The elevator descended, Ye Wan's heart filled with mixed emotions.
In her bank account, one billion had been deposited.
In her WeChat balance, there was the 1 RMB just paid by the Smiling Tiger.
Right now, she was a wealthy woman.
But in a few hours, she'd be the poorest person in the whole Sicheng.
Even the beggars on the streets would probably be richer than her.
"Xiaowan, how about we take the money and run away tonight?"
Ye Cheng asked with twinkling eyes.
"Run away? Look at you, no ambition at all!"
Ye Wan pinched his slick face with disgust, "Ye Mengmeng, I really think you might have been picked up from a trash bin by mom and dad!"
"You're the one who's picked up!"
Completely ignoring the annoying Ye Mengmeng, Ye Cheng stared with his grape-like eyes, puffing his cheeks indignantly like a little hamster, "Mom said I am her little cotton panty, I am definitely not picked up!"
The words "Mom" silenced both siblings for a moment.
Little Bun pursed his lips without crying, pointing to a cake shop on the street, "Xiaowan, let's buy a small cake!"
"I don't have any…" money??
Looking down, she met Little Bun's red-rimmed eyes. Ye Wan's tone changed, suddenly ostentatious, "Buy!!!"
"Welcome! After nine o'clock, it's buy one get one free for the whole store!"
In the cake shop, the clerk was enthusiastic, seeing the handsome little boy in an English-style suit craning his neck to look at the cakes behind the glass. His long eyelashes fluttering, his eyes clear and pure, the good-looking clerk felt her heart melt, "Little handsome boy, which one do you like?"
The black forest cake was rich and fragrant.
The mango pudding was sweetly tempting.
The cakes, big and small, looked delicious.
"Xiaowan…"
Ye Cheng hesitated and turned back, "Do you... have money?"
The Ye family went bankrupt, and creditors flocked to their door.
Dealing with their parents' funeral and facing the vicious creditors, Ye Wan had lost ten pounds in just a few days.
Villas, sports cars, bags, jewelry; Ye Wan sold everything that could be sold, including all the money in her bank card, leaving nothing behind.
Before coming to the auction house, she and her brother hadn't eaten for a day.
Ye Cheng had eaten some cookies given to him by the staff at the auction house, but Ye Wan hadn't even drunk a sip of water, let alone eaten anything.
Though there was a billion now, it would only pass through her hands.
After dawn, once they had dealt with those creditors who came at the news of money, they would be penniless. He... shouldn't be so capricious, should he?
Little Bun looked at Ye Wan, as if the moment she hesitated, he would immediately change his mind about buying.
Ye Wan's heart ached.
She had promised Little Bun to treat him after the auction.
Just a small cake.
Then, with a grandiose wave of her hand, "Pick whatever you want, your sister is rich!"
Anxiety turned to joy, Little Bun cheerily chose a strawberry cake.
68 RMB.
While paying, the thought of her account's billion missing a sliver made Ye Wan's lips twitch uncontrollably.
Seeing the clerk offer a bag of croissants and doughnuts of equal value—enough for her and Little Bun to eat for a couple of days—Ye Wan's bleeding heart felt a bit better.
"Xiaowan, where are we going now?"
Once they left the cake shop, Little Bun grabbed Ye Wan's hand, his face full of bewilderment.
Ye Wan took a deep breath.
The Ye family's villa had been seized and auctioned, no going back.
She didn't want to face the sympathetic, prying or schadenfreude-filled gazes of acquaintances, so she didn't go to them.
In the vast Sicheng, there wasn't a place for the siblings to stay.
Ye Wan looked down, only to see Little Bun looking up at her, his eyes full of dependence.
With mom and dad gone, she was his entire world, and she had to do well!
"Tonight, let's go and stay at Grandpa Ken's home!"
Ye Wan, with a radiant smile, pulled Little Bun and dashed towards the KFC in the square that was open 24 hours.
…
It was late at night, and there were only a few customers in the KFC.
Having told Little Bun not to run around, Ye Wan went to the restroom.
When she came back out, the vast KFC was pitch dark.
A power outage?
Ye Wan's heart tightened.
"Chengcheng! Chengcheng?"
She called out loudly but got no response. Groping toward the direction she remembered, Ye Wan bumped and stumbled several times, hardly noticing.
Dong, dong dong...
From somewhere in the distance, the sound of a bell chimed, and Ye Wan's heart pounded even faster, "Chengcheng, Ye Cheng…"
The thought of Ye Cheng being lost, or kidnapped by someone with ill intentions, sent shivers down her spine.
Click!
The sound of a lighter, and then a small flame lit up.
In the candlelight, Little Bun held up the palm-sized strawberry cake, approaching Ye Wan, "Sis, happy birthday!"