Join a Dating Reality Show with the Aloof, Fishing-Style Richest Man - Chapter 24.1

“You’ve learned well; your ‘licking’ this time was alright.”

Lu Zhao’s brain was slow to recover. Following Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze, she looked down and saw that the bath towel originally wrapped around her body had fallen to the floor. She stood completely exposed before Ji Zhaoxi.

Lu Zhao: “…”

“Ji Zhaoxi!”

Lu Zhao couldn’t help but roar. She hurriedly picked up the towel from the floor, scrambling to wrap it back around herself. Realizing it wasn’t working, she panicked and retreated into the room, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

The shout was exceptionally clear, and coupled with the forceful sound of the door closing, Ji Zhaoxi rubbed her nose. She watched the Ragdoll cat, which had been startled by the successive commotions and hidden under the sofa, and let out a long, quiet sigh.

The cat’s sudden darting out earlier was likely due to a bit of stress from the new environment; being scared now only made it more timid.

Soon, Lu Zhao opened the door and came out again. She was wearing a set of pajamas, her damp long hair draped casually over her shoulders, soaking the fabric. She squatted down to meet Ji Zhaoxi’s gaze, staring at her intently.

Being stared at like this made Ji Zhaoxi go silent. She asked hesitantly, “What is it?”

“What is it?!” Lu Zhao’s eyes widened in disbelief. How did she have the nerve to ask that?

“Our agreement doesn’t include this service. This costs extra!” Lu Zhao exclaimed indignantly.

Ji Zhaoxi pondered, suppressing the urge to let the corners of her mouth curl up. “I thought this service was provided by you for free.”

“Free? Do I look like such a generous person to you!” Lu Zhao snapped. She calculated every onion and garlic clove with her; there was no way she would gift such a high-scale service for free!

“Oh, so it’s not free, it’s an ‘extra’ service.” Ji Zhaoxi nodded as if she understood, then took out her phone and operated it for a moment.

Ding! Alipay has received one hundred thousand yuan.

Lu Zhao: “…”

The two of them stared at each other, locked in a stalemate for about two seconds.

“Not enough?” Ji Zhaoxi asked.

The expression on Lu Zhao’s face began to grow complicated, her tone somewhat hard to describe. “Every day I spend with you is a severe challenge to my moral compass.”

Accidentally being seen once resulted in a hundred thousand yuan—the temptation was so strong she almost wanted to be seen a few more times!

Collapsing one’s moral bottom line in front of Ji Zhaoxi really yielded tangible benefits! Compared to those directors or producers who engage in “unspoken rules” and then break their promises, Ji Zhaoxi was practically a saint who delivered rewards in full!

“I have faith in your moral compass,” Ji Zhaoxi said, smiling at Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao: “…I’ve already agreed to be your ‘licker’ for money. How high can my bottom line be?”

Ji Zhaoxi nodded in agreement. “Then it doesn’t matter if your bottom line is a bit lower.” Saying that, she tapped her pocket. “I have money.”

Watching this gesture, Lu Zhao silently turned around, biting the corner of her pajama top in jealousy.

Wuwuwu, when would she ever be able to say something so arrogant and wealthy!

While she was secretly mourning her own poverty, she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of round, deep blue eyes.

Lu Zhao: “…”

Her eyes widened. She only just realized—so the one who pulled her towel off earlier was this little fellow?

Forgetting her grievances, she hurried forward a couple of steps to get closer, but the little creature was very alert and retreated further inside.

Lu Zhao stopped her movements and turned to look at Ji Zhaoxi.

Ji Zhaoxi smiled at her. “This is the cat I just got. Isn’t she cute?”

Recalling the cat’s act of pulling off her towel the moment it arrived, Lu Zhao ground her teeth slightly. But when she saw its adorable little face, all her anger vanished.

“Cute,” Lu Zhao admitted honestly.

Ji Zhaoxi’s lips curled upward, her mood pleasant. “You know I’m usually busy with work, so I might not be able to take care of her very thoroughly. You should help me look after her from now on.”

“Of course, this is a separate wage,” Ji Zhaoxi added, knowing Lu Zhao’s nature.

Hearing this, Lu Zhao looked at Ji Zhaoxi with a complicated gaze. “You knew you were busy, yet you still got a cat.”

“But don’t you think she’s really cute? She’d be very comfortable to hold,” Ji Zhaoxi said innocently.

Lu Zhao: “…” That was true enough.

“But if I go to film a movie, I won’t be able to take care of her either?” Lu Zhao said hesitantly. Although she really wanted the pay, she was worried she wouldn’t be able to divide herself to care for the little cutie. These little things needed to be meticulously cared for and accompanied; she couldn’t bear to let them suffer.

“You only need to help when I’m not free, but your career still comes first. When we are both busy, I’ll have others take care of her.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhao felt much more at ease. She gave Ji Zhaoxi a bright, standard “corporate employee” smile. “No problem!”

She didn’t even negotiate the pay; she trusted that Ji Zhaoxi wouldn’t give her a small amount.

At the same time, there was a knock on the door. Ji Zhaoxi went to open it. Her assistant had delivered a large pile of cat supplies. Seeing this, Lu Zhao intended to help Ji Zhaoxi move them in, but Ji Zhaoxi looked at her and refused.

“Is the water cut off?” Ji Zhaoxi remembered she still had foam in her hair earlier.

“Yeah, the water stopped while I was washing,” Lu Zhao nodded.

Ji Zhaoxi didn’t let her come to the front door. Instead, she told her to check the kitchen to see if the water was truly out. After letting the assistant drop everything off, she sent her away.

Before the assistant left, she gave Lu Zhao a complicated look. She never imagined that the woman called a “licker” outside had already moved in!

Has President Ji been successfully conquered by a “licker”?!

“Oh,” Lu Zhao replied, turning toward the kitchen. On the way, she checked the soup she was simmering. Seeing it was almost ready, she turned the heat down even lower before trying the faucet.

As soon as the faucet was turned, water gushed out with a huala sound.

Lu Zhao: “…”

Hearing the noise, Ji Zhaoxi looked over and saw Lu Zhao’s speechless expression.

“Then the water heater might be broken. I’ll have someone check it tomorrow. You can use my bathroom for now,” Ji Zhaoxi said.

Lu Zhao glanced at her. She hadn’t expected her to so naturally let her use her bathroom. Wasn’t this woman a germaphobe?

“Alright.” Lu Zhao looked down at her hair, unable to stand it anymore, and nodded. She needed a comfortable bath!

While she was bathing, Ji Zhaoxi was busy outside. She first set up a simple cat bed, then took a cat treat strip to lure the little kitten hiding under the sofa.

So, when Lu Zhao emerged from Ji Zhaoxi’s bedroom, she saw Ji Zhaoxi sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding a cat treat, making low “meow” sounds to try and coax the real cat out.

Lu Zhao froze for a moment. This version of Ji Zhaoxi had none of the cold, distant aura she showed the public. Right now, her whole being was trying to radiate friendliness just to avoid scaring the timid kitten.

Such a Ji Zhaoxi felt very “soft” to her.

Lu Zhao stepped forward and squatted beside Ji Zhaoxi, mimicking her with a few meows. They were soft and gentle, without any aggression, but they acted like a little hook scratching at one’s heart. Ji Zhaoxi’s hand holding the cat treat tightened, and even her expression stiffened slightly.

Perhaps the kitten really sensed no malice from them, as it began to cautiously crawl out from under the sofa. Its gaze darted between the two of them before it tentatively poked its head toward Ji Zhaoxi to lick the treat in her hand.

The cat was extremely beautiful but had a timid personality, which made one’s heart melt, wanting to pull it into their arms and cuddle it.

Ji Zhaoxi noticed Lu Zhao’s sparkling eyes. The corners of her mouth lifted in a pleased smile as she handed the treat to Lu Zhao, letting her feed it.

Lu Zhao was pleasantly surprised and quickly took the treat. Watching the kitten stretch its head to lick carefully in front of her, she narrowed her eyes in delight. Her brilliant features took on a hint of “silliness” because of this action. While feeding, she tentatively rubbed the cat’s head, and the cat did not reject the gesture.

This made Lu Zhao even happier. She turned her sparkling eyes toward Ji Zhaoxi. “What’s her name?”

“I haven’t named her yet.” Ji Zhaoxi sat cross-legged on the floor, watching Lu Zhao play with the cat.

“Not yet? Then what kind of name do you plan to give her?”

Ji Zhaoxi pondered. “Hmm… I haven’t thought of one. Why don’t you name her?”

Lu Zhao’s eyes widened slightly. She said hesitantly, “This is your cat. Is it appropriate for me to name her?”

“It’s appropriate. After all, you’ll likely be the one taking care of her most of the time,” Ji Zhaoxi’s voice softened considerably.

Lu Zhao looked down at the pleasing kitten, and as if on cue, the kitten gave a small “meow” at her. Lu Zhao instantly lost all resistance.

“She looks quite plump, how about calling her Tangyuan (Glutinous Rice Ball)?” Lu Zhao’s hand rested on Tangyuan’s head, her fingers sinking into the soft fur, her heart softening along with it.

“Okay, then her name is Tangyuan.” Ji Zhaoxi also reached out to stroke Tangyuan’s back, then added, “To make it easier for you to care for Tangyuan, you should move in. Terminate your current lease.”

“Huh? Move in here?”

Ji Zhaoxi’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked in confusion, “If you don’t move in, how can you conveniently care for Tangyuan? I can’t have you carrying her back to your place, right? Then I wouldn’t have a cat to sleep with me.”

Lu Zhao: “…”

She actually wanted Tangyuan to sleep with her?

Seeing Lu Zhao’s hesitation, Ji Zhaoxi’s hand stroking Tangyuan paused for a moment before returning to normal.

“Is it inconvenient?”

“No!” Lu Zhao quickly denied it and nodded. “I’ll go back and pack my things to move in over the next few days.”

Actually, moving in was the best solution, as the environment here was certainly better for the cat than her current place. Her earlier hesitation was only because she was a bit reluctant to leave the grandpas and grandmas who had looked after her. But on second thought, she could always go back to visit them frequently, so she agreed.

Hearing Lu Zhao agree to move in, Ji Zhaoxi lowered her eyes slightly, a light smile playing on her lips.

“Hungry? Let’s have dinner first.” Lu Zhao rubbed Tangyuan’s head and stood up, leading Ji Zhaoxi to the dining room.

Looking at the table full of dishes, Ji Zhaoxi asked, “Are you tired?”

Initially, Lu Zhao didn’t understand, but she quickly realized—was Ji Zhaoxi asking if she was tired from cooking all this?

A proud smile spread across Lu Zhao’s face. She winked at Ji Zhaoxi and intentionally said in a cloying voice, “Are you worried about me? I knew it, you aren’t indifferent to me at all!”

She ended with a melancholy sigh, as if lamenting her own boundless charm.

Ji Zhaoxi remained expressionless, simply staring at Lu Zhao.

Being stared at like that, Lu Zhao was fine at first, but after a while, she became uncomfortable. She quickly said, “I’m talking nonsense! You’re just being a kind and beautiful person!”

Ji Zhaoxi retracted her gaze and went into the kitchen to wash her hands.

As she passed Lu Zhao, Lu Zhao thought she heard a faint “humpf.” She looked closely, but heard nothing more, casting a suspicious glance at Ji Zhaoxi.

Would she really make such a “tsundere” sound?

In the end, she didn’t think too much about it. She followed Ji Zhaoxi into the kitchen to wash her hands and then brought out the pot of soup.

Lu Zhao dutifully served a bowl of soup for Ji Zhaoxi. “Try it. Is the flavor right?”

Ji Zhaoxi took a sip and nodded. “It’s good.”

The expression on Lu Zhao’s face instantly became smug. She believed her cooking was the best thing she had, aside from her face and acting skills, and she truly enjoyed cooking.

At that moment, Tangyuan walked over to Ji Zhaoxi’s feet. Perhaps knowing it was she who brought her home, the cat instinctively felt closer to Ji Zhaoxi.

Ji Zhaoxi looked down into Tangyuan’s eyes. Tangyuan gave a delicate “meow.” Ji Zhaoxi was silent for a moment, then bent down to lift Tangyuan into her lap, saying seriously, “You can’t eat these things. I’ll feed you later.”

“Meow~”

Tangyuan sat obediently on Ji Zhaoxi’s lap, her two front paws resting on the table, her round eyes watching the food, yet she stayed still without causing trouble.

Lu Zhao watched this scene with jealousy. She wanted a cat in her lap too!

Halfway through the meal, Ji Zhaoxi could no longer stand Lu Zhao’s gaze, so she put Tangyuan down. Seeing that Ji Zhaoxi was no longer holding her, Tangyuan turned and walked toward Lu Zhao.

Seeing this, Lu Zhao was immediately overjoyed. She quickly picked up Tangyuan, who had just reached her feet, her expression exceptionally blissful. “Oh my, you little kitty actually have a bit of a conscience.”

Once familiar, Tangyuan wasn’t afraid of people at all. Her personality was clearly gentle and affectionate.

With a cat in her arms, Lu Zhao couldn’t focus on her meal. After quickly finishing a few bites of rice, she said she was full and immediately went to prepare dinner for Tangyuan.

Ji Zhaoxi watched her with some helplessness, but ultimately said nothing. After finishing her meal, she put down her chopsticks to help Lu Zhao.

Now, while Tangyuan was slowly eating her cat food, Lu Zhao was assembling a cat climbing frame.

Watching Ji Zhaoxi join in, Lu Zhao suddenly had a strange feeling. It felt as if Tangyuan was a cat they were raising together… it felt a bit like a couple…

Lu Zhao quickly pushed the thought out of her head. Think of anything, but don’t think about romance!

“President Ji, don’t you think we should find someone to seal the balcony windows?” Lu Zhao looked toward the balcony. Currently, the balcony windows weren’t sealed, and she was worried Tangyuan might fall if she got naughty.

“Yeah, I’ve already had someone contact them,” Ji Zhaoxi nodded. Since she had decided to raise a cat, she would naturally take responsibility.

Hearing this, Lu Zhao remarked, “I didn’t expect you to like cats. I thought you wouldn’t like pets like cats or dogs.”

Ji Zhaoxi looked up. “Why?”

She didn’t think she had ever expressed any dislike for them.

“Because of your germaphobia! After all, when you have a cat, there will inevitably be shedding. There will be cat hair all over the house!” Lu Zhao said matter-of-factly.

Ji Zhaoxi pursed her lips, her gaze sliding to Tangyuan, who was focused on eating. She said softly, “I’ll just clean a few more times.”

Compared to that, the cat was clearly more important, as was the meaning behind the cat’s existence.

“Spoken like a true owner!” Lu Zhao patted Ji Zhaoxi on the shoulder in approval.

Ji Zhaoxi remained expressionless.

With their cooperation, the climbing frame was soon built. Tangyuan, having finished dinner, seemed to love the frame; she jumped onto a spot and refused to move.

Lu Zhao lightly tapped Tangyuan’s pink nose with her fingertip and suggested, “Let’s take her out for a bath tomorrow?”

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” Ji Zhaoxi nodded.

Lu Zhao glanced at her but said nothing. After settling Tangyuan, Sister Li’s call came through.

“Lu Zhao, the handover is complete. You are now officially part of Ji’s Entertainment. You’ll be joining the film crew in three days. I’ll pick you up then. Get some good rest these few days and get into character.”

“Alright, got it.” Lu Zhao nodded. After hanging up the phone, she looked at Tangyuan, who had jumped onto her lap, and said wistfully, “Oh, Tangyuan, I’m really going to miss you!”

Before, she couldn’t wait to dive into a film set, and while she still felt that way, looking at this soft, cute little kitten made her truly reluctant to leave. They had only just met! If she left now, would the cat even remember her when she came back?

Ji Zhaoxi naturally heard this sentiment. She pursed her lips, a slight flicker of frustration crossing her eyes.

This cat had only just arrived and Lu Zhao was already attached; she had never seen Lu Zhao show such reluctance toward her.

Suddenly, Lu Zhao scooted over to Ji Zhaoxi’s side while holding the cat. She nudged Ji Zhaoxi with her elbow and said with a hint of bashfulness, “Earlier… you said my ‘licking’ was alright, didn’t you?”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

Her face turned a delayed shade of red.

Lu Zhao, however, didn’t notice. Seeing her silence, she asked again.

“Was it?”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…Yes.”

Her mind involuntarily flashed back to the scene from earlier. That body, which looked slender in clothes, was surprisingly well-defined underneath. Seeing it so suddenly felt like uncovering the tip of an iceberg.

Lu Zhao’s face also flushed slightly, but now wasn’t the time for shyness. She bit her lip and said in a low voice, “Since you said it was good, have you considered the dating show?”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…You’re certainly putting in a lot of effort for this dating show.”

Lu Zhao gave her a bashful smile. “Well, since you’ve seen everything anyway and that can’t be changed, I might as well make use of the situation.”

Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

Well, she’s honest.

“Baby! Things have already gone this far, are you still unwilling to take responsibility for me?” Lu Zhao wailed plaintively while clutching Tangyuan.

And Tangyuan, as if in agreement, let out two soft meows toward Ji Zhaoxi.

Ji Zhaoxi: “…”

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