19 – Chapter 19
Cats Need Companionship
Xie Zhi had just returned to the company after an audition and was reclining on the sofa in the lounge when he received a WeChat message from Si Nian.
Having left that tropical island that felt like summer and returned to Rongcheng with its near-zero temperatures, he thought he could calm down…
He just hadn’t expected Si Nian’s influence over him to have grown so deep.
Si Nian: How about coming to my place for dinner tonight?
Xie Zhi: Sure.
Si Nian: Then could you pick me up from my company around 5?
Xie Zhi: Mm.
Looking at his chat history, he noticed he’d responded almost instantly.
Was he really this eager to see her?
What exactly made her different from Lin Yulan? Xie Zhi fell into deep thought…
His fingers had already unconsciously navigated to Si Nian’s Weibo page, scrolling through her recent photos.
She had been pampered since childhood – even in still photos, one could easily see the confidence and radiance in her expression, as if she was born to stand under dazzling lights, surrounded by bouquets.
This was something Lin Yulan didn’t possess, something he himself lacked.
In the past, he would never have liked someone like her, wouldn’t have given her a second glance.
But when someone like her lifts her chin proudly, staring at you like a little kitten waiting for you to please her, pamper her, and sometimes even extends her paws to playfully swat at you…
Everything changes.
He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch, only to find his fingertips meeting the cool surface of the screen.
What would it be like if such a woman truly belonged only to him one day?
“Brother?”
Xiao Yang’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.
“Hmm?”
“Are you looking at pets again?” Xiao Yang inferred from Xie Zhi’s expression. “But you already have a big cat at home. What if they fight if you get another one?”
Xie Zhi turned his phone face down on the table. “They won’t. I’ll teach them properly…”
“But you’re away all year, and cats need companionship…” Xiao Yang shook his head. “Last time, didn’t your Da Mi almost fail to recognize you?”
“Then I’ll try to work less and rest more.”
Xiao Yang quickly objected: “No, no, no! I’ll help take care of them, alright?”
Xie Zhi smiled but didn’t respond.
“By the way, brother, there’s a dinner appointment at 6—”
“I have plans tonight. Cancel it.”
“Ah?” Xiao Yang was slightly stunned. “But it’s quite important – it’s with Director Liu.”
“I’ll contact him.”
“Alright.” Having worked with Xie Zhi for four years, this was the first time Xiao Yang encountered such a situation. After all, Xie Zhi was a workaholic who always put work first.
It seemed something was quietly changing.
“Brother…” Xiao Yang blinked. “You’re not going on a date, are you?”
“You’re overthinking it…” Xie Zhi chuckled lightly. “I want to rest these couple days since there’s no work. You don’t need to follow me around.”
“Time off? That’s great!” Upon hearing about the break, Xiao Yang immediately happily slipped away, not caring whether his boss was dating or not.
Xie Zhi drove to Si Nian’s company building. After waiting just a few minutes, a charming figure in a beige short puffer jacket emerged from the main entrance.
The short puffer jacket was adorable and accentuated her excellent body proportions, her long legs wrapped in dark jeans, slender and well-proportioned.
“Have you been waiting long…” Si Nian took off her hat and mask after getting in the car. “Ran into some annoying people.”
“I just arrived too.” Xie Zhi’s eyes swept over Si Nian’s outfit, his mind wandering to whether he should get a Siamese or a Ragdoll cat.Si Nian seemed somewhat nervous, occasionally stealing glances at Xie Zhi.
“Whatever my parents say to you later, please don’t overthink it – that definitely wouldn’t be my intention,” Si Nian preemptively clarified.
“I understand.”
“It’s not that they dislike you, it’s just that between us two…”
“No need to be so nervous.”
“I’m afraid you might get upset…”
Men’s thoughts were hard to decipher, let alone those of a villainous man.
Xie Zhi suddenly smiled. “As long as you don’t make me angry, I won’t be upset.”
“Ah, that’s good then.” Si Nian nodded obediently.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at the Si family ancestral home. As soon as they entered the dining room, they saw Si Nian’s father with a stern expression.
“What are you standing there for? Come sit down quickly!”
Father Si seemed genuinely angry, startling even Si Nian. Still, she quietly tugged at Xie Zhi’s sleeve as if to comfort him.
This looked exactly like a setup against Xie Zhi.
But Xie Zhi remained composed as ever. He opened a bottle of wine he had brought himself and filled Father Si’s glass. Only then did the older man’s expression soften slightly.
“Just look at how inappropriate this is! Married people participating in a dating show, openly flirting with other men and women on television? You’ll be the death of me!”
“Dad, it’s just an entertainment show. Think of it as casual viewing,” Si Nian instinctively soothed.
“So you’re saying it was all acting?” Father Si’s eyes widened even more.
Si Nian paused, glanced at Xie Zhi, then immediately explained, “Of course not! I was completely serious.”
“Serious? Look at all the irresponsible things you’ve done before!” Father Si’s blood pressure seemed to spike again. “When will you finally settle down, take a position in our family company, and give me grandchildren so I can rest easy?”
Mother Si quickly tried to calm him: “Oh, how can we understand young people’s affairs? Don’t get angry, speak properly.”
“I know young people always talk about excitement, but in ancient times, behavior like yours would have gotten you drowned in a pig cage!” Father Si turned to Xie Zhi. “What do you say, Xie Zhi?”
Xie Zhi maintained a particularly humble and respectful demeanor before the elder: “We were wrong to join the show without consulting you first. I apologize. I understand you’re just worried about Si Nian. I’ll take good care of her from now on.”
Xie Zhi’s good attitude and obedient appearance made Father Si reluctant to scold him further. His anger gradually subsided as he began drinking, occasionally pouring Xie Zhi a few glasses to keep him company.
The two finished an entire bottle of foreign liquor between them. Father Si, feeling unsatisfied, wanted to open another, but Si Nian quickly snatched the alcohol away. “Eat more dishes instead. Too much alcohol isn’t good for you.”
Father Si, red-faced, looked at Si Nian: “A married daughter is like spilled water! What’s so good about him anyway? Young people lack experience.”
“He’s handsome and makes good money. He won film awards when he was only twenty. What’s not to like?” Si Nian retorted.
“But the entertainment industry is no proper destination after all…” Father Si remained somewhat old-fashioned in his thinking.
Then Xie Zhi suddenly spoke up: “Besides acting, I’ve also invested in several companies that are doing quite well.”