Maimai Chapter 35

As the wedding date approached, Cheng Lin became determined to be in peak condition. He wanted to make a strong impression on Maimai’s social circle, so he began hitting the gym every day and sticking to a strict schedule.

Although he knew he should pace himself, his stubborn nature got the better of him. He pushed himself too hard, thinking he could accelerate his progress, and ended up twisting his right foot.

Fortunately, the family doctor came over and assured him it was just a mild sprain that would heal in a week.

Even so, Maimai was extremely worried. He had been at work when Cheng Lin called just before his shift ended, informing him that he was injured and couldn’t drive over to pick him up.

Injured! The panicked cat hurried home to find Cheng Lin leaning on the sofa, his foot bandaged and propped up on a low stool.

Maimai rushed over and asked, “How did this happen?” as if Cheng Lin had lost a leg or something.

“I twisted it while exercising.” Cheng Lin felt it wasn’t as exaggerated as it seemed. The pain wasn’t unbearable, and he could walk, though operating the brake and gas pedals was a challenge.

Maimai asked, “Does it hurt?”

Seeing the cat’s worried eyes, Cheng Lin decided to push his luck. He furrowed his brow and said, “Oh, it hurts.”

The kitty person sighed in distress, clearly unsure of what to do. “What should we do?”

Cheng Lin felt a sense of satisfaction at how much Maimai cared. “Kiss me twice. Maybe that’ll help it heal faster.”

“Will that really work?” Maimai reached up to his shoulder and leaned in to kiss Cheng Lin twice on the cheek. When Cheng Lin gave him a look, Maimai added a kiss on the lips. “Feeling better now?”

Cheng Lin felt comfortable all over and replied, “Much better. A good mood helps take your mind off physical pain.”

“How long will it take to heal?” Maimai asked anxiously, with only two weeks remaining until the wedding.

Cheng Lin could have reassured the cat with the recovery date, but instead, he said, “I’m not sure. Let’s hope it recovers soon,” his voice sounding frail.

Since he couldn’t walk properly, all the tasks that required moving around fell to Maimai. Whenever Cheng Lin wanted a glass of water, the cat quickly insisted he stay seated and fetched it himself. “Don’t move.”

And if Cheng Lin needed to go to the study, the cat was right there, helping him every step of the way.

Maimai pressed his head against Cheng Lin’s chest, hugging his wife’s waist from the side to offer support, his expression serious. Though Cheng Lin didn’t actually need the extra help, it felt good, like the cat was nuzzling up to him for a cuddle. It was the perfect display of intimacy, exactly what you’d expect from a married couple facing challenges together.

Having tasted the benefits, Cheng Lin felt extremely at ease and decided to push his luck. “Can you hold me a little tighter? I’m feeling weak.” The cat immediately complied, wrapping his arms around him even more snugly.

At this point, Cheng Lin became even more shameless. Despite only having a sprained foot, he acted as if he were partially paralyzed, fully embracing the role.

But when it came time to go to bed, Cheng Lin felt like he had been hit by a boomerang.

As he spooned Maimai from behind, he asked, “Didn’t we agree to do it tonight?”

Maimai’s estrus had long since passed smoothly, but even without those symptoms, the cat could easily get aroused by Cheng Lin’s scent and a few kisses. Maimai found comfort and pleasure in cuddling and kissing Cheng Lin, which deepened their bond. So, they had agreed to keep this activity as part of their routine—not that stopping was ever really an option.

“But your foot is like this!” Maimai turned to face him, his concern evident. “You need to rest properly.”

Cheng Lin stared at Maimai for a few seconds before slipping his hand under Maimai’s thin pajamas and squeezing his waist. “I don’t need my foot for this. What are you worried about?” He instantly regretted his earlier intensity.

The cat’s body softened at his touch, but he persisted, “I looked it up online. You need to drink lots of fish soup to get your nutrients. I’ll make some for you tomorrow.”

Cheng Lin was both touched and horrified at the thought of Maimai, who had never touched a stove, attempting to cook fish soup. “No, that’s not necessary.”

“It is.” Maimai snuggled into Cheng Lin’s arms and whispered, “You need to get better soon.” Otherwise, what would they do about the wedding?

Cheng Lin didn’t let him say another word. He withdrew his hand from Maimai’s pajamas, shifted his position, and pinned the cat down as he captured his lips in a kiss.

Maimai quickly melted into the kiss, his eyes turning dreamy. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Cheng Lin. “Alright, let’s do it. Just be careful.”

From start to finish, Cheng Lin kept his movements restrained. After the first annihilation, his sanity had somewhat returned. But as they began round two, Maimai pushed against his shoulder, as if to refuse.

Cheng Lin pretended to be deaf-mute and leaned in for another kiss. But the cat whispered, “Let me try doing it.”

The air conditioning struggled to keep up with the heat in the room, both of their foreheads glistening with sweat. Cheng Lin paused and asked, “How are you going to do it?”

Since Cheng Lin hadn’t moved, Maimai took a deep breath and answered, “The way it shows in the manual.”

Cheng Lin didn’t respond or pull out but gave Maimai a pat and then leaned back against the headboard.

Even with his face flushed, the cat remained serious about whatever he did.

Since their first time, they had been exploring this pleasure together as novices, and each experience brought new surprises.

It wasn’t long before the human took over, setting the pace.

All his hard work at the gym was finally paying off.

The next day was Maimai’s day off, and he publicly declared that he would take good care of Cheng Lin so he could recover as quickly as possible.

He made sure his wife was comfortably propped up against the headboard and insisted that he stay in bed to rest. Then, he marched straight into the kitchen.

Cheng Lin was genuinely concerned. On one hand, he didn’t like the idea of Maimai being near an open flame, especially since making fish soup required frying the fish first. What if hot oil splashed on the cat? On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if the cat had done his homework on cooking. Did he even know that the fish needed to be gutted and cleaned before cooking?

If the fish ended up being cooked with its liver, heart, and spleen still inside, and was then served as a hearty Ten Herbs Medicinal Soup, would he drink it or not?

After several rounds of negotiation, Maimai finally compromised and allowed Cheng Lin to clean the fish first. Since it was just the pre-processing, it wouldn’t affect Maimai’s claim over the fish soup’s naming rights.

During this time, Cheng Lin quickly instructed the cat to go to the balcony and bring in the laundry. He then asked the cat to fold and hang the clothes that needed it and to put them neatly into the closet.

The cat replied, “No problem, wife!” and immediately went to carry out the task.

It was the perfect opportunity. Cheng Lin kept a straight face as he grabbed a knife and began cleaning the fish. Once that was done, he continued working without pause. While the cat was occupied, Cheng Lin closed the kitchen door, turned on the exhaust fan, and heated the oil in the pan. With a sizzle, the fish and slices of ginger hit the pan.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Maimai, fully focused on folding clothes in the bedroom, quickly ran to answer the door when he heard the sound.

When he opened it, he found a middle-aged couple standing there, looking like backpackers.

The woman hesitated for a moment, took a step back to check the apartment number, and then said preemptively, “Oh, I’m sorry, I think we have the wrong place.”

Meanwhile, Cheng Lin was completely absorbed in frying the fish urgently. Between the noise of the sizzling pan and the exhaust fan, he remained oblivious to what was happening outside.

After bidding a confused goodbye to the unexpected visitors, Maimai walked past the kitchen and noticed what Cheng Lin was up to. He anxiously rushed in and exclaimed, “This was supposed to be my job!”

Worried that the cat might be upset, Cheng Lin tried to coax him. “Come here, you arrived just in time. I’m not really sure what I’m doing. Look, the fish is done frying.”

Maimai replied, “You need to add water now.”

Cheng Lin stood by and respectfully handed him the water pitcher. Maimai added the water, then tossed in the prepared scallions and other spices from the side plate, and finally turned up the heat.

To prevent any further tragedies, he shooed Cheng Lin out of the kitchen. “It needs to simmer for a few minutes until the water starts bubbling. After that, I’ll let it cook on low heat. It’s not ready yet, so I need to stay here. You go back and rest.”

“Alright.” Understanding the underlying message, Cheng Lin suggested, “But could you help me? It’s hard for me to walk, and it hurts.”

Escorted back to the bedroom as if he were recovering from postpartum care, Cheng Lin had just settled down when the doorbell rang again.

Maimai ran to open it, only to find the same man and woman standing there.

All six eyes met, and the cat froze. “Ah.”

“Young man, do you know Cheng Lin?” the woman, Huang Guigui, asked boldly.

The couple had gone up and down the building with their bags, double-checking the building and the apartment number, which all matched. But this face didn’t match their memory of their son. They didn’t remember him being this attractive, almost like Cupid. Could he have undergone cosmetic surgery?

The only variable now was that they might have remembered the address incorrectly. But if they called to check, their son might get upset, and if he started crying, the sin would weigh heavily on them.

While Huang Guigui wrestled with this dilemma, Maimai nodded affirmatively, “I know him!”

Cheng Lin heard Maimai answering the door, but the conversation was too muffled to make out clearly. Who could be visiting? And it seemed like they were talking for a while, which probably meant it wasn’t a delivery. Maybe the cat couldn’t handle it on his own?

Concerned about the fish soup in the kitchen, he was pretty sure the water must be boiling by now and someone should check the seasoning. Cheng Lin decided to kill two birds with one stone. He hobbled out of bed and, just outside the door, saw his parents looking both confused and anxious.