After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 25

“Okay, you can open your eyes now, Jiang Jiang.”

Jiang Shiyuan obediently opened her eyes, though they took a moment to adjust after being closed for so long.

But when she saw Snowball nestled in Pei Xiangwan’s arms, tears welled up uncontrollably. The discomfort in her eyes faded into insignificance.

Snowball’s round, glassy eyes stared at Jiang Shiyuan as he meowed insistently, as if expressing his longing.

“Snowball!” Jiang Shiyuan cried out, her voice choked with joy.

She slowly reached out and drew Snowball into her arms. The cat nuzzled against her, and Jiang Shiyuan lowered her head.

“Thank you… you really found him for me… Thank you, Wanwan,” Jiang Shiyuan said, looking up at Pei Xiangwan. But she didn’t stop there; she continued to move closer, step by step.

Pei Xiangwan couldn’t understand why Jiang Shiyuan was getting so close, but she didn’t back away. Suddenly being thanked so profusely made her feel awkward, and she scratched the back of her head.

“Don’t be so formal, Jiang Jiang. We’re friends, right? No need for such formalities. Besides, I always keep my promises to you.”

Meanwhile, Qiao Yanxin had slipped back into the car, hoping to tease the remaining cat. Instead, she was met with a hiss.

“Tsk, the real culprit—Clingy Cat!” She leaned back against the seat, poking at her phone.

Jiang Shiyuan was already very close to her. Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe, and Pei Xiangwan felt a searing heat on her cheek, causing her to stumble back several steps.

Pei Xiangwan’s eyes widened in shock as she clutched her burning cheek. The heat seemed to spread, first across her face, then up to her ear, and finally down her neck. It might still be burning, but her clothes concealed it.

Jiang Shiyuan remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. “Thank you, Wanwan,” she said smoothly.

She added innocently, “You don’t mind me doing this, do you? It’s just to thank you. You said good friends can do this, and we used to do it all the time when we were little.”

That had only been true in kindergarten and elementary school. As Wanwan grew older, she became painfully shy, hesitating even to hold hands and always repeating the same line:

“You can’t do this, Jiang Jiang. You’re all grown up now. These things should be done with someone you like, not me.”

Each time, Jiang Shiyuan would retort, and each time, Pei Xiangwan’s face would flush crimson before she fled in embarrassment.

“Don’t I like you enough?”

When Pei Xiangwan heard this, her face flushed as vividly as a child painting a pure white eggshell with bright red dye at Christmas.

“No, no, you don’t understand! That’s not what liking someone is like,” Pei Xiangwan protested, her blushing shyness only made Jiang Shiyuan want to tease her more.

How could she not understand what liking someone is like…?

Feeling unbearably hot, Pei Xiangwan unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her collarbones to Jiang Shiyuan.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind, Jiang Jiang,” she said after a moment’s thought. This is normal between girls, right? We even kissed each other’s cheeks during concert performances.

This time, Jiang Shiyuan was stunned. She couldn’t tell if Pei Xiangwan’s feelings were genuine or just an act. Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe I should just go with it.

After a long silence, she suddenly asked, “Can I do this again in the future?”

Maybe I’ve really gone mad.

Pei Xiangwan hadn’t expected such a question. If a beautiful woman kissed me, it wouldn’t exactly be a loss, would it? This means my relationship with Jiang Shiyuan is getting better. It’s just a cheek kiss—that’s normal between close friends.

“Okay,” she replied.

Her cheeks were still flushed when her eyes darted to the parked car, reminding her of the cat and Qiao Yanxin inside. “Jiang Jiang, wait for me!” she called out urgently.

Pei Xiangwan hurried to the car. “I’m so sorry, Yanxin! I completely forgot about you.”

Qiao Yanxin huffed, cursing Pei Xiangwan inwardly for making her wait so long in the car.

Pei Xiangwan carried the supplies to the door, finally bringing out the cat carrier. The cat meowed a few times. “Yanxin, thank you! To repay you, I’ll treat you to dinner—you pick the place!”

Qiao Yanxin’s mood brightened slightly. “Alright, alright, remember what you said. Someone’s waiting for me, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Too busy with her plans, Qiao Yanxin completely missed the bright red lipstick stain on Pei Xiangwan’s cheek.

After the car drove away, Jiang Shiyuan noticed that Pei Xiangwan had indeed bought all the necessary cat supplies. So she was serious, she thought, slowly approaching. Then she realized there was another cat in the carrier.

“Meow~”

Pei Xiangwan straightened up from arranging the supplies and was surprised to see Jiang Shiyuan standing there.

“Oh, Jiang Jiang, you’re here!”

Jiang Shiyuan nodded slightly, pointing at the cat carrier. “Why is there another one?”

Pei Xiangwan’s eyes crinkled as she lifted the carrier from the floor. “Hmm~ They were found together. See how similar they look?” She brought it closer for Jiang Shiyuan to examine.

Snowball scratched at the carrier a few times. Jiang Shiyuan peered inside, noting the striking resemblance between the two orange tabby cats. “They do look alike,” she murmured, glancing at the items scattered on the floor.

“So, you’re really going to keep them?”

Pei Xiangwan nodded firmly. “Of course! Didn’t I say before? You and I will raise them together.”

“We?” Jiang Shiyuan’s smile froze on her face. Those memories… do I even deserve this?

Sensing Jiang Shiyuan’s unease, Pei Xiangwan gently stroked her cheek. “Yes, together. Hmm… Does Jiang Jiang still not trust me?”

Jiang Shiyuan shook her head. “Of course I trust you… a little.” Can someone like me really take care of these kittens?

Pei Xiangwan pouted. “Just a little? Aww…” Well, a little is better than nothing, she thought, managing to cheer herself up again.

Jiang Shiyuan dared not believe too much, yet she had already sunk into a quagmire. This quagmire wasn’t black, but pink, and its scent wasn’t foul or putrid, but the fragrance of gardenias, as if the entire swamp were planted with them.

Jiang Shiyuan remained silent, Snowball’s tail twitching in her arms like a dog’s tail swaying in the wind as he lay lazily against her.

Pei Xiangwan picked up some items from the ground. “Come inside with me, okay? Let’s give them a home together, Jiang Jiang.”

She couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Snowball was genuinely heavy, and Jiang Jiang’s arms must be aching after holding him for so long. Her hands were too important to strain.

Jiang Shiyuan pressed her lips together and nodded. Perhaps, just perhaps, having Pei Xiangwan by her side would make everything better. At least it would prove that person wrong.

Jiang Shiyuan followed Pei Xiangwan inside, unable to help carry anything while holding Snowball. As if reading her mind, Pei Xiangwan said, “Snowball’s quite heavy, and you already have one on your back. That’s enough. I’ll handle the rest. Don’t strain yourself—a muscle injury would be bad for you. Just sit here and wait for me, okay? I’m strong; this will only take a minute.” Pei Xiangwan coaxed Jiang Shiyuan as if she were a child.

And Jiang Shiyuan fell for it. She preferred being listened to, respected, and supported over being ordered around. She needed someone to coax her, but only Pei Xiangwan could do it.