The Little Bookworm Marked Her Ex-aunt - Chapter 21: I Received Your Pheromones, and My Legs Feel a Bit Weak

Chapter 21: I Received Your Pheromones, and My Legs Feel a Bit Weak

Meng Zhiyu indeed had not seen her aunt for some time.

Her mother and Ji Shiyi were cousins; Ji Shiyi was from the main family, while her mother was a daughter from a branch family. The relationship between them was not particularly close, as Ji Shiyi was a person who was difficult to get close to.

From Meng Zhiyu’s earliest memories, Ji Shiyi was different from all her other elders.

For this independent and ruthless aunt, Meng Zhiyu held a sense of admiration.

Among so many younger relatives, Meng Zhiyu felt she was the one Ji Shiyi doted on the most. When she got into Ning University’s acting department, her family held a celebratory banquet, and Ji Shiyi directly gave her a set of jewelry, telling her that if she chose the path of acting in the future, she should not forget that her family had the backing to support her.

She must not be swayed by temptations and should take good care of herself.

Meng Zhiyu did not see Ji Shiyi often because her aunt was an extremely busy person, with work that never stopped. Occasionally, she heard her mother gossip that Ji Shiyi spent more days living in hotels throughout the year than at the Ji family home.

Now, seeing Ji Shiyi in this place, Meng Zhiyu was very delighted.

“Aunt, what are you doing here?” She spoke with her usual playful tone, her eyes curving as she looked at people, easily making them soften for her.

Ji Shiyi’s tone softened a bit as she said, “Just eating.”

Meng Zhiyu asked, “Alone?”

Ji Shiyi replied, “With a friend.”

Meng Zhiyu let out an “oh” and wanted to ask more curiously, but Ji Shiyi changed the topic: “These days, I often see news about you. Are you with Yi Ting?”

Wen Yi Ting was someone Ji Shiyi had met a few times. A daughter of the Wen family, she looked frail and had been sickly since childhood, practically a medicine jar, but she was quite talented in music, gaining fame at a young age. She studied abroad for a while and only recently returned to the country.

“No,” Meng Zhiyu frowned, glanced at Ji Shiyi, wanted to say something, but ultimately didn’t. She only said, “She’s just helping me out.”

Ji Shiyi casually asked, “I remember when you first started university, you mentioned you had a girlfriend.”

Ji Shiyi not mentioning it would have been fine.

But once she did, Meng Zhiyu felt a surge of anger.

The way Shu Yue treated her really made her feel unhappy.

“We broke up already,” Meng Zhiyu said impatiently. She didn’t want Ji Shiyi to know about the mess with Shu Yue. Changing her tone to a playful one, she said, “Aunt, let’s not talk about this, okay? It’s bad luck.”

Ji Shiyi slightly raised her brow and agreed to her request.

Looking at this younger relative who had been pampered by the family since childhood, her gaze settled on Meng Zhiyu’s furrowed brows due to her troubles.

“Zhiyu.”

“Yes!”

“The year you started university, I told you that if you need any help, you can come to me.”

Meng Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat, and she flashed a smile at Ji Shiyi: “Aunt, I’m doing fine now. I don’t need any help.”

She didn’t say more, and Ji Shiyi didn’t press her.

“But, Aunt, I do have one thing I need your help with now.” Meng Zhiyu leaned closer, her face full of an obedient smile. “You drove here, right? Can I hitch a ride? I’ve been fighting with my mom lately, and she won’t let the family driver pick me up. I have to spend my own money to hire someone, and today’s a day off, so…”

“Small matter,” Ji Shiyi said.

At the restaurant entrance, Ji Shiyi’s driver had already pulled the car up.

Meng Zhiyu sat in the back with her.

Not daring to sit too close to Ji Shiyi but wanting to be near, she kept half a body’s distance.

“Aunt, how about you? How have you been lately?” Meng Zhiyu really wanted to hear Ji Shiyi talk about her daily life.

Ji Shiyi only replied with two words.

“Pretty good.”

Ji Shiyi picked up the documents beside her, placed them on her lap, and started flipping through them.

Meng Zhiyu blinked, didn’t speak again, afraid of disturbing Ji Shiyi’s work.

Taking out her phone, Meng Zhiyu opened WeChat.

It had been almost forty minutes since she last saw Shu Yue.

Her phone, however, had no activity at all.

Every platform was as quiet as if it were dead; the little red notification dots she imagined didn’t appear.

Meng Zhiyu’s anger flared even more.

She opened her blacklist, found Shu Yue’s account, and clicked into it. The profile picture was still that silly bird. The Moments background was also the same one she had picked for Shu Yue, a photo of her shadow.

Meng Zhiyu felt satisfied, but after exiting and clicking back in to take a screenshot, with a click, the Moments background had completely changed.

It was a bird.

A male pheasant, its body all white, probably aged and old.

Another bird.

Meng Zhiyu laughed in anger.

Her temper flared, and she threw her phone onto the back leather seat.

With a bang, worried about disturbing Ji Shiyi, who was reading documents, Meng Zhiyu quickly turned to look beside her.

Ji Shiyi wasn’t reading documents anymore; the documents were still on her lap, open. She held her phone in one hand, her fingertips lightly sliding, a slight smile on her lips.

“Aunt, what are you looking at? You seem so happy,” Meng Zhiyu asked.

Ji Shiyi turned off the screen: “Am I?”

She calmly placed the phone aside: “Just a message from a friend.”

To be precise, even the word “friend” wasn’t quite right.

It was Shu Yue who sent her a message.

It was clearly carefully edited, a detailed and vivid introduction to a bird, mixed with a couple of her personal comments. After the text, there were three or four sketches of the bird.

Ji Shiyi’s smile wasn’t because what Shu Yue sent was particularly funny.

It was because she looked at the phone screen filled with shared messages and Shu Yue’s profile picture, and for some reason, she suddenly thought of the term “traveling bird.”

Like the game ‘Traveling Frog’, except the other side was a chirping bird.

After a while, Shu Yue, as if completing a trip, sent another serious message.

Sy: Miss Ji, thank you for your recommendation. This garden has rich plant species and is well-maintained. It’s indeed worth a visit.

Ji Shiyi glanced at the new message, picked up her phone, replied casually, then put it down. She lifted her hand to brush her hair, her fingertips returning to the half-read business proposal.

Seeing her enter work mode, Meng Zhiyu swallowed her gossiping words.

With no conversation to keep her occupied, Meng Zhiyu picked up the phone she had thrown, thought of something, and checked all of Shu Yue’s account information across all platforms.

Every trace related to her had been erased.

Meng Zhiyu clenched her teeth, nearly scratching her phone case with her newly extended nail tips.

Fine.

Shu Yue.

You’ve got some nerve.

“Achoo—”

Shu Yue sneezed and rubbed her nose.

Guided by a waiter, Shu Yue finally made it out of the restaurant. She opened her phone to book a ride, and a new message from Ji Shiyi popped up.

“Good, Miss Expert.”

“Getting your approval must make this garden very happy.”

Shiyi saw Shu Yue smile, a very relaxed kind of smile. Curious about what she was looking at, Shiyi eagerly stretched out her paw to tug at Shu Yue’s arm, trying to climb up. Just as her cat head got close, Shu Yue pressed her back with a fingertip.

“No peeking,” Shu Yue said. “This isn’t something for little cats to do.”

Shiyi let out a wronged whimper.

“Let’s go home,” Shu Yue said, reaching out to tickle her chin as comfort.

At her doorstep, Shu Yue noticed a delivery bag hanging on the doorknob.

It was medicine.

She cautiously looked around, carefully picked it up, and examined the order slip stapled to the paper bag.

Several types of ointments.

Further down, a line was printed in the order notes.

“Miss Shu, I hope your neck heals quickly.”

Shu Yue realized what it was.

She took a photo and sent it to Ji Shiyi.

Sy: [Picture]

Sy: Miss Ji, did you buy this?

He: Hmm.

He: That day, I was too rough.

Shu Yue looked at the message, feeling the bite mark on her shoulder heat up again.

She didn’t know how to respond.

Then Ji Shiyi said.

He: Next time, you can stop me.

Shu Yue stood at the door, feeling her head start to steam.

N-next time?

“Little Shu?” Her neighbor grandma came out of the elevator, surprised to see her standing blankly at the door. “Is your lock out of battery again? Can’t get in?”

Shu Yue snapped back, shaking her head: “No, it’s fine.”

She quickly opened the lock, said bye to the grandma, and shut the door.

Once inside, Shu Yue placed the bag with Shiyi the cat on the floor.

After Shiyi crawled out, Shu Yue immediately picked up the pink bag with cute patterns, intending to throw it in the trash but couldn’t bear to. She folded it and stuffed it deep into her pile of packaging bags, hidden completely.

For the next few days, Shu Yue kept intermittent contact with Ji Shiyi.

Sometimes, as Shiyi’s foster caregiver, she shared Shiyi’s daily life, and Ji Shiyi occasionally replied with a sentence or two.

Other times, Ji Shiyi suddenly sent a bird photo, asking if it was one of the many birds Shu Yue had shared from the garden that day.

Sy: Yes, that’s a white wagtail, also called a water pipit. Miss Ji, you have a good eye.

He: Like you said, once you notice, it’s hard not to see.

“What are you so happy about?” Chen Mi nudged Shu Yue with her arm. “Why are you grinning at your phone?”

Shu Yue quickly flipped her phone against her pants, shaking her head: “I’m not.”

Chen Mi tsked and asked Chu Yufei: “She’s been like this lately?”

Chu Yufei was fiercely battling the green onions in her noodle bowl with chopsticks, not looking up as she said: “Often.”

Chen Mi bit into her wrap, chewing with puffed cheeks, then sighed: “The pancakes at our school cafeteria are still the best.”

Since graduating, Chen Mi craved the pancakes made by the cafeteria auntie at Ning University. Whether egg pancakes, savory pancakes, or stuffed wraps, nothing outside could compare.

So she came to mooch meals off Shu Yue every few days.

Today was no different.

Chen Mi took another bite, eating happily, then turned to stare at Shu Yue, who was focused on sipping her soup, and asked: “Little Yue, is this… a new development?”

Shu Yue put down her bowl, confused: “What new development?”

Chu Yufei translated for her: “Chen Mi is asking if you’ve met a new woman, a new potential partner.”

Shu Yue quickly shook her head: “No, no, it’s not like that.”

“Then who were you just chatting with?” Chen Mi pressed relentlessly.

Shu Yue’s voice weakened: “A… work collaborator.”

She wanted to say Shiyi’s owner but, for some reason, instinctively felt it wasn’t right to say. She had promised to keep things confidential about her relationship with Ji Shiyi and what they’d done. If she mentioned her, she was afraid Chen Mi would keep probing, and she might not be able to hold back the truth.

“What kind of work?” Chen Mi asked again.

Chu Yufei kicked her under the table: “Are you annoying? Always asking.”

Chen Mi argued logically: “I’m just being cautious, got it? Shu Yue is naive and easily fooled. In this world, with so many bad women out there, what if she gets tricked again? Another Meng Zhiyu? She might handle it, but I can’t.”

Chu Yufei couldn’t stand hearing this: “Can you stop acting like her mom? Who she interacts with is her choice.”

Chen Mi’s temper flared, her voice rising: “What if she gets hurt again?”

Chu Yufei frowned, her cute face delivering seasoned words: “Then she’ll cry for a couple of days, get over it, and move on to the next one. She hasn’t dated enough, that’s why she fell for Meng Zhiyu before. She needs more practice, more contact with others.”

Chen Mi snorted: “You think she’s you?”

Chu Yufei, unfazed, stared at Chen Mi: “And you? You think she’s you?”

“Alright, alright—!” Shu Yue hurriedly said. “I’m done eating. Let’s clean up.”

“Hmph.” Chen Mi stood up from her chair, displeased. “For Shu Yue’s sake, I won’t argue with you today.”

Chen Mi stomped in her small heels to the food recycling area to throw out her trash.

Shu Yue carried her tray, walking beside Chu Yufei, and said: “Yufei, don’t always fight with Senior.”

Chu Yufei let out a huff of frustration: “Then tell her to stop controlling you first.”

Shu Yue felt like her head was twice as big.

Her two good friends were great in every way and usually got along well, but when it came to her love life, they often clashed. In the past, whenever she asked both Chu Yufei and Chen Mi about anything related to Meng Zhiyu, their opinions were always opposite. In serious cases, they’d end up arguing like today.

To put it simply, Chen Mi was the protective type, often hoping Shu Yue would follow her heart with Meng Zhiyu while worrying about her mental health getting hurt again. So she’d analyze things for her, come up with plans, and encourage her to follow her feelings.

Chu Yufei, on the other hand, was the free-range type.

When it came to relationships, her motto was to break up. Don’t ask—just break up.

“Bye-bye, move on to the next, better one.”

“There are so many women in this world; no need to hang yourself on one tree.”

That was Chu Yufei’s life philosophy.

Shu Yue thought both of them made sense, but she couldn’t learn Chen Mi’s ease in handling things or Chu Yufei’s carefree ability to walk away. In the later stages of her relationship with Meng Zhiyu, she often felt pain. Her reason told her it was all wrong, but her heart twisted, wanting to keep diving into the pain over and over.

Fortunately, Shu Yue had now decided to move forward.

She wouldn’t allow herself to stay in pain—that was her promise to herself.

“I want to go to the mini-mart,” Shu Yue said to Chen Mi and Chu Yufei, who were walking ahead.

“Not full?” Chu Yufei asked.

Shu Yue smiled, didn’t say anything, and when she returned, she was holding three cups of mung bean shaved ice.

“Here.” She handed one to Chen Mi and one to Chu Yufei, keeping one for herself. “Want to sit at the field for a bit?”

Chen Mi pinched the soft plastic packaging of the shaved ice, which was a bit hard, the ice inside not fully melted. She glanced at Shu Yue, who was already drinking, then at Chu Yufei’s cup, and asked: “Is yours melted more?”

Chu Yufei didn’t speak, unwrapped the green straw, crumpled the long wrapper into a ball, and poked the straw into the shaved ice with a puff.

Chen Mi got a bit upset.

The next second, Chu Yufei handed her cup to Chen Mi.

“Didn’t you want to switch?” she said.

Chen Mi flicked her red hair, her mood visibly improving.

The three sat on the shaded steps of Ning University’s sports field.

“So youthful,” Chen Mi said, looking at the crowd strolling during lunch break and the lively basketball court. “School’s still the best.”

Chu Yufei commented: “Old lady vibes.”

Chen Mi shot her a glance.

Shu Yue sat between them, sipping through her straw, feeling the refreshing sweetness spread in her mouth, and secretly smiled.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Shu Yue took it out, glanced at it, and, seeing something, let out an excited squeal.

Chen Mi commented: “Definitely chatting with a woman.”

Shu Yue quickly said: “No way!”

“It’s a message from my advisor.” Shu Yue’s voice couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Senior, I might not be able to help out at Gray Domain for a while.”

Chen Mi, who knew Shu Yue well, guessed: “Another field study?”

Shu Yue nodded: “It’s the crested ibis project from half a year ago. They approached me then, but I declined. Now they’re collaborating with my advisor, so I can go!”

Chen Mi thought for a while: “Half a year ago? When was that?”

Chu Yufei’s tone was eerie, speaking in one breath without pausing: “When she and Meng Zhiyu broke up because she didn’t want to eat bullfrog, and Meng Zhiyu thought if you loved me, you’d try it for me.”

Hearing Chu Yufei sum it up like that, Shu Yue’s face flushed.

Chen Mi slapped her forehead: “Now that you say it, I remember everything!”

“Hey, I wasn’t happy back then when you turned down that opportunity because of her. But good, good, now we’re riding on your advisor’s coattails.”

“The project’s at least three months,” Shu Yue said, gripping her shaved ice cup tightly. “Back then, she didn’t want a long-distance relationship, and I understood.”

“That short distance and time count as long-distance?” Chen Mi tsked. “Back in my day—”

Her voice cut off abruptly.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this bad luck stuff.”

“Good thing you broke up when your advisor invited you to join, or you’d probably have turned it down again because of her.”

Chu Yufei said: “I agree.”

Shu Yue: “…” You two don’t need to form such a united front right now.

Chen Mi asked: “Where exactly?”

“Qingxi Source,” Shu Yue answered.

Chen Mi got interested: “That egret county scenic spot that’s been trending online lately?”

Shu Yue: “Yes.”

Chen Mi: “What will you do there?”

“It’s not clear yet,” Shu Yue said slowly. “I’ll know when I get there and see what my advisor assigns. But the general direction is rebuilding the crested ibis habitat and assessing the feasibility of turning it into an eco-tourism area.”

“I see…” Chen Mi thought of something, her eyes suddenly hopeful. “If you go, what about the cat you’re fostering? No one to look after it? How about I take care of it?”

Shu Yue had just learned about this trip and hadn’t discussed it with Ji Shiyi. But based on her understanding of Ji Shiyi, she probably wouldn’t let Chen Mi take care of Shiyi. After all, the importance of a spiritual body was obvious.

“I haven’t asked yet,” Shu Yue said. “But probably not.”

Chen Mi let out an “oh”: “Why not? I have a lot of experience with cats! Sure, it doesn’t like me much, but aren’t cats like that? I get it. Building a bond takes time.”

Chu Yufei said: “It didn’t take time to bond with Shu Yue.”

Chen Mi shot up from the steps: “Chu Yufei! You’re picking a fight today, aren’t you?”

Chu Yufei, innocent: “No way.”

“I’d roast anyone,” she said, smiling cutely but infuriatingly.

Chen Mi grabbed her bag and swung it at Chu Yufei. Chu Yufei quickly ran down the steps, and Chen Mi, in her small heels, kept up, clacking after her.

Shu Yue sat in the shade, watching them, and quietly took a photo with her phone.

Ah—

So youthful.

After finishing the last sip of her mung bean shaved ice, Shu Yue zoned out for a bit, then took out her phone to ask Ji Shiyi about what to do with Shiyi during her upcoming trip.

Should she take Shiyi along or find another foster?

Ji Shiyi replied that evening.

Shu Yue had just showered, wearing a worn-out short-sleeved shirt she’d washed to a soft fuzz as pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

Shiyi loved coming close to her at this time.

She jumped down from the cat tree Ji Shiyi had bought, deliberately making a thud to ensure she got Shu Yue’s attention, then gracefully walked to Shu Yue with elegant cat steps.

She squatted in front of Shu Yue, her tail slowly swishing.

Tilting her head, the white tuft of smart fur on her pointed ears flicked back.

“Meow~”

After caring for her these days, Shu Yue had figured out her personality. When Shiyi wanted to be liked, her voice was eight degrees softer than usual, like it was dripping with honey. Shu Yue didn’t know if other kittens were this coy, but Shiyi definitely was.

Shu Yue no longer disliked her and could even give in a bit to her boundaries.

Like now.

Shu Yue patted her lap, signaling Shiyi could jump up.

With permission, Shiyi leaped lightly, her fluffy body settling between Shu Yue’s crossed legs. She treated Shu Yue’s body like her cat bed, curling up in her lap.

Shu Yue found her so adorable, took out her phone to take a photo, and just as she opened it, saw Ji Shiyi’s reply.

He: You’re going away for a while?

Sy: Yes.

He: Okay.

He: When are you leaving?

Sy: Next Friday afternoon.

He: Alright, I’ll come pick her up.

Shiyi wasn’t happy that Shu Yue kept looking at her phone.

Here was a beautiful, adorable kitten lying in her lap, and this person was still on her phone? This was practically the greatest insult to her as a cat!

She stretched out her paw pad to tug at Shu Yue’s wrist, her eyes sending an invitation.

When Shu Yue ignored her once, she tugged again.

When Shu Yue finally put down her phone and focused on her, the hands that had been holding the phone moved to her chin. Satisfied, Shiyi retracted her paw pads, curling them under her round face, happily closing her eyes and purring.

This happiness vanished a few days later when Shiyi saw Shu Yue start packing her luggage.

“Meow!!”

Shiyi jumped into Shu Yue’s open suitcase, sitting on her clothes.

No matter how Shu Yue tried, she wouldn’t budge.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Shu Yue hurried to open the door.

Ji Shiyi nodded to her, seeing her troubled expression, and asked: “Am I here at a bad time?”

Shu Yue shook her head, stepped aside, and invited Ji Shiyi in.

Once a stranger, now familiar.

Ji Shiyi already knew where Shu Yue kept her slippers and where the bedroom was.

Following her senses, she looked inside and met Shiyi’s stubborn cat face.

Shu Yue explained: “I’m packing my luggage.”

Ji Shiyi: “I can tell.”

She walked toward Shiyi, stopped at the bedroom doorframe, and turned to ask: “Mind?”

Shu Yue shook her head.

Ji Shiyi crossed the threshold and walked in.

She didn’t look around Shu Yue’s room, going straight to Shiyi. Shiyi instinctively tried to bolt, but Ji Shiyi held her in place with mental control.

She could only let out a pitiful wail as Ji Shiyi grabbed her by the scruff, like a caught little criminal.

“Miss Shu, sorry for the trouble. I’ll take her now.”

Seeing Shiyi’s miserable look, Shu Yue couldn’t help saying: “Miss Ji, how about letting her stay a bit longer?”

Hearing this, Shiyi let out a supportive yowl.

Ji Shiyi’s face was cold: “No need. If she stays longer, she’ll only push her luck.”

Her ruthlessness made Shiyi wail repeatedly.

Shu Yue worried the neighbors upstairs and downstairs would report her for cat abuse.

She quickly stepped forward to hold Shiyi.

Ji Shiyi raised a brow, letting go of Shiyi’s scruff. Shiyi, as if saved, climbed up Shu Yue’s chest, her paws clinging to her shoulders, refusing to part with her.

Shu Yue knew interrupting Ji Shiyi’s discipline of her cat wasn’t great, but she couldn’t bear it. Shiyi’s cries were too heart-wrenching, even for someone not particularly fond of cats.

“Miss Ji, want some water? I’ll pour you some,” Shu Yue said, not knowing what else to say.

Ji Shiyi shook her head: “I’m not thirsty.”

Shu Yue said, “Oh,” then asked: “Are you hungry?”

Ji Shiyi was amused by her simple logic: “If I say I’m not hungry, will you ask if I’m tired?”

Shu Yue seriously asked: “Are you tired?”

“There’s a guest room. If you’re tired, you can rest. I have new bedding, just sun-dried.”

Ji Shiyi said: “No need. Pack your things. Don’t mind me.”

Shu Yue nodded, walked into the bedroom to fold clothes, then thought of something, came back out, and said hesitantly: “Miss Ji—”

Ji Shiyi was already on the sofa, looking at her phone.

She looked up from her phone: “What?”

“Your cat—”

Shiyi seemed to have turned into a different species, like a koala, becoming a koala kitten. She insisted on clinging to Shu Yue, not wanting to separate even a bit. To keep her from falling, Shu Yue had to hold her cat butt with one hand, preferably also wrapping an arm around her waist.

But like this, she couldn’t do anything else.

Let alone fold clothes.

Ji Shiyi had anticipated this scene, sitting leisurely: “Miss Shu, I warned you.”

Shu Yue: “…”

She should ask for help again, but Ji Shiyi’s expression seemed to say, “Deal with it.” Shu Yue was too embarrassed to speak up. After all, this was entirely her own doing.

She gritted her teeth and went back to the bedroom.

Ji Shiyi was a bit surprised. Sitting on the sofa for a while, seeing Shu Yue didn’t come back to ask for help, she got up and went to the bedroom door.

Standing at the entrance, she leaned slightly to look inside.

To manage holding the cat while folding clothes, Shu Yue squatted by the window, letting her thighs bear the cat’s weight. This way, she could free both hands to fold clothes properly.

The only trouble was that after folding one batch, getting up to grab more from the closet was a bit difficult.

“Which one?” Ji Shiyi asked from the door, her chin slightly raised, pointing toward the closet.

Shu Yue felt a bit embarrassed, as if she’d been caught doing something shameful. But Ji Shiyi’s expression was open, with no hint of anything wrong, no mockery or blame.

Shu Yue said: “The black jacket, thanks.”

Ji Shiyi walked in, stood by Shu Yue’s closet, took the jacket, and placed it in front of her.

Shu Yue said thanks again, squatting to fold the clothes.

“Anything else?” Ji Shiyi asked.

Shu Yue, speaking quickly, said: “I haven’t sorted my underwear and panties.”

After saying it, she fell silent.

Ji Shiyi smiled: “Miss Shu, that’s probably not convenient for me to help with.”

“Give me the cat. You handle it.”

Ji Shiyi walked over, gave Shiyi, who was clinging to Shu Yue, a sharp look. Shiyi didn’t dare push too far, whimpered twice, and voluntarily left Shu Yue to jump into Ji Shiyi’s arms.

“Miss Shu?”

Seeing Shu Yue still squatting, Ji Shiyi found it odd.

Shu Yue didn’t answer, just suddenly raised her left hand.

Ji Shiyi didn’t understand but stepped forward, grabbed her hand, thinking she needed help, and pulled hard to lift her.

Shu Yue’s eyes widened. Before she could stand straight, the numbness in her right leg made her lose balance.

“Meow—!”

Shiyi nimbly jumped from Ji Shiyi’s arms to a cabinet half a meter away.

Ji Shiyi lay on the bed, looking at the girl on top of her.

At such close range, Ji Shiyi caught the faint scent of her pheromones again.

She turned her head, her eyes darkening slightly.

Shu Yue hurriedly pulled her hand from Ji Shiyi’s palm, propped herself on the bed, lifted her head from Ji Shiyi’s chest, and anxiously explained: “Sorry, Miss Ji, I didn’t mean to. My leg’s numb—”

“I know,” Ji Shiyi said.

Shu Yue awkwardly tried to get off Ji Shiyi, but her right leg felt like lead, stinging with pins and needles, making it unbearable.

“Can you get up?” Ji Shiyi asked.

Shu Yue: “…”

She said: “Miss Ji, how about you push me?”

Ji Shiyi sighed helplessly: “Sorry.”

Before Shu Yue understood why she apologized, she felt Ji Shiyi’s legs clamp around her, a force on her shoulders, and after a dizzying spin, Shu Yue and Ji Shiyi had switched places.

Shu Yue was below, Ji Shiyi above.

Ji Shiyi brushed her loose hair behind her shoulder, about to get up, when she saw Shu Yue’s face turn tomato red.

If her head had a steam valve, it would probably be hissing like a pressure cooker.

Ji Shiyi raised her brow slightly: “Miss Shu?”

Shu Yue, dazed: “Huh?”

Ji Shiyi politely said: “If it’s convenient, could you control your pheromones? They’re spreading too fast, and it’s making my legs a bit weak.”

“…”

“…”

Shu Yue snapped back, retracting all her pheromones. She didn’t dare look into Ji Shiyi’s eyes, afraid Ji Shiyi would think she was some rogue alpha recklessly releasing pheromones.

She was just—just—

Because of Ji Shiyi’s earlier move, her mind accidentally wandered to thoughts she shouldn’t have.

She even recalled Ji Shiyi’s words from when she covered her eyes and held her down.

“Don’t move. Let me linger a bit longer.”

Thinking this, her pheromones exploded without her noticing.

Aaaaaah!

So embarrassing!

Ji Shiyi looked down at the girl covering her face with both hands, curved her lips, and stood up.

Glancing to the side, Shiyi was clearly drunk on that wave of pheromones, her whole body soft, rubbing against the base of a floor lamp, eyes dazed, clutching her tail and licking it frantically. After two licks, her body seemed to freeze, then slowly tipped over.

Thud—

Shiyi lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling, a sprawled-out kitten.

So embarrassing.

Ji Shiyi thought.

She planned to recall Shiyi to her mental sea, but Shiyi was too high, her mental state so odd that Ji Shiyi found it tricky to handle. Forcing her away might leave her in this silly state for a long time.

Ji Shiyi had no experience with this.

After all, Shiyi had never shown interest in any alpha’s pheromones before, let alone been this intoxicated.

With no other choice, she let Shiyi stay here—or rather, stay with Shu Yue.

Seeing Shu Yue finally recover from her blushing, Ji Shiyi asked: “Miss Shu, I have a bold request. Would it be convenient for you to take Shiyi with you on this trip? I can cover all related expenses.”

Shu Yue let out an “ah,” understood after Ji Shiyi’s explanation, but it wasn’t practical.

The accommodations at Qingxi Source were arranged, two to a room. She was sharing with another alpha graduate senior. Keeping a cat, especially Ji Shiyi’s spiritual body, was inconvenient. Plus, the journey from Ning City to Qingxi Source was long, and high-speed trains didn’t allow cats.

She explained all this to Ji Shiyi.

Ji Shiyi, thoughtful: “You’re going to Qingxi Source for fieldwork?”

Shu Yue nodded: “Miss Ji, you know the place too?”

Ji Shiyi nodded and said to Shu Yue: “Give me ten minutes.”

Though Shu Yue didn’t understand why, she obediently waited.

Ten minutes later, Ji Shiyi called back, telling Shu Yue: “I’ve arranged everything. You can take Shiyi with you.”

Shu Yue let out an “ah,” about to ask what that meant, when her phone rang.

Her alpha senior, Lin Chu, said excitedly: “Little Yue! Little Yue! Check the group chat! Good news! Big good news!”