Chapter 495 - 494: IF Line: Did the Big Shot Fight for Favor Today? 63

Chapter 495: Chapter 494: IF Line: Did the Big Shot Fight for Favor Today? 63

He Hanshi shot him a surprised glance. "So you remembered to open the door for me today?"

Jiang Xia’s smile vanished, and he immediately straightened up. "Cousin, it’s you. I thought you were my friend."

"Oh. Don’t bring just any friends over."

He Hanshi didn’t ask who it was. He didn’t want Jiang Xia bringing people over anyway. Letting him stay temporarily was just to cover for a previous lie; Jiang Xia would be leaving in a little while.

With that in mind, he said, "You have the day off tomorrow. Before noon, go downstairs and apologize to the resident for the water leak."

"Huh? Was there a leak?"

"Is the resident downstairs a young lady?"

Jiang Xia suppressed his inner delight and asked with feigned confusion.

"Yes. How did you know?"

He Hanshi took off his suit jacket as he walked in. Hearing that, he paused. "You’ve met her?"

For some reason, Jiang Xia didn’t want to tell him that Shi Lan had just been over. Perhaps he felt guilty for causing a disturbance.

He pretended to be making a casual guess. "Not really. I just saw a girl get on the elevator and head into this building the other day, so I figured it might be her."

He Hanshi didn’t press the matter, just reminding Jiang Xia to do as he was told the next day. He then grabbed his pajamas and headed for the master bathroom. Surprised, Jiang Xia asked, "Cousin, are you sleeping here tonight?"

He Hanshi grunted in affirmation, then shut the bathroom door on him.

Completely bewildered, Jiang Xia returned to his room. He glanced at his basketball and quickly put it away.

’That’s weird. My cousin never used to sleep here.’

’But thank goodness he didn’t catch me playing basketball late at night. It’s a good thing that young lady reminded me, or my cousin would’ve definitely chewed me out.’

’Such a stunning beauty with a heart of gold.’ Just the thought of Shi Lan made Jiang Xia feel giddy. He clutched at his chest, his heart beating erratically. With no other way to vent his joy, he couldn’t resist messaging Mu Tangfeng—who was at home recovering from an injury—to show off.

[Hey, Mu Tangfeng, I think I’ve met my true love.]

Mu Tangfeng: [???? Didn’t you say you were committed to never getting married?]

A big reason the two of them got along so well was their shared interests, including their mutual decision to never get married.

Jiang Xia replied: [You wouldn’t get it. When the feelings are there, they’re there.]

[Whatever, I’m going to win her over! Time for bed. Hope I can dream about my goddess.]

Mu Tangfeng replied with an expression of pure mockery, as if he’d seen a ghost: [Are you possessed? How long has it been, and she’s already your ’goddess’? Heh. Once my leg is healed, I have got to see what kind of woman could be so captivating.]

Jiang Xia ignored him and hurried off to shower. Afterward, he went back to his room to sleep, not forgetting to lock the door from the inside to keep his cousin from discovering the basketball hoop.

He prayed to see his goddess in his dreams, never imagining it would actually come true.

When Jiang Xia opened his eyes, he saw Shi Lan still sleeping. He was incredibly close to her—barely a hand’s width away. He froze, his entire body flushing hot, and he shyly scooted backward.

’Ahhh, this is so mortifying!’

’He’d wanted to dream of his goddess, but he’d never imagined it would be this intimate. In his past dreams, people were always faceless. This time, however, he could clearly see Shi Lan’s face—a face that was both familiar and made his heart skip a beat without him even realizing it.’

Perhaps his movement disturbed Shi Lan’s sleep. She slowly opened her drowsy eyes, her gaze gradually focusing on the little black furball next to her pillow. She scooped it up into her arms, stroking its small head. Her gentle voice was laced with a doting smile. "Ping’an, you woke up before Mommy again today, huh?"

Ever since Ping’an had his bath, Shi Lan’s bedroom had been open to the little guy. Occasionally, he would even crawl under the covers at night to sleep with her.

He preferred, however, to curl up at the edge of her pillow. At night, Shi Lan could even hear the little cat’s soft, clear breathing as she slept.

She wasn’t used to it at first, but she soon found it very comforting and gradually grew accustomed to it.

Jiang Xia, who already felt flushed, now felt his heart pound so hard it might leap out of his throat. He’d never thought a dream could be this real. He could feel the softness of Shi Lan’s palm and even smell the faint, fragrant scent of roses on her, making his head spin.

Shi Lan happily petted the cat for a while, stroking Jiang Xia until he was a completely pliant puddle of fur in her hands, utterly incapable of resistance. Only then did she cheerfully get out of bed to wash up.

After brushing her teeth and filling Ping’an’s bowl with food, she saw he was still nestled in her blankets and chuckled. "Get up, you little lazybones. You’re not very excited for breakfast today." ℴℴ𝗺

Usually, as soon as he heard the water running for her morning routine, he’d assume she was washing his bowl and would happily scamper to the pet corner, where he’d sit and wait obediently for breakfast. He was a clever little thing. But today, he was sleeping in.

Jiang Xia wriggled happily under the covers. He’d just touched his own hot face and discovered that this wasn’t a dream—except his hands had become cat paws.

Even though he’d turned from a person into a cat, the thought that he was *Shi Lan’s* cat made him so happy he could faint.

’Last night, I was longing for my goddess, and now I’ve become her cat and gotten this close to her. How is this not a dream come true?’

Compared to being a person, Jiang Xia would much rather be Shi Lan’s cat. He could be held by her, petted by her, and could snuggle shamelessly in her arms.

At this thought, he perked up, hopped off the bed, and immediately began weaving affectionately around Shi Lan’s legs, acting no different from the usually clingy Ping’an.

Shi Lan scooped him up, her heart melting at his cuteness. She couldn’t help but plant a couple of kisses on his head. "How is my Ping’an so adorable?"

"Come on, Mommy will take you to eat~" ℯ𝔴ℯ

"Meow~"

Jiang Xia was so dazed by her kisses that his head was spinning, and he unconsciously let out a soft meow in response.

’He couldn’t believe it. He’d actually been kissed. His goddess had kissed him!’

’This is pure bliss. Being Shi Lan’s cat is the best thing ever.’

Jiang Xia went limp in Shi Lan’s arms. Even when she placed him in front of his food bowl, he just rolled over to expose his round, dark, fluffy belly, gazing up at her with pleading, dewy eyes, waiting for her to bestow her affection upon him.

Shi Lan felt that Ping’an’s gaze was unusually intense today. He was also much clingier than normal. While he always loved to be close and cuddle, he wasn’t usually like this, constantly seeming to bait her with his eyes, begging her to reach out and pet him.

’Baiting?’

Shi Lan chuckled at her own choice of words. She figured she’d been so busy with her shop’s grand opening lately that she hadn’t paid much attention to Ping’an. Now that she had more free time, he was probably just desperate for her affection.

She indulgently reached out to stroke the little cat until her own stomach growled. "Okay, Ping’an, you eat up now," she said. "Mommy has to make her own breakfast."

With that, she stood up and left the pet corner.

Left alone in the pet corner, Jiang Xia the cat was still yearning for more. His nose twitched, trying to catch the last of Shi Lan’s sweet, fading scent. Then he couldn’t help but blush, feeling like a total pervert.

’Waaah... but I really, really love being my goddess’s cat~’