"Mommy, Mommy, are Little Sweet, Little Gray, and Duoduo boys or girls?"
In the evening, after her bath, Xixi clamored to go check if the kittens were asleep. Murphy had no choice but to take her to the cat bed in the living room, though she wouldn't let her touch them. The little girl studied the three kittens, who had worn themselves out playing and fallen asleep early, and tried her best to whisper.
"Little Gray is the brother, Duoduo is the sister, and Little Sweet is the brother." Murphy glanced at Yang Yi, who happened to be passing by, and said with a sly smile.
As she expected, Yang Yi's face showed a hint of frustration.
"So Little Sweet is the brother!" Xixi pouted, defending Little Sweet. "But why is Little Sweet the smallest, and the brother and sister still bully him?"
"How do they bully him?" Murphy asked curiously. She thought the three kittens were quite united, often playing together and even cuddling up to sleep, as if huddling for warmth.
"Because they fight, and Little Sweet can't win. It's so pitiful!" Xixi complained to her mom. "So I pick him up and take him away so he doesn't get bullied."
Murphy understood. She couldn't help but laugh and shake her head as she ruffled her daughter's soft hair, chiding gently, "It's not bullying Little Sweet! When cats roughhouse, it's their special little game. It's through playing that they learn all kinds of skills!"
"Oh!" Xixi's mouth formed an O shape in surprise.
"So don't interrupt Little Sweet when he's playing with his brother and sister from now on!" Murphy said. "Xixi, when you go to kindergarten, you'll play with other kids too, and you'll learn from each other. But of course, no fighting—we're not little kittens."
"Mm-hmm! Xixi won't fight with other kids." Xixi nodded with anticipation. She was quite looking forward to it, imagining scenes of playing with lots of children.
Of course, Xixi still hadn't realized that when she went to kindergarten, Daddy wouldn't be by her side!
...
After Xixi fell asleep, Murphy went to Yang Yi's study. Though she wore short-sleeved pajamas, being conservative, every button was fastened tightly, leaving no risk of accidental exposure.
Of course, the former aloof goddess on TV, now bare-faced and dressed so casually sitting beside him, still had a certain heart-fluttering appeal.
But Yang Yi was focused on drawing on his new digital tablet, not bothering to look up.
"What are you drawing?" Murphy asked curiously.
She saw him sketching a man with his back turned, a clean-shaven scalp like someone who'd just had a haircut. The man was tall and thin, with a fair complexion, but his body was covered in vivid, intimidating tattoos! Yang Yi was meticulously detailing those tattoos.
"Drawing illustrations for my new book," Yang Yi said casually.
"Why are your books always about such weird stuff?" Murphy pursed her lips and said. "I read your first two, and they were pretty normal!"
The physical copies of *Soldiers' Sortie* and *Bright Sword* were at home, so Murphy had flipped through them. She'd even protested to Yang Yi about *Bright Sword* always killing off the female lead.
Of course, the first two were still quite enjoyable. Though Murphy wasn't into military literature, she could still get through them. But the illustrations for Yang Yi's new book gave her the creeps, and she lost all interest in reading it.
"Different genre," Yang Yi replied simply.
The illustration was almost done. Yang Yi sped through the last few strokes before turning around to chat with Murphy.
"Why did you propose such an unfair condition to Director Chen today?" Murphy asked, puzzled. "A 7% share if ratings break 10, 12% if they break 15, and 16% only if it's the annual ratings champion. The first one is plausible—Director Chen's dramas breaking 10 isn't hard—but the other two are way too unlikely!"
Breaking a 15% rating would require a masterpiece from a renowned creator, wouldn't it?
And the ratings champion? That depended not just on your own work but on competitors and the TV station's scheduling—timing, location, and people all had to align perfectly!
"Because I have faith in my work," Yang Yi said with a slight smile. "Even if it doesn't become champion, I think it can break 15. As long as Director Chen does a good job, both these dramas have huge potential."
*Bright Sword* went without saying—its stellar track record in the previous life proved it.
As for *Soldiers' Sortie*, its ratings in the previous life were mediocre, but that wasn't the drama's fault—the broadcasting station barely had any viewers. Still, Yang Yi believed this critically acclaimed series, airing on Central TV in this life, would achieve the success it deserved.
"Well, I think Director Chen looked at you like you were unbelievable," Murphy said, covering her mouth with a laugh. "Someone actually dared to say those things to him—so rebellious!"
Yang Yi smiled faintly. "I don't care what he thinks. I'm not in the entertainment industry, so I don't have to bow to the so-called authorities in your circle. If something needs to be said, I'll say it. For example, the explosion scenes in his dramas aren't exciting enough—that's a real flaw that needs fixing."
"I really don't get how men think. What's so interesting about all this fighting and killing?" Murphy snorted.
"By the way, do you know what made me happiest today?" Yang Yi said.
Murphy didn't realize he'd changed the subject. "What? Signing a new contract and selling the film rights to make money?"
"No," Yang Yi shook his head.
"Spit it out! I hate people who keep me in suspense!" Murphy chided.
Yang Yi couldn't help the corners of his mouth lifting as he looked at Murphy. "It was when you introduced me to Chen Fengchen and called me your husband."
Murphy's face instantly flushed. She bit her lower lip, staring at Yang Yi with a mix of annoyance and something else.
"Heh, heh." Yang Yi felt awkward under her gaze and laughed sheepishly.
"Who said you're my husband!" Murphy insisted stubbornly.
"You did. I heard it!"
"That was just a temporary measure. I couldn't exactly call you a random passerby, could I? Xixi was watching!" Murphy puffed out her cheeks, huffing.
"That still means you've accepted me in your heart!" Yang Yi said.
"Accept your big head!" Murphy turned away, snorting. "Why should I accept you? Over one cup of coffee? I'm still mad!"
Yang Yi's head started to ache. He couldn't figure out women's minds. He thought Murphy had mostly cooled off, but she was still holding a grudge.
Men didn't like this—they preferred things straightforward. If they cared, they cared; if they didn't, they let it go. Even if they were angry, it faded overnight.
Women were still a hassle!
Of course, Yang Yi had willingly walked into this trouble. The path he chose, no matter how hard, he had to see through.
Murphy stood up gracefully, patted Yang Yi's shoulder with a cool air, and said, "Confucius said: 'The road is long and arduous.' Comrade Yang Yi, you still need to keep working hard, got it?"