TL: This is the part 2 of CH 13.
Thinking about how she wouldn’t see him for the next week, Liang Zhiyi felt as if a feather was brushing against her heart, leaving her restless and itching with anticipation.
Sigh, has he bewitched her or something…?
It hasn’t even been that long, and she’s already starting to miss him.
Just as she was feeling frustrated, a sudden idea struck her—
Who said they could only meet at school?
She could invite him out during the holiday!
The thought of meeting him outside of school filled her with excitement. She quickly picked up her phone, opened her chat with Pei Chen, and eagerly sent messages to him:
【Pei Chen, Pei Chen】
【Little Pei】
【Is my dear class monitor there?】
【Senior Brother, Senior Brother—】
After a moment, he replied: 【…】
【What’s up?】
Liang Zhiyi originally wanted to ask him out to see a movie or hang out, but on second thought, considering their current relationship, she knew Pei Chen would definitely refuse. So, she asked if he was planning to go to the library, suggesting they could meet there to read or do homework together.
Using the excuse of studying made it sound perfectly reasonable!
However, Pei Chen, as indifferent as ever, promptly declined: 【I’m busy. You go by yourself.】
???
How could he be so blunt and give her no face at all!
No matter what reason Liang Zhiyi came up with next, Pei Chen refused to go out with her. Disappointed, she finally put down her phone, her fantasy shattered.
Could Pei Chen really be that busy?
Then it suddenly dawned on her—could it be that Pei Chen had to work during the National Day holiday?
She decided to message Xuan Xia to subtly ask about it. Since they had always been on good terms, Xuan Xia would tell her the truth.
Xuan Xia speculated that Pei Chen probably did have to work a part-time job but didn’t know the specifics.
An idea struck Liang Zhiyi, and she sent him another message: 【Hey buddy, can you do me a favor?】
—
The next morning, Pei Chen had stayed up later than usual the night before, so he slept in a bit. After waking up, he made breakfast for himself and his father, then went to the market to buy groceries.
After finishing all his chores, he returned to his room to start on his homework.
Around 10 a.m., he suddenly received a message from Xuan Xia:
【Bro, want to take up a part-time job?】
Pei Chen paused, then replied: 【What crazy idea are you cooking up now?】
This guy’s words were usually all over the place.
Xuan Xia assured him that he wasn’t joking. He explained that his cousin, who was in his third year of middle school, was struggling with physics and didn’t want to hire a professional tutor. Instead, he wanted to find a top student who could tutor him. The pay was 300 yuan for a two-hour session.
300 yuan?
Pei Chen was surprised at how high the rate was.
Xuan Xia explained: 【My cousin’s family is well off, and they just want to make sure he gets help. Plus, the lesson could be this afternoon, and you can bring your homework along and work on it during breaks. It’s a win-win!】
He encouraged him: 【Pei Chen, I’m sure you can handle it. This is a great opportunity!】
After thinking it over, Pei Chen agreed.
On one hand, tutoring was an easy mental task for Pei Chen; it didn’t require too much effort. On the other hand, he also wanted to earn some extra money.
At 3 p.m., Pei Chen arrived at the address Xuan Xia had sent him, which turned out to be a café.
As he pushed the door open, the rich aroma of coffee greeted him. The café had a vintage decor, with an elegant and quiet atmosphere. Situated at the foot of Yishan Mountain in the center of Lincheng, the place wasn’t crowded, offering a sense of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.
Xuan Xia had mentioned that this café was owned by his cousin’s family. Pei Chen found a waiter, who, upon learning the purpose of his visit, led him further inside.
After passing through a vintage corridor, the waiter made a gesture inviting Pei Chen to proceed alone, stopping at the entrance of a room that resembled a small, loft-like space. Inside, there was no one. A wooden table stood in the room, which was decorated with dried flowers and vines, making it look like a Secret Garden.
“Meow…”
Suddenly, a soft meow echoed.
Pei Chen turned and noticed a pure white Ragdoll cat curled up on the long table. Its fluffy fur was soft and delicate, making it look like a toy.
The little cat was staring at him, its eyes wide and curious, as if it had discovered something new.
Pei Chen walked over and saw a cup of coffee on the table along with a physics test paper. Beside it was a note:
【Please help me correct this and mark the errors with explanations. Thank you.】
Pei Chen was puzzled and looked around, seeing no one. He decided to call Xuan Xia for clarification. Xuan Xia explained:
“Well, actually, my cousin is very shy and doesn’t like talking to people.”
“Just correct the test for him, stay for two hours, and then you can leave.”
Pei Chen: ?
He put down his phone and looked back at the little cat, noticing a piece of paper beneath it with some cute handwriting: 【My name is Cookie. I’m super well-behaved and can keep you company here. I love fish snacks the most =v=】
Next to the cat was a small jar containing a few fish snacks.
Pei Chen was a bit surprised.
No interaction, just a test paper, and a cat—what kind of situation was this?
Though he couldn’t figure it out, since he had accepted the job, he sat down and began carefully correcting the test, writing clear explanations for the mistakes beside each error.
Studying was easy for him, and it only took him forty minutes to go through the entire test.
With nothing else to do, he compiled a set of physics notes for middle school, writing them down in a blank notebook on the table, planning to give them to the student. After all, he was being paid a considerable amount, so he felt he should put in extra effort.
As he was writing, he suddenly felt a light brush against his arm, a tickling sensation of soft fur.
Looking down, he noticed that Cookie had somehow moved next to him, meowing softly, and had settled beside his hand, its tail lazily swaying back and forth. The cat seemed completely unafraid of him.
Pei Chen looked at the little cat, and the once cold expression in his eyes gradually softened.
Twisting the pen in his hand, he spoke in a soft, light tone, “Are you hungry?”
Cookie stared at him blankly.
Its tail swayed again.
So, he reached for the jar, and the little one immediately sat up straight, eagerly watching him. When Pei Chen took out a fish snack, it instantly stood up, its soft pink paws grabbing onto his hand to nibble on the snack.
After feeding it a few pieces, Pei Chen put the lid back on the jar. Cookie meowed, asking for more, but he patted its head and smiled slightly:
“That’s enough for now.”
He continued writing his notes while Cookie obediently nestled beside him, waiting patiently for the next treat.
Meanwhile, behind a transparent glass panel upstairs, someone rested their chin in their hand, watching the scene below with a bright smile.
—
The afternoon passed by pleasantly for Pei Chen.
The environment here was excellent, far more comfortable than sitting at home doing homework with a fan blowing. He had finished organizing the notes and even had time to work on his own assignments. The best part was that he loved cats, and having a cat to keep him company made the experience even better.
When the two hours were up, he found himself surprised at how quickly time had flown.
As he was about to leave, a server approached him, following prior instructions, and handed him the payment for the tutoring session, asking him to return at the same time the next afternoon.
For the next two days, Pei Chen returned, growing increasingly familiar with Cookie.
On the fourth afternoon, when Pei Chen arrived, Cookie was rolling around on the table with a small ball of fluff.
After finishing his tasks, Pei Chen began playing with Cookie and the ball. He’d throw it, and the cat would chase after it. When he called, it would bring the ball back to him. A faint smile appeared in his eyes as he petted it, “Why are you so well-behaved?”
Time passed quietly.
At 5 p.m., Pei Chen packed up his things and finally left.
Just as he stepped out, the door to a small lounge upstairs opened, and a head peeked out.
Once she confirmed that he was gone, Liang Zhiyi quickly ran downstairs, squatted down, and scooped up Cookie, who was still playing with the ball. She took a deep breath, burying her face in the fluffy cat and grinning from ear to ear, “My baby, you’re just too good!”
It turned out that this part-time job was something Liang Zhiyi had arranged with Xuan Xia’s help. She originally intended to give Pei Chen a way to earn some money, but she hadn’t expected him to like cats so much and get along so well with Cookie.
Liang Zhiyi plopped down on the floor, petting the cat, and sighed lightly:
“Cookie, you’re my biggest ally. Why does Pei Chen seem more excited to see you than to see me? I’ve made up my mind. From now on, I’ll send you to help me seduce him, hehe…”
Just as she finished speaking, a shadow fell over her.
Before she could react, a very familiar male voice sounded above her head:
“Oh? Tell me, how are you going to seduce me?”
She turned her head and saw Pei Chen standing behind her, his pale skin and cool eyes framed by dark brows. He was quietly looking down at her.
Liang Zhiyi’s hands trembled as she held the cat: ???!