Why bother with dating when you already have a cat?

Soon after, Wu Yong posted a screenshot in the brothers' group.

[Wu Yong]: What should I do? She said I still have to pay for the ski trip myself, and she secretly transferred 500 yuan to me.

[Kong Fugui]: If she transfers money to you privately, just accept it. We don't know about it publicly, so everyone assumes that you paid for both of them and that the relationship is tacitly accepted.

[Kong Fugui]: If she really felt it was inappropriate, she could have just said it in the group chat. Judging from the current situation, she has obviously already accepted your relationship.

[Wu Yong]: Really?

[Kong Fugui]: I really want to punch you to death, is that even a question? Just enjoy your skiing trip.

Xiaoyu was looking at Ai Qing's WeChat messages with great interest.

"So there are so many intricacies involved?" Xiaoyu exclaimed after reading the chat history. "I feel like when I was dating my brother, there weren't so many things going on. If you liked someone, you could just say so directly."

"It's not that simple." Ai Qing pinched her cheek and chuckled. "No one knows another person 100%, and our relationship can't be simply applied to others."

"To say you like someone directly is like facing an enemy and immediately laying down your weapons and lying on the ground to be slaughtered. All your flaws and weaknesses will be exposed to the enemy."

"The consequence of doing this is that you can only gamble that the other person is a good person, otherwise you will be the one who gets hurt."

Little Fish listened thoughtfully, then chuckled, "Then Little Fish is the luckiest one, brother, you're such a good person."

"Thank you for the compliment." Ai Qing shook her head and chuckled, patting her head. "Let's go, it's time for dinner."

……

In the following two or three days, relatives held banquets one after another, and Ai Qing took Xiao Yu with her parents and grandparents to attend several banquets.

As a result, Grandma and Mom brought back a huge pile of uneaten food from the banquet.

The amount of leftover food at home has not decreased, but has instead increased.

Big pig's trotters, seafood shellfish, and even a whole braised fish that hadn't been touched were all brought home.

There's no shortage of vegetables for the time being.

Meanwhile, Xiaoyu also made her appearance among Ai Qing's relatives, and everyone knew that the boy from Ai Zhongguo's family had found a girlfriend and brought her home.

In an instant, Ai Qing became the "perfect child" in everyone's eyes, making the older, unmarried relatives feel incredibly inadequate.

Seriously, even things like this are getting more and more complicated.

Who brings a girl home right after graduation?

It's too much!

While the older siblings gritted their teeth at Ai Qing, the elders were quite envious and admiring.

Xiao Yu was led around by Lang Xiangying and introduced to each of Ai Qing's relatives. After going around the group, she knew all of Ai Qing's relatives by heart.

So much so that when Ai Qing met some relatives and didn't know what to call them, Xiao Yu would secretly tell him, "This one is called cousin-in-law, that one is called cousin-uncle, and there's also second uncle, eldest uncle, second aunt..."

To be honest, Ai Qing often didn't know how to address these relatives, and he couldn't understand how Xiao Yu remembered them all...

However, Ai Qing did recognize the uncle who was the village chief.

After the meeting, at Ai Zhongguo's suggestion, Ai Qing specially pulled Xiao Yu over to offer a toast.

They are quite familiar faces.

On the evening of the 4th, when Ai Qing hosted a dinner party at his own home and invited his uncle over, Ai Zhongguo finally brought up the matter again with him after the meal.

Ai Qing didn't know the specifics of their conversation.

All he knew was that before his uncle left, he patted him on the shoulder with a smile and said he would see him again after the New Year. Then Ai Zhongguo took Ai Qing's hand and escorted him all the way to the underground parking garage before stopping.

"Dad, what do you mean?"

Watching her uncle's car drive away, Ai Qing couldn't help but ask.

"More or less." Ai Zhongguo took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth and said, "I'll have a meal with my childhood friend after the New Year, and that should be about right."

"When the time comes, have Xiaoyu cooperate with the investigation, and those of us who are close to her should also cooperate in recording it."

"Once your uncle's side is settled, gather more evidence of her life and proof, and that should be enough."

At this point, Ai Zhongguo looked at Ai Qing: "Xiaoyu's online account, like some of her live stream videos, the kind with her voice."

"You can also prepare things like photos of her working at the cat cafe beforehand, as they will be useful information later."

"Okay." Ai Qing nodded. "I understand."

"You go up first," Ai Zhongguo said, then waved his hand. "I'll have a smoke before I go up."

Ai Qing strolled upstairs, then took Xiao Yu's hand and went back to the bedroom, feeling rather cheerful.

Seeing Ai Qing's happy expression, Xiao Yu's heart also began to fill with anticipation: "Brother, so is there any hope for my ID card?"

"Well, it should be pretty close to the truth. My dad is very reliable in this regard."

Ai Qing carried the little fish back to bed and couldn't help but imagine the future, "Once you have an ID card, many things will be easier."

"How about I take you traveling all over the country after the weather warms up in spring?"

"Before, you couldn't take the high-speed rail or the plane because you didn't have an ID card. This time, I'll take you to experience it properly."

"Okay~" Little Fish also started to look forward to it, snuggling in Ai Qing's arms, her mind already imagining the wonderful life in the future.

But as it huddled in, the little fish eventually shrank inside the blankets.

Soon, Ai Qing hissed and pressed down on the blanket, her eyes darting around as she stared at the ceiling.

Then his gaze fell and he saw the little fish's cat tail sticking out from under the covers at the foot of the bed, swaying back and forth.

……

On the morning of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Ai Qing stood by the roadside, yawning.

Next to it was a little fish wearing a snow-white down jacket.

She also wore a fluffy earmuff to cover the cat's ears and save a little heat.

At the newly opened supermarket, Ai Lisong stood at the entrance and greeted Xiaoyu: "Come in before the car arrives, and bring some snacks with you. Xiaoyu, help yourself to whatever you want to eat."

"Okay~ Thank you, Grandpa~" Little Fish hopped into the supermarket and started picking out snacks.

Ai Qing glanced at the WeChat group.

[Xiao Youqian]: The minibus will arrive at the entrance of the community around 7 o'clock. Are you all up yet? @Everyone

[Kong Fugui]: What's the rush? It's only 6:30.

[Wu Yong]: I've already picked up Qiaohe. We'll be at the entrance of your community soon. Let's have some breakfast together first.

Upon seeing this, Ai Qing's eyes lit up, and she began tapping on her phone screen.

[Ai Qing]: Lao Wu, come over here and let's eat together. Xiao Yu and I are waiting here too.

[Xiao Youqian]: If you're all up, I'll call the driver to come early, I'll be going downstairs soon too.

[Li Qiqi]: I'm here too! I'll be there in five minutes!

[Kong Fugui]: Damn! Didn't you see there's still someone lying in bed?

[Xiao Youqian]: You guys probably don't even need five minutes to get up, get dressed, and wash up, right? Hurry up.

[Kong Fugui]: This is terrible! Who said we were leaving at seven o'clock? Can't we leave a little later in the dead of winter?

[Xiao Youqian]: Instead of complaining, you should get up now, or I'll call your mom.

[Kong Fugui]: You've got it! You dare delete my mom? You deserve to die.

A short while later, a group of seven people gathered at the entrance of the residential area.

The driver would arrive in about ten minutes, so the seven of them sat down at a breakfast shop next door and each ordered a breakfast to fill their stomachs.

"Did you all bring your swimsuits?" Xiao Youqian asked with a smile. "Don't forget, I'm really looking forward to going to the hot springs."

"I brought them, I brought them," Kong Fugui said, slurping his noodles. "I'm still waiting to see the pretty girls soaking in the hot springs."

"Heh, do you think we girls aren't pretty?" Xiao Youqian sneered.

"No way, but wildflowers always smell sweeter than garden flowers." Kong Fugui shook his head repeatedly. "You guys see them all regularly, but the other girls are different. Meeting them at the hot springs is fate. How could I let that chance slip away?"

Ai Qing, standing beside her, smirked and said, "You really are better at talking than singing."

"Heh." Kong Fugui glanced at him. "Those who are already immersed in the world of gentle pleasures will never understand."

Chapter 221 Snow

"Brother, eat this."

On early mornings in early February, white breath could be seen coming out of one's mouth when speaking.

Xiao Yu picked up a small steamed bun, dipped it in the vinegar dish, and then stuffed it into Ai Qing's mouth.

Ai Qing, who was eating wontons, took a bite of a xiaolongbao with a vinegar flavor. With one bite, the sourness of the vinegar and the savory juice inside the xiaolongbao mixed together, which was not only refreshing but also delicious.

Although both are meat wrapped in skin, wontons and xiaolongbao have different flavors.

Ai Qing swallowed the steamed bun in her mouth, then took a spoon and ladled two mouthfuls of hot soup for Xiao Yu, who was eating noodles, to moisten her mouth.

Kong Fugui, watching this scene from the opposite side, clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Li Qiqi, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious, having developed a strong immunity to such scenes.

After all, they had been eating lunch together at the cat cafe every day before, and the two of them had done even more outrageous feeding things, so Li Qiqi didn't care anymore.

Meanwhile, Wu Yong and Xie Qiaohe, who had just confirmed their relationship, would occasionally glance at the intimate actions of Ai Qing and Xiao Yu, who were deeply in love. Then, they would inadvertently exchange glances, and then look away shyly.

However, it's unclear whether Kong Fugui's cyber military training session with Wu Yong last night had any effect.

After much deliberation, Wu Yong picked up a fried dumpling and placed it in Xie Qiaohe's bowl.

Xie Qiaohe whispered thank you, picked up a fried dumpling and ate it in small bites.

Sitting opposite her, Xiao Youqian watched this scene with a smile, thoroughly enjoying herself.

For Xie Qiaohe, everyone present was a stranger. Even though they had been chatting in the group for several days, she had never met them in person.

Therefore, in such an environment, Wu Yong, as the person she was most familiar with, naturally made her feel a sense of security.

Ai Qing doesn't usually understand these tricks, but she couldn't resist Kong Fugui's endless chatter in the group last night.

It's clear that this seasoned guy really knows how to understand and manipulate girls' psychology.