“Don’t play with fire while I’m thinking, Zhinian.”
Although Gu Fan’s hand had left my tail, it now covered my cat ears instead. His thumb and forefinger gently pinched one of them, as if silently threatening that if my answer didn’t satisfy him, he’d immediately start tormenting my poor ears.
Under threat, the only thing I could do was clutch my tail—which had just barely escaped his grasp—with one hand, and respond with a teary-eyed, nasal-sounding “mm.”
“I know I was wrong, but Gu Fan also shouldn’t suddenly touch my ears and tail.”
I only meant to scold him a little, just symbolically, to stop him from being so smug—as if he could do whatever he wanted with me. But I didn’t expect the mischievous Gu Fan to counter-question me, throwing my brain into a complete freeze.
Mmm… maybe, perhaps, possibly… it might still be okay if he occasionally touches them without telling me in advance…
Thinking about what it would be like if I strictly forbade Gu Fan from touching me, I imagined myself staring at him all day long, struggling over how to ask him to pet me…
Damn it, if I always have to be the one to ask in order to get that kind of intense stimulation, then I really am too pitiful!
“Mm… only occasionally, okay? If it’s more than that, it’s just being greedy.”
“Pfft, Zhinian, you’re way too serious. I was only teasing you.”
Gu Fan smiled helplessly, clearly not expecting me to answer such a question so earnestly.
Right after saying that, he moved the hand that had been rubbing my cat ears to the top of my head and slowly began tidying my messy hair.
Realizing I had overreacted, I could only silently lower my head and let Gu Fan touch me however he pleased.
Although it wasn’t as stimulating as having my ears rubbed, the sensation of my hair being caught between his fingers and gently tugged was also very pleasant.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and stood on tiptoe, trying to get my head closer to Gu Fan’s hand.
Just before I could start purring from how good it felt, I restrained my desire in time and took a small step back to escape from Gu Fan’s palm—though my eyes still lingered on it with longing, like melted sugar clinging to a thread.
“Gu… even if you’re joking, there should still be limits, you know?”
“Mhm, there won’t be a next time.”
Gu Fan’s promises have always carried weight.
Even though I constantly worry about whether he’ll tease or lie to me just for fun, up to now, he’s never once broken a promise he’s made.
So I relaxed, leaning against Gu Fan obediently.
This time, I didn’t try to provoke him again.
Today’s share of cuddles and affection had already made me feel very satisfied and happy.
The price I paid was the lingering sensation of stimulation that still remained in my body.
What I need to do next is slowly digest these feelings, imprint them deep into my memory, so that next time something similar happens, I won’t end up being played to the point I can’t even stand up again.
…Wait, that’s not right.
If I actually enjoy these feelings that come from interacting with Gu Fan, then wouldn’t it be better to keep that sense of freshness?
For a moment, I fell into a contradiction, unsure of what the right choice was.
After thinking about it for a while, I realized my little brain couldn’t come to any real conclusion.
Might as well give up and let things take their natural course. When the time comes, my body will honestly reflect how I feel.
I took a slow sip of the milk tea in my cup.
After that intimate interaction with Gu Fan earlier, the milk tea seemed to taste even sweeter.
As I drank, I mentally reviewed the conversation we’d had.
I caught a key detail—apparently, it was because I interrupted Gu Fan’s thoughts that he got “angry.”
Gu Fan has a very unique way of showing anger.
He doesn’t express it on his face.
He’ll even put on a deeper smile, hiding behind a mask and venting his anger through his actions, all without saying a word.
No matter what, I’ve been with Gu Fan for quite a long time.
I understand him better than others do, which is probably why I can recognize this unusual habit of his.
Hehe… why am I smiling?
What a strange woman I am…
Just something that small can make me secretly feel so happy inside.
Biting my straw, I couldn’t help but curl the corners of my mouth upward.
Realizing I had lost control of my expression, I quickly straightened my face.
I glanced over at Gu Fan—he had his eyes half-closed, staring ahead, unfocused.
He was probably spacing out.
I was very curious—what exactly was Gu Fan thinking about?
He’s great in every way, but whenever he gets deep in thought, he becomes completely absorbed, to the point of ignoring my feelings.
That made me feel a little anxious and insecure.
It’s precisely because Gu Fan doesn’t usually act like this that the stark contrast really stirred up a ticklish feeling inside me.
“By the way… Gu Fan, what were you thinking about just now? Can you tell me?”
Driven by curiosity, I took the initiative and asked.
After speaking, I immediately started sipping my milk tea, not even glancing at Gu Fan, as if I hadn’t said anything at all.
Creating this illusion of detachment helped calm me a little, so I wouldn’t get so nervous that I trembled while waiting for his response.
“I’m thinking… Christmas is coming soon. Should I give you your present now, or wait until Christmas Day to give it to you?”
“Have you already bought the present?”
Only when Gu Fan reminded me did I realize—Christmas is actually a perfectly legitimate excuse to give gifts.
In the past, I had never given anyone a Christmas present, nor had I ever received one.
Even during the time I was close with Gu Fan, at most I received a birthday gift.
Back then, Gu Fan really disliked all those formalities around gifts.
He thought holidays were no different from regular days—just marketing schemes to trick people into spending money.
I never quite understood that logic.
But for me, just receiving a birthday gift from Gu Fan could make me so happy that I’d roll up in a blanket and laugh to myself all day.
…Actually, it was probably more like several weeks.
That feeling of being cared for and valued wasn’t something I could get over in just a day or two.
That birthday gift only came after I begged him for a long time—he finally agreed to give me one every year.
Those not-so-great memories are still one of the main reasons I’m always anxious and on edge.
I’m really afraid that even after all these years, Gu Fan still hates things like gifts, dates, and fun the way he used to as a kid.
It’s not that I particularly love those things either.
I just want to use them as a way to connect more with Gu Fan—to create more moments of closeness and interaction.
Even if, someday, we stop seeing each other, at least we’ll have had something special.
Special days in daily life are worth commemorating, right?
“A gift, huh…? Not yet. Interested in coming with me to pick one out?”
Gu Fan didn’t care at all about the usual rules of keeping gifts secret or making them a surprise.
He openly invited me to go shopping together.
Looks like he plans to give it to me in person.
As for my thoughts… of course I’m willing.
The fact that Gu Fan is willing to deal with these kinds of trivial things already makes me feel incredibly lucky.
Let alone the secrecy—whether it’s a surprise or not, I honestly don’t care that much.
Just like when Gu Fan brought me a surprise at my doorstep, what really touched me was the intention behind it.
As long as there’s this one fact—that Gu Fan wants to give me a gift—whether I know about it in advance or not…
That alone already makes me the happiest girl in the world today.