Chapter 74

After lunch, Lu Yao reluctantly escorted Shen Zhirou back to her workplace. She didn’t waste her own afternoon either, contacting a lawyer from the law firm they frequently collaborated with to ask how to handle the situation between Shen Zhirou and her mother.

The solution was to open a dedicated bank card and deposit two thousand yuan into it every month as alimony. With the lawyer’s notarization and the bank transaction records as proof, even if Ning Jianfang truly sued Shen Zhirou for failing to provide support, the court wouldn’t rule in her favor—not with those monthly payments of two thousand yuan on record.

On top of that, Lu Yao squeezed in a quick trip back to her own home to fetch two large boxes of clothes and daily essentials. She worried that her place might have left a bad taste in Shen Zhirou’s mouth. They had only just reconciled, and she didn’t want Shen Zhirou dwelling on those painful memories from before. Besides, she now thought Shen Zhirou’s cozy forty-square-meter apartment was perfect. Living there together meant they could stick close every single day without ever parting. That little place beat her own cold, empty house hands down.

When Shen Zhirou got home from work, she found Little Kitten sorting through two big boxes on the floor. Her wardrobe had already been half-invaded, and the tiny apartment was now brimming with Lu Yao’s belongings everywhere she looked.

Spotting Shen Zhirou’s return, Lu Yao tossed the clothes from her hands into a box and launched herself straight at her. Only when Shen Zhirou caught her securely did that sweet warmth finally bloom in her chest.

“Jie Jie, you’re finally back. I’ve been missing you all afternoon,” Lu Yao murmured, pressing a kiss to Shen Zhirou’s lips.

Shen Zhirou had barely slipped into her slippers, her bag still slung over her shoulder, when the dessert-starved Little Kitten pounced for a kiss. With no other choice, she wrapped an arm around Little Kitten’s waist and deepened it. Only after Lu Yao melted contentedly into her embrace did Shen Zhirou finally pull away.

Her gaze softened as she looked down at the coquettish Lu Yao draped around her neck, and she asked gently, “What’s the rush? We were just together for lunch at noon.”

Lu Yao nuzzled deeper into Shen Zhirou’s chest, her voice turning even softer and more pleading. “I still missed you.”

“Alright, I’m home now to keep my Little Cat company. And my Little Cat’s been awfully bold, claiming all my territory,” Shen Zhirou teased. She cupped Lu Yao’s face and brushed another soft kiss across her lips before asking tenderly.

“Mm-hmm. This is my home now too. Jie Jie can’t kick me out. I want to mooch off your food and drinks.”

Lu Yao’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she gazed at Shen Zhirou. She could hardly believe this was her—so possessive, so clingy. How had her old self poured every ounce of energy into work? The money from that job was meant to make life better for her and her girlfriend, wasn’t it? What was the point of earning it if she never had time to enjoy it?

Shen Zhirou drew Lu Yao even tighter into her arms, her eyes brimming with tenderness as she asked, “Do you know what you remind me of right now?”

“What?” Lu Yao kissed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s mouth, then affectionately rubbed her forehead against the smooth skin of her neck, playing coy even though she knew the answer.

“A clingy little kitten.” Shen Zhirou reached up and stroked the top of Lu Yao’s head.

Lu Yao stayed put in Shen Zhirou’s arms, refusing to budge as she kept up the spoiled act. “I am Jie Jie’s little kitten. I eat from Jie Jie, drink from Jie Jie, sleep with Jie Jie—and it’s fine if Jie Jie wants to sleep with me too.”

Shen Zhirou dipped her head to kiss Lu Yao’s crown, chuckling softly as she ruffled the girl in her embrace. “Okay, okay. Let me inside first so I can change. Go finish sorting those clothes.”

“Mm.” Lu Yao hummed in agreement, tilting her face up with a beaming smile to watch Shen Zhirou—but she still wouldn’t let go.

Amused and exasperated in equal measure, Shen Zhirou gazed at her clingy little kitten and warned with a laugh, “Be good, or you’ll get punished later.”

The word “punished” made Lu Yao’s eyes sparkle. She wriggled deliberately in Shen Zhirou’s arms. “Even better. I want Jie Jie to punish me good and proper.”

Helpless against such eager enthusiasm, Shen Zhirou finally scooped Lu Yao up bridal-style and carried her to the bed, settling her down steadily.

But Lu Yao’s arms stayed looped around her neck. With a tug, she pulled Shen Zhirou tumbling down onto the soft mattress with her. Drawing her closer, Lu Yao planted a deliberate kiss on her lips, then brushed her mouth teasingly against the corner of Shen Zhirou’s, murmuring huskily, “Jie Jie, this new mattress is so comfy. Want to give it a try?”

Shen Zhirou drew in a sharp breath and pinned Lu Yao beneath her on the bed, claiming her lips in a fierce kiss. With Little Kitten acting so shamelessly forward, she wasn’t some saint who could just sit there unmoved.

She didn’t let up until Lu Yao was dazed and panting, too weak to cling any longer. Seizing the moment, Shen Zhirou slipped free, set her bag on the rack by the entryway, and shrugged off her coat.

Shen Zhirou casually drew the room’s curtains closed, then grabbed a nightgown and headed to the other side of the bed to change. She and Yaoyao had already made up, so there was no need to hide from each other while changing clothes anymore.

Shen Zhirou quickly slipped into her nightgown. When she turned her head, she saw her little kitten staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Amused, Shen Zhirou leaned over, ruffled Lu Yao’s hair, and planted a soft, warm kiss on the top of her head. “Did you get my permission before sneaking a peek at me?”

“I’m not sneaking—I’m staring openly. You’re my girlfriend.” Lu Yao grabbed Shen Zhirou’s wrist, refusing to let her pull away.

Shen Zhirou chuckled helplessly and kissed Lu Yao’s lips and the side of her face, coaxing her softly, “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you. After dinner, you can hug me however you like, okay?”

“I’ve already got everything prepared. I’ll cook tonight—you can be my sous-chef.” Lu Yao rolled once on the soft bed, landing precisely in Shen Zhirou’s arms.

Shen Zhirou kissed the person in her arms helplessly and kept coaxing, “Then let’s get up and unpack the suitcase first, okay?”

Lu Yao closed her eyes without a word, her fingertip lightly tapping her own lips. How could Shen Zhirou not get the hint? She lowered her gaze and kissed her. Shen Zhirou’s kiss was soft and feather-light, which only teased Lu Yao into wanting more. Lu Yao took the initiative to deepen it, holding on until she was satisfied before finally easing back a little.

The two gazed at each other and smiled, both breathing heavily. Shen Zhirou seized the chance to stand up at last and hurriedly helped Lu Yao finish unpacking the rest of the items. She then moved the two large suitcases to an empty spot off to the side.

For dinner, Lu Yao prepared braised chicken chunks, shrimp with nuts, dry-fried string beans, and a cold spinach vermicelli salad. She steamed just a small pot of rice as their staple since neither of them had big appetites, so they didn’t make too much.

Lu Yao’s cooking was quite good. In the past, she had been the sort who worked nonstop and always saw cooking as a waste of time. But now, she had completely scrapped that mindset. Any moment spent with her girlfriend was priceless—especially since her vacation was just over a month long. Once it ended, she and Shen Zhirou would have to separate again for work.

“Jie Jie, help me tie my hair.” Lu Yao was stir-frying the chicken chunks in the pan and couldn’t free her hands.

Shen Zhirou grabbed a hair tie from nearby, walked behind Lu Yao, and gently gathered the hair at the back of her head. She tidied the stray strands there before securing it all with the black elastic.

With Lu Yao’s thick back hair tied up, her fair, slender nape was fully exposed.

“Jie Jie, I think the chicken chunks are almost done—can you check for me…” Lu Yao called out from the front, but Shen Zhirou didn’t hear a single word. Her eyes were still lingering on Lu Yao’s nape.

She lowered her gaze with a soft chuckle, leaned in close, and planted a gentle kiss there—just once. The little kitten who had been so bold and demanding on the bed moments ago instantly flushed at the ears, shrank her neck, and stammered, “Jie Jie?”

Shen Zhirou ruffled Lu Yao’s hair and said softly, “It’s nothing. I just thought it looked beautiful and kissed it.”

For some inexplicable reason, even Lu Yao’s cheeks turned pink too. They’d already done the most intimate things together, yet she still blushed at a simple compliment from Shen Zhirou.

After dinner, Lu Yao told Shen Zhirou about her afternoon consultation with the lawyer. Shen Zhirou didn’t want to put it off any longer and decided to take half a day off tomorrow to settle everything with the lawyer. She’d also open a dedicated bank card for sending money to Ning Jianfang—one that would be used solely for monthly alimony payments. She’d link it to her WeChat, and as long as she transferred 2,000 yuan each month clearly marked as alimony, even if Ning Jianfang refused it, she couldn’t claim Shen Zhirou had shirked her duties.

Shen Zhirou thought for a moment and said, “She might kick up another fuss, but whatever. I already called the police last time. If she dares to make trouble again, I’ll just call them once more.”

Seeing Shen Zhirou brush it off so casually, Lu Yao’s heart ached. She scooted closer, leaned against Shen Zhirou’s side, and gripped her hand tightly. “Jie Jie, we’ll face this together this time. I won’t leave you to deal with it alone.”

Shen Zhirou smiled faintly and pulled Lu Yao into her arms. “Okay—from now on, Yaoyao will be with me.”

“Mm, then shall we go see the lawyer together tomorrow morning?” Lu Yao asked after thinking it over.

“Sure. I’ll call my supervisor to request the time off.” Shen Zhirou explained the situation to Wang Qi, who agreed without even needing a reason.

Once they’d finished discussing the serious matters, Lu Yao noticed Shen Zhirou’s expression had grown a bit downcast. She leaned in and kissed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s lips. “Jie Jie, don’t let irrelevant people ruin your mood. Look at me more instead.”

Shen Zhirou held her close in her arms and planted a gentle kiss on the corner of Lu Yao’s lips. “Good. I’ll look at you more.”

Lu Yao seemed to remember something. She rested her head on Shen Zhirou’s lap and smiled. “Jie Jie, do you remember that day we sat together on the sofa watching a movie? You hadn’t forgiven me back then, and you were really just staring at the TV the whole time. I was thinking even then that this sofa seemed pretty suitable for doing some other things.”

“Doing what?” Shen Zhirou’s lips curved into a smile as she asked deliberately.

“Jie Jie, come a little closer. You’re too far away,” Little Kitten mumbled in complaint.

Shen Zhirou obediently leaned her head forward, only to have Lu Yao hook an arm around her neck and pull her into a kiss.

In the end, Little Kitten got to do exactly what she’d been craving. Shen Zhirou held her as they took a bath together, and then the two of them returned to the soft bed.

Lu Yao buried herself in Shen Zhirou’s embrace. Her waist and back felt wonderfully comfortable now. The mattress had been too hard the past few days, and she’d deliberately teased Shen Zhirou anyway, which had left red marks all over her back. This time, things were better—she could tease Shen Zhirou as much as she wanted.

Shen Zhirou gazed down at Lu Yao nestled in her arms, her eyes brimming with tenderness. Her Little Kitten had really changed so much, and in ways that only made Shen Zhirou like her even more.