Chapter 209 "Cat God" - No more suffering and separation.

Arriving in twenty minutes.

When Jiang Yingxu went upstairs, he heard that there was no sound from the bathroom, so he guessed that Shi Miao might be asleep.

Push the door open gently and go inside.

The air was filled with the faint floral scent of essential oil bath bombs, and the warm light softly illuminated the fair shoulders and necks that were exposed above the water and damp with moisture.

Shi Miao was lying on the edge of the bathtub.

Her face was pressed against her crossed arms, one cheek was covered with a thin, misty blush, and her eyelashes were lowered peacefully, casting a light shadow under her eyes.

Kittens can fall asleep in all sorts of strange and wonderful positions, and their human-like postures are no less impressive.

Her waist was twisted and crooked, and a few strands of her long hair were draped down, wet and sticking to her snow-white skin, with the ends of her hair falling into the bubbling, hot water.

Jiang Yingxu took a bath towel from the side, knelt down on the edge of the bathtub, gently lifted a few strands of her long hair that had fallen, gathered them in the towel, and pressed them gently with his palm to absorb the moisture.

“…Hmm.”

The sensitive skin on the back of my neck was rubbed with my fingertips.

Shi Miao's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened them, her voice still drowsy and sleepy.

"Is it time yet?"

Jiang Yingxu lowered his eyes, his voice soft and gentle, as if moistened by moisture, "So tired, didn't you get a good rest this time?"

Shi Miao tilted her head and pressed most of her head's weight onto his hand, her voice trailing off softly.

"It's so cold."

Staying at the base, I was worried about the situation in the mountains. Even after going into the mountains, I was still anxious when I rested at night, fearing that I might encounter some unexpected situation.

Jiang Yingxu tenderly rubbed her cheeks, knowing that this was something Shi Miao herself liked, and could only sigh softly.

This cat is clearly so afraid of the cold.

But after receiving news that the tracking collar of the Far Eastern leopard that had been released into the wild had broken free beforehand and that the nearby infrared camera had been destroyed, he still set off for the north without hesitation to meet up with a group of wildlife conservationists and trek into the mountains through the thick snow.

Even if you're bundled up tightly, after staying in the mountains for a while, the dry, extreme coolness will still slowly seep into your clothes and take away your body heat.

In comparison, the capital city seemed warmer.

Back to Ningcheng—oh, Ningcheng doesn't have heating, it's cold even when I get home.

Shi Miao wrinkled her nose and yawned again, recovering from the drowsiness. She relaxed completely and lazily splashed the warm water with her arm.

"Perfect."

She waved her hand, flicking a few glistening, warm water droplets onto Jiang Yingxu, her eyebrows curving in a meaningful way.

"Now that I've had enough sleep, I won't need to sleep at night."

Jiang Yingxu let her do as she pleased, after all, it's perfectly normal for a cat to be mischievous.

He didn't move an inch, didn't dodge, and even took the opportunity to pull her wet wrist and drape a soft, large bath towel over her shoulders.

Do you want me to wipe it for you?

Steam rose from the clear water, rippling outwards with each movement, moisturizing large areas of fair and delicate skin.

The mist exudes fragrance.

Shi Miao didn't mind at all; she just cupped her face and mischievously glanced at his waist and abdomen.

"Will I still be able to have New Year's Eve dinner?"

If she used to be a reckless flirtatious cat, after all these years together, she's now a mischievous cat who knowingly does bad things.

Is what the kitten does really bad?

It's a gift from the cat!

A smile flickered in Jiang Yingxu's eyes as he naturally gathered the bath towel and lifted her out of the bathtub.

"It should be possible."

"However, it depends on the baby's speed."

The rushing water soaked his trouser legs, and warm, long fingers dug into his soft, delicate skin at the base of his thigh.

He lowered his head.

Go and peck at that little scarlet mole.

Thin lips were stained with wet water.

He kissed her while holding her trembling legs tighter.

-

I got home at five o'clock.

After washing and preparing everything, the New Year's Eve dinner was finally served, and it was already past seven o'clock.

Shi Miao, dressed in a soft and comfortable cotton nightgown, comfortably curled up in her dining chair, watching Jiang Yingxu bring dishes from the kitchen while listening to the system's report.

Little Bi said that in the past few days, people have been coming to give gifts, and it has accepted them all.

Over the years, those who are close to the couple know that they have a beagle that is as smart as a human and can even entertain itself by watching TV.

The Cat King can understand animal speech.

It's not surprising that they keep dogs that can only understand human speech, is it...?

Anyway, when the person who came to deliver the gift saw that it was a yellow and white dog that opened the door, he was only stunned for a moment before silently putting the gift box into the entryway.

This little guy named System is even better than me.

Watch them put their things away, see them off as they leave, and bark twice at them before closing the door, as if saying goodbye.

Shi Miao fed the broken sunflower seeds to the system, and upon hearing this, curiously turned her gaze to Jiang Yingxu.

Jiang Yingxu is adjusting the positions of the dishes on the table.

Knowing the cat's personality all too well, when she sensed Shi Miao looking over, she didn't even lift her eyes and said directly, "The Yan family and Zhu Ting have both sent some gifts, as well as team members who work with me."

"And your colleagues and former bosses whom you've met over the years."

"I've already prepared return gifts and sent them out."

Shi Miao immediately clapped her hands, "So thoughtful, Jiang Yingxu, this family can't do without you!"

"How can someone have such a wonderful husband?"

"She's incredibly capable, both in the living room and the kitchen, such a virtuous woman!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xiao Bi munching on sunflower seeds and praised her even more, "And Tong, you're an absolute gem! Our family can't do without you!"

The system chuckled, its big ears drooping, immune to the sweet talk of the bad cat.

This time, it really, really won't be fooled by this cat again!

It swears!

Jiang Yingxu, who had been sitting upright with a slight smile on his lips, hadn't heard more than a few words when he saw Shi Miao praising the system again.

He glanced at her, calmly walked around the table, and flicked his finger as if to tap her forehead, but the force of the tap was so light that it was more like a faint touch.

"Stop playing games with the system," he said. "Let's eat."

Outside, the wind and snow were blowing incessantly, and the booming sound of fireworks never stopped. The lively sounds lasted for two or three hours. I don't know which family's children were having so much fun, but their laughter could be faintly heard over here.

The room was warm and brightly lit, with the light shining on the fiery red stained-glass windows.

The TV in the living room was playing the Spring Festival Gala that Xiao Bi had started back then. The volume wasn't very loud, just enough to join in the fun.

The dining table was laden with meticulously prepared dishes.

Jiang Yingxu placed a piece of fried shrimp into Shi Miao's bowl with his chopsticks. "I bought some sparklers that you particularly liked last year, as well as some other new styles. You can play with them in the yard later."

Shi Miao's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.

She swallowed the food in her mouth and said enthusiastically, "With so much snow this year, it's perfect for building a snowman."

"You, me, and the leader."

A family of three, none of them can be missing.

Jiang Yingxu naturally listened to her.

Upon hearing the phrase "a family of three," the system nodded reservedly.

It's settled then.

Shi Miao raised her glass of orange juice, a pure and bright sweet smile spreading across her face. "Happy New Year!"

Jiang Yingxu smiled slightly, his dark eyes reflecting Shi Miao's radiant beauty under the warm light. He picked up his glass and clinked it with hers.

A crisp, clear sound rang out.

The pair of diamond wedding rings on their fingers approached and intertwined, sparkling with dazzling brilliance.

The system, holding its beverage bowl steady with its two claws, made two dissatisfied werwering sounds.

Shi Miao raised her lips, took Jiang Yingxu's hand, and led him to touch Xiao Bi's bowl with the cup in his hand.

Another soft tinkling sound.

Every New Year is a time for family reunions.

No more suffering and separation, only a gentle and lasting happiness.

Volume 3: IF Childhood Sweethearts