One Pet Gets Married - Chapter 80

After that, Tang You’an stopped replying to Mo Yu, who continued to send a stream of messages as if talking to herself.

Until one day, Mo Yu sent: “Forget it, I’ve given up now. Since you still don’t like me and even find my pursuit annoying, I won’t bother you anymore. Tang You’an, you’re not indispensable to me.”

Tang You’an finally replied with two words: “Thank you.”

For many days after that, in fact until today, Mo Yu indeed hadn’t sent any more messages. But today, she started messaging again as if nothing had happened.

That’s why Tang You’an had been frowning impatiently earlier. That woman didn’t keep her word.

Song Xici stared at Tang You’an, still holding the phone after reading the messages.

“I thought it was over, but who knew she’d come back? That’s how it is,” Tang You’an looked at Song Xici. “Whether you believe me or not.”

“I’m sorry. I overreacted earlier,” Song Xici put down the phone, biting her lower lip.

Tang You’an shook her head in response.

“You’an, are you still angry?” Song Xici asked after a moment, tugging at her sleeve and swaying it back and forth, her tone slightly wheedling.

“I’m not angry, just a bit hurt. Because I really didn’t do anything to betray you, but you didn’t believe me. How should I put it… it made me a little unhappy,” Tang You’an turned to look at her. “My feelings for you… I’m not boasting, but even if you asked me to climb a mountain of knives or dive into a sea of fire, I could do it… Well, I think I could… Not for any other reason, just because I like you. Who knows why I like you so much? Liking someone is such a strange thing…”

It was strange. Although before, in her eyes, no one was as good or perfect as Song Xici, now it had become even more extreme – she could only see Song Xici.

Song Xici tugged at her sleeve again, lowering her head: “Alright… I’m sorry. Actually… my reaction just now was also because… I’m too afraid of losing you. The more important someone or something is, the more afraid I am of losing it. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but ultimately… it’s just my own lack of confidence.”

Tang You’an looked up at her and saw that the tip of her nose had turned slightly red.

Suddenly, Tang You’an remembered Song Xici’s previous relationship, if it could be called that. Whatever happened then had left some lingering shadows. That’s why Song Xici was afraid of messy situations happening. Thinking this way, Tang You’an felt she hadn’t handled things well.

“Xici…” Tang You’an looked at her, thought for a moment, then picked up her phone again. “I’ll block her.”

“Don’t…” Song Xici pressed her lips together. “Silly, first screenshot or record your conversations. In case she gets angry later and starts saying things outside, you’ll have evidence to counter her and silence the gossip.”

Tang You’an nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.

“You’ve only been in the industry for a few months and haven’t experienced much, but I’ve been in this circle for nearly ten years. What haven’t I seen? You’re not the same nobody everyone looked down on and wanted to step on anymore. You’ve become popular, you know? Before, no good shows, dramas, or movies wanted you, but now… look at your schedule for the second half of the year… You have even more traffic than me now, and although she has a bit of backing, she’s still essentially a nobody. Maybe she’s trying to use you to climb up. Even if that’s not the case, what if she gets angry and does something extreme? It’s better to be cautious.”

“Mm,” Tang You’an nodded in response.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Come on, let’s sleep!” Song Xici patted the bed, tilting her head with a smile.

“Wait, let me take care of my skin first. It’s quite important, being an actress and all,” Tang You’an suddenly remembered what she was going to do after coming out of the bathroom.

“Okay, be quick then. I’ll wait for you,” Song Xici said.

“Alright, I’ll be fast,” Tang You’an said, quickly moving to find her skincare products.

Song Xici watched her from the bed, thinking about the misunderstanding they’d just had, shaking her head with a smile before letting out a gentle yawn.

When Tang You’an finished everything and came out of the bathroom, she found Song Xici already asleep on her side.

Her smooth hair half-covered her soft-featured face, with the ends nestled against her neck and shoulder. In her sleep, she looked like an angel, utterly adorable.

Tang You’an tiptoed, afraid of waking her.

But even so, as soon as she reached Song Xici’s side, Song Xici woke up and let out a sleepy yawn.

“Why did it take so long…” Song Xici rubbed her eyes, mumbling complaints.

“I was already very quick, it only took a few minutes,” Tang You’an sat on the edge of the bed, turning to lie down.

“Just a few minutes? It felt like ages… I even had a dream,” Song Xici lowered her hand, looking up at her.

“What dream?” Tang You’an asked, plugging her phone into the charger and setting it aside.

“I dreamed I had a cat,” Song Xici said, pressing her hand to her cheek and gazing at Tang You’an with misty eyes.

“And then?”

“I just suddenly want to get one…” Song Xici pouted.

“Has the old shadow faded?” Tang You’an remembered Song Xici mentioning that she had a cat when she was young, and they were very close. But later, the cat died, and Song Xici was heartbroken. After that, she never kept a pet again.

“Well, how should I put it…” Song Xici let out a breath. “People should learn to face everything calmly, right?”

Song Xici now looked as if she had grasped the essence of Buddhist philosophy.

“Alright, if you want to keep one, let’s do it,” Tang You’an said with a gentle smile.

“Great! When we have time later, let’s go to a pet adoption center and adopt one!” Song Xici said, yawning again.

Tang You’an nodded, then reached out to stroke her face: “You must be tired? You should have stayed home to rest properly on your rare day off. Coming all this way, and I can’t even spend much time with you…”

“But I missed you so much, what could I do when I couldn’t control it? Even if you’re busy, just being able to see you is enough…” Song Xici shook her head and sat up, stretching out her arms. “I want a hug…”

“Okay,” Tang You’an leaned forward and embraced Song Xici.

Song Xici hugged her back, taking a deep breath at her neck and laughing: “Now I’m happy.”

Tang You’an held her, gently patting her back, and smiled as well.

In the blink of an eye, August passed, and September arrived.

Due to her father’s birthday, Zhou Yi returned home for a visit. Since her family had moved abroad, going home meant traveling overseas.

As always, her family managed to turn any celebration into a cold, detached affair. Once again, close relatives and her parents’ long-time friends gathered around the long table in the garden, eating small portions of carefully prepared dishes while engaging in gossip about various topics. For Zhou Yi, the atmosphere was utterly boring.

“I heard the young Miss Zhou is still single, is that true?” one of Zhou Yi’s mother’s male friends asked with a smile after taking a sip of wine.

Zhou Yi’s mother smiled, holding her fork: “Yes, although I wish it weren’t so, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Really, aren’t you worried? Our little Lei is already preparing for her second child,” the man continued.

“Of course I’m worried, but it’s like the emperor isn’t worried while the eunuch is anxious,” Zhou Yi’s mother said, glancing at Zhou Yi.

“Miss Zhou, you see…”

“That’s right, look how worried your mother is.”

“You should find someone quickly, to put her mind at ease.”

……

Before long, everyone was discussing this topic, their voices overlapping.

It was very noisy.

Finally, Zhou Yi, cutting her steak without looking up, replied: “How I live my life is my business, isn’t it?”

Everyone was stunned for a moment. In the past, no matter what they said, Zhou Yi would at most ignore them, but this time, she had actually retorted. They were taken aback.

“Why do you need to be so concerned about other people’s affairs?” Zhou Yi continued.

“Well, uncle is just concerned about you…” the man became awkward.

“Concerned about me…” Zhou Yi laughed, nodding then shaking her head. “Once, I did have a girlfriend. We knew each other for a long time, dated for several years, and things were quite stable. But later, how did it end…”

Zhou Yi put down her knife and fork: “I believe some of you here know very clearly.”

As soon as these words were spoken, some relatives and friends fell silent, exchanging glances and lowering their heads to eat quietly.

“Zhou Yi, how can you speak like this?” Zhou Yi’s mother suddenly became angry. “How can you be so immature and speak so inappropriately at your age?”

“I’m just stating a fact. What’s wrong with that?” Zhou Yi tilted her head slightly.

“Even if you have a girlfriend, you should find someone worthy of you…”

“Are you saying Chang Ye isn’t worthy of me?” Zhou Yi looked at her.

Her daughter’s gaze was sharp. Seeing this, Zhou Yi’s mother swallowed and crossed her arms, sneering: “What, isn’t that the case?”

“Although Chang Ye’s family background isn’t good, at least she never does anything embarrassing in public…” Zhou Yi laughed. “She protects my face better than you do. No, have you ever protected it?”

Zhou Yi continued, smiling: “Moreover, she’s hardworking, always willing to help others, kind, and beautiful. She has many pursuers, including rich second-generation and officials’ children. How is she not worthy of me? What do I have? Besides being wealthy, what else do I have? In your heart, is it people or money that’s worthy of me? If it’s the latter, that’s truly pathetic.”

“You!” Zhou Yi’s mother’s face turned red after being spoken to like this. “I’ve raised you all these years, and this is how you speak to me in public, on your father’s birthday no less…”

“So you know how embarrassing and uncomfortable it is to be confronted in public? The feeling Chang Ye had at my birthday party back then must be similar to what you’re feeling now,” Zhou Yi stared at her, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. She picked up her wine and took a sip, then turned to her father, speaking in a flat tone, “Dad, I’m sorry for turning your birthday into this.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi’s father’s hands gripping his knife and fork gradually stiffened.

“Let’s all say less,” Zhou Yi’s father finally said, frowning slightly.

“I’m full. Please enjoy your meal,” Zhou Yi didn’t say much more, just took off her napkin, placed it next to her plate, and stood up to walk inside.

Watching his daughter’s retreating figure, Zhou Yi’s father sighed.

To be honest, seeing his daughter become more and more like a robot over the years, he sometimes wondered if he had made a mistake. After all, when Zhou Yi was dating Chang Ye, she used to smile quite often.

Moreover, Zhou Yi, who had always been rather cold towards him, would occasionally bring him some quirky but interesting little gifts during that time, like for holidays and such.

So over the years, he had increasingly felt that he might have been wrong.

“Please continue eating,” Zhou Yi’s father put down his knife and fork after a while and stood up to go inside.

Perhaps due to his advancing age, he now really wanted to have a natural father-daughter relationship with Zhou Yi, longing for closeness rather than always feeling like strangers.

After entering, he sat on the sofa for a moment, then went to Zhou Yi’s bedroom door and knocked.

“Come in,” Zhou Yi’s voice came faintly.

So Zhou Yi’s father opened the door and walked in.

Inside, he saw Zhou Yi half-lying by the bay window, one earbud in her ear, holding a book. Seeing her father enter, Zhou Yi closed the book, removed the earbud, and looked up at him.

“What are you reading?” Zhou Yi’s father walked over, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to her, placing his hands on his legs.

Zhou Yi showed him the book cover: “A novel about World War II.”

“Oh,” Zhou Yi’s father nodded, thought for a moment, then spoke again, “I heard you’ve been in contact with Chang Ye again this year?”

“Mm,” Zhou Yi nodded.

“I heard she’s not doing very well, is that right?” Zhou Yi’s father had tried to learn a bit about the situation.

Zhou Yi looked at him but didn’t speak this time.

“The news said you two did something big together, right?” Zhou Yi’s father asked, smiling slightly. But perhaps because it was the first time in so long that he had actively brought up Chang Ye, and the first time he had tried to approach Zhou Yi as a caring father, his smile was a bit stiff.

“I suppose so,” Zhou Yi nodded.

“That’s impressive,” Zhou Yi’s father nodded as well. “So, how are things between you and her now?”

“She’s willing to be friends with me.”

“I see.”

Then, whether because the topic was too sensitive or for some other reason, they fell into silence again.

“By the way, are you really full?” Zhou Yi’s father asked after a while.

“Mm,” Zhou Yi nodded, not knowing what else to say. Her interaction mode with her parents was typically having nothing to talk about.

“You only ate a piece of steak,” Zhou Yi’s father said.

“I’m really full. And also, I’m sorry for ruining the mood on your important day earlier,” Zhou Yi spoke up.

Zhou Yi’s father shook his head: “I’m the one who should apologize. Back then… we ruined your day too, and even made you lose Chang…”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi looked at him, then gazed out the window.

“I’m sorry for being so strict with you since you were young, making you do everything according to our wishes. It must have been very difficult, right?” Zhou Yi’s father sighed. “Strictly regulating what you could and couldn’t do every day, carefully screening the friends you made, and even…”

Zhou Yi turned her head back, staring at the cover of the book in her hands, not speaking.

“Even interfering with your love life. In short, meddling in every aspect of your life from beginning to end,” Zhou Yi’s father looked at her. “Zhou Yi, do you hate us very much?”

Zhou Yi opened her mouth, let out a long breath, then pressed her lips together.

Finally, Zhou Yi’s father closed his eyes and lowered his head: “I’m sorry. From now on, do whatever you want to do. For example, if you really can’t let go, try to win her back.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yi hugged her arms tightly, sniffled, and her eyes began to redden slightly.

Author’s Note: The next chapter will focus on the secondary couple