Chapter 15

On the way back, Zheng Jishi and Yin Xiyu sat side by side in the back seat of a taxi. More precisely, Yin Xiyu was leaning against Zheng Jishi’s shoulder, her breathing steady and soft.

Zheng Jishi’s eyes were closed as well, his palm gently resting on her shoulder, though his thoughts were somewhat tangled.

Everything tonight had been chaotic from the start—not only had things not gone as he had planned, but they had veered off into some unknown direction. Yet, judging by the outcome, it was almost exactly what he had hoped for, so in a way, it was a case of different paths leading to the same destination.

Still... since they hadn’t officially crossed that line yet, his actions tonight were somewhat impulsive. To put it frankly, he had taken advantage of Xiyu’s drunken state.

Zheng Jishi pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand, feeling a mix of sweetness and guilt.

Thankfully, having once escorted her home before, he wasn’t lost this time. Otherwise, with the little drunkard in his arms, finding the way would have been impossible. Holding her with one arm, he rummaged through Yin Xiyu’s white handbag for the keys.

As soon as the door opened, the sensor light in the entryway lit up.

He lifted her horizontally into his arms, stepped inside, and kicked the door shut with his foot. Turning around, the first thing he saw was their cat perched on the shoe cabinet, tilting its head curiously at him.

“Oh, Mo!”

The round, plump body and glossy fur showed it was well cared for.

Zheng Jishi calmed his startled heart—he was getting older and easily spooked.

“You really scared me…”

The nearly spherical tabby cat licked its paws innocently and meowed softly.

Zheng Jishi tried to recall the few times he’d heard the cat’s name from Yin Xiyu before. Unsure, he said tentatively, “Annyeong~ Jelly?”

The American Shorthair named Jelly nimbly jumped down from the shoe cabinet and rubbed its thick, long tail against his pants before nuzzling his shoe.

Having never owned a cat, Zheng Jishi was inexplicably intrigued, but…

“Jelly, huh… so your legs really are as short as in the photos?”

Sensing some disrespect in his tone, the cat grumbled and walked away, leaving Zheng Jishi with a plump little back.

He bit his lip awkwardly and lowered his gaze to the girl sleeping soundly in his arms, muttering softly, “Your temper is exactly the same as hers…”

Yin Xiyu’s home reflected her personality—warm and simple, with some quirky, interesting designs and little trinkets scattered about. Zheng Jishi carried her to the bedroom bed, carefully removing her coat, shoes, and socks. Finally, staring at her exquisite makeup, he hesitated before heading to the bathroom.

The sheer number of bottles and jars made this straight man’s head spin. His eyes scanned the array, finding nothing familiar. Most labels were in long English paragraphs, and although he was a rapper, he knew nothing about these products. In the end, he picked up the bottle that looked most like a makeup remover, used his phone camera to scan and identify it, and after several attempts, luckily found the cleansing water.

Squatting by the bed, Zheng Jishi dampened a cotton pad with the remover and gently wiped the makeup off Yin Xiyu’s face. His movements went from clumsy at first to gradually more skilled. After carefully drying her face with a warm towel, he suddenly realized his back was drenched with sweat.

Although he had been in relationships before, this was really his first time doing something like this.

Looking at her fair, clean face, he couldn’t resist pinching her cheek lightly. Finding no reaction, he grew bolder, propping himself on his elbow, smiling as if playing with a delightful toy, occasionally pinching her nose and touching her long eyelashes.

Perhaps “harassing” her was a bit too much, because the sleeping girl scrunched her nose and adorably furrowed her brows in her dream.

Zheng Jishi was momentarily stunned, then nervously patted her through the blanket, as if soothing a child. Fortunately, it worked. He exhaled in relief, glanced at his own hands, and chuckled.

Looks like the perks of raising a child aren’t just for when you have one yourself.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains into the bedroom. Yin Xiyu’s eyelids fluttered open, awakening at last.

“You really weren’t drunk last night, right?” the small voice of her inner companion, Xiao U, echoed in her mind skeptically.

Yin Xiyu thought for a moment and answered honestly, “At first, I was pretending, but then I accidentally fell asleep.”

“I knew it!” Xiao U exclaimed. “When I saw Zheng Jishi kissing you, I almost didn’t have time to block the screen.”

During tasks, there were always situations that the system preferred to keep hidden. Yin Xiyu had agreed with Xiao U beforehand to notify it so that it could shield the visuals.

Blinking innocently, she said, “I didn’t expect him to kiss me…”

If only Xiao U had kept quiet about who initiated the flirting.

“But…”

“Zheng Jishi’s kissing skills are pretty good,” Yin Xiyu said thoughtfully.

“Ahhh, stop talking about it!” Xiao U wailed in despair. “I’m dirty now, boohoo…”

Yin Xiyu shrugged, threw off the blanket, and got out of bed. She felt refreshed, without the heavy residue of makeup overnight. Knowing that Zheng Jishi not only brought her home but had thoughtfully helped her remove her makeup improved her impression of him even more.

Opening the bedroom door, she instinctively looked down but noticed that the little cat who usually waited at the door was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, she walked toward the living room, where the sight made her footsteps halt.

On the beige sofa, the man lay quietly, his upper body curled into his coat, only his face visible. The round, plump cat slept atop him. Hearing her footsteps, Jelly perked up its ears and opened its round eyes to look at Yin Xiyu. Upon recognizing her as its familiar caretaker, it lazily half-closed its eyes again.

Yin Xiyu tiptoed over and crouched beside the sofa, curious about Zheng Jishi’s sleeping face. He’d stayed here all night?

He looked soft and harmless while asleep, far less intimidating than usual. Though Zheng Jishi was usually easygoing and playful around her, Yin Xiyu had always felt that when he wasn’t smiling, he seemed a bit “difficult.”

Well… just literally.

Her fingers couldn’t help but reach out slowly to stroke his dense, long eyelashes. No matter how many times she saw them, she thought his lashes were ridiculously long—surely making many girls envious.

She had good reason to label him “Eyelash King.”

Lost in admiration of his long lashes, she didn’t notice the subtle curve at the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed her wrist, and a hoarse, low voice sounded: “Am I really that handsome? Do you have to stare so long?”

Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly as Zheng Jishi slowly opened his eyes. Though still heavy with sleep, his deep gaze was full of teasing amusement.

Yin Xiyu puffed her cheeks and instinctively struggled, her mouth twitching in denial. “I wasn’t looking at you! I didn’t—ah!”

Before she could finish, her wrist was tugged forcefully, and she fell into Zheng Jishi’s arms. Flustered, she only had time to brace herself against his chest, but even so, their faces were now inches apart.

Jelly had already slipped off the sofa and disappeared, ignoring its owner completely.

Yin Xiyu blinked, her voice involuntarily softer. “W-what are you doing?”

Her shy demeanor deepened Zheng Jishi’s smile as he shook his head. “Nothing.”

“But last night…” His tone was ambiguous, as if implying something.

Yin Xiyu suddenly tensed, speaking rapidly: “What about last night? I was drunk and don’t remember anything.”

“Oh?” Zheng Jishi nodded, his prominent nose brushing in front of her, making her inexplicably nervous.

“Then let’s forget about you taking advantage of me last night,” he said regretfully.

Hearing this, Yin Xiyu’s eyes widened sharply, her clear voice rising. “Who took advantage of whom!?”

“I just accidentally kissed your ear. It was your fault! You…”

Her words trailed off as she met his knowing gaze, swallowing them with a somewhat annoyed expression that soon gave way to other feelings.

Puffing out her cheeks, she feigned anger but was inwardly timid: “It was just a kiss. Didn’t it make you uncomfortable?”

“When I was in the States, I kissed so many people... but no one’s been as stingy as you.” Of course, the last part was pure fabrication.

Zheng Jishi squinted, half-smiling. “You kissed a lot of people in America?”

Yin Xiyu sensed a hint of danger in his expression but couldn’t bring herself to admit defeat, so she nodded stiffly.

“I see,” he said, nodding. “Then this is easy.”

Easy? She was puzzled but soon found out as Zheng Jishi answered with action.

His warm hand cradled the back of her neck. Yin Xiyu’s eyes widened slightly as his lips pressed against hers, swallowing her protests. She thought the kiss last night had been passionate, but compared to this, it was nothing.

He parted her lips forcefully, neither allowing refusal nor retreat, entwining with her. With little experience, she initially thought to resist, but soon was overwhelmed by the kiss, her cheeks burning red and her heart pounding as if about to leap out.

Dazed by the kiss, she finally opened her eyes, curious about his expression.

Unexpectedly, he hadn’t closed his eyes. Despite the intimate and suggestive act, his gaze was fixed firmly on her, as if she were a delicious prey. Yin Xiyu felt as if she might be swallowed whole any moment.