After Getting Married to My Obsessive Older Sister - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

On Sunday, an unexpected furry visitor arrived at the CEO’s office at Mingsheng.

The green-eyed little tuxedo cat lay quietly in the arms of the “easy-to-bully” biped of the house, her ears perked up, curiously observing everything around her.

The silver elevator doors, the long corridors, the desks piled with various documents… Along the way, Little Guai saw many unfamiliar bipeds. They all looked at her with curiosity, and some people’s eyes wandered between the “easy-to-bully” and “not-easy-to-bully” humans.

They were talking, but Little Guai couldn’t understand. Meow, meow, meow.

Zhao Jingxing had an errand this morning, so someone else drove Tan Ze and Chu Yiqiao to the company.

When she heard from her colleagues that “that person” had brought a cat to work, a flash of pictures instantly crossed Zhao Jingxing’s mind. She casually grabbed a document, straightened her jacket, and knocked on Tan Ze’s office door.

She pushed the door open. Chu Yiqiao was sitting on the sofa, a huge cloth bag in front of her. She was bent over, pulling out cat food cans and other cat supplies.

Little Guai was not with Chu Yiqiao. On the desk, Tan Ze was entering her password to unlock the computer, “da da da,” and white cat paws were typing a long string of gibberish.

Tan Ze pinched Little Guai’s scruff and lifted the culprit, ignoring the flailing protest of Chu Yiqiao’s “daughter,” and expressionlessly deleted the characters.

Zhao Jingxing had wanted to adopt a cat since she was an undergraduate. However, she was too busy with her studies and was afraid she wouldn’t be able to take good care of it, so she planned to wait until she started working. But then work got even busier. Ten years flew by. She had an apartment in the capital, she had a car, but she still didn’t have a cat. Two cat plushies lay on her bedroom bed, and her head was filled with a massive amount of cat knowledge.

Zhao Jingxing was the first to know that Chu Yiqiao and Tan Ze had adopted a cat. Tan Ze knew Zhao Jingxing loved cats, and she had consulted her extensively about the details of raising Little Guai.

Today was the first time Zhao Jingxing had seen Little Guai in person.

“Morning, Sister Jingxing.”

Chu Yiqiao walked over, rescuing Little Guai from Tan Ze’s grip. She held Little Guai’s paw and, using a high-pitched voice, waved at Zhao Jingxing: “Good morning, Auntie. I’m Little Guai.”

“Auntie?” Zhao Jingxing glanced at Tan Ze.

“I’m Little Guai’s Mom,” Chu Yiqiao nodded, seriously introducing her “family” as if it were a formal matter: “Sister is Little Guai’s Mommy.”

Zhao Jingxing couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, bending her head. It was hard to imagine Tan Ze participating in such a game of house.

“Zhao Jingxing, it’s almost June,” Tan Ze stated calmly.

“I’ll help Qiao unpack the supplies,” Zhao Jingxing coughed twice to regain her composure, offering to help Chu Yiqiao set up a temporary litter box: “I used to work at a cat cafe.”

Chu Yiqiao was pleasantly surprised. She thanked Sister Jingxing and followed her into the inner lounge with Little Guai in her arms.

Ten years of stored knowledge was not for nothing. Zhao Jingxing, believing she was too busy to own a cat, had redirected her regret to cat cafes. Aside from her days as Special Assistant Zhao, she spent most of her time at cat cafes. She could name hundreds of cat breeds, and her efficiency was far superior to that of the novice mother, Chu Yiqiao.

“Sister Jingxing, you’re amazing,” Chu Yiqiao said, sitting on the lounge bed with Little Guai in her arms. She couldn’t help but marvel at Zhao Jingxing’s skilled movements.

“Practice makes perfect,” Zhao Jingxing said, drying her hands after washing them. Chu Yiqiao was still organizing things. The naughty cat was already rolling in the litter box, scattering fine granules everywhere.

“Little Guai!” Chu Yiqiao was furious.

“It’s okay, I got it,” Zhao Jingxing stepped forward, picking up the little tuxedo cat. The soft, warm feeling under her hands was relaxing no matter how many times she felt it.

Little Guai was very cute. Her big green eyes took up a third of her round face. Her gaze was lively and cunning, a little bit mischievous.

Looks like the mom, personality like the mommy. Assessment complete.

Zhao Jingxing held Little Guai and reached out to rub the kitten’s head. Little Guai immediately forgot herself in comfort, wiggling in Zhao Jingxing’s arms. Just as she had licked Chu Yiqiao’s fingers before, she licked Zhao Jingxing’s wrist.

Chu Yiqiao, slightly embarrassed, brought a wet wipe and took Little Guai away.

Zhao Jingxing came with documents and left with documents. She didn’t even tidy her clothes as she left, deep in thought. Tan Ze clearly saw a lot of white cat hair on Zhao Jingxing’s black suit.

The door closed again. Tan Ze carried the cat food can Chu Yiqiao had forgotten on the coffee table inside and looked at Chu Yiqiao, reporting: “Your daughter has charmed the soul out of my assistant. Zhao Jingxing is going to get a cat soon.”

Chu Yiqiao snuggled up to Tan Ze, smiling: “Then Sister, remember to give Sister Jingxing a raise. Supporting a family is hard work.”

Tan Ze turned away, avoiding Chu Yiqiao’s kiss. That was a close call. Her soul was still intact.

To minimize the impact on the company’s normal operations, Chu Yiqiao had originally planned to keep Little Guai confined to the lounge until Tan Ze got off work. However, the dedicated Assistant Zhao came too frequently. Chu Yiqiao was persuaded and agreed to take Little Guai out for a short walk during the low-traffic lunch break.

The green-eyed tuxedo cat was currently four months old, weighing 3 pounds—less than a tablet—but her presence was a heavy one. She showed a glimpse of Tan Ze’s mysterious private life to the others. It turned out that the boss, who never smiled in meetings and only ever spoke sharp words, had to scoop cat litter after work.

Very fair, very comforting.

Chu Yiqiao took the cat on a small tour before lunch. When they returned, Little Guai already had a nickname: “Boss Cat.” Tan Ze was speechless, thinking that outsiders had a deep misunderstanding of their household’s hierarchy.

The two people and one cat ate lunch together. Little Guai burrowed into the inner room as soon as she finished eating, determined to climb over the entire room. Ten minutes later, two humans suddenly materialized on the soft, large bed.

Chu Yiqiao lay down languidly. Tan Ze took off her glasses and placed them on the bedside table. The lounge, which she had previously thought unnecessary, now felt quite necessary.

It was a pure and peaceful nap. Chu Yiqiao set the air conditioner to a low temperature and slept while lying on Tan Ze. Tan Ze’s hands were like magnets, slipping under the shirt and covering Chu Yiqiao’s slightly distended stomach after lunch.

“Little Guai is still here,” Chu Yiqiao reminded Tan Ze.

The next second, Tan Ze got out of bed, picked up the naughty cat who was persistently chewing on the sofa, and carried her out of the lounge. She returned to the room to continue their nap.

The nap ended. There was no sound from the inner lounge. Little Guai climbed all over the office, but still preferred the keyboard the most. A subordinate came in to report on work and was startled by the kitten on the main desk, who was no taller than a bottle of mineral water.

Little Guai wagged her tail and meowed at the subordinate: “Meow.”

They are cuddling up for warmth again. So pitiful without fur.

Before getting off work that afternoon, Tan Ze received a message from the cleaning company. The apartment was cleaned, the smell had dissipated. If she was satisfied with the service, please give them a five-star review and look forward to their next visit. Wishing you a happy life.

She ordered takeout on the way. The family arrived home just as the delivery was made. Chu Yiqiao held the cat with both hands, and Tan Ze opened the door for her to go in first.

A full-house cleaning was not unfamiliar to Chu Yiqiao. Since the dismissal of the housekeeper, they had hired professional cleaning teams twice a week. In the first few years, they changed teams frequently, but later it gradually settled down. The last team had worked for two consecutive years, which was why Chu Yiqiao was so angry when she deduced that the cleaner had been reporting on the surveillance. She genuinely believed that familiar people were trustworthy.

Not everyone was Tan Ze, who enjoyed unconditional immunity with Chu Yiqiao. Once a crisis of trust occurred, it couldn’t be resolved quickly.

Chu Yiqiao put Little Guai down and volunteered to check on the house. Tan Ze thoughtfully suggested she start with Little Guai’s room.

“You’re right, I think I have things in my drawer there too,” Chu Yiqiao said, taking the suggestion seriously.

When Chu Yiqiao walked away, Tan Ze used placing things down as an excuse to approach the coffee table, then naturally sat on the sofa. She opened the first drawer—a feint—then opened the second drawer. Chu Yiqiao’s two wool hair clips were gone, and when she reached her hand inside, the photos were gone too.

Tan Ze knew it.

Chu Lingtong couldn’t wait any longer. She had gotten what she wanted. The informant told Tan Ze that she had booked a flight for May 31st, a 4 AM flight.

Those three photos were what Chu Lingtong had bought from Tan Ze. She paid for twenty photos, but Tan Ze only delivered three. The three empty spots in the album were filled in by Tan Ze with self-printed, artificially aged photos to prevent Chu Yiqiao from finding out. The money for the remaining seventeen photos was considered emotional compensation that should be paid to Chu Yiqiao.

The photos were gone, but unfortunately, the person Chu Lingtong hired was clumsy. Chu Yiqiao’s hair clips were missing.

Chu Yiqiao rolled up her sleeves and moved through the rooms, the four-month-old tuxedo cat officer following closely behind her.

After checking everything, Chu Yiqiao reported to Tan Ze: “I didn’t find anything missing.”

Tan Ze was not surprised by this result. She was the one who folded Chu Yiqiao’s clothes and organized her jewelry. Moreover, Chu Yiqiao had so many things that she only had a general impression, not a specific count.

Safe.

As for the hair clips, Tan Ze would send someone to buy replacements tomorrow. She still had the receipt. This time, Chu Lingtong should be the one to write the complaint.

After dinner, Chu Yiqiao checked the house again, and sure enough, she still hadn’t noticed that her two hair clips were missing.

Tan Ze was in the laundry room, drying the changed sheets. She leaned against the wall and waited. The dryer beeped when it was finished. Tan Ze opened the cabinet door. A wave of hot steam washed over her face. Two sheets lay quietly inside, clean, neat, and smelling good. All the memories of those passionate nights, afternoons, or mornings were also eliminated. The future was waiting.

Suddenly, Tan Ze heard Chu Yiqiao call out.

“Sister—” Her tone was unusual, the tail end drawn out, inexplicably cunning: “What is this?”

Tan Ze slowly finished hanging the sheets before going over. However, Chu Yiqiao had already come out. She was wearing a pair of black plastic-rimmed glasses and a white coat that was clearly not her size. The sleeves were too long, piled up at her wrists, and the hem reached her calves.

“Sister, what is this?” Chu Yiqiao batted her big eyes, feigning innocence.

When she picked out fun clothes for Chu Yiqiao previously, Tan Ze had also bought a few sets for herself: Teacher, Doctor, Boss… The one Chu Yiqiao was wearing was the doctor’s outfit, complete with a thoughtfully designed patient gown.

In a blink, Chu Yiqiao slowly walked up to Tan Ze, holding the prop stethoscope around her neck. She gently pressed it against Tan Ze’s chest and said matter-of-factly: “Sister, your heart is beating so fast.”

Tan Ze looked down at the person in front of her. Chu Yiqiao looked up, furtively moving the stethoscope around on Tan Ze’s chest. Her eyebrows were raised in smug delight. Chu Yiqiao laughed, and quickly, her slender waist under the loose white coat was gripped. Tan Ze lowered her head, directly prying open Chu Yiqiao’s teeth to tangle with her soft tongue, sucking heavily.

Until the person in her arms started breathing rapidly, Tan Ze let go of Chu Yiqiao’s waist. She took the stethoscope from Chu Yiqiao’s neck and put the plastic black-rimmed glasses on her own face. With a cold expression, she tilted her chin up slightly, looking down at Chu Yiqiao.

Tan Ze’s features were naturally suited for this kind of role-play. Her face was aloof and exquisite, with thin lips and a high nose bridge. Her eyelashes were slightly lowered, casting a shadow. With such an ostensibly ascetic face, Chu Yiqiao’s breathing accelerated.

Just one look, and Chu Yiqiao’s throat moved. She was stunned.

“This isn’t the set you’re supposed to wear,” Tan Ze pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose and said: “Is there anything bothering you? You can tell the doctor.”

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