Chapter 33: The Master of Saving Money

Lin Zhizhi followed Zhou Tiantian into her home.

Zhou Tiantian’s home was not large—one living room and two bedrooms—but it was neat and tidy, giving off a pleasant impression.

Zhou Tiantian took out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet at the entrance and handed them to Lin Zhizhi.

Lin Zhizhi looked down and saw that they were adorable, soft pink bunny slippers. As she put them on, she couldn’t help but smile.

Zhou Tiantian noticed the slight curve of Lin Zhizhi’s lips and quickly explained, as if trying to cover something up. “These weren’t bought by me. My cousin got them last time she visited. She’s still young, you know, little girls just like this kind of—”

Lin Zhizhi finished changing her shoes, placed her own neatly to the side, then straightened up. She smiled at Zhou Tiantian and nodded without saying a word.

She took the lead and walked inside. Just as she reached the living room and was about to take a good look around, she suddenly heard Zhou Tiantian’s voice behind her—loud, with a hint of panic.

“Wait—!”

Before Lin Zhizhi could react, Zhou Tiantian dashed past her at a speed that could rival a hundred-meter sprint. She rushed to the sofa in the living room, yanked her coat open on both sides, swiftly wrapped something up with it, and bolted toward the bedroom.

While running, she hastily called out: “Um, my place is a bit messy. Let me tidy up real quick. Just wait a moment.”

Lin Zhizhi stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Zhou Tiantian’s retreating figure. She raised a hand, pointing toward Zhou Tiantian’s waist, hesitating before speaking.

“Uh… your waist…”

However, Zhou Tiantian was too focused on reaching the bedroom. “Whatever it is, wait until I come out to get it for you—”

In no time, she achieved her goal—successfully opening the door, slipping inside, and shutting it behind her.

This left Lin Zhizhi standing alone in the living room, murmuring to herself: “I think I just saw something furry sticking out from her waist… and it was pink…”

Before long, Zhou Tiantian emerged from the bedroom, took Lin Zhizhi’s suitcase, and led her to the only remaining bedroom.

“This is the guest room, but don’t worry, hardly anyone stays here. Except for my cousin, who sometimes visits during school breaks and stays for a few days. So it’s still fairly clean.” She explained while walking.

Lin Zhizhi obediently nodded in agreement.

Zhou Tiantian glanced at the quiet, gentle girl beside her, who looked so soft and delicate. A feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time suddenly welled up within her—a sense of satisfaction at being an older sister.

A younger sister should be like this—soft, delicate, obedient, and quiet.  

Zhou Tiantian thought about her own biological cousin, who was fiery and unreserved. The idea of dragging her out of school for a lesson on how to be a proper younger sister crossed her mind. She should really learn from Lin Zhizhi—stop demanding pocket money every time they met.  

Lin Zhizhi tidied up the bed and her luggage in the bedroom, while Zhou Tiantian brought over fresh bedsheets and helped her make the bed.  

By the time they were done, it was already past nine o’clock, and neither of them had eaten yet. Lin Zhizhi originally planned to order takeout, but Zhou Tiantian insisted that she could just whip up something simple.  

However, when they opened the fridge, all they saw was an empty space—except for a single wilted cucumber.  

An awkward silence filled the room.  

Lin Zhizhi was the first to break it. She pulled out her phone, ready to place a delivery order. “We should just—”  

Before she could finish, Zhou Tiantian cut her off. “Are you really that hungry? Or just a little?”  

Lin Zhizhi was a bit confused. She hesitated for a moment before nodding blankly. “Uh… not exactly starving, but I could eat.”  

Zhou Tiantian shut the fridge door decisively, turned around, and picked up her phone from the table. “That’s great. Let’s go. Tonight, you’re in for a treat. I’ll make sure you get to taste my cooking.”  

Lin Zhizhi watched as Zhou Tiantian, phone in hand, walked towards the entrance to change shoes. “Where are we going?”  

With a tone of absolute certainty, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Zhou Tiantian replied: “To the supermarket to buy groceries, of course!”  

“Don’t worry, my cooking is amazing. You won’t regret this. Let’s go!”  

Of course, Zhou Tiantian would never tell Lin Zhizhi the real reason she insisted on cooking at home—because it was simply more cost-effective.