Chapter 9: An Accidental Kiss

Duan Yan’s intentions were not actually like that, but the accident still happened.

Those watery, amber eyes stared blankly at her, as if holding a pool of spring water, filled with dependence and expectation.

Who could resist this!

She lifted the cat up and began to pet it all over.

Because they were too close, and the little cat’s body twisted uncooperatively, in that one instant, Duan Yan felt her lips unexpectedly press against a moist spot.

‘Did she just kiss the little cat’s mouth?’

She had always thought the little cat’s mouth was very cute. The color in that area was very light, with a hint of white, like snow in a yellow rose, its whiskers trembling slightly.

But she felt she should wait a while longer before kissing the cat like this. Although they were very compatible, the time they had known each other was still too short.

Her thoughts about the cat were limited to petting and huffing. It wasn’t that she didn’t want more, but she didn’t dare to have any further ideas.

After all, when she found the little cat, it looked so pitiful. It must have been an abandoned kitten.

The little cat clearly enjoyed her intimate caresses; its body even bubbled with excited purrs, yet it still had to put on a show of resistance. But ah, when she wasn’t by its side, the little cat would get anxious and pace around, even following her when she went out, unwilling to be separated for a moment.

She guessed: ‘The little cat was probably abandoned by its owner for being too clingy, who then got a new pet. Otherwise, how could it have developed such a proud and aloof personality?’

“Hiss—”

‘How despicable!’

Song Jin was so furious she lifted her paw and swatted Duan Yan’s nearby face.

Of course, she was a person of quality. She didn’t forget to keep her sharp nails retracted, so as not to scratch Duan Yan’s skin.

The emotion that had just surged within her was not strange at all. It was clearly her brain’s warning: telling her to run away quickly.

‘Hooligan! Hooligan!!!’

‘Duan Yan isn’t her girlfriend, how could she kiss her!’

‘Her first kiss, sob sob sob…’

“Oh my, is the little cat hitting me?”

Hearing Duan Yan’s playful tone, Song Jin’s anger flared, and she swatted her two more times.

“I dare you to hit me two more times.”

Duan Yan, having been lightly swatted by the kitten, laughed and grabbed its paw, even using it to pat herself twice more.

‘It doesn’t even know to show its sharp claws when it hits someone. It just pats symbolically a couple of times, telling you, “Don’t do that, I’m not just any cat.”’

‘What a proud and aloof little cat,’ Duan Yan thought gleefully.

Song Jin was speechless. Did Duan Yan have some kind of strange fetish? She was still smiling happily after being hit.

‘She shouldn’t have hit her just now. Great, now it’s just rewarded her.’

Yuan Ya was delighted by this scene and teased, “Didn’t you say your little cat was very well-behaved? How come it’s slapping you in the face? There, there, don’t mind this bad woman.”

Song Jin agreed with this sentiment, nodding her head as if it were a matter of fact.

‘If this continues, sooner or later, her entire body will be touched all over by Duan Yan, letting her do as she pleases.’

‘Such a thing must absolutely not happen!’

“If my cat doesn’t let me pet it, who else can it let? You? Dream on,” Duan Yan childishly declared her sovereignty.

“You think I can’t just because you say so? I’m going to pet your cat no matter what.”

Yuan Ya gave Song Jin her signature gentle smile, her voice high and friendly.

“Come, let big sister pet you.”

For Song Jin, letting Duan Yan pet her was already her absolute limit. Although she strongly agreed with Yuan Ya’s words, letting her pet her was impossible.

Being forcefully cuddled by Duan Yan was a helpless measure, but if someone else wanted to touch her, then they couldn’t blame her.

‘I can’t hit Duan Yan, but I can still hit you, can’t I?’

Seeing Yuan Ya’s outstretched hand about to touch her, Song Jin unceremoniously showed her claws. A cold light flashed as she extended them.

“Hiss!”

“I told you, you can’t touch it. It only lets me pet it. It doesn’t even let Auntie Lian touch it.”

Duan Yan’s explanation was laced with veiled joy and satisfaction.

Yuan Ya smiled helplessly and muttered.

“Honestly. I was just speaking up for you, and I can’t even get one pet. You’re repaying kindness with ingratitude.”

“That’s just some fun between me and my cat. What would you know?” Duan Yan retorted playfully.

Yang Jun, hearing the conversation, felt as if she had found a companion and said sourly:

“This cat really recognizes its owner. It wouldn’t let me touch it last time either. It only lets Best Actress Duan pet it. I don’t know what kind of luck Best Actress Duan has.”

In the past, it was always Duan Yan who envied Yang Jun for having several little cats. Now the tables had turned, and Duan Yan was secretly thrilled.

After signing the actor’s contract with Yuan Ya, she had her manager go back, while she herself stayed to wait for Yuan Si to finish the auditions so they could have dinner together.

Director Yuan Si’s interviews finally came to a close. She arranged for a dinner and specially invited Duan Yan to join.

They chose a restaurant full of ethnic charm, with a unique atmosphere. Duan Yan sat in the outdoor area, and the restaurant had thoughtfully prepared a small chair for her beloved cat, placing it right beside her.

Not long after they sat down, Yuan Si snorted coldly.

“Hmph, last time I suggested you find a partner to accompany you, you said you’d think about it, and then you never came to see me again, did you?”

“I feel a little sorry for your grandmother. Such a lovely child, yet always so cold and aloof, doesn’t like to smile, when clearly…”

Yuan Si and Duan Yan’s grandmother were best friends. Now, seeing Duan Yan all alone, she couldn’t help but worry.

“That’s not it at all. I’ve just been really busy with work and couldn’t find the time. You really shouldn’t overthink it,” Duan Yan said with a faint smile.

Song Jin pricked up her ears, listening intently to their conversation.

She silently wondered, ‘Who could be worthy of Duan Yan?’

Worried that Duan Yan might listen to the advice and find a partner, she quietly extended a small paw and gently tugged at the hem of Duan Yan’s clothes, letting out a soft “Meow-wu~”.

“Are you hungry?” Duan Yan took out a ham sausage and held it in front of the little cat.

‘What? Still eating this stuff?!’

‘Fine, fine. You, Duan Yan, get to eat delicacies, while I only deserve ham sausage, is that it?’

“Meow!” Song Jin didn’t even look at the ham sausage in front of her, staring straight at the delicacies on the carved wooden table.

‘So hungry, I want to eat…’

Duan Yan naturally steered the conversation towards the cat, “Why don’t you like it anymore?”

“How about some fish? Cats all seem to like fish,” Yuan Ya suggested, turning the braised fish towards Duan Yan.

The aroma of the fish was fragrant. The tender fish meat glistened invitingly under the light, looking smooth and tender. It must be delicious…

Song Jin loved to eat fish, and for some reason, her whole family loved fish. It was probably genetic.

Song Jin stared at the plate of fish, somewhat tempted, especially after having eaten ham sausage for several consecutive meals. This fondness had turned into a craving.

Duan Yan didn’t feed the cat immediately. Instead, she opened WeChat and asked the vet from before. After getting an affirmative answer, she used her chopsticks to place a piece of fish on the table in front of the kitten’s chair.

Song Jin immediately began to wolf it down.

‘So fragrant, this is truly a delicacy of the mortal world…’

Duan Yan watched the little cat eating with gusto, a hint of softness appearing on her face.

The topic unknowingly shifted to acting. Song Jin pricked up her ears, preparing to listen to the masters share their private experiences so she could secretly improve.

When work was mentioned, Yuan Si’s expression changed. The corners of her mouth drooped, and she looked like she had been wronged.

“That young girl you recommended to Old Li last time was very good. Why didn’t you recommend one to me too? You clearly knew I was casting, yet you didn’t take the initiative. The skill level of the actors who came to audition was so uneven, it was tiring just to watch.”

As a member of the “uneven skill level” group, Song Jin took a stray bullet and felt a little sad.

But she couldn’t help but want to laugh. Thinking of Yuan Si’s usual stern face and comparing it to her current aggrieved look, the contrast was just too great.

It reminded her of how her grandmother would look when she was angry that she didn’t visit often. That cute, pouting expression warmed her heart.

But Song Jin was also very curious about who had received Duan Yan’s recommendation.

Yuan Ya was also suppressing a laugh at the side, silently watching her mother “challenge” Duan Yan, giving Duan Yan a look that said, “You can do it.”

“Not at all, it was just a good fit. I did want to recommend someone, but didn’t you reject her audition before?” Duan Yan said seriously, holding back a laugh.

“Oh? Someone you have your eye on, could I have misjudged?” Yuan Si was a little curious.

“It’s Song Jin, who just won the Magnolia Award for Best Newcomer a few days ago,” Duan Yan revealed the answer.

Hearing her own name, Song Jin froze for a moment. So Director Li Chengyue’s audition invitation was Duan Yan’s recommendation.

She never expected that in Duan Yan’s eyes, her acting skills were rated so highly. This sent an indescribable warmth through her heart.

However, as this surprise emerged, the memory of the awards ceremony also resurfaced.

Her provocative words towards Duan Yan in her acceptance speech, words filled with youthful arrogance, now seemed incredibly embarrassing to Song Jin in hindsight.

‘It turns out I was the clown.’

“So it was her. Her acting is indeed quite spirited. But I rejected her at the time for some reasons.”

Yuan Si frowned, lost in thought.

“What happened? Director Yuan can be biased too?” Duan Yan said in a huff, “I thought you were only like that with me. Today’s audition was just you taking out your private grudges on me.”

“Hmph, it was because you put me in a bad mood,” Yuan Si declared in a standard tsundere fashion.

“It was because that little girl was forced in. I was in a bad mood at the time and found fault with everything she did, so I eliminated her. But later, I did recommend her for other directors’ auditions.”

Yuan Si was not the type to not reflect on her actions. She frankly admitted her mistake.

As the person involved, Song Jin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So that was it. No wonder the director had such a stern face back then.

What she cared about most was why Duan Yan would recommend her. The Weibo post last time and this film recommendation couldn’t just be Duan Yan having a sudden burst of kindness, right?

But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why Duan Yan would help her.

In her impression, she and Duan Yan had no interactions.

After all, they weren’t good friends, but rivals in their careers. She longed to defeat Duan Yan, and Duan Yan also saw her as a competitor.

‘Wait, maybe Duan Yan never even considered her a rival.’

But judging from Duan Yan’s actions, it seemed her thoughts were all wrong.