The Little Bookworm Marked Her Ex-aunt - Chapter 42: Whole Face Buried in Ji Shiyi's Neck

Chapter 42: Whole Face Buried in Ji Shiyi’s Neck

“Miss Ji, I finished changing.”

Shu Yue fastened the last button of her shirt.

Ji Shiyi turned around and nodded, saying, “Let’s go.”

She waved at Shiyi, who clung to Shu Yue’s side. Shiyi initially hesitated to move, but after Ji Shiyi warned it through an internal communication, informing it of Shu Yue’s poor physical condition, it obediently stepped forward, quickly reached Ji Shiyi’s side, and climbed onto her shoulder like scaling a tree in two swift moves.

Shu Yue suggested, “Miss Ji, I can hold it.”

Ji Shiyi refused bluntly, “No need. It stands steady on its own.”

As if to prove this to Shu Yue, Shiyi raised its head and let out a short meow, lifting one paw, ready to perform a golden cat stand for Shu Yue. Ji Shiyi disapprovingly tapped its head, telling it to behave.

Shiyi whimpered aggrievedly.

Shu Yue lowered her head and smiled, following Ji Shiyi downstairs.

Ji Shiyi didn’t drive herself today; a driver brought her.

They both sat in the back seat.

As Shu Yue’s bottom touched the leather seat, Shiyi leaped toward her, jumping from Ji Shiyi’s shoulder and landing on her lap.

Shu Yue struggled to suppress the instinctive yelp people make when something heavy lands on them.

She stroked Shiyi’s chin and rubbed its small ears. Shu Yue hesitated, then spoke to Ji Shiyi.

“Miss Ji, thank you for the trouble this time.”

She overheard Fang Wenyan and Yu Qianyue’s conversation earlier.

“It’s my duty,” Ji Shiyi said.

Shu Yue asked, “Um, how much are the expenses for this period?”

Ji Shiyi glanced at her, her expression far from pleased.

“You want to settle accounts with me?” she asked.

Shu Yue’s heart tightened, and her hand, petting Shiyi, paused. She desperately wanted to explain that she felt uneasy receiving so much care from Ji Shiyi. But seeing Ji Shiyi’s displeased look, Shu Yue didn’t dare voice it.

She hesitated, “Hmm… can we calculate it?”

Ji Shiyi almost laughed in frustration.

“Fine,” she said coldly. “If you want to calculate, we’ll make it clear.”

“Yu Qianyue said your severe susceptibility period, caused by my pheromones from helping you before, led to strong drug resistance, making your previous medication ineffective.”

Ji Shiyi looked at Shu Yue.

“So, if you want to calculate, Shu Yue, theoretically, this is a work injury.”

“Of course, if you don’t accept this explanation, I haven’t paid you for Shiyi’s boarding fees either. After offsetting them with these hospital fees, I’ll transfer the remaining amount to you.”

“Shu Yue, am I calculating clearly? Anything else you want to settle with me?”

Shu Yue’s gaze trembled slightly, like a butterfly suddenly losing direction in the wind, flapping its wings helplessly to maintain balance.

She shook her head.

Ji Shiyi hummed, ending the conversation.

The car drove forward quietly. Except for the purring sound Shiyi made when comfortably petted, the small space inside the car fell silent, as if everything had died.

Her fingertips scratched Shiyi’s chin.

Shu Yue suddenly asked, “Miss Ji, can I ask a question?”

Ji Shiyi looked down at her phone, the screen filled with English. Shu Yue glanced at it but didn’t examine it closely.

“What question?” Ji Shiyi replied without lifting her head.

Shu Yue pursed her lips, mustering courage to speak.

“Were you angry just now?”

Ji Shiyi’s fingertip, scrolling through the screen, paused slightly.

She turned her head, her gaze shifting from the phone to the girl’s face. Her glasses, still the same tattered, lopsided pair with thick lenses, revealed Shu Yue’s cautious expression to Ji Shiyi.

She sighed inwardly.

Turning off the phone screen, her fingertip rubbed the edge of the phone case.

“Hmm,” Ji Shiyi admitted. “I was a bit angry just now.”

Shu Yue panicked instantly.

Ji Shiyi saw her open her mouth to say something but stop, her face wrinkling in distress.

The anger in Ji Shiyi’s heart dissipated instantly; it had already faded. After saying those words to Shu Yue, Ji Shiyi felt some regret. From Shu Yue’s perspective, her unease and desire to settle accounts were entirely reasonable.

Ji Shiyi understood this clearly.

She just failed to control her emotions earlier.

Ji Shiyi put down her phone and said frankly, “Shu Yue, I thought we were at least friends.”

“Your eagerness to settle accounts and draw a line with me right after waking up made me a bit unhappy.”

Shu Yue hurriedly said, “No, no, that’s not it.”

Ji Shiyi’s openness loosened Shu Yue’s restraint, and the explanation she hid earlier resurfaced.

She carefully said, “Miss Ji, I don’t want to draw a line with you.”

“I just feel I’m always receiving your care and causing you trouble, which isn’t good. I want to take some responsibility myself.”

She wasn’t someone who could accept others’ kindness with ease.

Shu Yue tried hard to express her thoughts accurately, avoiding misunderstandings.

Ji Shiyi saw this clearly.

“But Shu Yue, this isn’t trouble for me,” her voice softened. “Helping you when you need it makes me happy.”

Shu Yue’s heart fluttered at these words.

She looked at Ji Shiyi, seeing her usual calm and gentle expression, and recalled what Ji Shiyi said earlier.

Friends.

She quietly suppressed her heart.

“Miss Ji, you’re really kind,” Shu Yue said sincerely.

Even standing beside Ji Shiyi as a friend felt wonderful to Shu Yue.

Ji Shiyi’s lips curved slightly. “I’ve wanted to ask for a while. ‘Miss Ji,’ are you going to keep calling me that?”

Shu Yue let out an “ah,” her mind freezing.

If not like this, how should she address her?

Call her full name like Ji Shiyi did? Shu Yue couldn’t do that.

Just the last two characters? That felt too intimate, and Shu Yue feared she’d say it awkwardly.

She couldn’t copy Meng Zhiyu and call her “aunt” based on seniority, could she? That would be too weird. Shu Yue didn’t want that.

She fell into a mental storm.

“Alright, stop thinking,” Ji Shiyi snapped her fingers in front of her, pulling her back. “I’m teasing you. This is fine. It’s just a name; call me whatever feels comfortable.”

“Then Miss Ji it is,” Shu Yue said with determination.

Ji Shiyi heard the title “Miss Ji” often, but only from Shu Yue’s mouth did it carry a different flavor.

Perhaps it was her voice, tone, or the expression she wore when speaking.

Simple, with a touch of clumsy earnestness.

A smile flickered in Ji Shiyi’s eyes. “Alright, Little Shu, as you wish.”

Shu Yue rubbed her burning ears, scolding herself for being so easily flustered by Ji Shiyi’s casual words.

“Later, your place or mine?” Ji Shiyi suddenly asked.

Shu Yue pushed up her slipping glasses in shock. “Miss Ji, what does that mean?”

“Fang Wenyan said for the next while, you should stay with an omega,” Ji Shiyi said calmly, as if merely relaying a doctor’s order. “As far as I know, the only omega around you is me.”

“Of course, if you want to contact Meng Zhiyu, I can help you call her,” Ji Shiyi added considerately.

Shu Yue, still processing the first sentence, grew anxious at the second.

“No need,” she said decisively. “I don’t want to contact her.”

She suspected Ji Shiyi misunderstood something.

“Miss Ji, Meng Zhiyu and I… we were together before, but we’ve broken up.”

Ji Shiyi raised an eyebrow. “Since you’ve broken up, why were you avoiding me before?”

Shu Yue hadn’t expected this reckoning to come now.

The moment Ji Shiyi brought it up, she wanted to flee, instinctively. But in the car, she couldn’t exactly open the door, roll out dramatically, and strike a cool pose.

Ji Shiyi saw all her reactions clearly.

Her rapid, unsteady breathing, her restless gaze, her lips tightening from nervousness.

Ji Shiyi saw everything.

“She is she, and I am me. Even with an undeniable bl00d tie, we’re two separate individuals. Shu Yue, I think our relationship doesn’t need to change because of her. Don’t you agree?”

Ji Shiyi’s voice, like a gentle mountain stream, flowed softly, soothing Shu Yue’s anxiety.

The logic was sound.

Shu Yue understood it herself.

But she couldn’t quite get past her own barrier.

She even wondered if Ji Shiyi’s calmness proved something else—that their relationship, in Ji Shiyi’s eyes, differed from what Shu Yue secretly hoped for.

Thinking carefully, their connection began with a transaction. Sitting here now, sharing thoughts like friends, was already a rare privilege.

This was enough.

Shu Yue thought.

She cherished it deeply.

Nodding, Shu Yue relaxed a bit. “Miss Ji, you’re right.”

“As for what you mentioned earlier, it’s fine, Miss Ji. I heard what Dr. Fang said and understand her meaning. Even if a susceptibility period comes, I’ll stay home alone. Don’t worry, this time I won’t use any suppressants or go out. I’ll just stay put,” she added, fearing Ji Shiyi’s concern.

Seeing her resolve, Ji Shiyi didn’t say more.

She drove her home, left Shiyi with her, helped change the bedding, cleaned the long-unoccupied house, and stayed for dinner before leaving.

After Ji Shiyi left, Shu Yue sat alone on the sofa.

She replied to friends and teachers, assuring them not to worry, and asked Zhou Miao for leave, saying she couldn’t return to Qingqi Source for now.

Zhou Miao said, “Don’t worry, your friend, oh, that Miss Ji, told me already. Little Yue, rest well and recover first.”

Shu Yue hummed, “Okay, Director, thank you.”

After Zhou Miao hung up, Shu Yue picked up Shiyi, holding its big face in front of hers, sighing deeply, “How is your owner so wonderful?”

Shiyi seemed not to understand, struggling to get closer, its paws cupping her face, leaning in to nip her nose.

After biting, it scurried off, quickly climbing to the top of the cat tree.

Shu Yue, baffled, rubbed her nose, unsure what Shiyi was doing.

Though Fang Wenyan said her condition might still be unstable after discharge, Shu Yue felt nothing wrong. That day, she slept soundly, and the next morning, she cooked noodles for breakfast. With nothing to do, she curled up in the living room reading.

Everything seemed normal.

So normal that Shu Yue wondered if Fang Wenyan was scaring her on purpose.

What Aishasha syndrome? Even the name sounded odd.

When Ji Shiyi called to ask what she was eating for lunch, Shu Yue was browsing takeout and answered honestly, “Haven’t decided yet.”

“Perfect. I’m at a restaurant and don’t want to eat alone. Once the food’s ready, I’ll pack it and come over?”

“Great!” Shu Yue replied eagerly.

Then she realized her reaction might be off.

As she pondered, Ji Shiyi chuckled on the phone. “Why so obedient today? I thought you’d protest, saying it’s too much trouble or a waste of my time.”

Spot on.

Shu Yue silently swallowed her intended words.

She brought the phone closer, saying uncertainly, “So, Miss Ji, are you still coming?”

“I’m coming,” Ji Shiyi answered crisply. “Don’t hang up. I’ll send you the menu. Take a look and pick what you want.”

Shu Yue ordered crab roe tofu and told Ji Shiyi, “Miss Ji, don’t order too much. It’s just us two. I’m worried we won’t finish.”

“Alright, I’ll add two more dishes,” Ji Shiyi replied.

“Hmm,” Shu Yue nodded.

This was the moment to hang up. They’d finished discussing lunch, the purpose of the call. Shu Yue’s logic worked clearly in her mind.

But for some reason, she didn’t want to hang up.

Ji Shiyi’s voice seemed addictive.

“Shu Yue?” she spoke again, her tone pleasant. “I’m hanging up?”

Shu Yue replied, “…Hmm.”

Ji Shiyi glanced at the screen, confirming it was indeed that girl, but her reaction differed from usual.

She was too smart, smart enough to instantly realize why this sudden change occurred.

Sometimes, after meeting Shu Yue, Ji Shiyi hated her own sharpness. While remaining clear-headed and calm, she couldn’t help indulging.

“What did you do this morning?” Ji Shiyi asked suddenly.

Shu Yue’s deflated spirit, like a wilting blade of grass, perked up under sunlight and dew, growing upward.

“Read a bit,” she shared obediently.

“What book?” Ji Shiyi asked, handing the order to the waiter while speaking on the phone.

“Annie Ernaux. She won an award a few years ago, but I haven’t read any of her work. I had time today, so I started flipping through it.”

Shu Yue chattered on, her voice clear, making Ji Shiyi imagine a small animal—perhaps a squirrel with a fluffy tail, tirelessly pulling out treasured nuts from its tree hollow and tossing them down.

Only those who saw could pick them up.

“I haven’t read her books,” Ji Shiyi said. “What do you think?”

“Hmm—” Shu Yue thought, trying to describe her feelings accurately. “It’s a bit startling, not like a horror movie, but… like someone standing before you, laying bare their desires completely. Precise and sharp, like a mirror.”

“Sounds like a unique reading experience,” Ji Shiyi said.

“Yes!” Shu Yue agreed. “She also wrote about her mother, a memoir. It made me think of my mother, she…”

Shu Yue’s words trailed off.

“What about her?”

Shu Yue didn’t want to discuss this with Ji Shiyi.

She rolled over on the sofa, her fingertips twirling the pillow’s tassels.

“Miss Ji,” she called softly, “I’m rambling about weird stuff. Are you annoyed?”

Ji Shiyi sat in the restaurant, her gaze passing over the lively crowd to the tree in the courtyard.

“Shu Yue, do you get annoyed listening to birds chirping?”

Shu Yue shook her head. “Of course not.”

Ji Shiyi said, “Then I won’t either.”

She put on her Bluetooth earpiece, slipped her phone into her coat pocket, stood up, and took the takeout bag from the waiter.

Shu Yue hummed softly, daring to contradict Ji Shiyi for once.

“It’s not the same.”

“Miss Ji, maybe if I understood what the birds were saying, I’d get annoyed too.”

“That’s true,” Ji Shiyi said, opening the car door and placing the takeout bag on the passenger seat, her hand on the steering wheel. “I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not annoyed.”

“Among so many people in the world, you, this little bird, chose to chatter with me.”

“Shu Yue, how could I be annoyed?”

The tassels on the pillow nearly knotted from Shu Yue’s twirling.

Through the phone, she heard the car start, and then Ji Shiyi spoke again.

“I do get annoyed with you sometimes, but not at times like this.”

“Huh?” The tassels slipped from her hand, unraveling completely.

Shu Yue grew nervous. “Miss Ji, when is that?”

Ji Shiyi chuckled lightly. “What do you think, little schemer?”

“I’m driving, so I won’t chat. Let’s keep the call going,” Ji Shiyi glanced at the navigation on her screen. “Twenty-three minutes. Remember to open the door.”

Shu Yue held the phone to her face.

Twenty-three minutes.

Afraid of disturbing Ji Shiyi, she muted her side and turned on the speaker, quietly listening to the sounds from the other end.

Ji Shiyi didn’t play music.

She must have cracked the window slightly, as Shu Yue heard the sound of wind as the car moved, occasional honks, and the city’s ubiquitous white noise. Otherwise, it was quiet. So quiet it felt like she wasn’t on the sofa but in Ji Shiyi’s car.

Shiyi jumped down from a high cabinet, found a spot between her chest and arm, circled twice, and curled up against her.

“Knock, knock.”

The sound of knocking came.

Shu Yue sprang from the sofa, shouting, “Coming!”

Heading to the door, she realized she wasn’t wearing slippers and doubled back.

Disturbed by her sudden movement, Shiyi, losing its warm nest, stretched its front paws, didn’t head to the door, and curled up elsewhere.

“Miss Ji,” Shu Yue opened the door, reaching for the takeout bag in Ji Shiyi’s hand.

Ji Shiyi handed it to her. “Waited long?”

Shu Yue said precisely, “Not at all. Right on time, even a minute early.”

Ji Shiyi smiled, watching Shu Yue fetch slippers and carry the bag to the dining table.

Shu Yue unpacked the bag, laying out three dishes, two bowls of rice, and two pairs of chopsticks.

“Let’s eat,” Ji Shiyi said. “It should still be warm.”

Shu Yue touched the takeout boxes.

They were warm, but not very hot.

“I’ll heat them up,” Shu Yue said. “It’ll be quick.”

Ji Shiyi couldn’t argue, watching her buzz around the kitchen like a little bee, using the microwave and a pan. What could’ve saved washing two dishes now couldn’t.

But Ji Shiyi noticed Shu Yue’s habit.

Whatever she used in the kitchen, she cleaned immediately. The pan used to heat the food was promptly washed and set aside.

When Shu Yue brought out the steaming dishes, her glasses fogged up.

“Glasses,” Ji Shiyi reminded.

Shu Yue smiled. “It’s fine.”

She grabbed a tissue and wiped the fog off.

Neither Shu Yue nor Ji Shiyi talked while eating; both stayed quiet. Shu Yue liked this. Talking during meals made her thoughts wander, and by the end, the food would be cold.

Food should be eaten hot.

Cold food wouldn’t do.

Luckily, Ji Shiyi felt the same.

In this, they were alike.

Shu Yue happily took two bites, eating eagerly, but as she chewed, her mood sank.

Ji Shiyi came for lunch, so did that mean she’d leave once they finished?

Shu Yue bit her chopsticks, unsure what was wrong with her today. Her emotions and thoughts surged uncontrollably, unlike her usual self.

Fang Wenyan’s words flashed in her mind.

Oh no.

Was she entering another susceptibility period?

Not wanting Ji Shiyi to notice, Shu Yue held back.

She tried to act normal, finishing her meal, clearing the table, storing leftovers in the fridge, and tidying up.

Ji Shiyi picked up the neatly packed takeout bag, walked to the entrance, set the bag by the door, and reached for her coat, bending to change her shoes.

Shu Yue, thinking she was just putting out the trash, froze.

Before she realized it, she grabbed Ji Shiyi’s sleeve.

Ji Shiyi paused, turning to look at her.

“Shu Yue, what’s wrong?”

Shu Yue startled herself.

She quickly withdrew her hand, shaking her head. “Nothing.”

“Miss Ji, sorry, I just—”

Ji Shiyi hung the coat back up, her gentle palm resting on Shu Yue’s head, rubbing softly.

“It’s okay, no need to apologize. I understand.”

Ji Shiyi explained, “I’m not leaving. I was just going to toss the trash, thinking it’s not good to leave it by the door.”

Seeing this, Shu Yue couldn’t help saying, “Miss Ji, I’ve noticed we’re always explaining. I explain to you, you explain to me…”

“Yes, I’ve noticed too,” Ji Shiyi tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “But I think explaining means we both want to understand each other and be understood, and we’re making the effort.”

“Shu Yue, explaining is a good thing.”

Shu Yue’s heart felt warm and fuzzy. Not knowing what to say, she reached out and tugged Ji Shiyi’s clothes.

Ji Shiyi smiled, stepped forward, and hugged her. Shu Yue’s chest pressed against Ji Shiyi’s shoulder, their bodies close. Shu Yue suddenly understood why Shiyi loved snuggling with her. She hesitated, unsure if she should hug back.

Ji Shiyi took her hand, placed it on her waist, and let Shu Yue wrap her arms around her.

“You’ve always helped me before, Shu Yue. This time, let me help you. After all, if we’re counting, your current condition is due to my pheromones.”

Holding the girl, Ji Shiyi gently patted her back, her palm moving up to touch her ponytail.

Her hair wrapped around Ji Shiyi’s fingers, coiling several times.

“I have a meeting at the company at two. Shu Yue, do you want to wait here or come with me?”

Shu Yue nearly melted in Ji Shiyi’s embrace.

Reason told her not to be too clingy. Ji Shiyi was so kind and gentle; she shouldn’t push her luck.

But—

The omega’s scent drove her wild.

Her whole face buried in Ji Shiyi’s neck, Shu Yue didn’t speak, hugging her tighter.

“Together,” she mumbled after a while. “Miss Ji, I want to stay with you.”