Ji Zhenshi’s lips curved up slightly. “Wasn’t it you who first drew such a clear line between us? You told me not to look for you, to focus on my own things. You even returned the Valentine’s gift I bought you, saying no merit, no reward. Well, I’m the same—no merit, no free meal on your dime.”
Li Yunli leaned against her shoulder, embarrassed that her dark past had been dug up, her eyelashes fluttering. “Zaizai, forgive me?”
Congratulations, Xiao Zhen—she’d unlocked a new nickname.
Ji Zhenshi drew in a deep breath, not daring to meet Li Yunli’s eyes, and offered no reply.
Why, after just a few months apart, did she feel like Li Yunli had grown even more alluring? So coquettish and tempting, clearly wielding her beauty as a weapon.
She simply couldn’t resist. It felt like she could forgive even the gravest sins, let alone whatever minor fault Li Yunli might have committed.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t bring it up, all right? But give me a chance. Let us start over, get to know each other again, fall in love anew?” Li Yunli ventured softly, her gaze reluctant to leave Ji Zhenshi for even a moment.
She had no desire to force the issue, so she always phrased it as a question, approaching with exquisite care the person who felt most familiar to her of all.
Passersby kept glancing their way. Ji Zhenshi hadn’t carried Li Yunli far before she came to a stop. She wasn’t bold enough to say that Li Yunli was heavy; it was simply that holding another person while fending off her advances left her utterly divided and overwhelmed.
Her breathing grew labored, her voice trembling. “Do whatever you want. Hasn’t it always been you calling the shots? Toss me around however you like—it doesn’t matter. But right now, my mind is all on the violin. I don’t want to deal with romance. I’m tired.”
She truly felt put upon, yet she gritted her teeth, unwilling to lose face before Li Yunli.
“So you’re allowing me to pursue you?” Li Yunli seized on the key point.
“…”
Ji Zhenshi grew annoyed. Couldn’t Li Yunli hear the rejection laced through her words?
“I don’t want any messing around. Don’t you get it?” She set Li Yunli down right there, steeling her resolve. “I’m tired. Walk on your own.”
Li Yunli clutched at Ji Zhenshi’s shoulder just to steady herself. Her ankle still throbbed, forcing her to slip off her high heels and carry them in her hand.
“Xiao Zhen, don’t treat me like this.” The words came out in a aggrieved murmur. Barefoot, heels dangling from her fingers, Li Yunli gazed at Ji Zhenshi, ripples of emotion stirring in her eyes.
She couldn’t treat her like this—an attitude utterly at odds with the past.
Even with months of separation between them, being met with coldness from the person she loved created a profound sense of loss. The sweetness of before stood in stark contrast to her current impatience.
“I…” Ji Zhenshi found herself momentarily speechless, as if she were the one doing the bullying.
In the end, Ji Zhenshi had no choice but to yield.
She took a step closer to Li Yunli and said gruffly, “Hold on to me.”
Her tough front lasted only minutes before she scooped Li Yunli up again. Inwardly, Ji Zhenshi cursed her own lack of resolve. Clutching Li Yunli to her chest, she walked briskly.
The pair, supposedly there to view the art exhibition, hadn’t spared it a single thought. They made straight for the exit. Ji Zhenshi glanced around but saw no sign of Li Yunli’s car.
“Across the street,” Li Yunli supplied promptly.
Ji Zhenshi said nothing, only setting her down in front of the car before adding, “Forget it. I’ll drive.”
Li Yunli no longer fretted over Ji Zhenshi’s driving skills as she once had. She handed over the keys without hesitation and settled into the passenger seat, wisely holding her tongue.
They returned to the coffee shop in silence.
Li Yunli wasted no time in tugging Ji Zhenshi to the cozy nook by the window. She pointed to the nest she’d painstakingly built, where a silver-shaded British Shorthair kitten—no more than a month old, the picture of obedience in her tiny form—lay curled up, sleeping soundly.
Ji Zhenshi adored cats. She’d once dreamed that if no one would listen to her play the violin, she would adopt one to keep her company—her playing while the little cat dozed contentedly nearby.
Sadly, that dream had never come true.
Whether Li Yunli had arranged this purposefully or simply shared her fondness for cats, it struck Ji Zhenshi right in the heart.
At the sight of the kitten, Ji Zhenshi’s eyes sparkled. She squatted beside the nest, hesitant to touch but unable to tear her gaze away, stars gleaming in her eyes.
It was plain to see: Ji Zhenshi loved her.
Li Yunli recognized the look at once and smiled along with her. “When I first found her, she was no bigger than my palm and filthy besides. A few days of care have brought her around—she’s full of energy now. When she’s not sleeping, she tears around on those stubby little legs. Utterly adorable.”
Li Yunli gently scratched under the little milk cat’s chin, her tone full of affection and a touch of pride. “Xiao Zhen, why don’t you name her?”
Thanks to her devoted care, the kitten was a far cry from her former state—vibrant and irresistibly cute.
Ji Zhenshi’s heart all but melted. She longed to pet her but held back.
At the sound of Li Yunli’s voice, she frowned faintly. “It’s your cat. Name her yourself—what business is it of mine?”
“I want you to do it. We can adopt her together. I’ll look after her day to day; you can visit whenever you’re free. Or after a performance, take her home for a night or two and bring her back when you leave.”
Li Yunli had Ji Zhenshi dead to rights, using the kitten as an excuse to lure her back to the coffee shop time and again.
Ji Zhenshi stayed quiet, reluctant to commit.
Li Yunli lifted the kitten with care and placed her gently in Ji Zhenshi’s palms. “See how sweet she is? She hardly ever fusses, but she’s still nameless—waiting for you to give her one.”
In the process of handing over the kitten, Li Yunli inched a fraction closer. The two of them squatted side by side before the nest, the scene warmed by rare tenderness.
The warm, fluffy little creature settled into her hands, and Ji Zhenshi’s heart dissolved entirely. She even lightened her breathing.
So good, exactly as Li Yunli had described.
Was she truly waiting for a name from her?
“Kittens are like children—no name means no mama. It’s heartbreakingly sad. Give her one, and you’ll be her new mother.” Li Yunli’s gentle voice whispered in her ear, methodically stripping away Ji Zhenshi’s defenses and drawing her into a swirling trap of softness.
By the time awareness returned, the words had already tumbled from Ji Zhenshi’s lips. “Call her Hihi. It just sounds so joyful. Kittens don’t need worries—they should be happy, that’s all.”
Only then did realization strike. Hadn’t she just made herself the kitten’s mother?
Li Yunli would care for her daily, and together they’d raise this “daughter.”
Before Ji Zhenshi could regret it, Li Yunli beamed and patted the kitten’s head. “Hihi it is. Now our Hihi is a proper named kitten. You have to be extra good from here on, okay?”
The kitten in her hands seemed to understand. Her little pink nose nudged against Ji Zhenshi’s palm, followed by a milky mew.
She accepted it. She loved the name.
Ji Zhenshi was smitten beyond measure. She sat cross-legged before the nest, gently pinching Hihi’s tiny ears, her voice pitching higher with delight. “Hihi, open your eyes and look at me. You nudged my palm earlier—you like the name, don’t you?”
As Ji Zhenshi played with the kitten, Li Yunli squatted nearby, gazing at her with open fondness.
She issued no summons. Instead, she rose and busied herself with her own tasks.
Ji Zhenshi cooed endlessly over the little cat, losing all track of her surroundings. She failed to notice the deepening twilight or the thinning crowd in the shop.
Perhaps by Li Yunli’s design—when Ji Zhenshi finally surfaced from the kitten’s spell, night had fallen. She sprang to her feet and turned to Li Yunli, who sat behind the counter tallying the day’s earnings. “I should head out.”
Li Yunli glanced up without answering, instead inquiring, “You really like Hihi?”
She had spent two or three hours playing with the kitten—and the cat alone.
With Hihi cradled in her arms, Ji Zhenshi’s affection needed no words. “Yeah, I like her a lot. She’s so well-behaved.”
“Isn’t she? Hihi is wonderfully obedient. Sleeping with a little kitten is pure bliss—warm and milky-soft beside you. Every so often, she’ll stretch out her tongue to lick your fingertip, letting you know she’s hungry for milk.” Li Yunli painted the scene in vivid strokes, setting Ji Zhenshi’s heart aflutter.
Could she take the kitten with her?
The thought had barely formed when Li Yunli continued. “You can’t. You’ve no experience caring for a milk kitten or feeding her properly. She’s insecure, can’t leave the only home she knows. Besides, she has a vet appointment tomorrow.”
She read Ji Zhenshi’s mind like a book.
“Why not stay the night? Tomorrow you can take her for her shots—I’ll be tied up overseeing the new store’s renovations.” She paused, offering a warm smile. “You’re her mom too now. Time to take responsibility.”
The gentlest words, yet they trapped Ji Zhenshi step by step.
Naturally, Ji Zhenshi had no intention of staying—but Li Yunli’s barrage, capped by that final line, amounted to moral blackmail. And she couldn’t harden her heart against it.
Hihi was too precious. The mental image of curling up with her was irresistible.
She eyed the kitten hesitantly. “I’m free tomorrow, but tonight…”
“The sofa’s yours. I know you don’t want to share my bed.” Li Yunli spoke with perfect consideration.
Anything to keep her there.
Hihi flicked out her tongue to lick Ji Zhenshi’s palm, as if championing the mom who’d cared for her so tenderly.
Ji Zhenshi set her jaw. “Fine.”
Li Yunli’s smile was soft. She didn’t forget to enlist her, easing the awkwardness between them. “Good. Would you mind closing up the shop? My foot makes it hard to manage.”
She knew Ji Zhenshi intimately. Once she’d named the kitten, a sense of duty would bind her—indifference was impossible.
Li Yunli excelled at reading people, especially at exploiting Ji Zhenshi’s soft spots.
“Sure.” Ji Zhenshi rose to lock the coffee shop door. In a casual sweep, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of someone familiar, but it was gone in a flash. She hadn’t gotten a good look.
Must have been a mistake.
Ji Zhenshi gave it no further thought, unwilling to release the little milk cat from her arms.
She truly adored Hihi. By the time they reached the upstairs apartment, Li Yunli had finished washing up and settling in—yet Ji Zhenshi remained cross-legged on the sofa, gazing at her charge with utter devotion.
If only those eyes would turn to her. From first to last, Ji Zhenshi’s gaze hadn’t strayed her way. No doubt about it: she stayed solely for Hihi.
She had begun so indifferently, yet after hours of play, treated her like a treasure—emotions fully engaged.
A flicker of envy in her eyes, Li Yunli smiled faintly. “Xiao Zhen, time to wash up. In this summer heat, you’ll sleep poorly without a bath.”
Li Yunli realized she must be quite ill herself, to envy a mere cat.
“Oh. You go to bed first. I’ll handle it in a bit.” Ji Zhenshi didn’t look up.
She planned to wait until Li Yunli slept before bathing—no contact desired.
Li Yunli saw right through her. After a moment’s thought, she drew the room’s curtains and sat down on the sofa too.
Hihi treaded milk paws across Ji Zhenshi’s belly. Ji Zhenshi watched with doting eyes, even lifting her shirt to let the kitten’s soft pads press against her abs.
From her spot nearby, Li Yunli watched them play, seized by the illusion of a little family.
“Sleep in the bed tonight,” Li Yunli said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m pursuing Xiao Zhen, and that means every chance for physical contact I can get. I may lack other charms, but this body was once the part of me you craved most.”
“…”
Li Yunli made no secret of her intent. She cared for nothing else—not what Yang Ying might think. She only wanted to reunite with Xiao Zhen, by whatever means necessary.
With that, she laid her hand on the exposed abs.
Still a solid four-pack, edging toward six. Perhaps Ji Zhenshi spent every free post-performance moment in the gym?
She had a fixation on abs—and Li Yunli cherished them no less.
“Xiao Zhen, look at me, please?” Li Yunli slowly undid the buttons of her sleepshirt, revealing her sexy collarbone, the pale swell of her breasts, the enticing valley between—all laid bare before Ji Zhenshi’s eyes.
This was Li Yunli’s ultimate aim: to keep Ji Zhenshi there.
Seeing her with others drove her to jealous madness. Propriety, modesty—cast aside. She bared herself completely.
Body as bait. She yearned for more in Ji Zhenshi’s eyes than coldness or impatience. She wanted the fire of old, the chance to atone.
It all happened so swiftly. Ji Zhenshi’s pupils contracted in shock as she stared at the naked Li Yunli before her, those eyes brimming with the same old tenderness.
Yet the Li Yunli of before would never have dreamed of such a thing.
“Good Child, I love you so much. Can you give me one chance to make it up to you?” Li Yunli’s trembling fingertips captured Ji Zhenshi’s hand, guiding it to her exposed beauty amid a heartfelt confession.
Outwardly prim sleepwear hid the pinnacle of allure within.
It was unimaginable what mental hurdles Li Yunli had overcome; the flush creeping from her cheeks downward betrayed her utterly.
Ji Zhenshi’s fingertips met softness. Both women’s breaths hitched sharply—neither remained calm.
It was some time before Ji Zhenshi recovered, blinking stiffly. An inexplicable heat left them both uncomfortable.
“I never knew you could go this far. It’s hardly a crime against heaven—why?” Ji Zhenshi said in disbelief.
Li Yunli, why debase yourself like this?
From that fateful dinner onward, Li Yunli had humbled herself relentlessly, shedding all pride to shatter Ji Zhenshi’s preconceptions.
Even a poised and elegant woman could resort to seduction.
“I’m willing—heart and soul. Xiao Zhen, I was wrong. As long as you’re not angry, I’ll do anything. Everything I do, I do gladly.” Li Yunli’s soft voice trembled. For all her outward poise, summoning the nerve for such provocation had taken everything she had.
“I’m yours—always have been. I’ve thought only of waiting for you, be it one year or three or five. My whole life can only be yours.”
Li Yunli rose and, steeling her courage, straddled Ji Zhenshi’s thigh, clumsily wielding intimacy to stir every emotion.
She didn’t realize it, but for Ji Zhenshi, those words of utter devotion struck deeper than any touch—irresistibly drawing her into that vortex of tenderness.
Ji Zhenshi watched, wide-eyed, as Li Yunli wrapped her arms around her neck and settled into her lap. Hihi squirmed between them, her fluffy head burrowing for a cozy spot amid their face-to-face embrace.
Too mortifying!
Ji Zhenshi’s breathing came heavy; she scarcely dared glance at Li Yunli. “You’ve really changed.”
In a mere half-year, such a total transformation—and one that surfaced only when they two were alone.
