Chapter 33: 33
"What did you figure out?"
Ji Qiubai kept her head down, remaining silent.
She hadn't figured anything out. This wasn't a math problem where you could just plug in some values and get the answer.
Jing Yao noticed the words "like" and "dislike" with question marks drawn next to them at the bottom of the page.
——She suddenly felt like she had picked up a dummy.
"Look at me." The commanding tone was impossible to ignore.
Ji Qiubai looked up in a daze, only to find a magnified face right in front of hers.
Jing Yao kissed her, and Ji Qiubai's mind went blank. The soft sensation brought back memories of a certain night. Her body seemed to remember too, and she obediently parted her lips to respond, eventually getting so caught up that she started leading the kiss.
"Do you like this?"
When Jing Yao pulled away, Ji Qiubai found herself staring at lips glistening with moisture, inches from her own.
The woman seemed satisfied with Ji Qiubai's dazed and enamored expression, her finger tracing Ji Qiubai's lower lip.
"It seems like you really do."
Ji Qiubai heard the smile in Jing Yao's voice, and her face turned beet red as warmth spread from her ears to her cheeks.
She was completely flustered.
"What are you afraid of?" Jing Yao's hand moved from her ear to her cheek, gently stroking her as if she could see right through her.
She had already told this silly girl she didn't need to take responsibility, yet here she was, avoiding her for days. Jing Yao had to come find her herself. If she didn't push Ji Qiubai, would she just sit here drawing circles, trying to solve this on her own?
Ji Qiubai bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "We're from different worlds. I'm timid and boring, always following the rules. I don't know how to make someone happy. You've seen so much more of the world than I have. We can't be together."
She hadn't even finished speaking before Jing Yao kissed her again, gently nibbling on her lip. It didn't hurt, just tickled in a way that was hard to resist.
"Then why were you sitting here doodling, trying to figure out if I like you or not?"
A big part of it was because her mind was already a mess, and seeing Jing Yao laughing and chatting with Luo Ran earlier had made her inexplicably upset.
But Ji Qiubai didn't want to admit that.
She turned her head, refusing to answer the question.
Jing Yao found it amusing, her tone light. "So, you're using this lame excuse to reject me?"
Yes, she had been the one to shamelessly approach first, but why was Ji Qiubai still so hesitant to open up to her? Why were these non-issues becoming reasons to push her away?
Or had she been wrong all along? Was it just her imposing herself on Ji Qiubai, one-sided and unwelcome?
Ji Qiubai didn't mean that, but when she tried to explain, she froze, unsure of what to do.
Jing Yao's eyes glistened with unshed tears, a sadness that felt unfamiliar and unsettling.
Ji Qiubai had never seen her like this.
"I…"
"Sorry, I won't bother you anymore."
Jing Yao started to pull away, but Ji Qiubai grabbed her without thinking.
"That's not what I meant… I, I like you, but I'm scared… scared that it's just a fleeting interest for you. I don't know what you see in someone like me, but I don't want to make you cry. I'm sorry…"
——Great, now she was getting nervous again.
"What did you just say?"
Ji Qiubai thought back, then obediently repeated, "I'm sorry."
"No, the second thing."
Ji Qiubai remembered what she had said next and, feeling awkward, mumbled, "I like you."
"That's enough. That's all I wanted to hear." Jing Yao knew how to get to the point.
The sadness from earlier seemed like a distant memory as Jing Yao smiled and kissed the corner of Ji Qiubai's mouth.
Ji Qiubai wasn't stupid. She felt like she had been tricked again.
"The rest of your worries, we can let time prove they're unfounded."
——
The locals mentioned a particularly spiritual temple in the nearby mountains, known for its thriving incense offerings. Many people would visit to pray for blessings.
The group, who rarely ventured out to such places, found themselves intrigued and decided to check it out.
Luo Li resigned herself to picking up the sleeping cat beside her. The cat didn't even open its eyes, merely snuggling into Luo Li's arms, comforted by the familiar, soothing scent, and soon fell back into a peaceful sleep.
Luo Li wanted to laugh but felt helpless at the same time. Luckily, they were staying at a pet-friendly hotel. Otherwise, she'd have to figure out how to manage her boss-turned-cat on the streets.
Who would have thought that after Luo Li finished organizing the files and turned around to say goodnight, she'd find her boss transformed back into a tiny kitten?
"Hey, Luo Luo, where did you find that cat?" Chen Ting spotted Luo Li from a distance, cradling what looked like a small cat, though it didn't appear to be a stray.
"Oh, it's my cat. She's been too shy to come out, but she's finally ready today."
Chen Ting found this odd but didn't press further.
"What about Director Lu? Isn't she coming with us?"
Luo Li mumbled an excuse, "She stayed up late working with me last night, so she's still resting."
Chen Ting gave her a knowing look and lowered her voice. "Were you two really just working late?"
They'd had some downtime recently, so it was hard to believe they'd spent all night on next year's annual planning.
Luo Li's eyes widened. "We really were working!"
"Alright, alright, no need to get worked up. We're heading out now."
"Sure, but you didn't really believe me, did you?" Luo Li grumbled to herself as she rubbed the little cat in her arms, feeling like she had no one to vent her frustrations to.
"Why the long face so early in the morning?"
Luo Li looked up to see Jing Yao walking over with Ji Qiubai on her arm.
Luo Li pinched her own cheek.
——Ouch, that hurt. She wasn't dreaming.
"You, you, you… you two!" Luo Li pointed at the pair sitting down across from her, at a loss for words.
How had they gone from barely acknowledging each other to this level of affection overnight?
Her voice was a bit loud, disturbing the cat in her arms. The little feline yawned in annoyance and let out a few meows, trying to tell the noisy human to quiet down. But just like Luo Li, the cat also grabbed onto Luo Li's arm with its tiny paws, its pupils dilated.
Their expressions were eerily similar.
Luo Li watched Ji Qiubai ask Jing Yao what she wanted for breakfast before heading off to get some.
"Where'd you get that cat?" Jing Yao seemed genuinely curious.
"It's mine. Don't worry about it." Luo Li focused on feeding the cat the goat's milk she had prepared.
Jing Yao glanced around. "Where's your little boss?"
——Right here.
But Luo Li couldn't say that. She mumbled something noncommittal, and the two didn't press further.
With nothing else to do, the three of them and one cat decided to explore the area.
Luo Li trailed behind them, visibly annoyed.
It was broad daylight, but did they really need to be this lovey-dovey?
She looked down at the cat in her arms. The blue eyes darted around, trying to take in everything, and the cat's tail swayed happily.
Luo Li couldn't help but smile.
Although it was winter, the weather here was still mild. Ahead was a large lake, and some people were even having a picnic on the green grass.
They were probably college students, gathered together, with one person strumming a guitar and singing.
Some were playing frisbee nearby.
Jing Yao and Ji Qiubai had already headed toward the lake, leaving Luo Li feeling bored as she followed behind them. She decided to sit on a bench with the cat in her arms.
"Are you cold? The temperature here is fine, but do you want to come inside?" Luo Li unzipped her thick coat, offering the cat a warm spot inside.
The cat didn't hesitate, burrowing into her coat with only its round little head peeking out.
Luo Li noticed the cat's pink-and-white ears twitching, clearly in a good mood.
At that moment, a frisbee landed at Luo Li's feet.
"Sorry! Did it hit you?" A tall, slender girl ran over, clearly startled when she saw Luo Li, her eyes lighting up.
"No, it's fine." Luo Li smiled politely.
"Um… do you live around here? I've never seen you before."
Luo Li was surprised. She thought their conversation was over, but it seemed the girl wanted to continue.
Out of courtesy, Luo Li answered briefly, "I don't live here."
The cat looked up, eyeing the blushing girl in front of them. It suddenly turned around and clung to Luo Li's neck, as if staking its claim.
"Oh, I see. So you're here on vacation?"
Luo Li, puzzled by the cat's behavior, tried to calm it down before remembering to answer, "Yes."
The girl glanced back at her friends, who were all encouraging her.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled and said, "Your cat is so cute. I have one just like it at home. It feels like fate."
Luo Li realized what was happening.
The little cat buried its head in Luo Li's shoulder, sulking. It was regretting not changing back into human form this morning.
"Thank you."
"Could I add you on WeChat?"
"Sorry, my girlfriend wouldn't be happy about that." Luo Li smiled as she declined.
The cat perked up, clearly pleased with the response.
"Huh?" The girl looked unconvinced. Why would she be sitting here alone if she had a girlfriend? She had seen Luo Li arrive with two other people, but they had gone off in a different direction.
"But you're alone, aren't you?"
Seeing the girl's persistence, Luo Li stood up, adjusting her coat. "I'm sorry, but I'm not obligated to tell you more."
With that, she turned and walked away.
As soon as she did, her stern expression softened into one of slight disappointment.
——If only Lu Cixue were here. Would I get a reward for being so well-behaved?
Later that evening, after showering, Luo Li found someone sitting primly on her sofa.
Luo Li recounted the afternoon's events in detail, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I was so good. Can I get a reward?"
Lu Cixue gazed at her, thinking how much this face was becoming too attractive for its own good.
If only she could leave a mark, she thought.
That way, no one would dare to approach her.
Not even other cats.
It was strange. They hadn't even officially confirmed their relationship, yet she already felt so possessive.
Seeing Luo Li start to lose hope, Lu Cixue suddenly cupped her face, smiling warmly. "What kind of reward do you want?"
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