After dinner, Gu Xi stretched lazily on the couch, feeling the lingering warmth of a freshly steamed bowl of rice still clinging to his stomach. Gu Lin, sitting across from him, picked up the remote and changed the channel without asking, eyes glued to some variety show neither of them were actually watching.
As usual, the living room felt like a stalemate—neither cold nor warm, neither close nor distant. Just... comfortably numb.
He got up first.
"I'll head to my room," he said casually.
"Mm."
As soon as he closed the door behind him, his phone buzzed.
[Incoming Call: Chang An]
He raised an eyebrow.
The tall basketball goddess of their school? That Chang An?
He picked up.
"Yo," he said, flopping onto his bed, voice relaxed. "Didn't expect a call from you."
There was a pause.
Then came her soft, straightforward voice.
"…What are you doing?"
Her tone wasn't cold or blunt, just… quiet, like a cat yawning mid-sentence. A warm indifference.
Gu Xi remembered—his system quest to ignore her had already been completed. +10 to charm in the bank. There was no need to cold-shoulder her anymore.
He also recalled how she'd been the one to save Daji from those punks. She didn't have to help, but she had.
"About that day," she said, almost reading his thoughts. "Sorry. I didn't ask if you were okay… I should've called earlier."
Gu Xi blinked.
Then chuckled softly.
"No need," he said. "If anything, I should thank you. Officially."
He paused, then added, "And about ignoring you in the library… Sorry about that too. I get that way when I'm deep in study mode. It's not personal."
Another pause on the other end.
Then her voice again.
"…Mn."
It was quiet again.
Then she said, as casually as ever—
"Then, I want to go on a date."
Gu Xi sat up straight.
"…Come again?"
"You said you'd do one thing for me," she replied. "Unless you meant something small."
His jaw tensed.
"…I was expecting you to ask for snacks. Not a whole date."
"Too late. Already asked."
"…I'm focusing on studying right now."
"You promised."
Gu Xi's mouth opened to protest, but—
[New Quest: "Date With The Dummy Cat"]
Option 1) Accept. Reward: +5 to [Charm]
Option 2) Reject. Penalty: Bad Fate
He stared blankly at the screen. "…Bad fate? Seriously?!"
Gu Xi really wanted to lodge a complaint with the system.
But, seeing no other choice—he selected Option 1.
"Fine, fine," he sighed. "I'm only free after 3 p.m. though. I've got a part-time job."
"…Job?"
He smirked. "Why the surprise? Don't get too curious now. I've got secrets too."
"Mn. That's fine."
A beat passed.
"…Central Aquarium," she said. "Already bought the tickets."
"Wait, I can pay for myself—"
"No."
She said it firmly. No room for negotiation.
"Alright," he laughed. "Guess I'll just bring myself then."
"…Good."
The call lingered a little longer as they exchanged a few more light words, her tone growing subtly lighter by the minute. Gu Xi couldn't help but feel that beneath her aloof exterior, Chang An was more human than anyone gave her credit for. Soft, direct, and unexpectedly considerate.
Kind of like the old cat he used to take care of in his past life—aloof, but always watching, always listening, and weirdly possessive when it counted.
He'd just set his phone down when a knock came at the door.
"…Come in."
Gu Lin walked in, slowly.
She glanced around the room.
It was… neat. Really neat. From the neatly arranged desk to the folded corner of the bed, it was unlike the usual pigsty she assumed boys lived in. Even the faint smell of lavender—Gu Xi's go-to body wash—made her hesitate.
This was a boy's room. A man's room.
Even if it was her little brother.
Gu Xi blinked at her sudden silence.
"Sis? What's up?"
She didn't answer immediately.
She paced a little. Then turned to face him, visibly conflicted.
Until finally, she let out a long breath and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Gu Xi," she said.
"I want you to quit your job."