Chapter 70

In the afternoon, Shen Zhirou and Lu Yao had nothing much to do, so they curled up on the sofa to watch a movie together. Unlike two months ago, when they would snuggle close, this time they sat at opposite ends with a wide gap between them.

To set the mood, Shen Zhirou drew the curtains, dimming the room’s light to make it perfect for a film. She chose a post-apocalyptic wasteland movie, and the shadowy atmosphere only heightened the immersion.

Lu Yao wasn’t much for this genre, but she had plenty of feelings for Shen Zhirou. She’d watch the screen for a moment before sneaking sidelong glances at her. Ultimately, her disinterest won out, and she dozed off, slouched awkwardly on the sofa.

Seeing Lu Yao sleeping so uncomfortably, Shen Zhirou rose and approached. She gazed quietly at her for a few seconds. Lu Yao’s features remained stunning, though it was clear she’d lost a good deal of weight. Shen Zhirou figured that with Lu Yao coming over every day to share meals, she’d fill out again in a month or so.

Her eyes soft with warmth—unlike the flat tone she’d used with Lu Yao these past couple of days—Shen Zhirou slid one arm around her shoulders and the other beneath her knees, lifting her effortlessly in a bridal carry to take her to bed.

Half-asleep in the dim room, Lu Yao instinctively fluttered her eyes open and leaned in, brushing a coquettish kiss against Shen Zhirou’s lips. “Jie Jie, I miss you so much.”

The soft, kittenish murmur tickled Shen Zhirou’s lips and sent a matching itch through her heart. Yet she reined herself in, making no further moves, her gaze fixed on the drowsy girl in her arms.

Only after the kiss did Lu Yao’s mind begin to clear. Remembering that Jie Jie hadn’t forgiven her yet—and that she’d just kissed her—panic jolted her fully awake. She looked up hurriedly, searching Shen Zhirou’s eyes for any sign of disgust.

Thankfully, there was none, but Jie Jie’s demeanor remained cool, her gaze undisturbed. Had she lost her allure? A sour pang twisted in Lu Yao’s chest. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

Seeing her awake, Shen Zhirou gently set her back on the sofa and stood. “You looked uncomfortable there. I was going to carry you to bed. Did I wake you?”

“It’s okay, Jie Jie. You didn’t wake me at all. I’ll stay up and watch with you.” Lu Yao was wide awake now. With no anger from Shen Zhirou, regret crept in. That had only been the lightest brush of lips—if she’d known Jie Jie wouldn’t mind, she could’ve deepened it. They might be tangled in bed right now.

But such thoughts were all she dared entertain. She’d kissed in a haze before; now, she wouldn’t have the nerve even if someone dared her, terrified of setting Shen Zhirou off.

Still, familiarity had bred craving. Before the kiss, it hadn’t burned so hot, but that fleeting touch had fanned a spark into a raging blaze. In the faint light, Lu Yao gazed at Shen Zhirou, her expression tinged with grievance, silently begging her to take her.

Shen Zhirou’s eyes stayed glued to the television, but she couldn’t ignore the persistent stare from beside her. “Feeling bored?”

Lu Yao shook her head at once. “No, I’ll just shake off the sleepies.”

How could she be bored? She’d finally been allowed back inside—being with Shen Zhirou made anything a joy.

They watched until past six in the evening. For dinner, Shen Zhirou decided on noodles. She pulled out some dried noodles, shrimp, and a few vegetables.

Unwilling to sit idle, Lu Yao joined her at the counter. “Jie Jie, let me wash the veggies.”

She gathered the vegetables and began rinsing them in the sink.

“Dinner’s just simple seafood noodles. Want anything else?” Shen Zhirou glanced over and asked.

“Whatever you’re having is fine. I don’t eat much at night anyway.” Lu Yao flashed her a smile, though her gaze inadvertently drifted to Shen Zhirou’s lips. Her ear tips flushed pink as she recalled that brief contact. She bit her own lip, her desire threatening to spill over.

She wanted to kiss her so badly.

Forcing her eyes away, Lu Yao channeled her frustration into scrubbing the vegetables. Shen Zhirou, of course, knew exactly where that look had lingered. She let a faint smile curve her lips before smoothing her expression.

Shen Zhirou quickly stir-fried green onions and minced garlic, added the shrimp and vegetables as accompaniments, seasoned lightly, poured in water to simmer the broth, and finally boiled the noodles right in. One pot of delicious seafood noodles was complete.

Because of the earlier blunder, Lu Yao was on her best behavior during dinner. She quietly ate the noodles in her bowl, though her gaze would occasionally drift toward Shen Zhirou.

After dinner, Shen Zhirou tidied up the kitchen and headed off to take a shower. Lu Yao sprawled on the bed, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. It was just seven o’clock now. Even if she showered and emerged by eight-thirty at the latest, she’d still have the entire evening ahead to make her move. Lu Yao lightly brushed her fingertips over her lips, her heart itching like it was being clawed by a little kitten.

She lay there on the bed, her gaze lingering on the bathroom door, a sour ache twisting in her chest. Back in the day, she wouldn’t have had to go through all this hassle—she could’ve slipped right into the shower with Jie Jie, maybe even been carried out in her arms.

Lu Yao closed her eyes for a moment, then glanced at the nightgown she’d packed. Her ear tips flushed a faint pink. If she wore that, Jie Jie would surely get the message, wouldn’t she?

When Shen Zhirou emerged with her hair blow-dried, she found Lu Yao staring off into space in her direction. She nearly let a smile slip, thinking, Has Little Kitten finally run out of patience? But Shen Zhirou held her composure, keeping her expression as calmly indifferent as ever.

Lu Yao grabbed her nightgown and flashed Shen Zhirou a smile. “Jie Jie, I’m going to shower too. Just wait for me a bit.” With that, she darted into the bathroom, nightgown in hand.

She and Shen Zhirou knew each other’s bodies intimately—especially since Shen Zhirou had explored hers in every way, and Lu Yao had deliberately teased her before. But that was back when they were lost in the heat of romance. Jie Jie hadn’t forgiven her yet. Lu Yao had no idea if this nightgown would spark anything at all.

Anticipation mingled with fear in her chest. Rejection wouldn’t be the end of the world; getting kicked out would. She’d barely clawed her way to earning a place to crash here—if tonight’s stunt got her shown the door, what then?

Nerves had Lu Yao dawdling in the bathroom for a full hour before she finally emerged.

She wore a sheer nightgown, its hem so short it barely skimmed her thighs. The little red mole just below her collarbone gleamed vividly against her snowy skin.

Lu Yao padded slowly toward the bed they shared. Shen Zhirou gave her a single indifferent glance, betraying no real emotion, before turning her attention back to her phone. Some vapid TV drama flickered on the screen.

Lu Yao’s eyes reddened. She’d dressed like this, and Jie Jie wouldn’t even give her a proper look. Had she truly lost all appeal?

Dazed and dispirited, Lu Yao reached the bedside and climbed onto the mattress without even registering how she’d done it. She eyed the phone in Shen Zhirou’s hand, grievance swelling in her chest. She longed to burrow straight into Jie Jie’s arms, to be kissed and comforted. Was that show really so riveting? Jie Jie had watched it last night too.

Lu Yao turned her back to Shen Zhirou and lay down, sniffling as she wiped away the tears pricking at her eyes. Then she sat up again, pursed her lips in thought, and slipped off the bed to pour herself a glass of warm water from the dining table.

She lifted the covers on her side, knelt on the mattress, and scooted closer to Shen Zhirou. In a voice soft and sweetly obedient—the kind she only let out when Jie Jie had her pinned down and going rough—she asked, “Jie Jie, want some water?”

Shen Zhirou looked up from her phone at Lu Yao cradling the glass. Lu Yao’s pink lips were softly pursed, her cheeks and chest glowing with fair skin. Her dark lashes fluttered like raven feathers, and the thin white silk of her nightgown offered teasing glimpses of the treasures beneath.

Shen Zhirou set her phone aside and propped herself up to take the glass—she was a bit thirsty, after all. She hadn’t expected Little Cat to play it so bold.

Lu Yao inched forward until her knee brushed Shen Zhirou’s leg. Her right hand trembled just a touch, sending a splash of water onto the front of Shen Zhirou’s nightgown. Lu Yao hurriedly set the glass on the bedside table, snatched up some tissues, and leaned in to dab at the wet spot on Shen Zhirou’s chest.

Shen Zhirou’s breath came a little quicker, but she clenched her jaw and held steady, eager to see what other tricks Little Kitten had in store.

Lu Yao saw no anger in Shen Zhirou’s eyes—just that intense stare. She offered an apologetic smile and kept wiping at the damp fabric as she explained, “Jie Jie, my hand just shook for a second. If it’s uncomfortable, you could always take it off.”

Lu Yao’s ear tips flushed red, and the hand beside her kept wiping away without pause, as if she truly hadn’t meant to do it and was now frantically trying to clean up the mess. Unnoticed by others, she had already sidled closer, carefully leaning sideways into Shen Zhirou’s embrace while putting on a show of diligently wiping the water stains from her clothes. Yet her forehead deliberately nuzzled affectionately against Shen Zhirou’s shoulder, and she gazed up with damp, glistening eyes. Her voice was impossibly soft: “Sister, are you still uncomfortable? You should change out of it, or you’ll catch a chill later.”

As she spoke, she coquettishly rubbed the tip of her nose lightly against Shen Zhirou’s shoulder once more, her gaze locked with Shen Zhirou’s, unwilling to part for even an instant.

Shen Zhirou hadn’t been able to keep up the pretense since the moment Lu Yao had brought over the water. This wasn’t merely punishment for Lu Yao—it was self-inflicted torment.

The facts proved it: with Little Kitten deliberately throwing herself into her arms like this, even Shen Zhirou’s formidable self-control couldn’t hold out.

Shen Zhirou lowered her eyes, staring straight at the person in her arms who was putting on such a blatant act of wiping away the stains. It was clear the girl harbored no real interest in the task at hand. Teased to her limit, Shen Zhirou finally gave in. She pressed a hand to Lu Yao’s lower back, drawing her close, and captured her lips with a searing kiss.

Lu Yao played the part of the perfect, obedient girl, yielding to Shen Zhirou’s kisses. Worried she might overwhelm her, Shen Zhirou pulled back slightly several times midway to let her breathe—only for Lu Yao to chase after her lips each time, as if she couldn’t bear even a moment’s separation.

Shen Zhirou rolled them over, pinning Lu Yao beneath her, and eased back just a fraction. Lu Yao’s cheeks and ear tips were now suffused with a deep blush, her eyes shrouded in a haze of mist.

Dissatisfied with kisses like these, Lu Yao—fearing Shen Zhirou might pull away—wrapped her arms around her neck. “Sister, don’t go. Kiss me more. Kiss me lots more.”

Shen Zhirou obliged with another deep kiss. When she finally released her, Lu Yao’s neck was flushed with a scattering of red marks. Undeterred, Lu Yao leaned in to brush her lips against Shen Zhirou’s mouth, murmuring, “Sister, doesn’t this nightgown look good on me? You hardly even glanced at it before. I bought it specially to wear for you. Do you like it? I got another one at home too—the kind with a cat tail. Would you like that, Sister?”

Shen Zhirou didn’t let her finish. She claimed her lips again, silencing any further words.

“Does Yaoyao want to be my little kitty?” Shen Zhirou murmured, her lips brushing Lu Yao’s ear, now red as fresh blood, her voice a soft, coaxing lure.

All that answered her were Little Cat’s broken, whimpering mewls.