Chapter 58: A Small Gift
“I’ll pay for these together.”
Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward, placing her items with Zhou Yang’s and addressing the cashier.
Zhou Yang glanced at her but said nothing.
Outside the supermarket, she watched him walk ahead, feeling a headache coming on. “Hey, you’re not actually staying with friends, are you?”
It was a guess, but she was pretty sure she was right.
Finishing his yogurt, Zhou Yang replied flatly, “Stayed a couple of days. Felt bad imposing longer.”
“What, happy seeing me like this?”
Her forehead twitched with irritation. “Why would I be happy? You think I’m that evil?”
He shrugged, not responding.
She shook her head. “Fine, come with me.”
He frowned, reluctant. “Where?”
She smirked. “To take you home to apologize to your dad.”
His face darkened, and he turned to leave.
She laughed, stopping him. “Kidding. How about I treat you to food?”
He paused, hesitating for a few seconds before turning back.
At a Sichuan restaurant, Lin Xiaoxiao watched him devour his meal, her expression complicated. “When’s the last time you ate?”
Mouth full, he mumbled, “Just a day.”
She rolled her eyes. “So what’s your plan? You can’t just not go home.”
He scoffed. “Me staying away gives you and my dad space, right? After this meal, we’re done. Stop pretending to care—I don’t need it!”
She chuckled at his stubbornness. “Fine, I won’t bother. I’m not your mom, right?”
Her words hit a nerve, making him bristle. The thing he hated most was her being with his dad, making him feel like a stepchild.
“Lin Xiaoxiao, you wanna get hit?!”
She raised an eyebrow, waving her small fist. “You sure?”
His face froze, recalling her surprising strength…
Defeated, he lost his appetite.
Seeing his dejected look, she sighed, pulling out a bank card and offering it. “If you won’t go home, take this. Otherwise, you’ll starve on the streets.”
He balked, pride wounded. Relying on a woman’s money? An insult!
“I don’t need your pity. I can earn my own!”
She smirked, teasing, “Really?”
His anger flared. Was she doubting his survival skills?
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She waved it off. “Nothing. Do what you want.”
Standing to pay, she glanced back. “You could take the card guilt-free, you know. It’s your dad’s money.”
He froze, huffing but saying nothing.
She left it at that and walked away. With their relationship exposed, being around Zhou Yang felt awkward.
After she left, Zhou Yang stared at the card, wrestling internally. Finally, he pocketed it. She was right—it was his dad’s money, not hers. Why overthink it?
Back at her place, Lin Xiaoxiao hadn’t even set her things down when her phone pinged.
It was Zhou Ting, sending a delivery tracking number. Curious, she sent a question mark.
“A gift for you. Oh, I’m coming over for dinner tonight. Wait for me like a good girl.”
She pouted, replying reluctantly, “Got it! Ծ‸ Ծ”
Curious about the “gift,” she suspected, knowing him, it wasn’t anything innocent.
Warily, she went downstairs to the community’s delivery point and retrieved a large box.
Pretty big… she thought, slicing it open. Seeing the contents, her heart sank.
It clicked—she remembered that day at the mall picking Zhou Yang’s gift. At the cat café, he’d mentioned buying her a catgirl outfit. She thought he was joking, but he actually* bought it!
Her face burned, especially at the fluffy tail’s… questionable attachment method.
She slammed the box shut and shoved it into a corner, out of sight, out of mind.
Her phone pinged again—Zhou Ting, of course. “Little one, like the gift?”
Fuming, she typed back, “Don’t! Like! It!”
“I knew you’d love it. Put it on and send me a pic. I’m bored with paperwork.”
Her eyes widened. Was he blind? She fired back, “No way, dream on!”
At his office, Zhou Ting chuckled at her reply, picturing her hamster-like, puffed-up cheeks.
He teased further, “Not wearing it? Disobedient girls get punished, you know.”
Her body trembled. After all their time together, she knew his “punishments” were wicked…
But posing in that outfit for photos? No way! He was far off—she didn’t buy his threats.
As for him coming tonight? She’d deal with it later—maybe lock him out.
Emboldened, she shot back, “Not wearing it! Bite me!”
Then she powered off her phone, tossed it aside, and flopped into bed, ignoring his threats.