One Pet Gets Married

Chapter 22

"Who knows, but!" Song Xici suddenly turned and snatched Tang You'an's phone, frantically glancing at the Weibo page without really looking, then immediately returned to the main screen and cleared the search history, biting her lip.

Tang You'an quietly watched her actions without intervening, though she wanted to finish reading. After all, it seemed quite long, and she had only read a little.

"Don't look at this nonsense anymore!" Song Xici gripped the phone, her ears burning.

"Why?" Tang You'an asked.

"Why? Because it's not suitable for minors!" Song Xici frowned, tossing the phone back.

"But I wanted to ask..." Although Song Xici looked angry, Tang You'an thought for a moment and decided to ask directly, "Is that... bedroom pleasure?"

Of all possibilities, Song Xici never expected Tang You'an to ask so bluntly! This person had no shame whatsoever! Was she a primitive ape in her past life?

Song Xici clutched the sheets, her breathing becoming rapid.

"Was that article describing such acts between us?" Tang You'an inquired further.

"Shut up..." Song Xici wanted to tear her apart.

Tang You'an wanted to be quiet, but since Song Xici wouldn't let her look and wouldn't explain clearly, her curiosity was uncontainable.

"It's written so strangely. When two people's lips and bodies touch, it sparks something called 'desire,' like a raging fire. Yet they want more. Shouldn't a raging fire be painful? How could..." Tang You'an gazed at the ceiling, perplexed.

"It's all made up, okay? Made up! Fake!" Song Xici hastily interrupted.

Tang You'an paused, then lowered her head with a faint smile.

"What are you smiling about?!" Song Xici asked, irritated.

"But isn't there a saying here that art imitates life? If two people did that... what would it really feel like..." Tang You'an said softly.

"Are you never going to stop?" Song Xici suddenly sat up.

Tang You'an startled, then shook her head. "Alright, I won't look at those things anymore, and I won't ask."

Hearing this, Song Xici turned back. "Good. That's better."

"Mm. I'll sleep now." Tang You'an said.

"Go ahead, sleep." Song Xici nodded.

"I'll turn off the light." Tang You'an said.

"Okay." Song Xici replied.

The next moment, Tang You'an reached out to switch off the light and slipped under the covers.

Song Xici let out a long sigh, turned her back to Tang You'an, thought for a moment, then widened the distance between them before closing her eyes.

However, after a while, Song Xici found her mind filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, unable to sleep.

After an unknown time, Song Xici finally opened her eyes again and picked up her phone.

After much deliberation, she quietly opened Weibo, entered the search bar, and stared at it for a long time.

Alright, she was... a bit curious. What exactly did that article look like...

She used to ship male classmates in the entertainment circle before, but never imagined she'd be shipped one day. Her fingers itched... Should she search for it?

No, no, no, that wasn't just a CP fic, it was explicit content! Song Xici shook her head, forcing her eyes shut.

Still unable to sleep, she finally plugged in her earphones, opened NetEase Music, and selected one of her top 5 most played songs—"Buddha Speaks of All Things" by Master Yin Neng. She adjusted the volume and set it to repeat.

Gradually, Song Xici began to feel drowsy and drifted off to sleep.

Outside the window, fine snowflakes had begun to fall at some point. Perhaps due to their sparseness, they quickly melted upon touching the ground, leaving the streets damp.

Rongcheng, bustling with traffic and crowds by day, now seemed particularly desolate. Despite the neon lights, it resembled a pretty toy displayed in a shop window.

In an office building in the Xizi business district, Zhou Yi turned off her computer and reached for her coffee, only to find it had gone cold again.

Raising an eyebrow, she stood up, poured out the coffee, washed the cup, then grabbed her blue coat and bag. She turned off the lights, air purifier, and heater before pushing open the office door and walking out.

Her high heels clicked on the floor, echoing in the corridor, making her figure seem even more solitary.

She pressed the elevator button and glanced at the chat records of her two lively friends in the WeChat group.

How nice it must be to have feelings for someone.

Zhou Yi didn't comment, putting her phone in her bag as she entered the elevator that had just opened.

After driving out, Zhou Yi headed home. She didn't have a habit of playing music, so the car was as silent as a cemetery.

Passing a convenience store, Zhou Yi stopped the car, walked in with one hand in her pocket, took a bottle of milk from the heating cabinet, closed it, then walked to a shelf to look at the throat lozenges.

At that moment, the cashier's phone played a program.

Liao Bixin: "Haha, I was so chuunibyou in elementary school, couldn't help it... Sigh."

Host: "Hahaha, no wonder fans call you 'Er Xin'! There's a reason for everything, right! So, Chang Ye, what embarrassing things have you done before?"

The moment she heard "Chang Ye." Zhou Yi's gaze on the shelf suddenly sharpened.

The program continued.

Chang Ye: "Haha, me? Probably in elementary school..."

Liao Bixin: "Oh, I suddenly remembered something really embarrassing I did in elementary school. I almost drank my mom's perfume. Just as I opened the cap, my mom rushed over saying, 'Xin Xin, what are you doing?! Put that down, quick!'"

Host: "I feel like many girls might have had the urge to do that... Good thing you didn't drink it, who knows what would have happened. That was close! Hahaha. So, Meimei, I heard you're the queen of embarrassing moments..."

...

However, the host simply skipped over Chang Ye. In the subsequent topics, hardly anyone interacted with Chang Ye, as if she didn't exist.

Zhou Yi withdrew her hand from her pocket, selected a box of throat lozenges, walked to the counter, placed them with the milk, and took out her phone to pay.

After paying, she returned to her car, closed the door, and stared ahead for a long time before finally bringing her phone to her eyes. She opened her contacts and stared at the name "Chang Ye."

Though she had changed phones several times, this number remained, in both her work and personal phones.

Inexplicably, Zhou Yi dialed the number.

After a few rings, the call connected. Her eyes flickered as she looked ahead.

"Hello... Who is this..." After some rustling, a gruff male voice came through.

"Who is it... in the middle of the night..." An older-sounding woman grumbled nearby.

"Hello? Who are you?"

Zhou Yi said nothing, slowly lowering her phone.

"Not talking, are you sick?!" The man cursed before hanging up.

Zhou Yi gripped her phone, closed her eyes, and leaned back. Her throat moved slightly before she suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh.

The next day.

When Tang You'an woke up, daylight was already streaming in.

She gently rubbed her brow, dozed for a moment longer, then sat up. As she did, she noticed Song Xici's blanket had slipped to her waist.

So she reached out to pull the blanket up for Song Xici. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful Song Xici looked while sleeping, her features soft and her skin translucent. Tang You'an smiled unconsciously as she gazed at her.

Just then, Song Xici's eyes moved, and she suddenly opened them.

"Awake?" Tang You'an smiled slightly.

"Damn!" Song Xici's face drained of color. "What are you doing?!"

Tang You'an was taken aback. "I just saw your blanket had slipped down. I was worried you'd catch cold, so I covered you up."

"Oh, I see..." Song Xici ran a hand through her hair.

"That's right." Tang You'an nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry. And thank you." Song Xici said.

"It's nothing. I'll go change now." Tang You'an smiled, then got up and went into the walk-in closet, closing the door.

Song Xici rubbed her head, collected her fallen earphones, turned off the music, and stared at her phone, lost in thought.

Heaven knows how difficult last night was... It was terrifying! Moreover, Song Xici felt that as Tang You'an adapted more to life here, she would become increasingly harder to manage.

Sighing, Song Xici lay back down on the bed.

Soon after, Tang You'an finished getting ready, completed her morning routine, and walked to Song Xici's side.

"I'll go make breakfast now." Tang You'an said.

"Then I'll..." Song Xici started, about to lift the covers.

"No need, I'll call you when it's ready." Tang You'an smiled softly.

"By the way, what would you like for breakfast this morning?" Tang You'an asked as she opened the bedroom door.

"Let me think... What's in the fridge again..." Song Xici scratched her head, then clapped her hands. "Potato pancakes and egg rolls!"

"Alright, I'll call you when it's ready." Tang You'an smiled again.

"Oh..." Song Xici responded, watching her leave the bedroom before letting out a deep sigh.

She had to admit... she seemed to be getting used to this kind of life. But such a habit didn't seem quite right.

Song Xici rubbed her arms and exhaled.

After a while, she picked up her phone and began her daily routine.

Opening WeChat, she saw Meng Meng had sent a "Good morning" and replied in kind.

Meng Meng: "So, how was it? Did you two set off fireworks last night?!"

Seeing this question, suddenly reminded of last night... Song Xici immediately typed furiously: "Fireworks my foot! I told you it's impossible!!!"

Meng Meng: "Really? Sister, you're so disappointing."

"I'll kill you!" Song Xici replied, then the words "CP fic" floated through her mind again.

What kind of article was it, exactly?

No! How could she want to read that! Absurd!

But still, it was the first time she'd learned that someone had written a CP fic about her... The feeling was like getting a fan's autograph request for the first time after finally making it big—novel...

So, after much internal struggle, Song Xici finally found a reason to convince herself. Leaving Meng Meng hanging in the group chat, she gritted her teeth and diligently searched for that article on Weibo using various keywords.

Once found, Song Xici clicked on it and began reading seriously...

Meanwhile, after leaving the bedroom, Tang You'an went straight to the kitchen. There she found Lin Xing already standing, about to put on an apron.

"Mom." Tang You'an approached, "let me make breakfast."

"Oh?" Lin Xing paused. "You know how to cook?"

Tang You'an hesitated, guessing her original self didn't know how, then smiled and said, "I've learned recently."

"Not bad..." Lin Xing looked at her. "Let's cook together then."

"Alright." Tang You'an smiled, then proactively walked over to help tie Lin Xing's apron strings behind her back.

Lin Xing had intended to be the main chef, with Tang You'an as her assistant, assuming that someone who had just learned probably couldn't even cut vegetables well.

Unexpectedly, Tang You'an's knife skills were impressively smooth and practiced. Lin Xing was stunned watching her slice potatoes.

They looked machine-cut, each strip almost identical in thickness. Not only that, but her movements in beating eggs, spreading batter, and other tasks were as deft as the occasional private chef Lin Xing's family hired for banquets.

"You really had hidden talents, child..." Lin Xing's eyes were wide with amazement.

"Not at all. I just hope you'll enjoy the food." Tang You'an smiled.

"Hahaha, I'm sure it'll be delicious!" Lin Xing laughed.

"I'll go call Xici now." Tang You'an said after turning off the stove, removing her apron, and setting the food on the table.

"Go ahead." Lin Xing nodded, pouring soy milk from the machine into cups.

It seemed that temple was really effective. She had wished for her daughter's marital happiness just two months ago, and now Tang You'an had become so attentive. She'd have to go make an offering of thanks soon.

At that moment, in the bedroom, Song Xici had reached the middle section of the article and could barely keep her eyes open, needing to pause after each bit to recover before continuing.

What did they mean by "Tang You'an raised her hand, caressing Song Xici's ****** ******"?!

What was this about "Song Xici trembled as Tang You'an ****** her, ***** flowing endlessly from her ******"?!

Good heavens...

The scary part was, Song Xici found her mind slowly painting an erotic picture based on the article...

"Xici." Just then, with a soft click of the door, Tang You'an suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Song Xici was so startled she nearly dropped her phone, hurriedly pressing the home button to return to the main screen.

"Breakfast is ready." Tang You'an said softly.

"Oh... okay..." Song Xici replied, using her hair to hide her face as she scrambled out of bed, practically rolling into the bathroom before closing the door.

Tang You'an looked over, then shook her head, puzzled.

After quite a while, Song Xici finally managed to compose herself and went to the dining table.

"Hey, Mom, where do you want to go?" Song Xici asked during the meal, scrolling through tourist spots on her phone. They all seemed the same—the famous ones they'd already visited, and the lesser-known ones had poor reviews.

"I'm familiar with everything around here, nothing's that interesting. I need to rush to the neighboring city to see your Aunt Ming, stay there overnight, then fly back tomorrow to handle company matters. I've started a new company that's doing quite well, so I'm busy. Just drop me off at the West Station later." Lin Xing said, sipping her soy milk.

"Alright." Song Xici nodded.

After breakfast, as they were about to leave, Lin Xing suddenly grabbed Song Xici's hand to look at it, then asked, "Where's your wedding ring?"

She then looked at Tang You'an's hand: "Why aren't you two wearing them?"

Song Xici tensed, quickly saying, "Well, because we often have to film..."

"But you should wear them when you're not filming, right? No wonder there are always rumors about you two not getting along."

"Alright, alright, we'll put them on right now! Just wait a moment!" Song Xici said, then pulled Tang You'an towards her bedroom.

Once inside, Song Xici released Tang You'an's hand and opened a drawer under the TV cabinet, taking out a small red box. Opening it revealed two diamond rings.

"Why have I never seen you wear this?" Tang You'an asked.

"Why would I wear it for no reason..." Song Xici said, taking out one ring. "Hand, give me your hand."

"If it's not important, why does Mom want us to wear them?" Tang You'an extended her hand.

Seeing Tang You'an's hand, words from that article she'd read earlier hopped into Song Xici's mind like frogs.

Damn it... Song Xici smacked her own head.

"No, it's important for people who marry for love. It's a symbol of lifelong commitment. But for someone like me in a marriage of convenience, what meaning does it have?" Song Xici said as she slid one ring onto Tang You'an's ring finger.

Tang You'an raised her left hand, looking at it. The diamond on the ring sparkled with tiny flecks of light.

As Song Xici took out the other ring to put on herself, Tang You'an suddenly grasped her wrist.

Song Xici looked up, silently questioning her.

"Let me put yours on for you." Tang You'an said.

Song Xici was about to say it wasn't necessary, but when she met Tang You'an's eyes, she suddenly fell silent. Tang You'an took the ring from Song Xici's hand.

After pulling Song Xici's hand closer, Tang You'an slowly slid the ring onto her finger, then gazed at it for a long moment. Her thumb brushed over the diamond as she looked up at Song Xici: "At least, for the remaining time we can be together, let's try to make it mean something."

Song Xici felt a lump in her throat at these words.

"Let's go." Tang You'an said, smiling as she put the box away and walked out first.

Song Xici watched her leave, then looked down, stroking the ring. She suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. We'll have to part eventually, won't we?

After putting on the rings, the three of them left together.

They got into the car and fastened their seatbelts.

"By the way, You'an, do you have any plans for children in the future?" Lin Xing suddenly asked from the back seat.

"Children?" Tang You'an turned to look at her, then glanced questioningly at Song Xici.

"How many times do I have to say, we don't..." Song Xici quickly answered for Tang You'an.

"How come you still don't want them even though you're getting along better..." Lin Xing muttered from the back.

"We just don't want them, okay? What's so great about clingy little nuisances who are noisy and troublesome? Besides, having children makes you fat." Song Xici continued.

"Fine, don't have them then. I'm not forcing you two to have children. I just thought it would be livelier if you had a baby." Lin Xing said, then fell silent.

Tang You'an sat beside her, completely bewildered. Impressive, so not only can men and women have children, but two women can have children too. This world truly is extraordinary.

But... how exactly are these children born? What do two people have to do... to create a child? It was far beyond her understanding.

Soon, they arrived at West Station. After seeing Lin Xing off, Song Xici finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight, she could sleep alone...

"What should we do next?" Tang You'an asked.

"Qi Yuan is having a birthday, so let's browse the mall and see what gift we can buy for her." Song Xici said.

"Alright." Tang You'an nodded.

Finally, Tang You'an and Song Xici went to Jindi together.

It was Rongcheng's newest riverside commercial area, currently in a semi-open state. There was a huge Ferris wheel over the water, not yet operational. By the river was a large shopping mall, with many stores already in normal business operation.

Upon entering, it was clear that the foot traffic here was surprisingly low compared to other commercial areas. Except for a few restaurants that had attracted quite a few customers with major new store discounts on group-buying platforms, other shops like clothing stores were practically deserted.

After much browsing and selecting, Song Xici finally chose a bag for Qi Yuan, and Tang You'an volunteered to carry the shopping bag.

Afterwards, they stopped at a spicy braised food store. While Song Xici was selecting items, Tang You'an's phone vibrated, so she took it out to look.

After checking for a while, she looked back at Song Xici.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Song Xici asked as she finished paying and took the braised food from the cashier, walking away.

"There's something I want to tell you." Tang You'an said, following her.

"What is it? Is my makeup smudged?" Song Xici was about to open her bag to check her compact mirror.

"No." Tang You'an shook her head.

"Then what is it?" Song Xici closed her bag and shook the braised food container. "Do you want to eat this now?"

She did want to a little... but that wasn't the point.

"Not that either." Tang You'an shook her head again.

"Then what is it? Just tell me..." Song Xici hated being kept in suspense. It felt like having a melon dangled in front of her that she couldn't eat.

"You're trending." Tang You'an said, showing her phone screen to Song Xici.

Song Xici's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the screen. The 40th trending topic read: #SongXiciLikesTangSongCPFic#

When did I like that?!

At that moment, Song Xici turned to stone, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Critical hit x1!

Tang You'an moved to her side, thought for a moment, then leaned in to whisper in her ear: "Also... why wouldn't you let me read it, but you read it yourself?"

Critical hit x... Infinity!