The Little Bookworm Marked Her Ex-aunt - Chapter 27: Stay, Okay?

Chapter 27: Stay, Okay?

At the door of Ji Shiyi’s room.

Fu Xitang keenly sensed something. She glanced toward the staircase without showing it and asked, “Alpha? Here for you?”

Ji Shiyi leaned her right shoulder against the door, holding Shiyi in her arms. She stroked its drooping head and replied casually, “None of your business.”

Fu Xitang said, “So, she’s here for you.”

That was quite rare.

She asked again, “I saw her hiding just now. Did she misunderstand something? Old Ji, want me to explain to her?”

Ji Shiyi’s gaze lifted from bottom to top, looking at the person in front of her. Even though her figure was somewhat smaller than Fu Xitang’s, she held her own at that moment.

“Fu Xitang, mind your own business,” Ji Shiyi said coldly but casually. “Besides, she and I don’t have the kind of relationship that needs explaining.”

Fu Xitang shrugged. “I don’t care. It’s up to you.”

Ji Shiyi asked, “Anything else?”

“Nope.” Fu Xitang shook her head and added, “Since someone’s here for you, I’ll leave. Don’t leave this place for the next couple of days until the report comes out. I’ll let you know then. I’ll be staying here too, so if anything comes up, you can find me.”

Ji Shiyi knew this process well and nodded.

“Talk later.” Fu Xitang turned and left.

Ji Shiyi ignored her, looking in the opposite direction of her departure.

The corridor was clean, spotless.

Shu Yue was still hiding in the stairwell.

She didn’t dare go out, afraid of interrupting Ji Shiyi’s conversation with the other person. She could vaguely hear Ji Shiyi talking to someone, but she couldn’t make out what they said. After waiting in the dark corner for a bit, she cautiously tiptoed out.

As soon as she stepped out, she bumped right into someone.

The first thing she saw was the cat in the woman’s arms, then her voice followed.

“Looking for me?” Ji Shiyi asked.

Shu Yue braked abruptly, the bag in her hand swaying sharply. “Miss Ji? Why are you here?”

Ji Shiyi smiled. “Shouldn’t I be here?”

Shu Yue instinctively glanced past Ji Shiyi, looking behind her.

Ji Shiyi said, “What are you looking at?”

Shu Yue shook her head.

She was a bit curious but felt that, given her relationship with Ji Shiyi, she had no right to ask. A part-time job was just that—one radish, one hole. Why would a radish ask about another hole’s business?

“Miss Ji, your clothes.” Shu Yue held the bag with both hands and handed it to Ji Shiyi. “I washed them a bit, and they’re already dry. Oh, don’t worry, I hand-washed them.”

Ji Shiyi didn’t take it. She just lightly scratched Shiyi’s chin with her fingertip. “Thanks. You went through the trouble to come here. Put it in my room? Want something to drink? Mineral water okay?”

Shu Yue followed Ji Shiyi into the hotel room and sat on the sofa before realizing—

Why did she follow Ji Shiyi inside?

Couldn’t she have just handed the clothes over at the door?

She couldn’t ask this because Ji Shiyi was already handing her a glass of ice water.

“Thanks.” Shu Yue took it, holding it in her palms. Through the glass, the coldness of the ice water spread, easing the heat from riding under the sun.

Shu Yue took a sip, her peripheral vision on Shiyi.

The little cat, usually so excited to see her, now looked listless. Nestled in Ji Shiyi’s arms, its blue eyes were full of exhaustion.

“Shiyi?” Shu Yue was a bit worried. “Miss Ji, what’s wrong with it?”

“Just had some tests,” Ji Shiyi said. “Probably tired.”

“Huh? Is it sick?” Shu Yue asked.

Ji Shiyi shook her head. “Not really. Just routine tests.”

Shu Yue caught a hint of fatigue in her tone. She looked up at Ji Shiyi and noticed a trace of tiredness at the corners of her eyes.

Thinking of Shiyi’s true identity, Shu Yue couldn’t help but connect the routine tests to Ji Shiyi’s condition.

She hesitated, bit her lip, lowered her head, and said softly, “Miss Ji, if you need my help, you can find me anytime.”

Ji Shiyi looked at her, a spark of interest in her eyes.

“How do you plan to help me?”

Shu Yue thought of that night’s process, also in a hotel, but the difference was she had been fully prepared then. This time, she hadn’t brought anything.

“I didn’t think it through,” Shu Yue said. “Next time?”

She could ask Chu Yufei to send those small props, but she wasn’t sure if Chu Yufei would misunderstand. Should she buy new ones? But by the time new ones arrived, would Ji Shiyi still be here?

“What are you thinking?” Ji Shiyi’s voice sounded slowly.

Shu Yue said honestly, “Miss Ji, I didn’t bring the suppression collar or the other things…”

Ji Shiyi smiled. “Shu Yue, we don’t need those things every time.”

Shu Yue let out an “ah.”

“But I’m afraid—”

“I’m not afraid. What are you afraid of?”

Ji Shiyi paused, looked at Shu Yue, and said, “Of course, if you prefer the experience from before, I don’t mind.”

Experience? What experience?

The experience of wearing a collar around her neck?

Shu Yue’s face instantly turned red.

“No, no, no.” She explained, “Miss Ji, I don’t have that kind of fetish.”

Ji Shiyi smiled without speaking.

Shu Yue panicked. “I really don’t!”

“But I do,” Ji Shiyi said openly. “Thanks to you, I found I prefer alpha beneath me.”

Shu Yue: “…”

No need to be so open about it!

Seeing Shu Yue turn into a little tomato, Ji Shiyi laughed and didn’t push the topic further.

Gurgle.

Shu Yue lowered her head, confirming the sound came from her stomach. She quickly covered her abdomen with both hands, but it was no use—the empty city strategy in her stomach kept singing, one sound after another.

“Haven’t eaten lunch?” Ji Shiyi asked. “Want to eat something? I’ll have the kitchen make it.”

Shu Yue said, “No need, Miss Ji. I’ll go back and cook a bowl of noodles.”

Ji Shiyi glanced at the suite’s kitchen.

“There are noodles here too,” she said. “Eat here?”

Before Shu Yue could respond, Ji Shiyi added, “Stay. I do need your help today.”

“Okay?”

The woman did nothing but hold the cat and say this. Her eyes were deep, and when she made the request, it was like a clam opening to reveal its vulnerable pearl, making it hard for Shu Yue to refuse.

She pursed her lips and stood up.

Ji Shiyi paused her petting, guessing Shu Yue was leaving, and said, “Need me to have someone take you back?”

Shu Yue said, “Miss Ji, where are the noodles?”

Ji Shiyi’s smile returned.

She stood, led Shu Yue to the kitchen, and glanced at the fridge. “I think they’re in there.”

Shu Yue squatted, opened the small fridge, and found it empty except for a few bottles of mineral water.

Ji Shiyi said apologetically, “I remembered wrong.”

“Should I check with the kitchen staff?” Ji Shiyi said.

Shu Yue said, “I’ll go, Miss Ji. You’re not feeling well, so rest here.”

She paused and asked, “By the way, Miss Ji, have you eaten lunch?”

Ji Shiyi said, “Not yet.”

Shu Yue said, “Then together later?”

After the invitation, she worried a plain bowl of noodles might seem too simple for Ji Shiyi and added, “If you don’t mind.”

Ji Shiyi smiled. “I’d love to try your cooking.”

Shu Yue pushed her glasses and said, “Miss Ji, don’t expect too much. It’s just edible. I’ll check the kitchen for usable ingredients. Miss Ji, do you have any food restrictions? No scallions, anything else?”

“How did you know?” Ji Shiyi was slightly surprised.

Shu Yue said, “I noticed last time we ate.”

Ji Shiyi raised an eyebrow. “Has anyone praised you? You’re very observant.”

Seeing Shu Yue’s wooden face blush again, Ji Shiyi said, “Just no scallions. Everything else is fine.”

“Okay.” Shu Yue stood. “I’ll go now. Miss Ji, wait here.”

When Shu Yue returned, she carried two bowls of rich tomato egg noodles. The tomatoes were soft, the eggs golden, and the aroma alone was appetizing. When Ji Shiyi opened the door, she quickly took the tray from Shu Yue’s hands.

“I wondered why you took so long. You made it and brought it back?”

Shu Yue explained, “I didn’t want the cooking smell in the room, so I used the kitchen’s pots.”

Ji Shiyi placed the tray on the table, looked at the colorful, fragrant noodles, washed the chopsticks, handed them to Shu Yue, and said, “Miss Shu, I didn’t expect you to be so picky about food.”

Shu Yue took the chopsticks, pulled out a chair, and paused at the comment.

“Huh?”

“Just edible?” Ji Shiyi said. “This is probably the best-looking tomato egg noodles I’ve seen.”

Shu Yue’s heart screamed, but she said, “Miss Ji, don’t say that.”

She felt embarrassed by the praise.

“Just the truth,” Ji Shiyi said, taking out her phone to snap a picture of the noodles before sitting and picking up her chopsticks.

“Hasn’t anyone praised you like this?” Ji Shiyi asked.

Shu Yue sat, took off her glasses, placed them neatly aside, and said, “It’s just a small thing. No need for praise.”

“Why?” Ji Shiyi bit through the noodles, wiped her mouth, and said, “If it’s good, even the smallest thing deserves to be seen.”

Shu Yue’s chopsticks stirred the noodles.

After hesitating, Shu Yue couldn’t help saying, “Miss Ji, if you switched to being a kindergarten teacher, you’d be great at it.”

Ji Shiyi scooped some soup with a spoon. The tomato flavor was rich, tangy, and sweet. She took another sip before saying, “Why do you say that?”

Shu Yue instinctively reached to push her glasses but realized they were off. Her raised hand awkwardly touched her nose.

“Nothing, just a recent internet meme…”

Ji Shiyi got curious, picked up her phone, and looked up what Shu Yue mentioned.

Then she put the phone down.

“I’m a bit different from a kindergarten teacher,” Ji Shiyi said.

“What?” Shu Yue asked.

Ji Shiyi looked at her. “Shu Yue, I don’t see you as a kid, and I’m not coaxing you. I said I’m just telling the truth.”

“Besides…”

Ji Shiyi smiled. She had slowly finished her noodles, placed the bowl on the counter, pulled a wet wipe, leaned against the marble counter, and carefully wiped her fingertips, her eyes full of meaning.

“What we’re about to do, I definitely wouldn’t do with a kid.”

“Shu Yue, what do you think?”