Suppose the one standing here right now was a sage, endowed with absolute reason and wisdom.
What decision would he make?
Before coming back home, I’d already decided not to pay any attention to Father, not to accept any of the terms he might throw my way.
Yet, standing here now, face to face with Father, my keen hearing and hyperactive imagination stitched together every part of the individualized cultivation plan he slowly outlined for me, sketching it all into vivid, almost tangible scenes.
After Mother finished delivering her final ultimatum, she no longer focused her gaze on me or Father.
She stepped back a few paces, folding her arms around her lovely cotton balls, leaning her back against a small ornamental fruit tree.
Time had left no obvious mark on this cool, black-haired cat-eared lady; if an uninformed bystander saw her at this moment, they might even think she was a tall, elegant young woman.
A random short video I’d once seen online flashed through my mind, where a blogger went shopping with her mother, only to be mistaken by passersby for sisters.
If only Mother would spend a bit more time with me, or out of rare kindness, spare some of her precious vacation days to take me to the only large shopping mall in the county to buy some clothes, or maybe eat something sweet—I would be endlessly happy.
My mind isn’t particularly sharp, my IQ not high, and my EQ is practically handicapped, but when it comes to imagination, for some reason, I’m inexplicably gifted.
Just standing here, staring at my cat-eared mother, half-resting under the tree with her eyes half-closed, I couldn’t help but imagine her gently holding my hand like she did when I was a carefree child, calling me “Little Zhi Nian,” rubbing my cheeks with that extra-sweet smile, and making all kinds of delicious treats for me to eat…
“Zhi Nian.”
A familiar male voice suddenly broke into this warm scene, and in the next moment, Father—looking a little more weathered than I remembered—appeared in my sight.
He shifted his steps slightly, not coming too close, but instead moving laterally at just the right distance, making sure he entered my field of vision.
That one call from Father snapped me out of my own little world in an instant.
It was like drifting into sleep under the weight of drowsiness, only to be woken up by a sudden, hard slap.
The jolt left me more clear-headed than usual, and I was able to notice the faint wrinkles at the corners of Father’s eyes, though his natural appearance and bearing made them almost unnoticeable.
Seeing that I wasn’t avoiding his gaze, Father narrowed his beautiful eyes slightly, and calmly continued to up his offer.
“Zhi Nian… I know I’ve wronged you and your mother all these years. It’s just that work kept me too busy, and I’ve always been thin-skinned, unable to swallow my pride, which cost me so many years. But I’ve figured it out now, and I know I need to change. Can you give your father a chance to make amends? Do you have close friends in that small county? I can even sponsor them to accompany you to school for free. The schools in Flower City are more professional in terms of education. This is my only request. You don’t have to live with me. As long as you agree to transfer to Flower City, I can help fulfill any wish you have.”
My wish is for you to get out of my sight right now, immediately. Can you make that happen?
And as for my close friends… would you accept a boyfriend? The one who’s held hands with me fifty-seven times, hugged me tightly fourteen times, and even secretly kissed me on the cheek once? My childhood sweetheart, who grew up with me? Would you be willing to pay for our wedding, our house, and our wedding car?
I really wanted to lash out and say all that, but then I remembered how, during my last date with Gu Fan, I’d secretly promised myself to become a good wife and loving mother.
Cursing and asking for money obviously isn’t what a catgirl who aspires to be a good wife and loving mother should do. Even if I had to counterattack with words, I should do it subtly.
Though, given the current state of my brain, such expectations are a bit too demanding.
But for Gu Fan to like this new ladylike me even more, and for the sake of setting a good example for my future child, I must restrain myself and think carefully before responding to Father.
“Sorry, Mr. Lin, I appreciate your good intentions, but I won’t accept transferring to Flower City.”
“You don’t like Flower City? Then how about going to school in Yu City? It’s also a top-tier city like Flower City, with even more young people. After you graduate, I can help you get an easy job at your favorite internet company…”
Father’s tone remained calm the whole time, but his manner revealed a subtle aura—like a dagger made of cotton candy.
I knew perfectly well that he was acting like the winner, believing that no matter how I resisted, he could still control me.
But looking at his face and listening to his voice and tone, I surprisingly couldn’t bring myself to get angry. Unconsciously, his tempting offers slipped into my mind, quietly stirring up my hidden desires.
“Mmm…”
I bit the tip of my tongue, forcing myself to calm down and break free from the seductive haze.
If I were alone, then following reason and accepting Father’s plan for my schooling and future—marrying a man who could provide for me for life, and living out my days like that—would be the logical choice…
To be honest, the only advantage of that little county is its proximity to the sea. Besides that, it’s nothing compared to the two big cities Father mentioned.
But I just can’t let go.
The warmth of Mr. Childhood Sweetheart has long been etched into my heart; every hug makes it pulse with happiness.
I don’t believe that the “Shen Zhi Nian” who follows Father’s arrangement could find a better life partner than Gu Fan. Who knows, it might even end up being some pot-bellied old man? Heh, knowing Father’s self-serving nature, that’s actually quite possible.
“Sorry, Mr. Lin, maybe your ears aren’t as good as they used to be, so let me emphasize one last time.”
I took a deep breath and let my gaze pass over Father, landing on the big cat-eared lady leaning against the tree, gazing up at the sky.
She never once turned to watch the conversation between me and Father, but I could see her tail constantly flicking over the ground, and her cat ears nearly curled up into a ball atop her head.
All of this proved that Mother really was paying attention to our conversation—she just didn’t want to see it all too clearly with her own eyes.
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