Unexpected Reunions and Shared Beds

“Ah, hahaha, how could that be? With my build, no one could possibly bully me.”

“Son, let me tell you, people in big cities can be cunning. You need to be careful and avoid offending anyone.”

Lin Yi exhaled slowly, feeling his entire being relax.

After this brief interaction, he found the woman’s personality strikingly similar to his own mother’s, which naturally eased many of his concerns.

“Mom, I know. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“That’s good then.”

After exchanging pleasantries, his mother finally noticed the cage Lin Yi was carrying.

“What’s this?”

“Mom, didn’t you say there were rats in the warehouse recently? I brought you a professional.”

With that, Lin Yiting took the cat carrier and placed the three kittens on the counter.

The lazy little cats, sensing a change in their surroundings, immediately shed their languid expressions. Their large eyes were filled with wariness.

His mother scrutinized the kittens, then tentatively reached out a hand. The kittens were remarkably well-behaved, showing no hostility towards the middle-aged woman’s outstretched hand.

One even rose to rub against her hand, as if it instinctively understood her relationship with Lin Yi and Lin Yiting.

“Did Mom buy them?”

“No, they’re strays.”

“Stray cats?”

His mother felt a flicker of doubt, as stray cats usually weren’t so affectionate towards humans.

“These cats are quite spiritual, just a bit lazy,” Lin Yiting explained, discerning the confusion in her eyes.

“Stray cats in the city don’t catch mice, do they?”

“I’ll buy some sticky traps and put them near the holes. There’s no need for all this trouble,” the elderly mother mumbled, stroking a kitten.

“Mom, this orange kitten will stay here. We can’t keep too many cats in the city; there isn’t enough space.”

“Hmm… alright. I’ll discuss it with your grandma later. You two can take the cats over there. While you’re at it, check in on them; they’ve been missing you both.”

“Understood.”

****

After lingering at the supermarket for a while, the two left with several bags and headed towards the other end of the town.

The town wasn’t large, and their old home wasn’t far. Before long, a two-story house came into view.

The house boasted a sizable courtyard, where a few withered saplings could faintly be seen.

This building had stood for countless years. Though it had been renovated several times, it couldn’t hide the pervasive sense of age that clung to it.

Lin Yiting stepped forward and knocked on the slightly dusty main door.

A voice of an elderly woman drifted from inside. Soon after, a person emerged from the front door of the two-story house. She was about 1.6 meters tall, draped in a dust-laden cotton jacket.

Her reddish-grey hair floated in the evening breeze, and despite her aged face, one could still discern traces of her youthful beauty. Had this old woman been young again, her looks would undoubtedly have been stunning.

“Grandma, we’re back.”

Upon hearing their voices, the old woman paused. She switched on her flashlight and shone it towards the door. Their faces, illuminated by the beam, were particularly striking.

“Old man, our grandchildren are back! Stop fiddling with that broken TV!”

“Eh, alright, alright. Young people these days all love to make their way in the big city. If they really came back, I’d eat that TV!”

“Why make such excuses? If you don’t want to watch TV, just say so.”

The old woman put down the flashlight, a surge of anger rising in her heart, and turned back inside.

The two standing at the entrance exchanged glances, both chuckling in unison.

Shortly after, the old woman, dragging the old man by his ear, opened the iron gate.

“Come, look who it is!”

“Didn’t you say you’d eat the TV? I’m going to watch you eat it today.”

“I was just joking! Come, come, come inside quickly, don’t let the children get cold.”

After ushering Lin Yi and Lin Yiting into the house, the handsome old man acted as if nothing had happened, resuming his work on the television.

Having changed his shoes, Lin Yi stood at the entrance, surveying his surroundings.

Upon entering, a corridor stretched ahead. Rooms on either side led to the left kitchen and the right kitchen. Beyond the kitchen doors, a spacious living room awaited.

The expansive living room held only a large table and a few small cabinets. This living room alone was larger than Lin Yi’s entire rented apartment combined.

To the left of the living room was the stairwell, leading directly to the second floor. To the right was a bedroom, with a bathroom situated next to it.

Lin Yi involuntarily swallowed. He had initially assumed the protagonist’s family was quite poor, but seeing this house, he realized that this family was only relatively poor.

Compared to truly wealthy families, this one might not be much. However, against average households, it was quite impressive.

“You two, you didn’t even tell us you were coming back! We haven’t prepared your room yet.”

The old woman tidied the table and chairs, intending to fetch them some food from the kitchen.

“Grandma, it’s late. Don’t bother. Lin Yi and I already ate on the way.”

“Oh, you’ve eaten. Then I’ll go prepare your room. You must be tired from the journey.”

Lin Yiting rubbed her forehead helplessly. That’s just how elders were; they couldn’t sit still.

“Grandma, I’ll help you.”

Ascending from the first to the second floor, the layout was largely similar to downstairs. The living room was smaller, but there was an additional balcony and two bedrooms.

Each room was roughly the size of a rented apartment’s living room.

A double bed occupied the center of the room.

Near the door stood a wardrobe that reached the ceiling.

Tucked between the wardrobe and the large bed were a computer desk and a dressing table.

Lin Yi, having just finished his tasks, lay on the double bed, his face etched with exhaustion.

The large bed was incredibly comfortable. Just lying on it brought a wave of drowsiness.

Yawning, Lin Yi burrowed under the covers, preparing for a good night’s sleep.

Just then, the other side of the blanket was suddenly pulled back, and a gust of cold air instantly filled the bed.

Lin Yi shivered, instinctively turning his head.

There, Lin Yiting, now in a set of pajamas, lay behind him, gazing at him with an innocent expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. With such a beautiful girl lying beside him, how could he possibly sleep?

“Sister, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for us to share a bed?”

Hearing this, Lin Yiting shrugged indifferently.

“Only one room was cleaned out, and it’s almost midnight. We can’t possibly clean another one now, can we?”

Lin Yi pondered this and conceded her point. But that didn’t mean they had to share a blanket, did it?

“Sister, why don’t you look for another blanket?”

“Oh, too lazy to look. I’m going to sleep.”

With that, Lin Yiting lay straight on the soft bed, leaving Lin Yi no chance to retort.

Thank you for the tips!