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Psst! We're moving!
Shi Min opened her eyes to find the person beside her staring intently at her chest, his gaze curious, yearning, and oddly childlike.
His deceptive innocence made Shi Min smile faintly to herself.
At that moment, Luo Mingjing’s fingers emerged from under the blanket. With great caution and slowness, he poked her chest—just a light tap, like a dragonfly skimming the water—and then quickly withdrew his hand. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes bright with amusement. But as his gaze shifted upward, meeting Shi Min’s slightly arched phoenix-like eyes, his smile froze.
Luo Mingjing blinked. “Oh… you’re awake.”
Shi Min chuckled softly. “What were you just doing?”
Luo Mingjing admitted, “…I suddenly felt like poking it.”
Shi Min narrowed her eyes and slipped her hand under the blanket.
Luo Mingjing clutched his vital parts protectively, panicking. “Don’t touch! It’ll react even more, okay?! Let me be… You don’t sleep with me, yet you keep teasing me every day.”
“Are you complaining or urging me to sleep with you?”
Luo Mingjing rolled over, staring into her eyes for a moment before mumbling softly, “You know… there’s this saying I’ve come to believe in: if you stare into someone’s eyes long enough, you’ll fall in love with them…”
Surprised, Shi Min reached out to ruffle his hair. Luo Mingjing twisted his body desperately to avoid her. “No! Wash your hands first! I just washed my hair last night!”
After a while, he returned grinning, wrapped in the blanket. He lightly kissed Shi Min’s cheek, stared at her face for a moment, then got up and said, “Let me trim your eyebrows for you.”
Shi Min thought to herself how nice it was to have a boyfriend like him. Xu Qianqian had strongly recommended him once, saying that having Luo Mingjing as a boyfriend was a steal.
“It’s a buy-one-get-many deal!” Xu Qianqian had exclaimed. “He can cook, he’s a homebody, and when he gets mad, he channels it into cleaning the house like crazy—it’s so virtuous! And the best part? He knows makeup. You’re too serious to play with him properly, but if you were an anime girl, having my brother would mean sleeping with a different waifu every night. Just pick a character, and he’ll do a cosplay-style makeup look for you—that’s your waifu! How amazing is that? If you want doujinshi, he’ll draw it for you—he’ll draw whatever you ask for, whether it’s male-male, female-female, anything! He could even draw private smut of the two of you together. And most importantly, he can sew little skirts for you! Think about it—how perfect is that?”
Shi Min thought: it is perfect. That’s why being with him makes every day so joyful.
Luo Mingjing brought over a razor, tilted Shi Min’s chin up, and said softly, “Don’t move…”
He always worked with such focus, even when trimming eyebrows, and when he was focused, he exuded charm.
Watching him, Shi Min suddenly burst into laughter, her voice filled with self-satisfaction.
Luo Mingjing stopped what he was doing and sighed helplessly. “Why are you laughing… Did I make you laugh so hard you shook your eyebrows off?”
Shi Min took his hand and gently kissed his wrist.
“Oh no, you’re teasing me again!” Luo Mingjing shivered involuntarily, the tingling sensation spreading from where she kissed him all the way to his heart.
Luo Ming Jing said, “Sometimes I really admire you.”
“Hmm?”
“Not afraid that I’m a bad guy, plotting to take your money and beauty?” Luo Mingjing said, “Look, I have a blade in my hand right now, it’s dangerous. It’s really strange... Do you know I’ve been observing you these past few days? When you were asleep... You really let your guard down completely.”
Shi Min replied, “For me, a week is enough to judge a person, but you are indeed a special case. I’m still figuring you out even now. But, Mingjing, do you know how I feel right now?”
“You tell me...” Luo Mingjing adjusted his angle, examining her eyebrows left and right.
“I’ve unearthed a priceless treasure,” Shi Min said. “At first glance, I knew that once the dust was wiped away, you’d be a treasure worth a fortune. But I never expected you to captivate me so much. Right now, I both want everyone to see the day you shine, and also want to hide you away so only I can admire you.”
Luo Mingjing put down the blade and sighed. “Alright, I admit defeat.”
Christmas was approaching. Xu Qianqian had skipped her family tutoring session and gone on a short trip to the suburbs with her boyfriend. Her sister’s departure reminded Shi Min that it was time to ring in the New Year.
Coincidentally, Luo Mingjing had just submitted his manuscript on the twenty-four solar terms, freeing up some time. So, the president suggested that he take a few days off and go on a date.
“A regular couple’s date?” Luo Mingjing said, “Thank goodness, you finally remembered that we’re a couple and not married.”
Since the president declared her pursuit of him, apart from sending roses and their first cross-dressing date, everything else had been like a one-click marriage. They immediately fell into a routine resembling an old married couple: sharing a bed, having meals on time, and lounging around at home.
“Where do you want to go?” Luo Mingjing seized the opportunity to suggest, “How about a cat café? My treat.”
There was evident anticipation in his tone.
Previously, Luo Mingjing had been live-streaming drawings of cats and cute manga-style comics featuring cats. After drawing so many, he started creating short comic strips about the daily adventures of an orange cat and a black-and-white cat. He posted these light-hearted comics on Weibo, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response.
A few days ago, a publisher approached him to discuss publishing and asked him to think of a title. He sought Shi Min’s opinion, and unexpectedly, the usually serious president wrote a rather indescribable name on a piece of paper.
“Your X Meow Meow Call!”
Luo Mingjing looked deeply at Shi Min, holding the paper. “So this is the kind of president you are.”
Eventually, they settled on the title “Cat Driving Guide.” The publisher suggested adding a few extra driving poses for a special edition. After some thought, Luo Mingjing decided to visit a cat café for inspiration.
Shi Min simply said, “Whatever you decide, just have fun.”
The date was set for the 23rd, the eve of Christmas Eve.
That day, snow flurries accompanied by strong winds greeted them. After stepping out of their cozy nest in Bottle Alley, they felt the chill and went back inside to add layers.
Luo Mingjing took Shi Min’s hand and placed it in his pocket. “Wait till I get back, and I’ll knit you a pair of gloves.”
Suppressing the urge to immediately buy a pair of gloves, Shi Min grabbed a section of his scarf, wrapped it around her neck, and the two tightly connected figures dashed to the square to drive.
It had been a while since Shi Min last drove. Reacquainting herself with the steering wheel of the Maserati stirred up a flood of emotions. As she drove, she teased Luo Mingjing, “Mingjing, allow me to formally introduce you. This car is my top contributor.”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Because it delivered you to my heart,” Shi Min said. “I must thank it properly.”
“Sister, stop... I surrender.” Luo Mingjing laughed. “This isn’t fair... Why am I always the one getting teased? Give me a chance.”
“Love and sweet words come from the heart, instinctive and natural,” Shi Min said. “I can’t hide it; speaking it brings me peace. You may not be able to express love verbally, but I can feel it. If you can’t say it, then I’ll say it for you. No need to force external expressions; those who care will naturally see your sincerity. Just be yourself.”
Luo Mingjing was dumbfounded, touching his chest where warmth spread, burning his fingertips and filling him with immense comfort.
Luo Mingjing spent the day at the cat café petting cats while Shi Min sat in the corner sipping coffee, flipping through magazines, occasionally pulling out her phone to snap photos. She watched as Luo Mingjing chased after cats with his sketchbook, capturing their changing expressions.
They stayed at the cat café until ten o’clock at night. Upon exiting, Shi Min paused by the empty curb, her expression noticeably dazed.
Her Maserati parked next to the café was gone.
“Wasn’t it allowed to park here?”
“Maybe it was parked incorrectly...” Luo Mingjing said. “It might have been towed. Let’s call a taxi and head back...”
Shi Min glanced around and said, “When we arrived, didn’t you laugh at me for not knowing how to ride a bike?”
“Hmm?” Luo Mingjing was curious. “Do you plan to ride a shared bike back? It’s freezing, and there’s no rear seat—I can’t carry you...”
“I really don’t know how to ride a bike,” Shi Min said. “But I do know how to drive an electric tricycle.”
“What?”
“When I was still in the country, Shi Chu dropped out of school and ran away from home. He got scammed during his first rental experience and was too scared to tell our parents, so he called me to help him move. Our neighbor lent him a tricycle. I loaded him and all his belongings onto it and drove from the east side of the city to the west. Shi Chu cried in the back, and since we didn’t have tissues, I told him to use the tablecloth. He refused, embarrassed.”
Following Shi Min’s eager gaze, Luo Mingjing spotted an old electric tricycle across the street.
Shi Min said, “I suddenly want to relive the feeling of riding a tricycle.”
Luo Mingjing suddenly burst out laughing. “Then let’s go. I’ll join you in this crazy adventure in the cold wind.”
The scrap collector named his price, and after Shi Min purchased the tricycle, she set off with Luo Mingjing aboard.
At night, with fewer cars and people on the road, Shi Min said, “Hold on tight. Let’s see how fast this thing can go...”
As soon as she spoke, the electric tricycle took off, almost floating. Luo Mingjing laughed heartily against the wind, unwrapping his scarf to wrap it around her. “Madam President has gone wild...”
A Land Rover passed by, its driver rolling down the window to stare incredulously at the two well-dressed fools.
Luo Mingjing couldn’t stop laughing. Shi Min glanced at the driver and, with a sudden burst of speed, overtook the Land Rover.
The Land Rover driver, as if discovering a new world, leisurely sped past them again, casting a boastful glance. Luo Mingjing warmed Shi Min’s ears with his hands, saying, “Another one driven crazy...”
Shi Min said, “Watch me pass him.”
True to her word, she zoomed past the Land Rover, racing like the wind. The winter chill cut like a knife, but the two laughed like maniacs, unable to contain themselves.
The two vehicles raced along the deserted road until someone called the police. Patrol officers arrived, signaling Shi Min to pull over.
The Land Rover driver floored it and fled.
Shi Min and Luo Mingjing, frozen with tears streaming down their faces but still smiling, startled the patrol officer when they turned their heads.
Luo Mingjing shivered, “We’re in trouble, Madam President. We’re going to get a lecture...”
“Are you warm?” Shi Min said instead. “I think I’m warm from the cold.”
“I can’t feel anything,” Luo Mingjing said. “I’m numb.”
The consequence of their wild escapade was that they both woke up with colds the next day.
Luo Mingjing streamed live with a hoarse voice, drawing cat illustrations while Shi Min sat out of the camera’s view, sipping ginger tea and communicating via notes.
—Feeling a bit sleepy. —You were too wild last night. —I’ll nap. Stretch my legs over, and rest my head.
Luo Mingjing stretched his legs over, and Shi Min rested her head on his lap, typing a message on her phone.
—Come home with me at the end of the month.
Luo Mingjing paused, and the chatroom flooded with questions about why he suddenly froze.
Slowly, Luo Mingjing smiled. “I just thought, for the next episode, I’ll draw Big Orange visiting Black and White’s home for the New Year.”
The chatroom exploded:
“Finally!!!!” “Wow! Big Orange is finally meeting the in-laws!” “Black and White is awesome, finally bringing Big Orange home!” “233333 Can’t wait!” “Meet the in-laws! Meet the in-laws! Meet the in-laws!” “Does this mean they’re getting married after the New Year? Hahaha!” “I’m nearly thirty, and I’m actually invested in the domestic affairs of two cats...” “I’m actually nervous, what’s wrong with me! Hope it’s not a wicked mother-in-law!”
Luo Mingjing gently corrected, “It’s meeting the mother- and father-in-law...”
Shi Min slowly curved her lips, typing another message on her phone: “And the older brother.”
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