A strawberry cake that cost 68 yuan.
The hamburger, fries, and cola given for free by the KFC staff.
Ye Wan had the simplest birthday ever.
In fact, her birthday had passed more than a month ago.
But in this past month, the Ye family had been in complete disarray, from the company's bankruptcy to the death of both parents, then to the creditors who came knocking, Ye Wan's shoulders bore a heavy burden.
Only at this moment did the situation barely come under control.
Even if it meant auctioning off her cherished Token.
Turning her gaze to Little Bun, who finally called her sister obediently, Ye Wan gently lifted him onto her lap, "Chengcheng, I don't want to lie to you by saying that mom and dad went abroad and will be back soon. They've gone to heaven, and from now on, we can only meet them in the dreams. But don't worry, just like mom and dad, your sister will love you, and we will be okay, understand?"
"Mhm, I know. But…"
Ye Cheng tilted his head, "Ye Xiaowan, do you know that your ears turn red when you're feeling guilty?"
???
If she was wrong, the law could punish her, so why arrange for a mean little Devil to make her experience the hardships of life?
Suddenly feeling that her moving and sentimental speech was all for nought, Ye Wan glared and let go of Little Bun, "Ye! Meng! Meng!"
Little Bun, unafraid, even pointed at Ye Wan's blushing earlobes, "I noticed a long time ago. It's the same when you told dad you hadn't skipped class, and when you told mom you hadn't gone out on a date, just like now."
With an expression that said "see, this is how clever I am," Ye Cheng poked Ye Wan's puffed-up face, "Ye Xiaowan, I'm not a three-year-old anymore. I am the man of the Ye family!... Mom and Dad are gone, but I still have you. Wherever you are, that's where home is!... Don't worry, I won't cry anymore, so you don't have to go off and cry alone either, okay?"
Ye Wan's heart softened into a mess, moved as she rubbed his baozi face, "Right… you're not a three-year-old anymore, you're four years and seven months old, a little man!"
After repeatedly thanking the kind staff who gave them fries and hamburgers and agreed to shelter them for the night, Ye Wan huddled with Little Bun in a corner sofa and slept through the night.
As the sky lightened with the pale colors of dawn, Ye Wan, still holding the sleeping Little Bun, went to the bank.
When she came out again, it was the sunny midday.
After checking the balance of all bank cards for the 10086th time, Ye Wan couldn't help but take a sharp intake of breath.
Great.
Zero savings.
A fixed debt of 100,000.
Starting from zero.
"Ye Xiaowan, can we go back to the villa area for a moment?"
Ye Cheng made an untimely request.
Thinking he wanted to take one last look at their former home, Ye Wan agreed.
Two hours later, seeing Little Bun digging out an Ultraman coin bank from under an oak tree outside the villa, just like a groundhog, Ye Wan was stunned.
With a clatter, the emblem of justice, Ultraman Tiga, fell to pieces.
A pile of shiny coins lay before Ye Wan.
"Ye Xiaowan, can we stay at the Sicheng Grand Hotel tonight?"
"No!"
Coming out of the bank, looking at a text message on her phone showing a balance of 1159.00, Ye Wan's gaze fell on the sign in a quiet alleyway.
Who would have thought, it was just across the street.
On one side of the street was the glittering five-star grand hotel.
And on the other side, there was a budget hotel where one could stay for less than a hundred a night?
Ye Wan, holding a suitcase in one hand and Little Bun's hand in the other, checked into the 80 yuan per night budget hotel.
The yellowing walls, the not-so-fresh air, and the deafening television sounds from next door.
"Ye Xiaowan…"
Ye Cheng, hiding behind Ye Wan, tugged at the hem of her clothes, "How long are we going to stay here?"
"Seven… days?"
Ye Wan squatted down, looking straight into Little Bun's anxious eyes, "I promise, at most seven days, and we'll move into a big house!"
Seven days?
Ye Xiaowan, are you sure?
In Little Bun's skeptical eyes, Ye Wan nodded earnestly.
At night, after putting Little Bun to sleep, Ye Wan closed the bathroom door, took out her phone, and sat on the toilet lid.
Upon unlocking her phone, she saw a message from Han Bolin: "Xiaowan, where are you? I'll come pick you up, I have a villa in the east district blablalala…"
Did he think she was a canary?
Pfft!
Ye Wan curved her lips, blacklisted and deleted him, then logged into her livestreaming room, "Come on, guys and ladies, it's time to take your orders…"