Ye Zhi was stunned. So soon?
She could actually guess the reason for their sudden decision to send the cat over. However, she hadn't expected them to move so quickly.
"Okay," Ye Zhi agreed.
In the evening, Ye Yongxian and Liu Lingyu arrived at the Half-Mountain Villa.
Ye Zhi had specially cleared out a small room for the kitten. After Ye Yongxian brought all the supplies in, he immediately began assembling the cat tree.
Ye Zhi wanted to help but was sternly refused by him. Liu Lingyu pulled her aside and explained the kitten's habits and all the things that went into raising a cat.
Ye Zhi listened attentively, silently taking notes.
"Xiao Zhi, we've already sent out the other kittens of Little Orange. Only the one you liked the most could have been taken home long ago, but we kept making excuses to stop you from taking it..."
Liu Lingyu sighed, then continued, "You're usually too busy. We wanted you to come home more often, but we were afraid of disturbing you. So we kept the little tabby cat you liked, thinking that this way, you would come back more often because you wanted to see it..."
Ye Zhi's heart softened. She actually knew. That's why, even though she really liked that little tabby cat, she didn't forcefully take it away. Every time she went back to the Ye family to see the kitten, it was just a casual visit; in reality, she still wanted to see the Ye family members.
"Then why have you changed your mind now?" Ye Zhi asked with a gentle smile.
"Little Tabby is grown now, and after all, it's a male cat, not very suitable to stay by Little Orange's side..." Liu Lingyu said somewhat tactfully. "Cats are animals, after all, without human morals. But we humans definitely care. To avoid them doing something we can't accept, we can only send it to you."
Ye Zhi: Oh, this...
This was truly unexpected. It seemed she had to quickly give Little Tabby a sterilization package as a welcome gift. Otherwise, what would happen if it became a Casanova cat in the future?
"Also," Liu Lingyu said, avoiding her gaze, "your father and I want to go on a trip..."
"To Country K?" Ye Zhi asked calmly, not overly surprised.
Liu Lingyu quickly retorted, "No, no, it's not that. Your father and I want to travel around..."
"Alright, wife, it's best to tell the truth," Ye Yongxian said, walking over. He said in a deep voice, "Xiao Zhi is so smart, we can't hide anything from her."
Liu Lingyu sighed with some difficulty. Ye Yongxian took a deep breath and said resolutely, "Xiao Zhi, we've already decided to go to Country K to find your sister."
Ye Zhi nodded. "Okay, if you want to go, then go."
Ye Yongxian was taken aback. He had originally thought Ye Zhi would definitely object, but she agreed so easily.
He had prepared a lot of words to persuade Ye Zhi, but his train of thought was completely disrupted. He couldn't say anything.
Ye Yongxian thought she was being petulant. After a moment's thought, he continued, "Xiao Zhi, your sister has indeed made many mistakes, but she is my daughter after all. At the very least, I have to go to Country K to find her and confirm her safety.
Your mother and I have already decided. If we find her, and if she realizes her mistakes and is willing to turn over a new leaf, we will bring her back.
If she remains stubborn and continues to be entangled with Ou Minghan, then we have done our best for her. From then on, everything about her will be irrelevant to us!"
Ye Zhi listened patiently and couldn't help but feel touched. They were truly a pair of parents who loved their children dearly. It was a pity that Ye Qinya did not know how to cherish it.
They hadn't even considered what would happen if they couldn't find her. In their minds, as long as they couldn't find her, they would probably continue searching together.
"You can go and search with peace of mind. Remember to bring more bodyguards. Country K is not like our country; the security is not as good. Also, before the end of May, regardless of whether you find her or not, you must return." Ye Zhi said sternly.
"Why?" Liu Lingyu asked blankly.
"Yu Zhe's college entrance examination is in June," Ye Zhi sighed. "During such an important time, you must be by his side."
Thinking of Ye Yuzhe, who was about to take his college entrance examination, both of them seemed a bit moved. However, they also understood that Ye Zhi truly had no intention of stopping them.
"Okay, whether we find her or not, we will definitely be back before the end of May!" Ye Yongxian promised.
After seeing them off, Ye Zhi went to play with the long-haired little tabby cat for a while.
However, when she saw that the little tabby cat was not shy at all, and was even boldly starting to patrol its territory, she suddenly felt that her previous perception of this kitten was wrong.
Calm and quiet personality? Uncertain, let's wait and see.
She didn't expect the kitten to have two faces. This was completely different from how it acted when she played with it every time!
Ye Zhi thought about it and decided not to let it meet Qi Xuan for now. She had previously praised this kitten for being like Qi Xuan. What if Qi Xuan misunderstood and thought that in her eyes, he was such a lively, active, and lawless image? Wouldn't that be a big misunderstanding?
It was better to raise it for a while first, and then teach it.
The next day, Ye Zhi and Ye Yuzhe went to the airport to see their parents off. Liu Lingyu held Ye Yuzhe's hand, and they said many words of advice to him before reluctantly leaving.
After sending Ye Yuzhe back to school, Ye Zhi returned to Tao Xun for a visit.
In the evening, Ye Zhi excitedly returned to the Half-Mountain Villa. She didn't even go back to her own home, but went directly to Qi Xuan's place.
She walked into the living room as if she owned the place. Seeing Qi Xuan sitting on the sofa in the living room, Ye Zhi happily said, "Qi Xuan, I have a surprise for you!"
Surprise...
Upon hearing these two words, everyone's eyelids twitched.
The butler even looked at Ye Zhi nervously, but she hadn't brought any gifts today!
"Let's go to the study... Huh?! Why is it here?" As soon as she reached Qi Xuan, Ye Zhi saw her little tabby cat comfortably nestled in Qi Xuan's arms.
The little tabby cat looked up at Ye Zhi, then got up and shifted into a more comfortable position, settling down again.
Ye Zhi: ...Does this count as good feline manners or bad feline manners?
"Miss Ye, it's like this," the butler explained. "Today I went to clean your place and saw this little cat. It's very clingy and followed me back. We played with it for a while, and when it got tired, it found the most comfortable spot to rest..."
Ye Zhi: ...It really knows how to pick a spot.
"I'll take it back now," Ye Zhi said.
"No need," Qi Xuan said, reaching out to stroke the kitten's head. "I quite like it. By the way, does it have a name?"
"Yes!" Ye Zhi said happily. "I personally gave it its name, Zhao Cai!"
Everyone: ...
It was really not surprising at all.
"Zhao Cai, listen to me!" Ye Zhi said menacingly. "The outside world is very dangerous, do you know that? I'm going to lock you up when we get back! You're not allowed to run around anymore!"