9 – The Kitten Isn’t Giggling
As she spoke, she stepped on the soft mattress to get off the bed, but just as she reached the edge and was about to jump down, Pei Qingji caught her around the waist and pulled her back.
Her hands instinctively grabbed his arm, and her eyes spelled out one word—
Dazed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Rest up. Where is it? I’ll get it myself.”
Wen Song let out an “oh” and pointed to the left. “In the walk-in closet, the bottom shelf of the cabinet against the wall on the left.”
“Mm.” Pei Qingji nodded and gently ruffled her hair. “Sleep first.”
Wen Song was still a bit dazed. She nodded woodenly, sat back down on the bed, and watched Pei Qingji head to the walk-in closet.
He came out quickly and went straight to the bathroom. Before long, she heard the sound of water pattering.
She buried herself entirely under the covers again, tossing and turning several times, still feeling restless.
He told her to rest first, but knowing Pei Qingji was in there showering, how could she possibly rest properly?!
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but after another round of squirming, she noticed the sound of water in the bathroom had stopped.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she carefully lifted a corner of the blanket to see what was going on—and met Pei Qingji’s smiling eyes.
The key point was, Pei Qingji wasn’t wearing any clothes!!
That night the lights had been off, so her understanding of his physique had been limited to touch. She’d known then that he had a great body, but she hadn’t realized the visual impact would be this strong!
His chest muscles were full and rounded, his abs clearly defined, and his V-line was half-hidden by the bath towel, teasingly visible.
He was slightly tilting his head down, drying his hair, the muscles in his arms taut and smooth.
He truly fit the saying: slim in clothes, muscular without—not a bit more, not a bit less.
Wen Song heard her own heart pounding violently and yanked the blanket back up in one swift motion.
No way, how could this man be so unfairly attractive?
“Song Song.”
Pei Qingji’s footsteps drew closer, his deep, magnetic voice right by her ear.
“Song Song?”
He called again.
Wen Song turned over, lifted the blanket corner on the other side, took several deep breaths, and then sat up.
“Cough, cough.” She covered her mouth with a light cough. “What’s wrong?”
Pei Qingji glanced down at himself, then looked up at her, his tone carrying a hint of grievance. “I don’t have pajamas.”
“Then…”
She was about to say “then don’t wear any, sleeping naked is fine,” but she forced herself to swallow the rest of the words.
In this situation, she couldn’t just say whatever came to mind.
Avoiding his gaze, she said, “I’ll go ask Dad to get you a new set.”
“Okay.” He smiled and nodded.
Wen Song had already gotten up, but after a pause, she sat back down.
Looking at him, she seemed to muster up her courage before speaking: “Pei Qingji, can I discuss something with you?”
Pei Qingji’s expression remained calm as he nodded and replied, “Mm.”
“Um… it’s just…” Wen Song struggled with how to phrase it, pausing a few seconds before saying, “When it’s just the two of us, you don’t need to act so intimate with me. After all, we haven’t known each other long. You don’t need to force yourself.”
Pei Qingji curled the corner of his mouth. “I’m not forcing myself.”
Wen Song: “…”
Little cat not smiling jpg.
Seeing her wilt like she’d been dealt a blow, Pei Qingji smiled and added, “Letting the baby feel how much Mom and Dad love each other will help them grow faster and better, and it’s good for their personality development later on too.”
“Really?”
The moment children came up, Wen Song’s eyes lit up.
“Really.” Pei Qingji nodded.
Wen Song wore an expression of “I understand now,” having already resolved in her heart to go buy books to study tomorrow.
It was true that she loved kids, but it was also true that she lacked knowledge in this area.
Everything was about science these days—pregnancy and childcare really did warrant reading proper books and papers.
“Song Song?”
Pei Qingji called out at just the right moment, pulling Wen Song back from her own thoughts.
She snapped back to reality, silently accepting what he’d said without further argument, and instead stood up to head outside.
As if she’d anticipated this visit, no sooner had Wen Song knocked on the door than Wang Junlan came to open it within two seconds.
“Mom, do you have any new pajamas? Pei… A-Ji doesn’t have any. He’s about the same height as Dad, so he should be able to wear Dad’s.”
She’d swallowed back the three characters “Pei Qingji” mid-sentence and swapped them for “A-Ji,” nearly biting her own tongue in the process.
Wang Junlan smiled. “We do. I’ll go get them for you.”
She was back out again in no time—Wen Song was amazed.
After thanking her, Wen Song tried to leave, but Wang Junlan caught her hand.
“Mom?”
Wang Junlan looked at her for a long moment, then a smile spread across her face—one that seemed equal parts tender and proud. “My baby has grown up. She’s going to be a mother now.”
Her emotions were already unstable from the pregnancy, and with just that one sentence, Wen Song’s eyes reddened instantly.
She’d expected a touching scene of motherly affection, filial devotion, and tearful embraces—but the very next second, the tone took a sharp turn.
Wang Junlan was still smiling, but she said, “Remember to go for your prenatal checkup and file your records in a week. In the first three months the pregnancy isn’t stable, so no sex. The late stage definitely won’t work either, and honestly the middle stage is best avoided too. If you absolutely must, then you should be on top controlling the pace—don’t hurt yourself or the baby. That young Pei fellow is a hot-blooded young man, he’ll definitely—”
“Mom!!”
The topic was getting racier by the second. Wang Junlan was completely unbothered, but Wen Song’s face was practically burning up.
“Alright, alright.” Wang Junlan pinched her cheek. “I know my baby is shy, but everything should be about your own comfort, understand?”
“Mom~” Wen Song whined, trying to charm her way out of the conversation.
Wang Junlan smiled. “I know, I know. Go on then.”
Wen Song nodded, waiting until Wang Junlan had gone back inside before heading toward her own room—but the heat on her face still hadn’t subsided by the time she reached the door.
She took several deep breaths and smoothed down her hair before pushing the door open.
Pei Qingji was still standing in the same spot as before, though he’d turned his back to her now.
She walked over slowly, and as she drew closer, she could finally see the red marks on his shoulders.
They were from the “family discipline” Pei Maoshi had just administered—she’d watched the whole thing, three strikes total, and not a single one had held back.
The red marks were already starting to swell; she estimated they’d turn into bruises by tomorrow or the day after.
“You’re back?”
“Does it hurt?”
Hearing her footsteps, Pei Qingji turned around, his gaze meeting hers at the same moment.
They both spoke almost simultaneously—the first question was Pei Qingji’s, the second was Wen Song’s.
Pei Qingji smiled and was the first to take up the conversation. “Thank you.”
Wen Song knew he was referring to the pajamas. After handing them over, she said, “They’re my father’s—new ones. There’s a pair of disposable underwear in the pocket. He’s about your build, so they should fit.”
“Alright.”
Seeing that Pei Qingji’s hand was already on the towel, Wen Song immediately turned around.
“Didn’t you already see everything just now?” Pei Qingji’s low chuckle came from behind.