C74 Being Caught by Big Sister!

She also told Shunzi that if the older sister insisted on going out, Shunzi should knock her out.

Ugh!

As Yuvyuv thought about this, her small frame stiffened quickly.

"Yuvyuv, did you hear me? Come to my room. I have something to ask you." The voice of her older sister, Nianci, clearly carried a hint of anger.

Yuvyuv pulled a face, slowly turning around, and pointed to her stomach, "Sis, I'm hungry. My stomach is growling. Can I have breakfast first?"

Knowing her sister always had a soft spot for her, Yuvyuv tried to stall for time.

If she could delay a bit, she might slip away when her sister wasn't looking.

"No way. If you're really hungry, I'll have Mrs. Sui bring you some snacks to tide you over."

Nianci's usually gentle and beautiful face was now serious and unyielding. She added, "Are you truly hungry, or are you just afraid of what I might ask?"

Yuvyuv immediately stopped trying to be clever, slumping her shoulders and following her sister into the room.

The door remained open as Nianci stood at the entrance, glancing sideways at Yuvyuv. "Are you really hungry? Want some snacks, or should I just have Mrs. Sui bring breakfast up so you can eat while we talk?"

Seeing her sister's beautiful face turn stern, Yuvyuv quickly straightened up and shook her head obediently, "No, that's okay. If you have something to say, I'll listen first. I'm not that hungry."

Inside, she felt like crying without tears, "Ugh, I didn't know my sister could be so scary when she's serious."

Nianci casually closed the door, pulled over a chair, and sat across from Yuvyuv.

She cleared her throat, "So, why did you lie to me last night about going to the movies with friends? You ended up at a masquerade ball and didn't come home until midnight?"

Yuvyuv glanced at her sister's stern expression and felt a bit intimidated. She lowered her eyes, avoiding direct eye contact, and her big eyes darted around as she quickly explained, "I-I didn't lie to you, sis. At first, I really did go to the movies with my friend. It's just... halfway through, we found the movie boring since it was an old one. Then we remembered the invitation to the masquerade party, so... I-I invited my friend to go to the party instead..."

The more Yuvyuv spoke, the quieter her voice became. Even she was starting to doubt the story she had concocted. Normally, she could spin a tale effortlessly, even to her dad, but when it came to her sister, she just couldn't keep it up.

"What’s wrong? Even you don't believe your own story?" her sister, Nianci, said, looking at her mischievous little sister with a headache. She wanted to scold her, but seeing Yuvyuv's head hanging low, almost touching her collar, clearly afraid of being reprimanded, she felt a pang of sympathy.

Nianci sighed, her tone softening, "I don't mind you going out, but you should at least let someone at home know, right? Even if you can't come back to tell us, you could call and let us know you're safe."

Nianci gently advised her sister.

"Yes, you're right, sis. I'll make sure to call home next time," Yuvyuv said, feeling guilty for deceiving her sister but unable to reveal the truth, fearing it would worry her.

If she had told her sister from the start that the invitation from the Second Concubine was a trap to harm them, Nianci would never have let her take the risk. So, she couldn't tell her sister the truth.

"As long as you remember, don't just say it and then forget," Nianci said, looking at her sister, who seemed more obedient than before, and felt a bit relieved.

In the past, whenever she tried to teach her younger sister, her sister would always find her annoying and ignore her advice. But ever since that train incident, she noticed her sister seemed to have grown up overnight. She became more understanding, considerate of the family, and respectful, to the point where her maturity was almost unsettling.

Ye Nianci wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. All she knew was that the pretty young girl in front of her was her sister, Ye Yuvyuv, and no one could replace her. Feeling a pang of emotion, Nianci couldn't bring herself to scold her sister any further. Instead, she said, "Alright, you must be starving. Let's go have breakfast together."

"Big Sis, you're not mad anymore?" Yuvyuv quickly lifted her small face, looking at her sister nervously.

"You! Now you're worried about me being mad? Where was that concern earlier?" Nianci clicked her tongue in mock annoyance, playfully tapping her sister's delicate nose before taking her hand. "Come on, let's go downstairs for breakfast."

Yuvyuv nodded eagerly, relieved that her sister wasn't upset with her. That was more important than anything else. Yet, a small doubt lingered in her mind. She wondered, "Could it be that last night, when I asked Shunzi to keep an eye on Big Sis and make sure she didn't go out, he didn't follow through?"

But then she reconsidered, thinking it was unlikely. Shunzi, though young, was diligent and reliable, never taking his responsibilities lightly. Just as she was about to leave, Shunzi quietly approached her and said, "Miss Yuvyuv, Miss Nianci went to bed early last night. I asked Mrs. Sui to stay by her door to prevent the Second Concubine from getting close."

Hearing this, Yuvyuv smiled and rewarded Shunzi with two silver dollars, praising his cleverness. Shunzi grinned widely, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, and said, "Miss Yuvyuv, if you ever need anything else, just let me know. I'll make sure to get it done."

The sudden shift to a serious stance made him look just like a soldier making a solemn promise to his commanding officer. Ye Yuvyuv chuckled, thinking this kid had the makings of a real soldier. Little did she know, a few years later, her words would prove prophetic.

Back then, Shunzi, who was just a lanky, awkward servant in the Ye household, would eventually become a hardened soldier. But that's a story for another time.

Breakfast at the Ye family home was always a feast. There was a variety of options: Chinese dishes like fried dough sticks, steamed buns, crystal dumplings, tofu pudding, fried tofu, rolls, corn cakes, and lean pork congee. For Western tastes, there was bread, slices of ham, lettuce, and English muffins. Since Ye Mingyuan wasn't fond of Western food, the breakfast table always offered both Chinese and Western choices, especially for the kids who preferred the latter.

Despite being frugal in other areas, Ye Mingyuan was generous when it came to food. He believed that a full stomach was essential for energy and focus in work and study. As a result, the family's meals were always abundant.

Ye Yuvyuv glanced at her father, who was happily munching on a fried dough stick, finding it a bit greasy. But her dad loved pairing them with soy milk, enjoying every bite. Ye Mingyuan felt a bright gaze on him and looked up to see his daughter smiling sweetly at him, which made his heart skip a beat.

He blurted out, "Sweetheart, you didn't spend all your pocket money already, did you? I gave you a hundred bucks just the other day. Have you been spending a bit too much lately?"