Chapter 67 Meng Yanxi's Performance

Jin Zhao doesn't know what kind of cat would resemble her.

She thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with an answer. She didn't think she was like a cat either, after all, they were different species.

"Why did you suddenly want to get a cat?" she asked in return.

Meng Yanxi looked at her quietly, the dim light making his facial features appear exceptionally soft.

After a long pause, he murmured, "Nothing much, I just want to get closer to you."

Closer.

Not just physically, but in every aspect, all sorts of entanglements, until they can no longer be separated.

Jin Zhao's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

For a moment, she had a gut feeling that Meng Yanxi wasn't talking about cats.

But if it weren't for the cat, the other option would have made her feel embarrassed, so she quickly stopped the thought and wisely chose not to ask.

Let's just assume he was talking about cats.

Now that her boyfriend had already asked, Jin Zhao was spared the trouble of agonizing over a gift. Over the next few days, she visited several catteries during her free time. She saw cats of all breeds, big and small, all fluffy and adorable in their own way. She was having a hard time choosing, so she took pictures and sent them to Meng Yanxi, asking him which one he liked.

Meng Yanxi's reply was incredibly irritating: "Can't you give me a surprise?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

In the end, Jin Zhao chose a six-month-old Ragdoll kitten.

She didn't think it resembled her at all; instead, the moment she saw those large, clear blue eyes, she felt they were exactly like Meng Yanxi's. Equally beautiful, with an unfathomable clarity, they instantly captivated her.

Meng Yanxi's birthday is March 18th, a Tuesday, which was also the day Jin Zhao had the most classes this semester. Jin Zhao picked up the cat from the house a day early.

When Meng Yanxi entered the house that evening, she saw Jin Zhao hiding behind the door, holding a chubby cat in her arms.

She was like a cloud, covered in fluffy, soft fur, with round, jewel-blue eyes as clear as her own.

Jin Zhao gently scratched the cat in his arms with his fingertip, and the cat immediately let out a long meow.

It was already dark then, and the night had completely fallen outside the window, the coldness melting into the darkness.

The room was brightly lit, warm and inviting.

Jin Zhao stood in front of him, holding a soft, fluffy cat in her arms. Meng Yanxi reached out and touched it, feeling its warmth and softness in his hands.

"Do you like it?" she asked with a smile.

Meng Yanxi looked down at her and said, "I like it."

He stared straight at her, forcing her to speak up and remind him, "I was talking about the cat."

Meng Yanxi glanced at it and asked, "What's your name?"

Jin Zhao: "What do you want to think of?"

Meng Yanxi tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Let's call it New Year's Day."

Jin Zhao: "New Year's Day?"

Meng Yanxi: "Mm."

Jin Zhao: "Why is it called Yuan..."

Before she could finish her question, she met Meng Yanxi's dark eyes and suddenly realized what he meant.

They were together on New Year's Eve.

“No.” She refused.

After flirting, someone pretended to be innocent and asked, "Why not? New Year's Day is great, a time for universal celebration, or does this name remind you of something?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

Jin Zhao finally lost his temper and beat him up.

The man was being beaten but still laughing, his fist pressed against his lips, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Finally, he calmed down and said, "Then let's call it 1119."

"1119?" Jin Zhao couldn't figure out what was so special about that number. "The fire emergency number?"

Meng Yanxi: "..."

Look how lucky he is! While others get girlfriends, he gets his nemesis.

Meng Yanxi's impervious personality means he's the one who makes others uncomfortable, while he himself doesn't seem to suffer much. But Jin Zhao is always instrumental in his emotional outbursts.

Fire alarm? He's not a firefighter!

Even though someone was dying to know what was going on in their heart, they refused to tell her when she pressed them for answers, insisting that she figure it out herself.

Without giving any hints, how could Jin Zhao possibly come up with this?

At midnight, the bedroom light was still on.

The six-month-old Ragdoll kitten is in its active phase and doesn't sleep at night. Upon hearing a suspicious sound, it immediately crawls out of its cat bed and squeezes its soft body through the crack in the door, following the sliver of light shining through the crack.

The sounds in the room grew louder, and the air carried a certain humid fragrance.

It heard its owner call out in a hoarse voice, "The cat, the cat's in..."

"Um."

"Get out of here right now... Ah! Meng Yanxi..."

"Didn't you tell me to hurry up?"

"I meant going out..."

"Hmm, I thought that part was being addressed to the cat."

"...Then you can leave."

The man pretended not to hear.

Jin Zhao also discovered that Meng Yanxi only listens to what he wants to hear, even if it's taken out of context. If he can't, he'll just pretend he doesn't hear it.

It's both tea-loving and childish.

But she still liked him very much.

As the clock struck midnight, she hugged his neck, their wet hair intertwined. She turned her head and murmured, "Meng Yanxi, happy birthday."

She knew that at this time of year, many, many people would say the same thing to him, but tonight, the first blessing he heard came from her.

Someone had been struggling with themselves all night, and it seemed they finally gave in at this moment.

He kissed her earlobe and said in a hoarse voice, "November 19th is the day I became Teacher Jin's boyfriend. Don't forget it."

Jin Zhao, slow to realize what was happening, finally came to his senses.

She's not the type to care much about rituals, which, in a way, is a form of protection for her. After all, she's been alone for so many years, like her name suggests, a feather drifting in the wind. Too many rituals would only be a burden for her.

She only remembered that the two of them officially became a couple in mid-November, but she didn't remember the exact day.

Seeing how much Meng Yanxi cared, she suddenly felt a little apologetic.

She thought for a moment and wanted to make amends by giving a promise, but Meng Yanxi had already forgiven her and even thoughtfully shared a pun with her.

Meng Yanxi: "It's easy to remember, 1119, it means forever."

Jin Zhao: "..."

Suddenly, I realized that her boyfriend was a little silly, but also kind of cute.

*

The next day, Meng Yanxi returned to the Meng family.

A 27-year-old single man is bound to be pressured to get married. Meng Huai and Meng Shixu are urging him, and when he goes back, he subtly urges his girlfriend to do the same.

Not sure if Jin Zhao understood, he was afraid that Mu Tou wouldn't get it, so he was about to explain it more clearly when Jin Zhao suddenly said, "Meng Yanxi, I want to apply to be a visiting scholar at Cambridge."

The living room window was open, and the wind was blowing in from outside. The weather had been fine these past few days, with bright sunshine during the day, but the temperature remained low at night, and the wind felt chilly against the skin.

Meng Yanxi stared at her with his dark eyes for a while, then lowered his eyes and asked in a low voice, "How long will it take?"

“It’s still uncertain, probably six months, or a year.” Jin Zhao paused, and for some reason, explained, “Although I have previous study abroad experience, my school’s ranking wasn’t particularly outstanding. Domestic universities are generally very competitive these days, and a visiting scholar position at Cambridge would be very helpful for my future promotion. So I’ve seriously considered Dean Wang’s suggestion, and I still want to complete my visiting scholar position as soon as possible. Actually, six months or a year isn’t a long time…”

As she finished speaking, she didn't even dare to look him in the eye, and her palms unconsciously clenched.

She was simply making decisions that would benefit her future, just like countless times over the years, without hesitation. But this time, she wasn't alone; she was very concerned about Meng Yanxi's feelings.

He was clearly head over heels in love; just a second before she interrupted him, he was planning to take her home to meet his family.

She didn't want to interrupt him, but she couldn't stop him from finishing.

What does she have to offer him to meet his parents now?

Putting aside the question of speed, in a normal dating process, after meeting each other's parents, the next step is for both sets of parents to meet. She couldn't even gather both sets of parents. If his family were ordinary, she might be more composed and confident, but unfortunately, his family members are not ordinary people. This stark difference in reality is undeniable, and she doesn't have the mental fortitude to hire actors to impersonate her parents, like in TV dramas.

Her heart was in great suspense; only by constantly moving forward and keeping her feet firmly on the ground could she feel at ease.

But at the same time, she was also greedy and didn't want to give up her relationship with Meng Yanxi.

She had prepared a detailed plan in her mind, ready to have an honest conversation with him.

She wanted him to know that she wasn't indifferent; on the contrary, she cared too much, which was why she was so eager to improve herself.

But he nodded before she could speak.

"good."

He took her hand, his slightly rough fingertips stroking her fingers: "But this time you have to give me your contact information."

Jin Zhao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly settled down, and he smiled with relief: "Not only do we exchange contact information, but we also want to video chat every day!"

Meng Yanxi looked down at her thoughtfully and said, "We can't video chat every day, can we? I need to see you in person from time to time."

Jin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle, his heart filled with warmth.

She hugged his waist tightly, looking up at him: "Okay, I'll come back to see you when I have time."

After agreeing with Meng Yanxi, Jin Zhao quickly began the application process. The procedures were numerous and the required documents were very complicated. Jin Zhao was very busy during that time, and Meng Yanxi occasionally stayed overnight at her apartment. However, since 1119 was staying in Shanshui City, Jin Zhao mostly lived at his place.

At six months old, 1119 is in its active and exploratory phase. It's very clever and good at imitating, always hovering around Jin Zhao. When Jin Zhao sits in front of the computer, it jumps onto her lap and acts cute, trying to get her attention in a teasy way. At these times, Meng Yanxi leans to the side and watches coldly.

Jin Zhao keenly sensed that Meng Yanxi was somewhat disgusted with the gift she gave her.

He wasn't even as liked as Luo Heng.

During the Qingming Festival holiday, Lu Jingyue, Luo Heng, and Si Tian came to my house for a small gathering. Luo Heng was delighted to hear the name 1119 and hugged the cat to his chest, petting it affectionately.

"1119? Isn't that my birthday! Meng Yanxi, I didn't realize you cared so much about your brother, even naming the cat after my birthday. Alright, enough said, I'll keep this brotherhood in mind. From now on, this is my godson, the cat's toy bag!"

Everyone else looked at him as if he were a fool.

1119 is a bit of a attention-seeker. It's rare to have so many people at home, so it goes out of its way to attract attention. One minute it's being cute, the next it's imitating, then it's performing. Like a troublemaker, it almost caused Si Tian and Luo Heng to fight over custody of it.

Suddenly, 1119 ran to the side, lay down on the mat, and started swinging her waist rapidly while making some indescribable moan.

At first, no one realized what it was doing. Si Tian even casually asked, "Didn't you guys spay or neuter your cat?"

Jin Zhao replied, "The cat shelter..." has already been done.

She had just opened her mouth when she realized something and suddenly fell silent.

Help! Help! 1119 isn't in heat, it's... it's imitating!

Jin Zhao's face instantly turned bright red.

At the same time, the person being imitated immediately realized what was happening. But Meng Yanxi is indeed Meng Yanxi; her skin is incredibly thick.

He calmly got up, picked up the cat, threw it into the room, and as he closed the door, he casually tossed out, "Don't make a sound."

Jin Zhao: "..."

It's hard to say whether Meng Yanxi's performance made her more or less embarrassed.

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Author's Note: This chapter is finished. See you at 9 AM tomorrow! Mwah!

The baby is coming in the next chapter!