Looking at the tear-streaked little face at her waist, Xu Yinsheng was first stunned, then stunned again. She pinched the back of his neck and lifted him up entirely.
“What did you do? And what do you mean, ‘it happened’?”
“Meow?”
Yan Qing blinked his innocent big eyes and tilted his head.
“Didn’t Sister Xu say that if we turn Teacher into a big sister and kiss and hug him, he won’t leave Yanqing anymore?” He scratched his little head, the cat ears on top slightly flushed with redness.
“Sister Xu, I think the big sister version of Teacher is softer and smells better than usual. And the big sister Teacher has a really nice scent. I just sniffed a little and felt so comfortable and sleepy.”
His words struck Xu Yinsheng’s heart like a lightning bolt. The memory of her earlier coaxing and that bottle of half sex-change potion mixed with catnip suddenly came rushing back!
Hiss!
Xu Yinsheng gasped sharply.
She glanced at the cat-eared boy in her hand and noticed his slightly reddened ears. A terrifying thought emerged in her mind.
He actually turned his teacher into… ‘Such a fearsome act! It was the master-defying reverse cat after all!’
—
Seeing Xu Yinsheng’s prolonged silence, Yan Qing tilted his head and looked at her.
But Xu Yinsheng’s expression was now complex, shifting unpredictably like a spilled palette of colors. She set the boy down, looked at him with a complicated gaze, then reached out and pinched his cat ears, making him blush.
Yan Qing saw her sigh and shake her head, then pat her own head.
“This is my fault too. Whatever, keeping a cat doesn’t cost much. From now on, you stick with me.”
“Mm-hmm, thank you, Big Sister. I’ll behave.” Yan Qing nodded obediently.
“Little Yin, what’s wrong?” From outside the bedroom door came Zhao Yicheng’s concerned voice.
Zhao Yicheng, clad in Patrick Star pajamas, stood outside the bedroom. Although the door was only ajar, he didn’t push it open without permission.
Xu Yinsheng, wearing a shoulderless outfit and holding the cat-eared boy, walked out. Seeing Zhao Yicheng, she patted Yanqing and spoke succinctly.
“Nothing much. Just that we’ll have one more mouth to feed from now on. Little guy, say hi to your brother.”
“Hello, Brother Zhao.”
—
The arrival of Yanqing caused no ripples, like a drop of water merging into the vast ocean. But lately, Zhao Yicheng’s moments of absentmindedness had been increasing, starting to affect his daily life.
Xu Yinsheng initially suggested he get a full check-up at the hospital, but gradually, she came to accept it.
‘It’s just a mental illness. Take it slow. As long as he doesn’t go crazy or pull some forced love imprisonment with chains and a dark room, occasional spacing out is normal.’
The summer heat was scorching, the air itself fiery and filled with a burning sensation. On the second floor of the villa, in the gaming room, Xu Yinsheng and Zhao Yicheng were playing a two-player co-op game. As the two tiny characters on the screen delivered a final combined attack, the boss was defeated once again, exploding into countless golden coins and orange equipment.
The round ended. Xu Yinsheng stood up to stretch. The air conditioner in the room was running full blast, but it did little to dispel the summer heat. She wiped the non-existent sweat from her forehead.
“Old Zhao, go cut a watermelon. Make sure it’s ice-cold.”
Zhao Yicheng hummed in response, put down his game controller, grabbed the watermelon knife, and headed to the kitchen.
He first took a green, ice-cold watermelon from the fridge, but after a moment’s thought, he put it back. Instead, he found an unchilled watermelon from the corner of the living room, washed it, cut it into pieces, and arranged them on a plate.
Though it was midsummer, menstrual periods don’t discriminate between seasons.
From his understanding of Xu Yinsheng, the little cat couldn’t stop eating good food until she had her fill. If he gave her ice-cold watermelon now, she’d be curled up on the floor groaning in pain in a few days.
With this thought, Zhao Yicheng was about to plate the watermelon when a wave of sleepiness washed over him. His eyelids felt glued shut, heavy and impossible to lift.
Thud!
The watermelon fell to the floor. Zhao Yicheng collapsed limply onto the ground, sinking into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he had no idea how long had passed—minutes, maybe half an hour. Chaotic, cluttered thoughts flickered through his mind. Various emotions regenerated and rekindled. The light in his eyes slowly returned, but it was still blurred.
Soon, Zhao Yicheng remembered the priority.
“Right. Little Yin wants ice-cold watermelon.” Muttering softly awakened his memory. He kept repeating the words *”Little Yin wants ice-cold watermelon,” stumbled to his feet, and groped toward the refrigerator.
After finally delivering the sliced ice-cold watermelon to Xu Yinsheng, the bright light of the gaming room glared on his face. Zhao Yicheng shook his head violently, trying to recall what else he’d forgotten, but a familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang in his ears.
“You’re so slow. Don’t just stare at me like an idiot. And your watermelon—eat up.”
—
After waiting fifteen minutes, Xu Yinsheng was getting impatient enough to go downstairs and check. Finally, Zhao Yicheng appeared.
She grabbed a slice of watermelon, but Zhao Yicheng didn’t take one. Instead, he stared blankly at her. Xu Yinsheng pouted and shoved a piece of ice-cold watermelon into his hand.
“You’re so slow. Don’t just stare at me like an idiot. And your watermelon—eat up.”
Zhao Yicheng’s eyes glazed over. The figure before him gradually came into focus.
He instinctively took the watermelon and took a bite. “Ah… the melon you gave me, Little Yin… it’s delicious…”
—
“When did you learn this corny love talk?” Xu Yinsheng shot him a glare and teased.
“Xu… Xu Yinsheng, I… I love you.”
Hearing this, Xu Yinsheng blushed. She coughed twice to cover her embarrassment. “Love what love? We’re not even boyfriend and girlfriend yet. Right now, you’re just Palu Zhao, working for me for free. There’s no love between a black-hearted capitalist and a worker.”
“I see…” Zhao Yicheng nodded dazedly, making vague sounds. Then, he felt a hand reach out toward him, like a good brother throwing an arm over a shoulder.
“But then again…”
Xu Yinsheng took a bite of the watermelon—sweet, refreshing, cool. She licked her lips and continued. “If you serve me for free for ten years, I’ll give you a chance to pursue me. What do you say, Palu Zhao? Deal or not?”
Before she finished speaking, she felt a weight on her shoulder. The next moment, with a thud, Zhao Yicheng’s watermelon hit the floor as he collapsed straight onto the ground, sinking into a deep sleep.