I pushed open the door, and the glaring white incandescent light flooded my eyes.
I quickly squinted, slowing my steps as I entered the living room. Yet, the fact that the lights were on stirred me from my lingering drowsiness, and the cat tail behind me wagged happily a few times.
Where could Gu Fan be? On the sofa in the living room? Or was he still in the kitchen, preparing dinner?
It was already six o’clock—surely he wouldn’t have eaten on his own already, right?!
Hmm… If that were true, I’d probably be so upset that I’d just flop down on the floor and start rolling around.
Like a mischievous little cat, trying to get the owner’s attention through ridiculous antics, hoping for some hugs and being lifted high as compensation.
Even though I’d been lucky to sleep in this long in the bedroom, I couldn’t help but let my greedy human nature influence me, wishing Gu Fan would keep treating me well, patiently waiting until I woke up to share a delicious dinner under the white incandescent light.
Before I could fully sort out the guesses running through my mind, a delicious aroma teased my nose, causing my cat ears to perk up sharply and my throat to involuntarily swallow saliva.
The first thing I felt was my stomach’s instinctive “gurgle” sound.
After all, I hadn’t come home for lunch and had just grabbed a rough piece of bread and a yogurt from the mall.
With my special catgirl physique, that barely supported today’s huge energy consumption, so feeling hungry was only natural.
Then, I heard the clear “clang clang” of metal pots and bowls colliding from the kitchen not far from the living room.
Thanks to the heightened hearing granted by my cat ears, I also caught the bubbling “puff puff” sound of something boiling—clearly water was boiling, so Gu Fan should be right there.
There was no scent of detergent. Knowing Gu Fan’s personality, if he had eaten first, he would have cleaned up the dishes immediately.
My brain, which was usually clumsy when thinking about serious matters, was surprisingly active now, gathering all this information and smoothly deducing the situation.
Maybe it was the gentle massage Gu Fan gave me before sleep that helped? After a full night’s rest, it made sense that my brain was working faster.
I quickened my pace toward the kitchen, turning from a bent-over fast walk into a full-on run. I couldn’t wait to confirm if the person making dinner was really Gu Fan.
Fortunately, the house was small, and the hesitation and anxiety lurking deep inside me didn’t have time to ferment. Soon, they were completely crushed by the reality laid out before me.
The young man, tall and sturdy like a green pine, wore a simple black apron. Both sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms.
His large frame made moving in the narrow kitchen quite inconvenient; he was constantly bumping into spice bottles or pots and pans—probably the source of the clanging noises I’d heard.
Just now, to get to the kitchen faster, I’d taken off my cumbersome slippers to run more swiftly.
Maybe because I was barefoot, my movements were very quiet. Surrounded by the steam and boiling sounds, Gu Fan hadn’t noticed my arrival and remained focused on choosing the seasonings in his hands.
Gu Fan was repeatedly checking the labels on the bottles, whether it was the ingredient list or expiration date, I wasn’t sure.
Using my innate body balance, I tiptoed silently without touching the walls, and finally caught a glimpse of what was boiling in the pot before Gu Fan.
Hmm, were those dumplings? Or wontons? I couldn’t quite tell them apart—they looked almost the same, just a size difference. The wontons I’d eaten before were smaller, so this pot was probably wontons.
Suppressing the urge to call out to Gu Fan and ask for a head pat, I knew men who were serious about their work didn’t want distractions.
As an unqualified prospective wife and mother, even if Gu Fan didn’t bring it up, I had to observe carefully, control my every word and action to make sure Gu Fan felt that staying home was the happiest thing in the world.
My ultimate goal was to become Gu Fan’s spiritual harbor, so that whenever he was tired or upset, he could run to my arms, like a cute little baby seeking comfort.
Hmph, and at that time, as Gu Fan’s wife, I could naturally fulfill my own little desires.
After all, if my husband came to ask for a hug, how could I not steal a kiss on his cheek?
Once that step was taken, the following dinner, lap pillow, watching funny comedies together, and the happily anticipated goodnight time would all fall into place.
If I dared do nothing, I’d be such a coward. I might as well grab a white silk ribbon and see if the god who brought me to this world could arrange for me a more perfect appearance and figure, so I could start a new journey under a new identity.
After preparing myself mentally, I crossed my arms to avoid the rustling sound of clothes caused by walking.
Then, I turned and quietly tiptoed back to sit on the sofa in the living room, like a wildcat silently hunting birds or mice in the dark.
Two blue plastic bags lay on the coffee table in the living room, filled with some daily necessities and drinks.
It seemed that while I was asleep, Gu Fan not only bought ingredients for tonight’s dinner but also prepared for a longer stay here.
Well… doesn’t that mean Gu Fan plans to spend boring truancy time here with me from now on?
Realizing that I might have countless more moments living with Gu Fan, I couldn’t help but smile wide and uncontrollably.
Luckily, Gu Fan was still busy in the kitchen, so he probably wouldn’t notice my silly expression… right?
“Zhi Nian, what are you thinking about? You look so happy.”
The boy’s magnetic voice came with the soft sliding sound of slippers.
Gu Fan carried a big bowl of steaming hot wontons toward me.
Because the house was so cramped, there wasn’t even a dining table, let alone a dining area, so we had to eat on the living room coffee table.
That was why Gu Fan only needed to step out of the kitchen and in just a few seconds, he could see the silly catgirl sitting on the sofa, grinning foolishly.
“U-uh, nothing, I just saw a funny video earlier, haha. Has Gu Fan finished dinner? Let’s eat quickly.”
Feeling extremely embarrassed, I quickly averted my eyes, forcing a polite smile and awkwardly changed the subject.