When Lu Yao woke up again, it was already four in the afternoon. Seeing that Shen Zhirou was still asleep, she stared at her with bright, sparkling eyes, her heart filled to the brim. She felt so incredibly fortunate to have found the person she loved.
An itch stirred in Lu Yao’s heart. She leaned in close and gently kissed Shen Zhirou’s soft lips. Even though she was still cradled securely in her sister’s arms, she already missed her again.
Lu Yao nuzzled deeper into Shen Zhirou’s embrace, but somehow it still wasn’t enough. The thought that tomorrow was Monday and her sister had to go to work left her feeling hollow inside, draining her of any energy.
Shen Zhirou was awakened by the little cat rubbing against her in her arms. She lowered her gaze to Lu Yao and asked softly, “Awake already? Not going to sleep some more?”
“Mm, I missed you, Sis.” Lu Yao’s eyes locked onto Shen Zhirou’s with unwavering intensity as she leaned forward, offering her lips, her gaze burning with desire for more kisses.
Shen Zhirou chuckled at the little cat who demanded kisses the moment she woke up. She leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her lips. Their breaths mingled intimately, but Lu Yao craved more. She pushed forward, deepening the kiss. When they finally parted, Lu Yao’s breathing came in unsteady gasps.
She melted softly into Shen Zhirou’s arms, acting spoiled as she murmured, “Sis, don’t you think I’m too clingy?”
Shen Zhirou scratched gently under Lu Yao’s chin, just like petting a cat, and chuckled lightly. “Not at all. I love my clingy little kitten the most.”
Lu Yao’s heart turned syrupy sweet. She burrowed even closer into Shen Zhirou’s embrace and planted a coquettish kiss on the corner of her lips. “Then I’m going to stick to you forever.”
Shen Zhirou glanced down at the little kitten acting spoiled in her arms and asked with a smile, “What’s today’s excuse to stay over? Water heater broken? Door lock?”
Lu Yao rubbed against her, whining playfully. “Neither. I’m sick—with a sickness that won’t let me leave my sister.”
Shen Zhirou burst out laughing at her coquettish little cat. She gave Lu Yao’s back a gentle pat, then reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a spare house key. “I’ve got work tomorrow morning,” she said softly. “Here’s the key to the house. If you go out, remember to take it with you.”
Lu Yao’s eyes lit up like stars. She looped her arms around Shen Zhirou’s neck and planted two more kisses on her lips. “I knew Sis was the best. I love Sis the most.”
Sweet words poured from the little kitten’s honeyed lips, one after another without end.
Shen Zhirou’s hand pressed against the small of Lu Yao’s back as she leaned down for another kiss, her own heart growing just as sweet.
After a moment’s thought, she brushed a light kiss against the corner of Lu Yao’s lips and spoke more seriously. “Yaoyao, we’re good now, but there are some things I still want to say.”
Lu Yao’s heart clenched. She straightened up at once and looked earnestly at Shen Zhirou. “Go ahead, Sis. Don’t worry—I swear I won’t be like that ever again.”
Shen Zhirou nodded. She slipped out of bed and drew open the room’s curtains. Sunlight flooded in, banishing the dimness and filling the space with warm brightness.
She returned to the bedside and sat down across from Lu Yao. “Yaoyao, there were so many problems when we split up—personal issues, family ones. What my mother did was way out of line. I’ll talk to a lawyer soon. From now on, I’ll just pay her alimony and cut off all other contact. Do you want to hear about my past?”
Lu Yao gazed at Shen Zhirou with worry in her eyes and clasped one of her hands tightly. “Yes, I do. I want to know everything about you, Sis. From now on, I’ll face it all with you.”
Shen Zhirou gave a faint smile and began to speak slowly. “My parents divorced twenty years ago. I was eight, and my little sister Mianmian was only two. Grandma raised us single-handedly. Our parents split the expenses down the middle, but the money they sent barely covered school and food. Dad treated us like we were the plague—he’d send money once a year but never once came to see us. Mom brought us to her new home a few times, but she was always the type to favor boys. She treated her brother’s kids way better than she ever did Mianmian and me.”
Shen Zhirou sighed and continued. “Do you remember me saying I don’t like eggs?”
Lu Yao nodded, squeezing Shen Zhirou’s hand tighter.
“That’s because of Ning Lei from my maternal uncle’s family. When Mianmian and I were staying with Mom, we’d make instant noodles and crack an egg into them. Ning Lei mocked us, calling us unwanted wild brats. He smashed a raw egg right in my face. Afterward, Mom just blindly blamed me for stirring up trouble and said she never should’ve taken us to stay. Ever since, I haven’t been able to stomach eggs—or even smell that fishy scent.”
Shen Zhirou paused briefly before continuing. “After that, it was just me, my sister, and Grandma depending on each other for life. Later, when Grandma passed away, only my sister and I were left, relying on one another. Mianmian had just started junior high back then, and I wasn’t much older myself. We scraped by, little by little, for many years afterward. Eventually, I graduated from university and landed a stable job. Things gradually got better. My sister got into college too, and that’s when our mother finally got back in touch with us. Guess why?”
A faint ache stirred in Lu Yao’s heart. She had no idea Shen Zhirou had endured so much hardship before.
“Why?” Lu Yao asked, following her lead.
“Because my sister and I could finally support ourselves. Ning Jianfang wants to mend fences now—one, so we’ll help out her son; two, to hit us up for bride price when we get married. I figure a mother like that is no different from having none at all.” Shen Zhirou let out a scoff. These days, when she spoke of Ning Jianfang, her heart held no ripples—only amusement.
Lu Yao’s heart ached for her. She gripped Shen Zhirou’s hand tightly. “Jie Jie, you’re not just with your sister anymore. You have me now too. We’ll always be together. I’ll stay by your side forever.”
Lu Yao had never been this earnest before. She desperately wanted to voice the feelings in her heart, to protect the person she loved.
Shen Zhirou turned her gaze to Lu Yao. After a long moment, she sighed and said, “Yaoyao, I admit I can’t let you go. I like you too. But as for your parents, I won’t bend like I did before. If you want to be with me, that’s fine, but I won’t compromise with them anymore, or show them any of the respect a junior should. Do you understand?”
Shen Zhirou spoke with utter sincerity, laying bare the issues standing between them. If they didn’t clear the air now, those problems would fester like hidden fuses, liable to explode out of nowhere someday. Better to hash it out upfront.
Lu Yao nodded solemnly in response. “I’ve thought about all that before coming to find you. What they did was way out of line—they didn’t act like elders at all. And that IOU business? It still makes me mad just thinking about it. Respect goes both ways, and they were the ones who messed up first. Jie Jie, your decision was the right one. They’ve gone behind my back plenty too, pushing things I didn’t want—first trying to set me up with Ye Qi, then ignoring my objections to shove Wen Jin at me.”
Lu Yao took a breath and went on. “Before I came here, I talked to them. I told them if they pull anything like that again, I’ll get a lawyer involved. Sending them money every month will be fulfilling my filial duty. Jie Jie, I won’t let you suffer even a little anymore. We’re into each other—that’s got nothing to do with them.”
Shen Zhirou nodded with a faint smile, feeling much lighter after getting her true feelings off her chest.
“Alright then. Starting today, shall we start over and date properly?” Shen Zhirou pulled Lu Yao into her arms and asked softly.
“Mm. I’ll be a good girlfriend to you, Jie Jie.” Lu Yao’s soft lips were already drawing near. Shen Zhirou held her squishy little cat close and kissed her for a while, only releasing her once Lu Yao’s breathing grew unsteady.
Lu Yao nuzzled into the crook of Shen Zhirou’s neck, then said, “Jie Jie, take me to see Grandma sometime. I’ll tell her I’ll never leave you, and that you’ll never suffer again.”
Shen Zhirou kissed the top of Lu Yao’s head and replied gently, “Okay. How about next Saturday when I’m off? We’ll visit Grandma in the morning, and I’ll introduce you to Mianmian in the afternoon.”
“Great. From now on, I’ll help you take good care of Mianmian.” Lu Yao promised solemnly.
Shen Zhirou chuckled and pecked the corner of Lu Yao’s lips. “Mianmian’s not a kid anymore.”
“Even grown-ups need taking care of.” Lu Yao rubbed against Shen Zhirou, acting spoiled.
“Alright, we’ll take care of Mianmian together.” Shen Zhirou kissed the top of her head and smiled.
With everything out in the open between them, Shen Zhirou felt unburdened. She wouldn’t concern herself anymore with unimportant people or responsibilities that weren’t hers to bear. Everything else could follow its natural course.
Lu Yao thought for a moment, then kissed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s lips and said, “Jie Jie, I have something I want to tell you too.”
She sat up straight, her fingertips twisting together. “I’m sorry about what happened before. Back then, I was too selfish—I only wanted to hog all your kindness toward me without giving anything in return, without caring about your feelings at all. On top of that, my parents kept doing things they shouldn’t have. Jie Jie, I’m really sorry. I was truly awful back then. Thank you for giving me this chance again.”
Lu Yao’s eyes were slightly red, her voice faintly carrying a sobbing tone. “If you really didn’t want me anymore, I truly wouldn’t know how to go on living. Fortunately, fortunately you turned back and looked at me.”
Lu Yao buried herself in Shen Zhirou’s arms. Shen Zhirou felt her shoulder growing wet and knew her little kitten was crying. She gently patted Lu Yao’s back and cooed softly, “Alright, now that we’ve talked about the past, it’s all settled. We have to look forward—we won’t think about those upsetting things anymore, okay?”
“Mm, Jie Jie, what about that girl from your office?” Lu Yao asked again, still a bit uneasy.
“Fu Ning is a very good person—polite and reserved. After I made things clear to her, she transferred to work as an assistant for her brother.” Shen Zhirou kissed the little cat in her arms, whose eyes were red and puffy, while coaxing her.
“Jie Jie, can I come pick you up for lunch tomorrow at noon?” Lu Yao couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Shen Zhirou for an entire day.
“Sure—how could I say no when my girlfriend asks me out?” Shen Zhirou touched Lu Yao’s ear tip and responded softly.
