Chapter 48: On a Whim
Zhou Ting touched his nose, saying nothing more, letting the girl push him forward.
Along the way, Lin Xiaoxiao scanned for suitable gifts but grew discouraged after a lap. She wasn’t as out-of-touch as Zhou Ting, but she lacked gift-picking experience and had no clue what Zhou Yang liked.
Then Zhou Ting pointed. “Let’s check there.”
She blinked, surprised—he was pointing at an anime merchandise store.
“You know about this stuff? Didn’t expect that,” she said.
He shook his head. “Not my thing. But Zhou Yang’s into it. His room’s full of this stuff.”
She nodded. “Got it. Let’s take a look.”
Though she wasn’t an anime expert, she knew more than Zhou Ting.
But when she saw the prices, she froze. They were expensive! As someone who hesitated over a streaming subscription and resorted to pirated sites, she felt out of place.
Zhou Ting, however, was unfazed. To him, their material value was negligible—what mattered was the emotional worth, which justified any price.
He spotted an Iron Man figure. “Pack this up,” he told the clerk.
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned. “How do you know he likes Iron Man?”
He paused, then explained, “When Iron Man came out, he begged me to watch it together. I had a company emergency and bailed. He threw a huge tantrum afterward, rolling on the floor. I still remember it.”
She giggled, picturing a young Zhou Yang throwing a fit. “Sounds like he really wanted you to spend time with him.”
He nodded, a hint of guilt in his voice. “Too many company issues back then. After that, he never asked me to do anything with him again.”
Her heart softened, and she squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry! You’re father and son—no rift is too big. Use his birthday to mend things.”
He raised an eyebrow, amused. “A rift? Really? I think things are fine.”
She rolled her eyes, serious. “Yes, a rift. What kind of father and son barely talk despite living together?”
He didn’t argue. The clerk handed over the packaged figure, and after paying, they left.
Then something caught Lin Xiaoxiao’s eye, stopping her in her tracks.
Zhou Ting followed her gaze to a cat café, its cozy interior and lazy cats visible through the glass.
“Like it?” he asked.
Snapping out of it, she turned away. “Not really. Let’s go.”
He smirked at her obvious lie—her pride was adorable. Grabbing her soft hand, he pulled her toward the café.
“Hey, wait…” She followed his quick steps, helpless.
Before entering, a Maine Coon by the door caught her eye. Used to humans, it gave them a haughty glance, yawned, and licked its paw.
She smiled wistfully. “I had a tabby back home. Super wild—ignored me unless I was feeding it, then it’d barely let me pet it. One day it ran off and never came back. I was sad for a long time.”
Zhou Ting ruffled her hair as they entered. “Thinking of getting another?”
She shook her head. “Nah, I can barely take care of myself…”
He ordered two coffees and stepped away to the restroom.
Lin Xiaoxiao picked up a cat, stroking its fur. It purred softly, clearly enjoying it. She giggled, mimicking its meows. “Meow~ Meow meow~ Comfy, Little White? Don’t be so aloof…”
Returning, Zhou Ting saw her gentle, playful demeanor, his heart stirring, a faint smile forming.
Noticing him, she flushed, embarrassed by her antics, and coughed. “Back already?”
He hummed, sitting beside her, teasing softly, “Nice imitation.”
Her cheeks reddened, and she glared, indignant. “Boring…”
He just smiled, pulling out his phone to fiddle with it.
Curious, she peeked, then froze. “What are you doing?”
He waved his phone, deadpan. “Impulse shopping.”
She blinked. “Now? That’s random. What’re you buying?”
He showed her the screen, his gaze mischievous.
Her heart sank. Seeing the item, her face burned, and she glared. “Why are you looking at that?!”
On his phone was a skimpy catgirl outfit, complete with a fluffy tail, the kind that sparked all sorts of fantasies…
He asked softly, “Like it?”
She shook her head frantically. “No way, I’m not wearing that!”
It was too embarrassing! And that huge tail—how would it even stay on with the outfit’s design?
He ignored her protests, quietly placing the order and paying.
He always had ways to make her comply…