Chapter 42: Friend

The moment she was pulled into that embrace, Gu Yu was still a bit dazed.

She said it was a reward.

A reward for what? For admitting her mistake and correcting it?

But soon, she stopped pondering the question. She was already holding soft jade and warm fragrance. Why think about anything else?

Gu Yu found a comfortable position in her arms and murmured, “Sister, sister, sister…”

“What is it?”

She could hear the voice resonating from her chest—deep yet gentle, seeming capable of accepting every single part of her.

“I wish I could sleep with you forever,” Gu Yu blurted out, unable to restrain herself. Then asked, “Would you be willing?”

With Jiang Bomu, the direct approach was the most suitable.

After years in the entertainment industry, she’d long grown tired of veiled and circuitous words. Gu Yu didn’t want to earn her annoyance. So even though her palms were sweating with nervousness—knowing an arrow shot can’t be taken back—she insisted on finishing, anxiously awaiting the final judgment.

If yes, everyone was happy.

If no…

Gu Yu was frowning, wondering whether relentless pestering or continued persuasion was better, when Jiang Bomu suddenly spoke: “Didn’t you say a long time ago that if I needed it, you could offer bedtime soothing services anytime?”

Gu Yu nodded, bewildered. The choice was hers. Why bring this up now?

“So, why did it become you wanting to sleep with me?”

Jiang Bomu’s voice was light. Though it was a question, the tone wasn’t accusatory. It was more like casual conversation, coaxing Gu Yu to answer.

Gu Yu almost fell under the enchantment and blurted out her true feelings. She caught herself just in time and said coquettishly, “Because sleeping with you is so comfortable. And we can chat, fall asleep while talking.”

Was it just that? Jiang Bomu looked down. She was just feeling lonely, wanting a “roommate” to chat with.

Calculating the time, she still had about half a month before school started. Gu Yu’s parents should be coming back soon too. Their time together was running short.

Thinking of this, Jiang Bomu slowly spoke. “Okay.”

She actually agreed! Gu Yu’s heart leaped with joy. She stretched out her arms and hugged her tightly, declaring formally, “Hello, sleep-buddy!”

“What kind of nickname is that?” Jiang Bomu scorned. “Sounds awful.”

Gu Yu rolled her eyes and asked, “How about ‘bedside companion’?”

Bedside companion.

It sounded like a term between a married couple.

Jiang Bomu liked this one. She nodded lightly.

Gu Yu beamed. “Then goodnight, my bedside companion.”

For some reason, spoken by Gu Yu, Jiang Bomu felt her face flush. It clearly wasn’t a flirtatious tone. She closed her eyes and said quietly, “Goodnight.”

Her eyelashes fluttered lightly, like butterfly wings.

Gu Yu couldn’t resist reaching out, brushing past those thick, curled lashes. The next second, her eyes opened—gentle, cool, like morning mist, ethereal and dreamlike.

“You have to say ‘Goodnight, bedside companion,'” Gu Yu smiled charmingly, “or I won’t let you sleep.”

The more she thought about it, the more suggestive the phrase felt. Jiang Bomu couldn’t bring herself to say it. She pressed her lips together slightly, a bit embarrassed.

“You like it, don’t you?” Gu Yu asked innocently. “If you like it, why not say it?”

Jiang Bomu closed her eyes and said rapidly, “Goodnight-bedside-companion.”

So slurred and garbled. Gu Yu laughed. “Your fans always praise your clear enunciation, sister. What just happened?”

“I…” She was speechless. The longer she delayed, the more flaws appeared.

“Fine, I won’t force you to say it.”

Jiang Bomu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the matter was dropped. But Gu Yu added, “Give me a kiss, and I’ll count it as you having said it.”

Somehow, their distance had become incredibly close—close enough to see their own reflections in each other’s pupils. Jiang Bomu immediately lowered her gaze, afraid to see her own expression.

“Shy?” Gu Yu chuckled lowly. “Being shy about a kiss is natural, sure. But sister, why are you shy just saying a single sentence?”

“No,” Jiang Bomu denied, “I just felt it was unnecessary to say.”

Gu Yu sighed. “Alright, I’ll just assume you’re red from the heat.”

Jiang Bomu pressed her lips together and didn’t make a sound.

Teasing her was so much fun. Gu Yu curved her lips, closed her eyes, and bid her goodnight. “Sister, go to sleep quickly. Tomorrow is another brand-new day.”

Tomorrow was the first day of building their relationship.

That night, they took turns giving Wan An her lactose-free milk once. After a hasty breakfast the next morning, they placed Wan An in a canvas tote bag and headed to the animal hospital.

“Should you wait in the car?” Gu Yu looked at Jiang Bomu.

Her identity was too special. Going into an animal hospital could easily cause a scene. Gu Yu, abiding by the principle of minimizing trouble, asked an extra question. Unexpectedly, Jiang Bomu insisted on going in.

“Aren’t you afraid of being photographed?” Gu Yu was puzzled.

“Let them take pictures. It’s not like they’re catching me dating,” Jiang Bomu didn’t care. “What’s there to hide?”

Gu Yu asked, very quietly, “What if they actually photographed you dating someone?”

“No,” Jiang Bomu looked at her, “I would definitely protect her.”

Gu Yu’s heart pounded. Her narcissism told her those words were meant for her, but how was that possible? Gu Yu deflated instantly and said perfunctorily, “That’s good then.”

Zhiyuan was a fairly famous animal hospital with several branches. The main hospital wasn’t too far from Yue’an Mansion—about a ten-minute drive. In the time it took to chat, they arrived.

Gu Yu meticulously checked Jiang Bomu’s gear: hat, sunglasses, and mask were all in place. Her outfit was low-key too, but that curvaceous figure was simply impossible to downplay. Every gesture screamed, “Look over here, this woman is a celebrity.”

Ah, going out with a big star was truly a lot of pressure.

But her worries were clearly overblown. The receptionist at the pet hospital loved animals so much she didn’t even glance at the people, her eyes glued to the little white kitten poking its head out of the canvas bag. She warmly asked what services they needed.

“A full physical for the kitten,” Gu Yu pulled the shy Wan An out of the bag. “Found this little guy last night.”

“No problem!” The receptionist smiled and gently petted the kitten. “First, let’s register some basic info. Your surname, please?”

“Gu.”

“Alright, Ms. Gu. Has the kitten been named yet?”

“Her name is Wan An.”

“What a unique name!” The receptionist’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll book a doctor for you.”

Gu Yu quickly added, “My friend knows an intern doctor here. Can we have her do the checkup?”

“Sure, which one?”

Gu Yu: “…” She’d forgotten to ask the little vet’s name, what to do?

She racked her brains. “A girl, very enthusiastic with animals, very cold toward people…”

After a long moment of thought, she couldn’t recall anything else. Jian Ya hadn’t even described what the little vet looked like.

The receptionist clearly understood by now and said knowingly, “You must mean Ji Mingzhu? Room 108, this way, please.”

So famous already? Gu Yu’s jaw dropped.

“Honestly,” the receptionist whispered, “Dr. Ji treats us like that too.”

No wonder. Gu Yu laughed. So Jian Ya’s lack of success in love made perfect sense. This Dr. Ji was better suited to dating animals.

Pushing open the door to Room 108, they were greeted by a petite girl with cute round glasses and her hair tied in two little buns, colorful hair clips adorning her head. If she weren’t wearing a white coat, Gu Yu would have mistaken her for some curious kid here on a visit.

As Gu Yu placed Wan An on the clean pee pad, she mused—since when did Jian Ya like this type?

“What an adorable little white cat,” Ji Mingzhu leaned in and smiled. “Not even a month old yet, right?”

Gu Yu nodded, cautioning, “She’s a bit shy of strangers…”

Before she could finish, Wan An was already in Ji Mingzhu’s arms. She didn’t struggle, didn’t extend her claws, just stared at her curiously with her big eyes.

Gu Yu exclaimed, “She really likes you!”

From the moment they’d found Wan An, Gu Yu had barely seen her face head-on. She was so timid, always shivering in a corner, occasionally letting out a pitiful little “mew.” As much as Gu Yu wanted to see her face, she hadn’t forced it, afraid of scaring her more.

But Wan An didn’t seem afraid of Ji Mingzhu. She lifted her head to look at her, and even her foggy eyes seemed brighter. Gu Yu and Jiang Bomu exchanged a glance, both seeing the jealousy on each other’s faces.

“Probably because I carry the scent of many cats,” Ji Mingzhu laughed, teasing Wan An’s chin. “She thinks I’m the boss.”

So that’s why. Gu Yu asked curiously, “You’ve seen a lot of cats?”

By Jian Ya’s account, Ji Mingzhu hadn’t even graduated yet. Even at school, there couldn’t be that many campus cats, right?

“No, I have over twenty cats at home.”

Gu Yu: “?”

Jiang Bomu also spoke up, surprised. “You can take care of that many?”

Hearing her voice, Ji Mingzhu looked toward her.

Gu Yu’s heart lurched. Guessing Jiang Bomu’s identity was one thing, but the crucial part was that Ji Mingzhu knew Jian Ya. What if it accidentally slipped to Jian Ya?

“Of course,” Ji Mingzhu skillfully placed Wan An on the scale, her tone casual. “I still think it’s too few. Might go abduct a few more later.”

So she’d just glanced curiously. Gu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. After chatting a bit more, she discreetly warned Jiang Bomu, “Sister, don’t talk anymore.”

Ji Mingzhu’s back was to them, so Gu Yu leaned in very close, far exceeding a normal social distance. Jiang Bomu watched her lips open and close but didn’t absorb a word she said. She feigned composure and agreed with a simple “Okay.”

The checkup involved many things. While Ji Mingzhu performed the most basic exams, she handed them a paper filled with test options, asking what else they needed done. Gu Yu stared at the list: biochemistry, CBC, echocardiogram, abdominal ultrasound… What did any of this mean?

She was about to ask when Jiang Bomu said, “Do them all.”

She paused, then said to Gu Yu, “I’ll pay.”

Gu Yu blinked. Whose cat was this, exactly?

But though the cat was technically hers, in her heart, they’d found her together. Of course, she belonged to both of them.

Gu Yu happily agreed. Reciprocating the gesture, she said, “Then I’ll pay for the cat food and litter later.”

Clueless about cat ownership, Jiang Bomu asked, puzzled, “What’s cat litter?”

“It’s a bathroom thing,” Gu Yu thought of all the cat supplies at Jian Ya’s place. “We’ll also need bowls, a litter box, toys, a cat tree… Oh right, and deworming meds.”

Thinking about it, the list of expenses was indeed long.

The checkup was lengthy and boring, so Gu Yu and Jiang Bomu went to shop for supplies first.

It was a workday and early morning, so there weren’t many people in the hospital—just the staff gathered and chatting. Seeing two beautiful young women wanting to buy things for a kitten, they all eagerly came to offer recommendations.

“This is an imported kitten food. You can look it up; it’s very famous. Just a bit pricey.”

Gu Yu opened her web search, but it was all ads. She went to ask Jian Ya, but before Jian Ya could reply, she heard Jiang Bomu say, “We want the most expensive.”

Her voice was incredibly recognizable. She rarely used dubbing in her dramas. So, the doctors, who’d been guessing her identity for a while, were already a bit excited. Their gazes kept flicking to her face, whispering amongst themselves.

“Are my ears playing tricks, or does that voice really sound like my favorite star?”

“I think her eyes look really familiar too…”

Gu Yu thought, This is bad. She was about to speak when another doctor introduced, “A tiny kitten this small can’t chew kibble. Needs to drink goat milk formula.”

Jiang Bomu: “The most expensive one.”

“This cat litter is good too. Comfortable on paws, and odor-controlling.”

Jiang Bomu still said, “The most expensive one.”

“Then what about a litter box?”

Jiang Bomu finally changed her phrasing. “The best quality one.”

“And… do you need a cat tree?”

Jiang Bomu said casually, “The biggest one.”

A major sale!

The doctors got even more excited and asked, “What color would you like?”

“Pink.”

Gu Yu’s jaw dropped. Jiang Bomu’s home had never contained a single piece of pink furniture. Wouldn’t a pink cat tree look completely out of place?

But Jiang Bomu, completely on a spending spree, didn’t listen to any persuasion. “Wan An is a little girl. Pink is the most suitable for a little girl.”

Gu Yu: “…Fine.”

She secretly checked her bank balance, then sneakily asked how much the cat tree cost. Getting a four-digit answer, she nearly fainted. How many drawings would she have to sell to afford a cat tree?! She was opening commissions starting tomorrow!

After that came small toys like teaser wands. When Gu Yu heard Jiang Bomu say “ten of each kind,” she was already calm. Buying a hundred toys wasn’t even as expensive as one cat tree.

When Jiang Bomu had gotten her fill of shopping, Gu Yu went to pay at the front desk. Her heart bled as she opened the payment app, but then Jiang Bomu said, “I’ll do it.”

Gu Yu was confused. “Wasn’t I paying?”

“Sister has money,” Jiang Bomu smiled at her. “Consider it a meeting gift from Wan An’s godmother.”

The first sentence to Gu Yu, the second to Wan An.

Gu Yu silently put her phone away. Seems like the little stray Wan An had really latched onto a golden thigh—a solid gold one.

After paying, the two prepared to check on Wan An’s checkup.

Just as they took a few steps, the doctors, who had been whispering since Jiang Bomu spoke, finally couldn’t resist asking, “Are you… Jiang Bomu?”

Since her identity was already guessed, Jiang Bomu didn’t bother hiding it anymore. She removed her mask and nodded lightly.

What’s meant to come, will come. Gu Yu glanced at her and sighed. They weren’t getting out of here anytime soon.

One doctor’s face lit up with bliss: “AAAAAAH I met a real-life Mu Mu! Could I get an autograph?”

“Me too, me too!”

Jiang Bomu didn’t refuse any requests. She answered their questions while signing autographs, then suddenly heard someone ask, “Did Mu Mu come with her assistant?”

Gu Yu had already accepted that outside, she was just Jiang Bomu’s little assistant. She was about to say yes, but Jiang Bomu glanced at her lightly and explained with a smile, “She’s not an assistant. She’s my friend.”

Good friends who shared a bed every night.