Chapter 18: Revenge of the Fish Snacks

With the check-up complete and no other commitments for the day, Duan Yan carried the little cat home.

Song Jin sprawled lazily on the sofa, her mind beginning to scheme up a little revenge against Duan Yan.

She, Song Jin, had always been one to repay every grievance; she kept her accounts of kindness and animosity very clear.

Duan Yan had already been placated, and now it was her turn.

The scent of fish wafted through the air; it was dinnertime.

Song Jin couldn’t help but lick her lips, temporarily setting aside her revenge plot.

She sauntered gracefully toward the source of the aroma.

‘Dried fish snacks, here I come!’

Song Jin’s eyes lit up at the sight of the dried fish, but after carefully counting them, she realized something was wrong.

‘Why are there only half as many?’

Ever since Duan Yan discovered her love for fish, she had gone to great lengths to buy all sorts of dried fish snacks.

The storage room in the house held a large box filled with various kinds, and every day she would be fed twenty pieces, sometimes even a whole steamed fish.

Song Jin raised her head, her round, amber eyes looking at Duan Yan, full of confusion.

“Meow?”

‘What’s going on? Where’s my food?’

Duan Yan seemed to read the confusion in the little cat’s eyes and explained:

“Baby, because you ran off today, your dried fish snacks for this week are cut in half. You can only have ten a day.”

“Meow?”

‘This is going too far! Isn’t this matter already over?’

‘Docking my food? Is this something a human being should do?’

Duan Yan’s words made Song Jin furious.

She raised her paw and swatted it around without hesitation.

“Meow, meow, meow!”

But no matter how she threw a tantrum, Duan Yan resolutely refused to give her more food.

Even when she was being hit, Duan Yan took the opportunity to stroke her fluffy paws, seemingly not taking her little temper tantrum seriously at all.

‘How shameless!’

Song Jin had no choice but to eat the dried fish in front of her first, lest Duan Yan decide not to let her eat even those.

After finishing her meal, Song Jin brought out her superb acting skills.

If being forceful didn’t work, she would try being soft.

Her eyes, misty and as clear as glass beads, looked small, pitiful, and helpless.

Right now, she stared eagerly at Duan Yan, deliberately letting her ears droop, putting on the pitiful look of someone who had suffered a great injustice.

Any cat s*ave seeing such a sight would have their heart melt, guaranteed.

However, Duan Yan remained unmoved.

She patted her head as a gesture of comfort, but offered nothing more.

‘Detestable Duan Yan, taking advantage of me for nothing! Ugh, is this the pain of living under someone else’s roof?’

Seeing the little cat’s aggrieved appearance, Duan Yan did feel a pang of pity in her heart.

But the moment she thought about the cat not learning its lesson and getting caught by a bad person, her heart hardened once more.

‘Without some kind of punishment that the little cat fears, it won’t learn.’

“Do you understand now? As upset as you are right now, that’s how worried Mommy was when you ran off.”

Duan Yan hugged the wronged little cat, stroking its fur and patiently trying to guide it.

“You can’t do this again in the future, do you hear me? Mommy will worry.”

Duan Yan’s usually cold eyes held genuine concern, as if she truly regarded her as family.

This emotion caught Song Jin completely off guard.

Such a caring tone reminded her of the meticulous care her family had shown her when she was young, and a sour feeling welled up in her heart.

“Mewl~”

‘I know, so can you give me today’s dried fish snacks now?’

Song Jin put on a soft, sweet voice, begging meekly.

Duan Yan patted her head and gave her a piece of sausage.

Song Jin was very dissatisfied with the punishment Duan Yan had meted out.

Old grudges and new hatreds combined—this score had to be settled!

Her round eyes darted about, and with a flash of inspiration, a plan came to mind.

The next morning, Song Jin deliberately woke up early.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table; the hands pointed exactly to five-thirty.

Song Jin was very pleased with this time.

Though still sleepy, she forced herself to rally.

Whenever Duan Yan slept, she held her as tightly as a plush toy.

It took Song Jin a great deal of effort to crawl out of Duan Yan’s embrace.

Duan Yan was still deep in dreamland.

Her cool eyes were tightly shut, her crimson lips slightly parted, her breathing steady and even.

One had to admit, Duan Yan truly had the looks to make it in the entertainment industry.

Her bare face, even under close scrutiny, was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Her skin was as pure as driven snow, without a single flaw.

The coldness usually present in her eyes was gone, replaced by a gentle beauty, like a lotus flower that needed no adornment—naturally fresh and clean.

Her neck, white and slender like a precious piece of porcelain, was delicate and smooth, glowing softly in the morning light.

Its elegant curve extended down beneath the collar of her pajamas, as if silently tempting someone to leave their mark.

Obviously, Song Jin had no such thoughts about Duan Yan.

She had only one goal: to wake Duan Yan up as revenge for spanking her bottom yesterday.

She quietly moved closer to Duan Yan’s ear and began to harass her with a faint sound.

“Mewl~”

‘No more sleeping, get up for me, now!’

Duan Yan seemed to be disturbed by the sudden, faint noise, but she didn’t wake up.

Her eyelashes just trembled slightly.

Although Duan Yan didn’t get up, she made a new discovery.

Song Jin noticed that her ears were unusually sensitive.

With just a gentle puff of air, her ear would twitch involuntarily, like a falling petal swaying in a gentle breeze.

A smile crept into Song Jin’s heart; she decided to make good use of this.

She used her fluffy tail to lightly brush along the curve of Duan Yan’s earlobe.

As expected, Duan Yan’s ear twitched slightly.

She turned over, seemingly still lost in her dreams.

“Meow, meow!”

Song Jin increased her volume, determined not to give up until Duan Yan was awake.

When the continuous calls didn’t work, Song Jin grew a bit anxious.

She lifted her paw and gently patted Duan Yan’s face.

Of course, she was very careful to keep her claws retracted so as not to hurt Duan Yan.

In her sleep, Duan Yan felt a tickling sensation, as if something was gently tickling her ear.

Finally, the touch on her face made her slowly open her eyes.

Her eyelashes, like a resting butterfly, finally fluttered open under Song Jin’s expectant gaze.

She saw an adorable and warm little cat lying beside her, gently pawing at her as if waiting for her to get up.

Its amber eyes held a look of purity and innocence, like two sparkling gems with a special magic that made it impossible for anyone to get angry.

Duan Yan’s heart was instantly healed by this cuteness.

‘How could one not kiss a cat that presents itself so willingly?’

‘Cats are born to be kissed by their mommies!’

She scooped the little cat into her arms and couldn’t help but plant a kiss on its face.

The fluffy texture felt incredibly soft and lovable, like a ray of warm sunshine in winter, filling Duan Yan with a simple and pure happiness.

“Thank you, baby, so cute~”

A moist sensation spread across her face.

It was Duan Yan kissing her cheek.

Song Jin was stunned, her eyes wide.

‘Why isn’t she angry?’

‘Damn it, did I end up rewarding Duan Yan again?’

‘Sure enough, every single day here with Duan Yan, I’m the one being taken advantage of.’

Today was no exception.

Song Jin sighed silently.