Chapter 90 Part 3

But Nan Qi intercepted the menu midway.

She naturally took on the duty of ordering for her girlfriend, whispering with her to decide on the dishes.

It was an utterly ordinary scene of urban lovers.

Yet it sent the thoughts of the two others at the table spinning in turmoil, laced with bitterness and worry.

The meal turned into Bo Ranying’s one-woman show. She built towering skyscrapers from thin air, recounting little anecdotes from her history with Nan Qi—inside jokes only they would understand. Nan Qi would occasionally react, offering a word or two, which only spurred Bo Ranying to perform harder. She threw herself into it a hundred percent, but it was all just soap bubbles and illusions.

It couldn’t compete with Nan Qi’s subtle care for Tang Lian at the table. The slightest gesture was enough to topple the skyscrapers Bo Ranying had so carefully constructed.

As the meal drew to a close, Bo Ranying forced a smile, pretending all was well as she extended an invitation to Nan Qi and Tang Lian. “There’ll be some free time after the performance ends. I’m pretty familiar with Luo City—maybe I could tag along as your guide and playmate next?”

Her palms sweated with nerves as she gazed hopefully at Nan Qi, praying for agreement.

It was the most fitting excuse she could think of right now.

Nan Qi’s hand, intertwined with her girlfriend’s, felt a sudden squeeze—a signal to hold back.

Tang Lian had endured it all evening, her chest tight and her appetite gone. She had to abandon her deliberate testing game.

Otherwise, she might just waste away from frustration.

To her, Niannian was a pampered little kitten, and Nan Qi was a dangerously alluring big cat radiating sweetness.

As a hardcore cat lover, Tang Lian couldn’t stand watching her beloved cats cozy up to someone else—or tolerate some sack-wielding intruder lurking about, scheming to steal them away.

In a cool, detached tone, she dashed Bo Ranying’s hidden hopes without mercy. “What a shame—we’ve got tickets for a morning flight tomorrow. We’re leaving Luo City.”

She called it a shame, but there wasn’t a hint of regret in her voice.

Her wariness and hostility were blatant, and Bo Ranying sensed them clearly.

She didn’t care about Tang Lian’s attitude. What mattered was… Nan Qi.

But Nan Qi stayed silent throughout, letting Tang Lian speak for them both. It made it clear that Tang Lian’s words were hers as well.

There was no room left for futile resistance. “Alright, got it—” Bo Ranying lowered her eyes, hiding the storm of resentment and madness brewing within.

Just as when she had arrived alone, they parted with her solitary once more, while they stood together as a perfect pair.

The moment they stepped out of the tea restaurant, Tang Lian melted bonelessly against Nan Qi, leaning on her the whole way.

Her beautiful phoenix eyes widened slightly, her lips pouting as her true feelings spilled out. She clutched Nan Qi’s collar in accusation. “I’m jealous—the bad kind that won’t go away no matter what.”

“Why did you know her first? Why do you have all those puppy love memories you could jot down in a scrapbook?”

She flailed dramatically, her words sharp and clever. Even her jealousy made the heart race.

Nan Qi didn’t call out her lie—they were clearly staying in Luo City for two more days, after all.

“What if I let you tug my tail today instead?” Nan Qi replied, her ears turning red as she spoke lightly.

She nodded toward the skirt Tang Lian had specially bought—the one with the long, fluffy pink tail dragging from the hem, which had sat packed in the suitcase forever because no amount of coaxing could get her to wear it.

Gulp.

Tang Lian swallowed hard beside her.

Her breath hitched. Just imagining Nan Qi in that skirt, tail curled submissively for her to play with, was enough to flush her cheeks embarrassingly.

“You—you—you’re cheating!”

“Heh.” Nan Qi’s soft laugh, carried on the gentle evening breeze, made her chest burn.

“Puppy love? You know exactly who my first love was.”

“Hee hee, who?” Tang Lian’s lips curved high in a grin, playing dumb. She wasn’t upset anymore, beaming like a kid who’d aced a test.

“I want to do so many, many things with you—things completely different from what I did with her. I want you to remember me forever!”

She made her bold declaration, and Nan Qi indulged her with affection.

Dating Tang Lian felt like living in a sweet dream—blissful and immersive. Of course she would never want to forget it.

The remaining two days passed, and Tang Lian made no effort to cover for the casual lie she’d tossed out in front of Bo Ranying.

She still held Nan Qi’s hand openly, strutting through the streets and alleys of this ancient millennial city. They checked in at obscure attractions, snapped couple selfies, and posted them to Moments.

Nan Qi caught her girlfriend’s joy and, for once, delved into Tang Lian’s photo album. She started sharing snippets of their time together, posting more and more until they gradually overshadowed the name that had once dominated her feed.

Neither of them bothered to tie up the loose end.

In early January, the pair ended their trip and returned to Linxi.

Winter’s grip had tightened on the typical southern city. After being away for a stretch, they stepped out of the airport into the biting cold, unaccustomed to the sudden chill. Icy wind slipped down their exposed necks, sending involuntary shivers through them.

Luckily, Nan Qi had checked the Linxi weather ahead of time. Before they deplaned, she reminded Tang Lian to switch into warm long-sleeved thermals. The instant she noticed her girlfriend trembling, she pulled her into an embrace and whisked the knit beanie from her own head, plopping it onto Tang Lian and covering her completely.

“Still cold?” she asked, concern lingering.

The chill lasted barely a second before Nan Qi’s warmth enveloped her. Tang Lian felt like she was soaking in a hot spring, so cozy she wanted to roll around in it. All discomfort vanished.

She pressed close to Nan Qi, her face warmed rosy by the hat that still carried her body heat. In a sweet, childish voice, she called out loudly, “Not cold at all!”

With the person she loved by her side, everywhere felt wonderful.

She tugged at the hem of Nan Qi’s parka, turning into a bratty kid as she deployed a punny joke. “Charge! Homeward!”

Nan Qi had been savoring the brief moment of warmth with her girlfriend.

But once she registered the meaning behind Tang Lian’s words, her tender expression shifted from surprise to helpless indulgence. Soon enough, she let herself be tugged along into a run.

She relaxed her body, handing control over to Tang Lian.

They broke into a run, dashing wildly side by side through the exit passage.

In the biting cold, they exhaled clouds of hot white breath, their clothes fluttering in the brisk airflow as they wove through countless taxis idling for passengers and throngs of people hurrying along with grim expressions.

Airports were inevitably linked to goodbyes and heartache—though there was also the thrill of setting off on a trip brimming with anticipation. Nan Qi didn’t dwell on it.

She simply felt that right here, right now, she and Tang Lian were the happiest people in the entire world. Nothing could compare.

They ran until their strength gave out completely and they couldn’t take another step. Only then did they finally stop.

Their eyes met, and their laughter seemed to melt into invisible notes of music, ready to play at any moment.

“Let’s grab a cab?”

“Sure, whatever you say, long-distance running champ.”

Nan Qi had heard Tang Lian mention once that she’d won the four-thousand-meter race at the school track meet.

The teasing nickname bypassed her brain entirely and tumbled out just like that—and it could not have been more perfect.

Tang Lian let out a dramatic “Ah,” clutching her chest as her eyes shimmered like spring water. “I think right now that this must be the real reward for that championship I won all those years ago.”

She looked so utterly charming and seductive in that moment, the fine beads of sweat on her face taking on a hazy, shadowed glow. Nan Qi didn’t dare stare, her heartbeat quickening.

She looked away casually, feigning calm as she brushed it off. “It’s not nearly as profound as you’re making it sound.”

“There’s an empty one over there.”

In the cab, Tang Lian refrained from any more actions that might stir up Nan Qi’s emotions.

After all, it was someone else’s car—not their private little world.

Back at Hanhai Gardens, they were greeted with Niannian’s boundless enthusiasm.

The little cat had come to see them as her dearest family. She’d stationed herself at the door the moment she heard the key turning in the lock. The instant a sliver of slipper appeared in the widening gap, she launched herself forward with a chorus of meows, circling their legs and rubbing against them relentlessly. Her cries were soft and pleading, drawn out in lingering complaint over days apart.

Tang Lian couldn’t help but imagine the meaning behind each meow.

[Mommy, I missed you so much!!]

[You ditched this kitty to go have fun for ages—don’t you feel bad?!]

[Come pet me quick, I’ve rolled over a million times already! Show some love!]

[…]

Tang Lian’s resistance to Niannian was nonexistent. And watching the little cat was like glimpsing the child she might one day have with Nan Qi…

It was a private joy she savored in secret, one only she could truly appreciate.

She shoved the luggage aside at once, bent down, and playfully flipped over Niannian, who was clinging fiercely to her leg. Tang Lian’s hands roamed freely over the kitten’s soft belly. Under her rather vigorous kneading, Niannian’s eyes drifted half-shut, a deep purr rumbling from her throat. She squirmed a little, flipping onto her back to guide the strokes to just the right spot.

With Tang Lian absorbed in doting on the kitten, Nan Qi naturally took charge of unpacking their bags.

Once everything was sorted and stowed away, she stood back to quietly take in the scene.

She glanced at the leg Niannian had fractured and operated on. It was still wrapped in gauze bandages, but the kitten moved with far greater ease now, coordinating fluidly with her other limbs. Without knowing the full story of her treatment, no one would guess she’d ever been hurt.

Kittens’ powers of recovery were nothing short of miraculous.

As Nan Qi mulled over when to check with the vet about removing the bandages, she noticed something strange.

Why was Niannian arching her rear under Tang Lian’s pets? And letting out those long, melodious meows—so coquettish, nothing like her usual sweet, refined purrs.

It was almost as if she were tempting Tang Lian to spank her butt. Her tail lashed wildly against Tang Lian’s body as her hips swayed back and forth.

Nan Qi watched, murmuring aloud, “Lianlian, don’t you think… Niannian’s acting a little weird?”

Even Tang Lian was thrown by the kitten’s odd behavior. Her petting slowed to a halt as she ventured softly, “Do you want me to spank your butt?”