Liang Zhiyi stared at the umbrella Pei Chen had lifted, suddenly dazed.
Was he planning to walk with her?
The girl quickly came to her senses, lightly pursing her lips and making an effort to sound casual, “Oh,” as she followed him with her cat carrier.
Thinking that he hadn’t walked with Sang Xunling but was willing to hold an umbrella for her, Liang Zhiyi felt as if her heart had been gently scratched by Cookie’s tiny claws, both tickling and sweet.
The rain in Lincheng wasn’t heavy but was fine and continuous.
Tiny droplets brushed against the arms of both of them near the edge of the umbrella, bringing a chill.
Under the umbrella, Liang Zhiyi’s smooth-skinned arm swayed slightly with each step, occasionally brushing against Pei Chen’s arm. Each touch felt like a small spark igniting, the ambiguous atmosphere growing warmer.
Pei Chen tried to maintain some distance and eventually spoke, “Where are you going?”
Liang Zhiyi glanced at her cat carrier and replied, “I need to take Cookie back to the café.”
“It’ll take about fifteen minutes by taxi from here.”
She thought for a moment and asked, “Can we take the bus?”
“Sure, there’s a bus stop ahead.”
She softly asked him, “Do you have time? Could you accompany me?”
She really wanted to spend more time with him…
Seeing the girl’s expectant look, Pei Chen finally looked ahead and said, with a slightly stiff tone, “Let’s go.”
He actually agreed?
Pei Chen watched her smile, and for some reason, the gloom that had been lingering in his mind for days seemed to gradually dissipate.
After they reached the bus stop, they boarded.
Actually, Liang Zhiyi didn’t like taking the bus much.
It was often crowded and time-consuming; usually, she had a dedicated driver for her outings.
Just now, she could have made a call and someone would have come to pick her up, but she only wanted to be with Pei Chen for a while longer. Even if it meant taking the bus, she was willing.
Once on the bus, it was somewhat crowded. Liang Zhiyi stood in a corner, holding onto the handrail, and tried to shift her cat carrier to her back. But Pei Chen’s voice fell from above, “I’ll take it.”
“Thank you.”
Pei Chen stood beside her, taking the cat carrier and lifting it slightly, glancing at Cookie inside.
The kitten, freshly bathed, looked even fluffier. Its head poked out from the transparent cover, staring blankly at him, looking particularly adorable.
However, unfortunately, he couldn’t hold it right now.
Liang Zhiyi turned her head and saw that he had been staring at Cookie. She smiled silently, realizing that he really did like cats.
As the bus continued on its route, many people around them noticed the handsome Pei Chen and couldn’t help but swoon. Then, they saw the ragdoll cat in the cat bag Pei Chen was holding. The sight of a good-looking guy with such an adorable cat made them steal even more glances.
After a while, the bus came to a sudden stop. Liang Zhiyi lurched forward and instinctively grabbed Pei Chen’s arm, preventing herself from bumping into the person in front of her.
They were standing very close to each other. As Liang Zhiyi slowly released her grip, her heart pounded in her chest. She then heard Pei Chen’s breathing change slightly, followed by his deep voice, “Stand on the inside.”
“Oh…”
He raised his hand to make some space for her. He stood on the outside, shielding her from the crowd.
She hadn’t expected him to protect her like this…
Feeling him standing next to her, Liang Zhiyi felt as if she were soaking in a vat of honey, her heart becoming light and airy.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Pei Chen’s voice sounded in her ear, “It’s time, we’re getting off.”
Liang Zhiyi looked dazedly out the window at the familiar surroundings, her thoughts suddenly brought back to reality. She murmured with a slight disappointment, “Why did it feel so quick…”
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing…”
Obediently, she followed Pei Chen off the bus. Once they arrived at the café, Liang Zhiyi looked at Pei Chen and said, “Why don’t you come in for a bit? I’ll get you a towel to dry off; you’re all wet.”
The two of them, along with Cookie, went to the Secret Garden where they had previously had tutoring sessions. Liang Zhiyi placed the cat bag on the long table and let the freedom-seeking Cookie out, laughing as she rubbed its head, “Finally back home, aren’t you happy?”
Cookie playfully ran off to another part of the room. Just then, the server brought over dry towels and two cups of hot coffee. Liang Zhiyi sat down at the table and handed a towel to Pei Chen, “Sit down, dry yourself off.”
The young man sat down next to her, thanked her, and took the towel. Liang Zhiyi turned slightly to look at him, her fingers intertwined under the table. After a moment, she spoke:
“Pei Chen, I owe you an apology.”
Pei Chen’s hands paused slightly, and he looked at her.
Liang Zhiyi exhaled, then looked up to meet his gaze, speaking sincerely, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged Xuan Xia into tricking you into those tutoring sessions. I thought I was helping you, but I was acting on my own without considering your feelings. I didn’t respect you.”
“You were so angry that day; it really scared me…”
Liang Zhiyi knew she had been spoiled since childhood, and sometimes she acted like a little princess. This was the first time she had encountered a situation like this.
“But I truly didn’t do it to satisfy my vanity. I’m not that shallow, and I wasn’t trying to patronize you. Can you please not think of me that way…”
Liang Zhiyi raised three fingers and said to him, “Don’t worry, it’s all my fault. I promise I won’t do something like this again. You absolutely mustn’t cut off our relationship because of this.”
His brow furrowed slightly, “What relationship?”
Liang Zhiyi hesitated, then said, “Of course, the relationship of deskmates full of… friendship.”
“…”
“Isn’t that right? Where else are you going to find such a great deskmate like me?”
Pei Chen: “…”
“I could actually do without one.”
Liang Zhiyi: ?
This guy doesn’t even take a step down when given an out!
Feeling frustrated, Liang Zhiyi slumped onto the table, looking at him. Just then, Pei Chen saw Cookie jump in front of him, its fluffy head burrowing into his palm before gently licking the red mark it had scratched last time, meowing as if it were apologizing.
Pei Chen looked at the cat for a moment before speaking. His voice reached the girl’s ears, “I forgive you.”
Liang Zhiyi was momentarily stunned, her eyes lighting up, “You forgive me?!”
He faintly pressed his lips together, “I meant the cat.”
She knew he was saying it on purpose, but her porcelain-white face still held a gentle smile. “It’s okay. I’m close with Cookie, so I can speak for it.”
He glanced at her, then after a pause, said, “I also apologize. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that that day.”
When people are angry, they often say things that aren’t rational. After Pei Chen went home that day, he realized that his words might have been hurtful.
He knew that Liang Zhiyi wasn’t really that kind of person.
Hearing his words, Liang Zhiyi graciously replied, “It’s okay. I forgive you too.”
The tension between them finally dissolved. The girl moved a bit closer to him, gently stroking Cookie’s head in his arms, “So, how does it feel? Doesn’t it feel even softer after a bath?”
Pei Chen lightly scratched the cat’s chin, “How old is it?”
“It’s about three months old, I think. Ever since Cookie has been kept here, I come by often.”
“Don’t you have any pets at home?”
Pei Chen wondered, given Liang Zhiyi’s family background, they surely could afford to keep a cat?
“I want to, but my dad is allergic to cat fur, so we can’t have one at home,” she turned her eyes towards him, her tone playful, “Pei Chen, if you ever want to come see Cookie, we can come together. What do you think?”
In the end, he agreed, and Liang Zhiyi’s smile grew even brighter.
After playing with Cookie for a while, the girl seemed to think of something and got up to leave. When she returned, she handed four hundred yuan to Pei Chen. Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, she quickly explained, “Don’t misunderstand! There’s no other meaning behind this. It’s just that my cousin and I both think you should be paid for the tutoring these past few days.”
Liang Zhiyi explained that the money came from her cousin’s mother. While she had originally set an inflated price, this four hundred yuan was what Pei Chen deserved. After all, he had meticulously graded the papers and organized the study materials. This was his labor, and he should be compensated for it. Just because they knew each other didn’t mean he shouldn’t be paid.
“Pei Chen, I understand if you don’t want to take too much, so let’s say a hundred yuan per day. But if you don’t take anything at all, I’ll feel really guilty.”
Seeing that he still hadn’t reached for the money, she lowered her head, pretending to be aggrieved. “If you don’t take it, I’ll feel like I owe you something, and from now on, I won’t be able to hold my head up in front of you at school. I get it, you’re not planning to use this against me in the future, are you…”
Pei Chen, feeling a headache coming on, immediately interrupted her, “I’ll take it.”
Liang Zhiyi laughed inwardly.
Hehe, this method really works on Pei Chen.
Pei Chen took the money and said, “Thank you.”
She was surprised, “Huh?”
“I should thank you.”
The things Liang Zhiyi had done were out of kindness, but at first, he hadn’t shown any gratitude towards her; instead, he was angry with her. He realized that he indeed owed her a thank you.
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi felt a slight twinge at the tip of her nose, as if she might cry. All the grievances she had felt were soothed, and she was glad that he finally accepted her goodwill. She smiled, “It’s okay.”
Pei Chen put the money away, and it was about time for him to leave. Liang Zhiyi asked, “By the way, have you had dinner yet?”