Chapter 229

Page Eighty-Four: Unforeseen Development

After dinner.

Mother was enjoying the Nan Cheng Ji pastries offered by Sister Zǐ while combing Júzi’s fur with a rat-tooth comb, her face expressing pure bliss.

“Fluffy and soft, I can’t let go of Júzi’s tail!”

Little Qínglán sitting beside her was quite envious, unsure whether she wanted to comb Júzi’s fur or be combed by Mother.

…I want to comb Júzi’s fur too.

“Mom, eating and combing at the same time will make you swallow cat hair! Give me the comb! Let me comb Júzi for a bit!”

Following my inner desire, I made a kind suggestion, but Júzi kicked me on my knee which I had just hit against the chair.

“No! Big Brother, don’t touch my tail!”

Mother added, “It won’t shed hair, it’s not molting season, and the tail is an important part for girls. Even if he’s your older brother, he shouldn’t touch it!”

…There are too many points to criticize in that sentence.

As the only cat girl, the hardest part to touch on Júzi is her head. She hated being touched there even when she was still a cat, and this didn’t change after she became a beautiful girl. Even Xiǎo Hǎi Táng rarely got to touch Júzi’s hair, let alone her suspected animal ears.

Next is this long, fluffy cat tail.

Since humans don’t have such parts, I wasn’t very clear about it. But from the few times I’ve touched it, Júzi’s tail should be quite sensitive. The level of intimacy might be similar to touching thighs—something intimate that can be touched between same-sex friends but would make one feel shy…

Regardless of whether it’s the head or the tail, Júzi’s important areas were completely open to Mother, even more so than me and Xiǎo Hǎi Táng.

Júzi lazily lay on Mother’s lap, half-closed eyes saying, “Sister Wēi’s combing technique is getting better and better. *Purr*”

It seemed what Mother was doing now was similar to massaging legs.

Cherry Sauce was washing dishes in the kitchen. Mother had cooked a grand feast today, leaving no energy to fight with Cherry Sauce over those few broken bowls.

—”Broken bowls? Then come help!”—

Cough… Sister Yīng, what do you think of how Mother views Sister Zǐ?

If she knew about Sister Zǐ’s past, would she have any objections?

—”Not wanting to wash dishes and changing the topic?”—

Cherry Sauce muttered, but answered anyway:—”Impossible. Old Dad is even more easygoing than you. He rarely truly dislikes someone. Your lack of fiery spirit is also influenced by him.”—

Hey, how am I lacking in fiery spirit?

—”You have fiery spirit? Don’t make me laugh! If you had fiery spirit, this wouldn’t have been delayed until today!”—

…Can’t refute that.

I pouted and glanced at the wall clock in the living room.

“It’s almost nine o’clock. Zi, are you staying tonight?”

Before I could finish, Lù Lí gave me a cold stare.

“Hmph! Inviting a girl to stay right after confessing, you’re really rotten to the core, scum.”

I felt wronged and explained, “Staying doesn’t mean sleeping together… Lǐn Huā and Xiǎo Lěi have been here for almost a week, and I haven’t slept with them once!”

Though they would love to have me join them in bed.

Xiǎo Lěi complained, “What do you mean ‘staying’? Are you trying to kick us out, Chairman?”

“Do I and Xiǎo Lěi become outdated because of Zi?”

Lǐn Huā, who was pretending to cry, continued to tease me, holding onto the dummy and yelling, “You’re Hong Shixian!”

Hey! That joke is a bit outdated!

“No, I won’t stay.”

Sister Zǐ refused.

I felt something was off tonight, especially since she accepted the confession with a detached sense of superiority.

The turning point was when she went into the bathroom with Cherry Sauce.

—”Cough, she has always been like this. Impatient and overly romantic. It’s not like her.”—

Is that so?

Cherry Sauce’s explanation made me suspicious…

What happened in the bathroom?

Lù Lí was delighted that Sister Zǐ didn’t stay, suggesting, “Then let’s go back together!”

“I want to go back to the research institute… There’s a spell structure in this bracelet I want to understand. I need Miss Kē Màn’s help to analyze it.”

Lù Lí instantly looked gloomy.

“Oh, all you think about is research and Sister Língmèng!”

Xiǎo Hǎi Táng also asked, “Is Júzi going back?”

“No, I want to stay with Sister Wēi!”

Júzi flipped over onto her back, allowing Mother to rub her belly, clearly showing no intention to leave.

Xiǎo Hǎi Táng sighed with hands on hips, feeling helpless.

“You really are a white-eyed cat. I’ll bring your backpack tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Xiǎo Hǎi Táng~ I love you the most!”

“Your words sound nice, but are all cats like this?”

She turned and kicked Zhao Zhào’s calf again, saying, “Stop standing there, we should leave now.”

“Huh? Oh, then Chairman, Xiǎo Lěi, I’ll go back first…”

Before he finished, Xiǎo Lěi kicked his calf as well.

“Brother, hurry up and leave! I’m going to start being intimate with Chairman!”

Although I didn’t plan on being intimate with her, Xiǎo Hǎi Táng teased, “Zhào, your sister is already gone, right?”

“She was always hot water… and I have a girlfriend too. No need to envy.”

Zhào took Lù Lí’s hand, and she smiled foolishly.

Now the pressure was on Xiǎo Hǎi Táng.

Her eyebrows formed an “eight,” and she sighed, “Huh, what’s going on? I didn’t expect to be the last single one?”

——————–

Most people had left. Just as I was about to go upstairs to shower and sleep, Mother poked her head out of her bedroom and waved me over.

“Xiǎo Kǎi, can you come here for a moment? I have something to talk to you about.”

“Now?”

It was almost ten o’clock, and all I wanted was to shower and sleep, but Mother insisted, “It won’t take long.”

Xiǎo Lěi pushed me.

“Go ahead, Xiǎo Lěi and I will shower first. You can chat with Sister Wēi.”

I entered Mother’s room, which was quite empty. She hadn’t changed much inside, so the atmosphere was still masculine. Half of the wardrobe was filled with clothes from when it was “Cháng Wēi.”

I asked, “Where are Júzi and Little Qínglán?”

“They’re downstairs showering.”

“Huh? Together?”

“When we were at the manor, we even bathed together in the hot springs. It’s nothing unusual.”

I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Oh? Did you also… go to the hot springs with them?”

Realizing my implication, she nervously explained, “Back then, I didn’t have memories of being your father, so I joined them. But I won’t do it anymore! Now I have a sense of being a man and won’t take advantage of such situations!”

Considering Sister Qínglán’s personality, Mother must have been the one taken advantage of back then. With Miss Fànnī and others watching, Sister Qínglán wouldn’t dare act recklessly. However, it might not have been fair to the two maids.

“So, what does Mother want to talk about?”

Mother led me to sit on the bed, saying, “About your confession, I didn’t want to ask in front of everyone… As for Little Lěi and Xiǎo Lěi, they’re fine. But what about that Lù Zǐ girl? Although I support your freedom to date, I should know what kind of person she is.”

I felt a bit deflated. Of course, she would ask about Sister Zǐ’s identity.

I thought for a moment and countered, “Before I answer, Mother, what was your first impression of Sister Zǐ?”

Mother glanced at the unfinished Nan Cheng Ji pastries on the table, replying, “She’s quite sensible and composed… Perhaps too mature. How old was she before becoming a girl?”

I wasn’t sure, but vaguely remembered she was around college age.

“Sister Zǐ is a bit older than me, maybe around twenty. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t date someone much older.”

I imagined dating Professor Shí Huǒróng, picturing scenes with old chess pieces, stools, and teapots… perhaps welding helmets too.

“That’s good. If you dated someone closer to my age, that would be a problem!”

Mother patted her chest, relieved. She seemed genuinely worried that Sister Zǐ might be some old man in disguise.

“So, who is she? Tell me about her?”

Her tone relaxed.

“You met her sisters at the school sports meet, but there wasn’t much interaction, so you might have forgotten… They are Brother Zhú’s ex-wife’s grandchildren.”

“Huh? Wasn’t Běihǎi’s ex-wife Miss Bìfāng? Grandchildren? That explains why they look similar… How old is she really?”

The absurd reality made Mother’s mind spin.

“To me, she’s like a grandmother figure. Surprised, huh?”

Mother held her jaw, which had dropped in shock.

“Not just surprised, it’s too absurd for a novel.”

…Novels still write such things, just not many people read them.

“Xiǎo Qiǎnxià is both their aunt and my sister, so our relationship might get confusing.”

But it doesn’t matter, since Lǐn Huā is still my cousin.

“If you both like each other, I won’t object… But Miss Bìfāng’s family seems wealthy. Has she said anything about letting her precious granddaughter stay here as a concubine?”

Though Mother isn’t opposed, she worries that Miss Bìfāng might object.

“It’s okay, she’s an open-minded person. With proper communication, she’ll understand our feelings.”

I trust Miss Bìfāng. Though inscrutable, she’s always been kind to me, with a gentle grandfather-like demeanor.

Mother stroked my head.

“All I hope is for my child to be happy, not like me…”

“Yiya—!!”

Before she finished, a scream came from the next room, which was my own room. It was Lǐn Huā’s voice.

I was nervous, unsure what had happened to her and Xiǎo Lěi. I hurried over to check.

“You’re okay—eh?”

I opened the door and saw Xiǎo Lěi staring at the floor-length mirror in the wardrobe, her damp body clad in just two pieces of underwear… This was definitely inappropriate.

I realized I had caused trouble and tried to exit, but Lǐn Huā burst out of the bathroom, tackling me to the ground. She wore a frenzied smile.

“Chairman! Xiǎo Lěi and I seem to have switched bodies!”

She was also wearing just underwear.