Chapter 31: Enemy wants visitation rights

Cooper, that simple-minded, innocent, and greedy cat, was truly lured by Lin Huaixu’s whipped cream.

It ignored the stroking from this ‘stranger’ before it, stretching its neck and extending its tongue to lick with abandon inside the small paper cup.

With her child eating happily, Tong An’yu had no choice but to hold him in that position.

The back of Lin Huaixu’s hand, with its faint blue veins, repeatedly approached her, then moved away.

She felt like she had truly become a fish, watching the bait before her eyes move closer and then farther away.
She could only suppress her desire to take the hook with all her might, forcing herself to recall the foolish things she had done in the past.

It was the Si Corporation that caused him to lose the privileged life he had since childhood.

It was the Si Corporation that caused him to be unable to continue his studies at Stanford, wasting three years of his life.

It was the Si Corporation that caused his mother and son to be separated, unable to see each other for years.

These past events were like thorns plunged into her heart.

As time went on, they plunged deeper and harder, eventually merging with her flesh and blood, becoming indistinct.

She couldn’t be so naive as to believe that her importance in Lin Huaixu’s heart could outweigh these hardships.

What’s more, Lin Huaixu had never really loved her that much in the first place.

Lin Huaixu suddenly reached out, his index finger cradling her chin, his thumb gently wiping the corner of her lips.

“Don’t move.”

Tong An’yu’s mind went blank.

The words of self-consolation she had just told herself were like dye on paper, dissolving the moment they were soaked in water, turning into a muddled mess, stirred together, impossible to distinguish.

Why would a fish take the hook?
Doesn’t the fish know it’s a trap?

Can a living being truly fight against physiological needs?

“Cat hair.”

Lin Huaixu released his hand and continued to stroke Cooper, as if nothing had just happened.

‘Was that a little ambiguous just now?’

‘No, I must be lovesick.’

‘Maybe a cat hair was really about to get into my mouth, and my nemesis only reached out because he couldn’t bear to watch.’

‘I’m really being narcissistic now, thinking that just because someone smiles at you, they want to be ambiguous with you.’

While Tong An’yu was experiencing a world-shaking turmoil, Lin Huaixu had already calmly finished feeding a cup of cream.

Cooper used his paws to bat at the cream stuck on his whiskers, then licked it into his mouth bit by bit.

As soon as he finished the tasty treat, he no longer allowed Lin Huaixu to touch him.

He turned his body and hissed at Lin Huaixu’s palm, utterly heartless.

When Lin Huaixu tried to pet him again, he twisted in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree spiral.

This forced Lin Huaixu to constantly change the position of his hand, sometimes in front of Tong An’yu’s eyes, sometimes at her side.

The small patch of shadow cast by his palm also swayed erratically in front of Tong An’yu’s face.

She really didn’t know if it was the cat being teased or her.

“It’s getting late, so I’ll—”

Just as Tong An’yu was about to take her leave with the cat, someone suddenly called out uncertainly, “Is that CEO Lin?”

Tong An’yu’s words were interrupted.
Lin Huaixu straightened up and turned his head to look.

His expression was very calm.

He seemed to have thought for a moment, recognized the person’s identity, and then smiled as he walked up, extending his hand.
“Boss Han.”

“You’re too kind, too kind. What kind of boss am I?”

Han Ting was quite happy to be recognized.
Lin Huaixu had been in the spotlight for the past two years, and PetParty was about to go public on the A-share market.

Everyone hoped to have a few big shots like him in their circle of friends.

“If you’re not a boss, then who’s pocketed all my spending at the plum garden since I was a child?” Lin Huaixu retorted.

Han Ting was even happier, patting his arm forcefully and joking, “Then it’s definitely not me. I would never take CEO Lin’s money.”

“I’ll take you at your word.”

Han Ting laughed heartily.

“Alright, alright. From now on, when CEO Lin comes to the plum garden, it’s on me.”
He then changed the subject.

“But you’ll have to help me promote my new pet restaurant for free, CEO Lin.”

“Then it seems I’ll have to eat at the plum garden a few more times.”

Neither of them cared about such small amounts of money.

A little strategic give-and-take could bring relationships closer faster.

Tong An’yu held her cat and silently sipped her Frappuccino.

Lin Huaixu and Han Ting weren’t far from her, but there were four young people having a meeting at the next table.

She couldn’t hear what Lin Huaixu was saying at all, only seeing that his body language was natural and his smile was just right.

She once again admired Lin Huaixu’s ability.

He could always adapt to any environment and integrate into it perfectly.

Perhaps she was a cut above Lin Huaixu in academics and scientific research, but in terms of social skills and networking, she was far inferior.

Han Ting stole a glance at the girl holding a cat and drinking coffee.

He had seen her from afar just now.

The girl was sitting, while Lin Huaixu stood beside her, feeding the cat in her arms.

To have CEO Lin bend down like that was a rare sight indeed.

Han Ting asked in a low voice, “Is this the hard-to-please girlfriend you mentioned in the interview?”

Lin Huaixu followed his gaze, his eyes becoming soft and gentle.

He then replied, “Yes.”

‘She was once, and she must be in the future.’

Han Ting said, “No wonder CEO Lin is so devoted.”

She looked very young, with delicate and lively features, but being by Lin Huaixu’s side, she didn’t have the cheap feel of a vase at all.

Han Ting considered himself a good judge of character.

This girl either came from a very noble background or had outstanding abilities, which was why she could…

After a brief chat, Han Ting said, “I won’t disturb you two anymore. I’m going to buy the limited edition for my kid.”

Lin Huaixu bid him farewell and turned back to Tong An’yu.

“Let’s go.”

Go?

Go where?

Tong An’yu was puzzled, and so was the cat.

“To pick up the cleaned suit,” he said.

“The suit…”

Realizing it was the one she had vomited on, she suddenly felt a bit awkward.

“How much is the cleaning fee? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“I don’t know. It was a custom gift from a friend.”

Tong An’yu felt even more ashamed.
It was a gift from someone else.

She had originally intended to part ways with her nemesis and just transfer the money later, but now she felt too embarrassed to say it.

“Alright then.”

“You have a car?” Lin Huaixu asked.

“Yes.”

“Mm, then give me a ride.”

“…”

Tong An’yu began to suspect, did her nemesis drag her along just to hitch a ride?

The driver had been waiting by the roadside for much longer than a while before he saw Tong An’yu appear, holding the giant Cooper.

But there was someone with her.

He looked closely and found him really familiar.

Wasn’t this the poor student who had tricked their young miss into taking a taxi back then?

He had even brazenly taken the suit jacket that was draped over the young miss.

He had followed behind in the car, watching the young miss happily skip all the way home after parting with him, still wearing her expensive evening gown.

Why was this person here again?

The driver opened the car door for Tong An’yu.

Tong An’yu struggled to get in with the cat and said to him, “Uncle, take us to Jinbao Street.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The driver was just about to welcome Lin Huaixu into the passenger seat when he saw Lin Huaixu very self-consciously walk around, open the door himself, and sit down next to Tong An’yu.

The driver: “…”

‘Mr. Si, Mrs. Tong, the house has been robbed again!’

The moment Lin Huaixu sat down beside her, Tong An’yu immediately felt different.

It was as if a magnetic field was at work on her left side.

Every cell of her skin tingled.

Heavens, if the media in Shenzhen-Hong Kong knew that Lin Huaixu was in the car of the Si Corporation founder’s daughter, wouldn’t it be front-page news for three days straight?

Cooper seemed to be accepting Lin Huaixu’s presence a little.

He tilted his head to look at him, his tail sweeping back and forth, sometimes resting on Lin Huaixu’s trousers, sometimes sweeping between Tong An’yu’s legs.

It was like some kind of medium, connecting her body temperature with his.

Tong An’yu deeply regretted not driving a car with separate seats.

“Where on Jinbao Street?”

“Number 163.”

The driver pulled out of the parking space and headed towards Jinbao Street.

Tong An’yu turned her head to the right, deliberately looking at the scenery outside the window.

But with her nemesis so close, his scent so distinct, it was just burying her head in the sand.

She licked her dry lips, suddenly realizing this was the spot her nemesis had just touched, and quickly retracted her tongue.

During this time, Lin Huaixu’s phone buzzed with messages from time to time, but he never once opened it to deal with them.

Half an hour later, the car arrived in front of a shop called LONGCUT on Jinbao Street.

Tong An’yu wasn’t familiar with this custom suit brand, but for it to be located on Jinbao Street, it must have some weight.

The cat was left in the car.

They got out and entered the shop, where a receptionist greeted them and handed them two glasses of the brand’s special mint water.

“What kind of suit would you two like to have custom-made?”

Lin Huaixu took out a business card.
“The one that was sent for cleaning earlier.”

The receptionist took the card, saw the title on it, and immediately looked up to size up Lin Huaixu.

Then she quickly handed the card to the manager.

The manager didn’t even need the card and came over with a smile.

“Mr. Lin, why did you come in person?”

“I had time this weekend.”

Lin Huaixu sat on the sofa, his left knee crossed over his right leg.

“How much is the cleaning fee?” Tong An’yu got straight to the point.

The manager said, “That… will be two thousand two hundred yuan. We have already ironed it for you.”

Tong An’yu quickly took out her phone.
“I’m the one who dirtied it. I’ll pay.”

“Just consider it this month’s child support,” Lin Huaixu suddenly said.

His posture was no longer relaxed, and the knuckles of the hand holding the water glass turned white from the force.

“From now on, every month, and for the past seven years, I will make it up.”

Tong An’yu stared at him blankly, her hands a little unsteady on her phone.

“What do you mean by—”

“I want visitation rights.”

Lin Huaixu looked directly at her, his eyes deep and heavy, not moving away for a long time.

That gaze was overstepping, presumptuous, like an army at the city gates, waiting only for the call to charge, or for the city gates to be opened willingly.

‘My nemesis misses Cooper that much?’

‘Is it because he was the first cat?’

‘Visitation rights… doesn’t that mean he wants to come to my house?’

Tong An’yu’s breathing was not very steady.
This question was not like math or physics; there was no standard answer, and she didn’t dare to give one easily.

“You… haven’t you had any other cats all these years?”

“No.”

Lin Huaixu’s reply was quick and frank.

“You’ve built such a big pet short video platform, you see all kinds of celebrity cats every day, and you never thought of getting one?”

Tong An’yu couldn’t believe it.

“No.”

Tong An’yu felt her blood flow speed up.
Her chest felt warm, an unavoidable feeling of being touched.

He remembered the little cat they rescued together, and he didn’t have any other cats.

Did this mean… Cooper wasn’t a child from a single-parent family?

He had the complete love of both his mom and dad?

“Two thousand two hundred is not enough,” Tong An’yu muttered under her breath.

Lin Huaixu raised an eyebrow.

“Cooper’s monthly expenses are twelve thousand.”

There were little toys, little snacks, imported cat food, top-tier cat litter, and even courses at a cat academy.

Lin Huaixu smiled.

“Alright, I’ll cover it all.”

Tong An’yu felt in a daze that she was talking to the university-aged Lin Huaixu.

They had returned to a time when they didn’t know each other’s identities.

Lin Huaixu was always left speechless by her, and then he would chuckle with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Like when she gave him uncooked dumplings, or when she was thinking about kissing his fingers while he was teaching Python, or when she tried to reach into the pocket of his jeans.

“You pay half. I’ll put in a good word for you with him. I hope he can accept you sooner.”
Divorced parents should settle accounts clearly.

She would never take advantage of anyone.

“I thank you for that,” Lin Huaixu said.