After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 56

Gu Xiaozhou’s eyes reddened with anger, her grip tightening on the flower bouquet’s wrapping until it crinkled with a harsh, rustling sound.

Hearing the noise, Xu Bingqi turned and saw Gu Xiaozhou’s tear-filled eyes.

“It’s nothing, I’m just really worried about Auntie Xu.”

Gu Xiaozhou lowered her gaze, thinking bitterly that she’d known all along that cunning, manipulative vase had ulterior motives. She’d almost let herself be seen as jealous and petty in front of Xu Bingqi.

Fortunately, she’d been prepared. In no time, she’d turned the tables, leaving Xu Bingqi with an impression of delicate vulnerability instead.

Xu Bingqi glanced at her curiously before turning back to Song Guanjin. “Well, it’s almost noon. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

The kitten felt dizzy with sudden, overwhelming happiness.

Sister hadn’t paid any attention to Gu Xiaozhou’s pitiful act, she only cared about what the kitten wanted for lunch.

What did that mean? It meant that in Sister’s eyes, Gu Xiaozhou wasn’t even as important as her midday meal!

Feeling triumphant over her detestable rival, the kitten’s mood lifted instantly. “As long as I can eat with Sister, anything is fine.”

After speaking, Song Guanjin glanced smugly at Gu Xiaozhou, whose bouquet wrapping was now crumpled beyond recognition, and couldn’t help but let a smirk tug at her lips.

Her eyes curved into crescents as she prepared to leave with Sister, only to realize that Sister had already taken her hand naturally.

Her fingers curled slightly, gradually intertwining with Sister’s.

“Let’s go.”

Xu Bingqi felt her face grow warm, as if brushed by the gentlest spring sunlight, but she still held Song Guanjin’s hand firmly and walked away as if no one else existed.

Because holding hands like this made the kitten happy and it made her happy too.

“Sister, my wounds have already healed,” Song Guanjin said, looking up at her. “I don’t want to stay in the hospital anymore.”

It was true since waking up, she’d noticed that all her scrapes had vanished surprisingly fast.

Staying in the hospital was nothing but a waste of time for the kitten, time that could have been spent alone with Sister.

While Sister was feeling soft-hearted, why not push a little further and make her fall even harder?

“So soon?” Xu Bingqi looked at her doubtfully. “The doctor said you had several abrasions.”

She gently stroked the back of the kitten’s hand. “Does it still hurt?”

Song Guanjin came to a stop.

Rising slightly on her toes, she brought her lips close to Sister’s ear and whispered, “Sister can check for herself when we get home.”

Satisfied, the kitten watched as Sister’s fair earlobe quickly flushed a bright shade of pink.

Xu Bingqi couldn’t bring herself to respond. After a few seconds of silence, once her breathing had steadied, she shook her head. “Let’s go take care of the discharge procedures first.”

With so many people coming and going in a public place, she was genuinely afraid the kitten might say something even more shocking.

But after smoothly completing the discharge formalities, the kitten grew even bolder once they returned home.

“My agent has already spoken with the director, I can rest properly for the next three days,” Song Guanjin said, waving her phone. “Sister, there’s so much I want to tell you.”

She wanted to tell Sister that she hadn’t been alone during her serious illness, the kitten had been by her side all along, since long ago.

And from now on, she would always stay by her side.

Xu Bingqi smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll listen carefully, and I also have some things I want to tell you.”

Seeing Xu Bingqi’s smile, the cat was completely bewildered.

Sister said she also had things to tell her could it be, the same as what she was thinking?

“I remember there are still hotpot ingredients here,” Xu Bingqi thought for a moment. “Let’s have a simple lunch for now.”

The cat, who was usually passionate about all kinds of delicious food, ate this meal particularly hastily.

She was deeply pondering a question: if Sister agreed to be in a relationship with her, would everything that followed naturally fall into place?

Could it be tonight?

Although she was a cat demon who had lived for hundreds of years, she had only recently taken human form. So, in matters like this, Sister, being human, should have more experience, right?

Thinking this, the cat nodded solemnly. Tonight, she probably just needed to lie back and enjoy it properly.

Or should she be responsible for taking off her clothes beforehand?

At this thought, Song Guanjin secretly glanced up at Sister, who was still eating slowly and deliberately, then let her gaze drift downward, settling on Sister’s collar.

Sister’s collar seemed rather tight, but within the snug neckline, there was a small gap, faintly revealing a delicate, jade-like collarbone.

Song Guanjin’s hand, holding the chopsticks, came to a complete halt.

Actually, did something like this really have to wait until nighttime?

Xu Bingqi noticed the cat seemed to be staring at her in a daze. “What are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking that Sister’s collar seems a bit tight,” the cat confessed her thoughts sincerely, then added, “It might take a little time later, so Sister will need to be patient.”

Sister had always been a very patient person, but the cat had heard that humans usually weren’t particularly patient when doing this kind of thing.

Xu Bingqi looked at Song Guanjin, who was still lost in thought, with confusion. “Be patient?”

Song Guanjin’s train of thought was jumping too quickly, and Xu Bingqi couldn’t quite grasp what the cat was trying to say.

“You’ll understand when the time comes,” Song Guanjin lowered her eyes and smiled. “Sister must have experience.”

Xu Bingqi was utterly confused, but when she heard Song Guanjin say she had experience, her first thought went to composing music. Perhaps the cat needed someone to compose the OST for her drama?

When it came to composing, she was indeed usually very patient and experienced.

But something about this felt a bit strange.

However, comforting the affectionate cat had become a habit for Xu Bingqi. She nodded slowly. “If you need anything, just let me know anytime.”

Song Guanjin nodded in relief. She would probably need a lot of help.

“Sister is so good to me!” Song Guanjin completely lost interest in eating. She picked up a napkin to wipe her lips and immersed herself entirely in her beautiful daydreams.

“It’s nothing, just a small effort.”

Sister really was more experienced than her!

Everything was going so smoothly. Song Guanjin couldn’t wait for nightfall.

But she felt that Xu Bingqi’s attitude seemed, a bit too calm?

As if she had done this kind of thing many times before it felt natural and effortless.

“Sister, have you done this many times before?” After a long silence, Song Guanjin couldn’t help but ask. “You seem very practiced.”

Was she not Sister’s first love? Or had Sister gained her experience by watching videos?

“But even just observing is very different from actually doing it. Your attitude is way too casual about this.”

“Not exactly an expert, either,” Xu Bingqi patiently explained. “I’ve composed OSTs for other TV dramas before, just never for a suspense series.”

“If you need me to, I’ll definitely study it seriously,” Xu Bingqi added after a moment’s thought, then voiced a new doubt. “But your drama hasn’t finished filming yet aren’t you starting on the OST a bit early?”

After hearing Xu Bingqi’s explanation, Song Guanjin’s hand slid weakly off the dining table, and the chopsticks beside her fingers were knocked to the floor by her unconscious movement.

“That’s not what I was talking about.”

Of course, things wouldn’t go so smoothly. The misunderstanding between them was just too big.

Song Guanjin bent down to pick up the chopsticks and placed them in the dishwasher, then gave an awkward smile. “I didn’t explain it clearly earlier.”

No wonder her sister’s reaction had been so indifferent! It turned out her sister had completely misunderstood her meaning!

“Then what is it about?”

Xu Bingqi thought for a moment but couldn’t figure out what she was supposedly “definitely experienced” in. “Guanjin, just tell me directly. If it’s something I can help with, I’ll definitely do it.”

Xu Bingqi was gradually growing impatient. She didn’t like it when the kitten hesitated like this in front of her, it felt as if she wasn’t trusted enough to help.

“Objectively speaking, you definitely can do it. Subjectively, I’m not sure how you feel about it.”

Under Xu Bingqi’s expectant gaze, Song Guanjin slowly spoke up. “It’s about that thing where we can share our lifespans.”

Clatter. Xu Bingqi’s chopsticks fell to the floor as well.

She bent down several times to pick them up, finally flustered as she retrieved them and placed them in the dishwasher.

“Subjectively, I don’t agree,” Xu Bingqi said calmly after sitting back down, speaking earnestly. “And objectively, I can’t do it either.”

“I don’t have any experience in that area.”

After Xu Bingqi finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence. The steam rising from the hot pot drifted between them, blurring their outlines and making it impossible for them to see each other’s expressions clearly.

“Well, in that case,” the kitten racked her brains before saying, “it should be easy to learn, right? And I can practice with you.”

Unable to see Xu Bingqi’s expression through the steam, Song Guanjin continued in a soft voice, “Besides, you can play so many instruments your fingers must be very nimble.”

One takes on the color of one’s company. Seeing Song Guanjin lower her head guiltily, Xu Bingqi almost instantly understood the hidden meaning behind her words.

She had been praised for her musical talent and for how her fingers danced nimbly like butterflies flitting among flowers when she played instruments so fast during rapid passages that only a blur could be seen. Xu Bingqi had grown used to such compliments, but it was the first time she realized that nimble fingers could be used to encourage talent in that area.

“These things need to be taken step by step,” Xu Bingqi sighed. “It takes a long time to master a new instrument.”

The kitten initially wanted to argue that this wasn’t as hard to learn as an instrument, but then she remembered hadn’t she asked her sister the same thing last time?

Back then, her sister had told her that she had to be in a relationship before they could do something like that.

Now, my sister’s attitude has clearly softened a lot. She just told me that such matters should be taken step by step!

And she would approach learning with the same earnest attitude as learning a new musical instrument!

The cat, excited by the thought, looked toward Xu Bingqi, but when she saw Xu Bingqi avoiding her gaze and not looking at her, she lowered her head in disappointment.

Could it be that she was once again reading too much into things?

Perhaps her sister was just politely rejecting her, and she hadn’t picked up on the underlying message.

This kind of thing had actually happened many times before.

And this time, her sister had clearly avoided eye contact right after meeting her gaze.

“It’s okay, I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do. I just…”

“I’ll start by learning and understanding. Maybe I can master some of these skills before New Year’s Eve.”

Their voices overlapped as they spoke at the same time. Song Guanjin, upon hearing what her sister had said, swallowed the rest of her own words.

Was she dreaming?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when I give you my answer on New Year’s Eve, maybe that evening I’ll let you evaluate the results of my learning.”

Xu Bingqi looked at the cat whose ears were slowly reappearing and smiled faintly. “What do you think? Is that feasible?”

In truth, when the director called her today, she had already fully understood her own feelings.

Upon hearing that Song Guanjin had fallen, she was so panicked she almost dropped her phone, her mind going completely blank.

She couldn’t imagine life without Song Guanjin.

Every minute and second she spent waiting for the results in the hospital felt unbearably torturous. Xu Bingqi felt as though her heart were a kite with its string cut, swaying uncontrollably in a fierce wind. It wasn’t until the doctor informed her that Song Guanjin was fine that she truly felt her heart beating with life again, her warm blood flowing once more.

That was why, in the hospital, she couldn’t help but take Song Guanjin’s hand.

Only by feeling the warmth of Song Guanjin’s palm could she pull herself back from the terrifying thought of losing her.

To her, Song Guanjin was the most important person in the world, the most important cat.

Xu Bingqi was someone who valued rituals in many situations. She planned to prepare a special gift to give to the cat on New Year’s Eve.

“Sister, are you serious?”

The cat had already braced herself for another rejection from Xu Bingqi and never expected her sister to make such a touching promise. For a moment, she stood frozen in place.

“Of course, I’m serious.” Xu Bingqi met the cat’s gaze. “Besides, won’t you find out for yourself then?”

The cat stared at her sister, her heart feeling like a firework that had been lit, exploding with a roar in her chest.

Song Guanjin realized that when someone who rarely flirted suddenly did so, the effect was like a sudden, violent storm stirring up a calm lake instantly unsettling her heartstrings.

“But there’s something more important right now.”

Xu Bingqi hadn’t forgotten about Song Guanjin’s fall during filming. “Was it really just an accident? Do you think there might have been any human involvement?”

Song Guanjin was still lost in her sister’s promise. She stared at her sister for a long time before realizing she was being asked about what had happened that morning.

“We filmed that scene very early. Maybe the crew wasn’t fully rested?” Song Guanjin thought carefully. “I don’t really remember. The moment I fell, the only thing on my mind was you, Sister.”

“It’s okay, the director has already reported it to the police.” Xu Bingqi gently stroked Song Guanjin’s cat ears. “Be more careful from now on. If you notice any suspicious people, make sure to stay alert in advance.”

The cat ears felt fluffy to the touch, with fine, soft fur like the gentlest willow catkins of spring.

Xu Bingqi found it somewhat addictive. She gently kneaded the cat ears, and as her fingertips sank into the dense fur, it felt like softly pressing into a fluffy cloud.

It was only when her sister was kneading her ears that the cat remembered the secret she wanted to share.

“Sister, don’t you think Shiliu looks a lot like another cat?”

Xu Bingqi stroked the fur on the cat ears. “I noticed that a long time ago.”

“I always felt Shiliu resembled the cat I encountered before my rebirth,” Xu Bingqi said, gazing into Song Guanjin’s emerald-green eyes. “And after finding out you were a cat spirit, I was sure of it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me back then?” Song Guanjin leaned against Xu Bingqi’s shoulder, letting her sister continue to stroke her cat ears. “I forgot about you for so long.”

Xu Bingqi hesitated and stopped stroking the cat ears. “So you really didn’t remember?”

She had always thought Song Guanjin simply hadn’t brought it up, never imagining that her memories of those events were actually missing.

“Mm, but I remember everything now.”

Song Guanjin lifted her emerald-green eyes to look at Xu Bingqi. “From now on, I’ll always protect you.”

She thought for a moment and ultimately decided not to tell her sister what she had done after death.

The cat didn’t want her sister to feel guilty about it, this was something she alone needed to know.

That evening, after Xu Bingqi finally completed the first draft of the character promotion song, she received a compressed file sent by Song Guanjin.

Xu Bingqi stared at the file named “Study Materials” and fell into deep thought.

Then, she clicked into Song Guanjin’s secret dating account.

She hadn’t explicitly told Song Guanjin that she’d discovered this account, so after lying low for a few days, the timid cat had started posting again.

Xu Bingqi clicked on Song Guanjin’s latest post.

[“Strategists, my sister has no experience with ‘doing it.’ Are there any study materials you can recommend?”]

Support