I Really Want to Pet My Wife's Cat Ears - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Nine Cats

If Ji Mianmian’s eyes weren’t so watery and her voice wasn’t so sweet, Shuo Yu might have continued to be stubborn and insisted on using the [Pearl Fishing] interaction card right away.

But Mianmian had spoken.

Shuo Yu could only clutch her chest, lamenting that “sweet girls are the treasures of the world,” as she surrendered and promised to eat breakfast first. Having just returned from a trip, she hadn’t had time to go to the supermarket; her fridge was empty except for some beer she had bought three months ago.

Looking down, Shuo Yu found the little person in her phone still watching her with dark, round eyes, as if she were truly observing whether Shuo Yu was eating properly. She had heard that felines have immense patience and can lie in wait in the grass for hours for their prey.

A cat-ear girl is technically a feline, right?

Facing Ji Mianmian’s unblinking gaze, Shuo Yu gave in, a helpless smile tugging at her lips. “I’m going out for breakfast. See you in a bit, Mianmian.”

Since her career had stabilized and she no longer worried about photoshoots, Shuo Yu hadn’t stepped out into the morning sun for a long time. After some thought, she headed toward the No. 1 Middle School; in her memory, the street food at the school gates was always the best.

It was quite cold today. Shuo Yu tucked her hands into her jacket pockets, looking left and right to see which stalls had the biggest crowds. This one felt nostalgic; that one smelled amazing. Without a specific goal, she ended up buying more and more. Eventually, she walked back with a stoic face, carrying a grain crepe, a chicken fillet sandwich, black rice porridge, and stir-fried starch jelly.

It was too much—enough for her to eat for two days alone!

Coming out of the elevator, Shuo Yu paused. She turned toward Shen Zhiyin’s door and naturally entered her passcode. As she swapped into slippers, she muttered to herself, “Xiao Shen came back late last night; she definitely hasn’t eaten. I’m such a good friend.”

However, stepping into the living room, Shuo Yu froze.

A strange woman wearing an apron was busy in Shen Zhiyin’s open kitchen. Next to her were two plates of charred, unidentifiable objects that looked like they might have once been fried eggs. The woman’s gold-rimmed glasses glinted coldly as she frowned, picking up a spatula and walking over. With the air of a homeowner, she asked bluntly, “Who are you?”

Because most women who weren’t models were shorter than her, Shuo Yu was very sensitive to height. She was 1.78 meters tall, and this woman looked to be about the same.

Shuo Yu let out a light laugh, arranging several breakfast items on the dining table. She opened the grain crepe and started eating, saying, “I’m here to bring breakfast to Ah Yin. And who are you?”

She was as relaxed as if she were in her own home, her presence not yielding an inch. Since neither was willing to give up personal information first, their gazes locked in a tense standoff.

“Good morning, Xiao Yu. You’re up early today…” Shen Zhiyin pushed open her bedroom door, sounding dazed. Because a cabinet was in the way, she saw Shuo Yu first and greeted her. But after two steps, she saw the other woman’s jealous, murderous glare and her legs nearly turned to jelly.

Shen Zhiyin’s voice trembled visibly. “Xiao Ka… you didn’t go home last night? I thought I was just dreaming while drunk…”

She turned to Shuo Yu and introduced them: “Shuo Yu, this is Xiao Ka. Her full name is Ka Ling. I assume you’ve met?”

Shuo Yu raised an eyebrow, finding things much more interesting now. She had thought Shen Zhiyin was pining unilaterally, but seeing Xiao Ka cooking early and marking her territory, it was clear this person was in much deeper. She had heard Shen Zhiyin mention driving Xiao Ka’s cats to get vaccinated and had imagined a fragile little “younger sister” type. She hadn’t expected someone so mature, which didn’t fit Shen Zhiyin’s usual “type,” hence the confusion.

She turned to Shen Zhiyin and made a face. This girl only ever showed her photos of Xiao Ka’s two Siamese cats, never of Ka Ling herself!

The misunderstanding cleared, Shuo Yu proactively extended her hand with a smile. “So you’re the ‘Xiao Ka’ I’ve heard so much about. Ah Yin mentions you often. I’m her childhood friend, Shuo Yu.”

Without waiting for Xiao Ka to respond, Shuo Yu picked up her half-eaten crepe and pointed toward the door. “I live right next door. I brought extra breakfast, luckily there’s enough for both of you. Xiao Ka, stop working so hard in the kitchen.”

Then, Shuo Yu made a quick exit. She was in a hurry to get home for her date with Mianmian!

Back home, Shuo Yu washed her hands as a precaution. Xiao Ka owned cats and might be carrying allergens. She didn’t want to start swelling up during her date.

She ate while casting her phone screen to the TV—a new feature from the update that allowed the use of a game controller, which was very convenient. Entering the game, she saw Ji Mianmian in the small plaza. The girl was lying lazily in a handcart lined with dry grass, limbs spread out like a cat enjoying the sun. Seeing Shuo Yu’s image in the sky, she flicked her tail in greeting.

The beautiful maid lying in a flower-filled cart under the sun looked like something out of a Western classical oil painting. Shuo Yu found it breathtaking and immediately snapped several screenshots with the controller. For the first time, she felt the big-screen TV was worth the purchase.

She was also surprised to find that the art style on the TV became much more realistic than the slightly “chibi” style on the phone. Ji Mianmian’s face and figure looked almost like a real person, while her soft cat ears and tail looked like high-end CGI from a fantasy film.

Shuo Yu had been in a rush to use the [Pearl Fishing Card]. But influenced by Mianmian’s carefree mood, she sat back on her sofa and slowly finished her breakfast. “Is it too hot lying there, Mianmian? Be careful not to get heatstroke.” With the visuals so realistic, it felt like she was raising a digital girlfriend.

The girl on the screen answered, her lip-syncing perfect: “It’s not hot. The sun is nice and warm.”

On the phone, these tiny details weren’t visible. Shuo Yu decided then and there to always use the TV whenever she had time!

She continued, “Where are Little White and Little Flower?” Before she had left to eat, the kittens had been waiting in the kitchen.

Ji Mianmian flicked her ears, realizing her posture wasn’t very proper. She sat up, straightening her skirt. “While you were away, the mechanical doctor finished A-Jin’s (One-Eye) surgeries. A-Jin keeps complaining that the wounds are itchy during recovery, so I told them to go keep him company.”

Shuo Yu nodded. She put down her food and used the controller to press Ji Mianmian back into the cart. She said with a grin, “If it’s comfortable, lie down a bit longer. Keep me company while I finish breakfast.”

Across the screen, they spent those quiet moments together. Shuo Yu noticed that in those ten minutes, Ji Mianmian’s idle animations never repeated. She flicked her tail, chased the shadows of the wind with her eyes, or looked in Shuo Yu’s direction with a giggle.

Shuo Yu marveled at how exquisite the game was. She also felt a secret thrill that the game was currently delisted; only she could enjoy the gentle company of this cat-ear girl. After finishing her meal, Shuo Yu washed her hands again. When she returned to the TV, Ji Mianmian was already standing by the shore with a small bucket and shovel.

She was clearly looking forward to the trip too!

“Mianmian, I’m back. Let’s go pearl fishing!” Shuo Yu picked up the controller and confirmed the use of the [Pearl Fishing Card].

Ji Mianmian saw a puff of white, fluffy cloud float by and condense into a human shape before her. Upon closer inspection, the cloud-person’s face looked a bit like Shuo Yu. She looked up and found the woman’s image in the sky had vanished.

As soon as the card was used, the screen changed. The perspective shifted, and Ji Mianmian’s face suddenly became very large; it felt like Shuo Yu could reach out and touch her ears.

Shuo Yu grinned. “No wonder the interaction cards are so hard to get. It’s a first-person immersive mode!”

Shuo Yu moved the joystick, and the little cloud-person on screen mirrored her movements. She soon discovered a special interaction bar with four functions: [Change Diving Suit], [Turn on Diving Light], [Search for Pearl Oysters], and [Swim with Cat].

Shuo Yu clicked [Change Diving Suit]. Since her avatar was a fluffy cloud with a mist-like trail, the “outfit change” was just a quick spin. But Ji Mianmian caught a suit from the air. She looked at Shuo Yu bashfully, reaching back to unzip her maid dress, her clothes half-off.

Her voice was sweet: “Shuo Yu, turn around first.”

There really is a changing animation! Shuo Yu’s imagination ran wild. But Mianmian’s shy gaze was practically burning through her. To avoid scaring the cat-ear girl away, Shuo Yu obediently turned the cloud-person around.

The cloud-person’s perspective was bound to Shuo Yu’s view. She saw the meeting of sky and water, the waves rolling onto the beach. The sound of the waves was realistic and beautiful, but she was more focused on the rustling of the girl changing behind her.

After a moment, she heard the girl say, “Okay.”

Shuo Yu’s heart skipped a beat as she immediately flicked the joystick to turn around. However, what met her eyes was Ji Mianmian’s back—her long, fair neck and half of her back not yet covered by the tight diving suit. Ji Mianmian had pulled her hair to one side, looking over her shoulder with an embarrassed expression.

“The zipper seems to be stuck. Sister, help me.”

Is this game really ‘wholesome’? How is she so good at this!

Ignoring her surging “impure” thoughts, Shuo Yu controlled the cloud-person to move closer, using her cloud-like hands to pull the zipper. As the zipper moved up, the girl’s snowy-white back was slowly encased in the dark blue diving suit.

Once dressed, Ji Mianmian turned around and raised her arms to tie her hair. In that movement, Shuo Yu realized for the first time that while her 2D wife was slim, she was surprisingly well-endowed. The diving suit outlined her figure perfectly; she looked very “huggable.”

Support I Really Want to Pet My Wife’s Cat Ears