Li Si cradled the little monkey in her arms. It was so skinny, its tiny hands clutching her shirt tightly. Its size was comparable to a two-month-old puppy, which instantly reminded her of the little dog, Xiao Guai, she had raised as a child. Stroking its head, she saw it close its eyes in enjoyment, revealing an expression of pure comfort—such a human-like reaction. So adorable.
Li Si sniffed it and noticed a rather unpleasant scent coming from the little monkey. It likely hadn't been bathed in a long time.
The monkey trainer seemed worried about her changing her mind. Li Si thought to herself that, after all, she could just keep it in her magical space. Nobody would know, so the lack of a permit wouldn't be an issue. She decided not to dwell on it.
Holding the little monkey was indeed too eye-catching, so as she pretended to place it into her backpack, she swiftly transferred it into her space. Once at Yintai Department Store, she strolled around for quite a while but found nothing suitable. With a sigh, Li Si realized that choosing a birthday gift for someone elderly like Grandma Wang was far from easy—cosmetics, perfume, and handbags were all unsuitable.
Besides, apart from sharing one meal together, she barely knew anything about Grandma Wang. Just as she was feeling at a loss, a colorful ethnic-style silk scarf caught her eye. She thought it might suit Grandma Wang's hair color and overall demeanor. Pleased with her choice, she promptly paid for it and hurriedly took a taxi back home.
She wondered how the little monkey was faring in the space?
The moment Li Si entered her magical space, she saw the little monkey, which had been sitting quietly by the riverbank. Upon seeing her, it leapt up excitedly, running toward her while baring its teeth and frantically waving its arms, as if trying to express its grievances with pitiful eyes.
"Haha!"
Li Si burst out laughing. This little monkey was truly her source of joy. Squatting down, she picked it up. "Little monkey, welcome to my kingdom. From now on, this will be your new home. How about I call you Xiao Guai?"
Remembering the puppy, Xiao Guai, she once had as a child, Li Si grew a little sentimental. That dog was from the long-haired dog, Lele, owned by Grandma Wang downstairs. Seeing how much she liked the puppy, Grandma Wang had given her one.
Xiao Guai had accompanied her for several years, filling her childhood memories with happiness. Life was joyful whenever Xiao Guai was around, until it sadly became ill and passed away. Li Si was heartbroken for a long time. Even at school, she was listless, and some classmates even tried to comfort her. Ah, the memories! Li Si shook her head, brushing those old times aside.
"Ooo…"
The little monkey tilted its head, observing her changing expressions. It looked at her with a puzzled gaze, then glanced around its surroundings, likely finding some things rather peculiar. It grabbed onto her clothes, clinging tightly to her arm.
Using her spiritual power, Li Si plucked some peaches, bananas, and lychees, placing them by the riverbank. The little monkey quickly broke free of her embrace, rushing excitedly toward the fruits. It grabbed a banana, skillfully peeled it in a few moves, and began eating with a look of utter contentment.
"Xiao Guai, don't rush. There's plenty. Take your time," Li Si said, clearly delighted by the sight.
Xiao Guai nodded while eating, as if it could understand her. Soon enough, only a pile of fruit peels was left on the ground. Xiao Guai sat on the ground, one hand supporting itself, the other lightly rubbing its belly, looking like someone who had indulged too much and needed to digest.
Li Si took it out of the space, retrieved a fresh towel, and held Xiao Guai under the warm water from the faucet. She added some body wash, gently lathering it; the bubbles turned a grayish color.
"Wow, our Xiao Guai is a little dirty, huh?"
Xiao Guai remained motionless, perhaps a little unused to it, trembling slightly all over. Its long, thin tail curled up tightly.
"Don't be scared, Xiao Guai. We're almost done. You'll smell nice and even get a reward!"
Li Si spoke soothingly while washing, grinning as if her heart were brimming with sweetness.
After carefully washing Xiao Guai, she dried it off and kissed its fluffy little head a few times. Once its fur was dry, she placed it on the big bed, rummaged through her bag on the desk, and found a box of milk.
Shaking the milk box in front of Xiao Guai, she teased, "Big sister promised you a reward. This is milk—have you ever had any before?"
Picking up Xiao Guai, she continued, "Come on, Xiao Guai, give it a try. You're so little; you probably still need milk, don't you?"
Xiao Guai curiously held the box with both hands, examining it left and right, scratching its head anxiously, not knowing how to drink it. Li Si found the scene so funny that she couldn't stop laughing.
She unscrewed the cap and cautiously helped it bring the milk to its mouth. Once Xiao Guai got a taste, it eagerly mimicked her actions, holding the box and drinking from it.
In no time, the small box of milk was empty. Xiao Guai turned the box upside down, shaking it to get a few final drops. Li Si couldn't get enough of its adorable antics.
She pulled it close, showering it with kisses again. After playing around for a while, Xiao Guai yawned. Li Si cuddled it, and before long, they both dozed off.
They had sweet dreams and didn't wake up until after 8 a.m. Li Si, barely finished with her morning routine and her hair tied back, heard the doorbell ring. She quickly tucked the little monkey back into her space before opening the door.
Standing there was a sunny and handsome young man in a suit.
Li Si asked curiously, "May I ask who you are looking for?"
The man scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry to disturb you. Are you Li Si by any chance?"
Li Si nodded. "And you are?"
"I'm Beibei's uncle. My name is Yin Xian. Aunt Han asked me to come pick you up."
"Oh, could you wait for me in the lobby for a moment? I haven't changed yet!"
Li Si suddenly recalled hearing Beibei's mother mention someone named Yin Qi yesterday. Since he was a stranger, she felt a bit shy about letting him inside.
"There's no rush; we have time. I'll wait downstairs. See you in a bit."
With that, he nodded politely and headed toward the elevator.
Li Si closed the door, changed into the white dress she bought yesterday, paired it with matching shoes, and styled her hair into an elegant updo, enhancing her beauty and grace.
Before leaving, she entered her space to give Xiao Guai a few instructions, letting it play freely. Then, picking up her prepared gift, she suddenly hesitated, wondering if just a scarf felt too modest, especially for her first visit to someone's house.
She packed some lychees, cherries, peaches, and mangoes into a gift bag, thinking they might be beneficial for older people by reducing some bodily impurities—though not as miraculous as the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit. With the bag ready, she hurriedly went downstairs.
In the lobby, Yin Xian was sitting on a sofa, casually reading a magazine. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
A rich fruity aroma wafted through the air as he looked up. The girl who had earlier appeared cute with a bare face and ponytail had transformed into a radiant, elegant young woman.
If not for her voice, he might not have recognized her. This version of her sparked a faint resemblance to someone in his memory. Stunned for a moment, Yin Xian quickly stood up and waved his hand. "It wasn't a long wait. Shall we head out now?"
Li Si smiled warmly. "Sure!"
Noticing her hands full, Yin Xian instinctively reached to help, but Li Si politely declined. The two then set off for the Han Mansion by car.
During the drive, the two young adults chatted happily. Li Si learned that Yin Xian was a top student at Qinghua University, currently in his fourth year studying architecture, and two years older than her.
Inwardly, Li Si couldn't help but marvel, thinking, "Man, comparing people can be so disheartening. Look at his achievements. Even if I try my best after being reborn, I'll never catch up."