto and soon held out her bowl for more. “Another bowl, please!”

Ye Hua happily filled her bowl, packing the rice in tight and piling it into a small mound.

When Ye Yin saw this mountain of rice—enough for three bowls—she was speechless. But not wanting to disappoint her sister, she forced herself to finish it, so full she nearly rolled her eyes.

“Do you have plans tonight, Sis? Why don’t we go for a walk?” Ye Hua looked at her expectantly.

Ye Yin patted her full stomach, thinking a walk might help her digest, and agreed immediately.

With the New Year approaching, many shops were closed. The streets were quiet, and most people hurried along in thick winter coats. Occasionally, a store clerk would call out to passing pedestrians, their voices making the street feel even lonelier.

“Has everyone gone home?” Ye Hua asked.

“It’s the Spring Festival,” Ye Yin replied. The last one, too.

Unaware, the two wandered for over an hour. As they chatted and laughed quietly, a tall, gray figure began following them at a measured distance, trailing them for nearly three blocks. At first, Ye Yin thought it was just a coincidence, but soon she became wary. After confirming that the person was indeed targeting them, she pretended not to notice and casually led Ye Hua toward the bus station, planning to catch a ride home.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on their side. They waited ages, but not a single empty cab appeared. Ye Yin grew anxious, her unease showing on her face. The man seemed to sense she was about to make a run for it and suddenly rushed at them, reaching out to grab Ye Hua!

Have human traffickers really become this brazen? Ye Yin was furious. She scooped Ye Hua into her arms and swung her fist hard at the man’s nose. The man, having no idea the girl before him was incredibly strong, didn’t take her seriously and tried to endure the blow to snatch Ye Hua. To his shock, before he could even reach for the little girl, he was knocked backward by Ye Yin’s punch, stumbling several steps and falling heavily to the ground.

Ye Yin clutched Ye Hua and bolted toward the busiest area, shouting, “Kidnapper! Someone help! He’s trying to steal a child!”

But she underestimated the indifference of people’s hearts. Hearing her cries and seeing the burly man chasing after them, the pedestrians quickly made way, terrified of getting involved and possibly being stabbed for their trouble.

Ye Yin’s heart sank. She ran desperately toward the nearest mall, hoping that with more people and security guards, the man wouldn’t dare act so openly.

But once again, she was wrong. The man not only followed them straight into the mall but had also called for backup at some point. A dozen men, all of similar build, began searching the mall for the two sisters. Ye Yin, small and nimble, darted through the crowd, but the gang, frustrated by obstacles, simply shoved and kicked aside anyone in their way. Frightened shoppers scrambled out of their path.

Their appearance made it clear they were no ordinary criminals—probably gangsters. Who would dare get involved? In this day and age, being a good Samaritan was a thankless risk. Most people chose to stand by and watch; a few bold men started to intervene but were quickly pulled back by those around them. Some cautious shoppers simply abandoned their carts and fled, and the mall security pretended not to see a thing, standing motionless at their posts like statues.

The mall had only three stories, and the elevators and emergency exits were all guarded by the thugs. With nowhere to run, Ye Yin considered jumping out a window in the fresh food section while carrying Ye Hua. Just then, a young man with his back to her, picking out a ham, spoke up. “There are people watching outside. You won’t get away.”

Ye Yin turned, startled, and saw a most unusual figure: a man with long hair to his waist, dressed in a loose gray robe from another era, wearing straw sandals, and holding a strange bronze staff.

But there was no time to dwell on it. She pleaded, “Please, help us! I’ll pay you!”

The man turned around.

What met Ye Yin’s gaze was an ethereal face—delicate features, gentle brows, a straight, elegant nose—a dreamlike beauty that defied gender.

“Not interested.” He turned back to his shopping.

Ye Yin glanced behind her and nearly fainted: the man was almost upon them!

She told Ye Hua to hold tight, then stepped onto a stack of rice bags, preparing to jump out the window. But before she could act, the strange man, having picked his ham, grabbed her by the collar and, with a swish, flew out the window!

It wasn’t a leap or a swing—they were actually flying.

The long-haired man held the ham and bronze staff in one hand, and with the other, lifted both Ye Yin and her sister, floating several hundred meters into the sky. He adjusted his direction, then soared over the glittering city like a bird, picking up speed as he dipped lower.

The cold wind stung Ye Yin and Ye Hua’s eyes shut. When Ye Yin finally realized what was happening, she was dumbfounded.

Am I…flying?

The world below stretched out in dazzling clarity. Skyscrapers she once had to look up at became clusters of sparkling lights, and the river beneath the bridge reflected the stars and moon, shimmering like the Milky Way—a breathtaking sight. She felt as if she were in a fairytale, able to reach out and touch the soft night clouds.

Ye Yin breathed in the crisp air, her heart pounding with exhilaration. It felt as though she’d grown wings, soaring freely through the beautiful midnight sky, unbound by anything. She remembered envying Rose’s romantic moment in Titanic; now, she was luckier than Rose—she was really flying!

“Th-thank you, sir…” Ye Yin tried to thank the man, catching a perfect view of his flawless profile in the moonlight—it was almost unreal in its beauty. The moment was almost perfect, except that the man flew so fast that before she could finish her sentence, she threw up.

The strange man looked at her with faint disgust and dropped her unceremoniously. “You’re home.”

“Ah—!”

Ye Yin thought she and Ye Hua would be smashed to pieces, but halfway down, a force caught them, as if someone was gently guiding them to land. They touched down lightly on their own balcony.

Ye Hua finally snapped out of her shock and clung to Ye Yin’s neck, wailing. Ye Yin knew the child was terrified, and quickly stroked her back, soothing her. “Don’t cry, it’s all right now, it’s over…”

That night, Ye Hua woke up from nightmares again and again, while Ye Yin didn’t close her eyes at all.

She couldn’t understand why that man targeted Ye Hua. Was it for money? Impossible—only a handful of people knew she was wealthy, and none were in W City. Besides, if he wanted to kidnap for ransom, why only go for Ye Hua? Wouldn’t grabbing her work just as well?

Was it for…other reasons? Ye Yin’s eyes widened. Could he be an extreme lolicon?

The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Lolicons were terrifying—once obsessed with a cute little girl, they’d do anything. Her little sister was so adorable, it was no wonder a twisted pervert would be entranced.

While Ye Yin was lost in thought, a faint light flickered in the dark. She looked over and saw it was the plum blossom knot tied to her sister. She had woven it herself from the red cords once used to bind the Boundless Elephant, and perhaps from being with that treasure for so long, the cord had absorbed a trace of its energy, so she’d given it to Ye Hua as a protective charm.

Could it be…

The Boundless Elephant was a powerful thing; ever since it had merged with her, not a trace of its energy had ever leaked out. But the cord was different—even someone as insensitive as her could occasionally sense its aura.

Ye Yin was filled with regret. How had she not thought of this before? There were only two people in this world who could sense the Boundless Elephant’s energy: Master Floating Cloud and Master Yuantong—either of whom she couldn’t afford to provoke. She and her sister were powerless yet carried a great treasure. Weren’t they putting themselves in the greatest danger?

A chill ran down her spine, and cold sweat broke out. She quickly stored the plum blossom knot away in her spatial space, and soon its aura faded.

She didn’t know which faction those men belonged to, or what to do next. So much for all her careful preparations—they now seemed laughable. Ye Yin, oh Ye Yin, keep fussing over your supplies. You and your sister won’t live long enough to use them—are you planning to take them to the underworld?

After a while of despair, Ye Yin forced herself to rally. Don’t give up until you see the coffin—don’t be discouraged!

But who on earth was that strange man? And how did he know where the sisters lived? Questions plagued Ye Yin, and by dawn, exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps because the spatial dimension shielded the plum blossom knot’s aura, no one came looking for them after that. Life returned to a quiet routine. A month passed. Ye Yin’s courage slowly returned, and she began going out to collect supplies again. Ye Hua stopped lifting dumbbells and punching sandbags at home, and returned to the club to train.