38

Luo Li's grandparents lived in a place with a mild climate year-round, making it an ideal spot for her recovery. As a child, she loved visiting them, mainly because her grandfather was strict, whereas her grandparents never pressured her about academics or talents.

But now, she wasn't happy at all.

She had been here for a week already, and she could move around in a wheelchair, but there had been no word from Lu Cixue.

Well, not exactly. As Jing Yao's planted "informant," Ji Qiubai had been giving Luo Li regular updates on Lu Cixue's condition. Reports like, "The boss didn't smile at all today," "She skipped lunch again," and "She just sat there staring at her phone after work..." made Luo Li want to rush back immediately.

"You have to hold on. If you go back now, it'll all be for nothing, understand?" Jing Yao scolded through the screen, still wrapped in bandages but doing nothing to stay still.

"What kind of dumb plan is this! At this rate, she's going to ruin her health! And you're helping my parents keep an eye on me? Am I a prisoner?"

Her parents had dragged her here and stationed a bunch of bodyguards around, treating her like a thief.

Jing Yao sighed, seeing her friend's frustration. "Alright, alright, just stay put. I'll help you."

"How? What are you planning?" Luo Li eyed her warily.

"Don't worry. You'll see."

——

Lu Cixue had never interacted much with Jing Yao and couldn't understand why she would invite her out under the pretense of drinking away her sorrows.

Jing Yao's lips curved in a sly smile, her eyes glinting with mischief. As a seasoned seductress, she knew how to play people like puppets, and these three were no match for her.

"Miss Lu, look at this dish—the seafood-stuffed eggplant with cheese. It's the most famous dish here, drawing crowds from afar."

"The same logic applies to people. Beautiful, passionate individuals are always popular."

Ji Qiubai shrank into her seat, sensing the rising tension and deciding to stay out of sight.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Lu Cixue had no patience for this game, though the alcohol Jing Yao kept pouring her was making it slightly more bearable.

"I'm just saying, there's this friend who's been bugging me for Luo Luo's contact info. They've already made plans to watch a movie together. Imagine the kind of atmosphere they'll have, alone at home..." Jing Yao's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.

Across the table, Lu Cixue's hand tightened imperceptibly, her serene mask hiding a storm within.

Seeing it wasn't enough, Jing Yao added, "Oh, and Luo Luo agreed."

Ji Qiubai noticed how icy Lu Cixue's expression had become and hesitantly tugged at Jing Yao's sleeve, hoping to rein her in.

But Jing Yao only gripped her hand under the table, tracing circles in her palm with her thumb.

Not only was she unbothered, but she also seemed to be enjoying herself, subtly flirting with her lover as the tension grew.

"If you don't hold on tight, some things can slip right through your fingers." Jing Yao's tone was almost caring as she poured Lu Cixue another glass of wine.

The pain and tears were evident in Lu Cixue's eyes, yet she stubbornly refused to show weakness.

Jing Yao gazed at the desolate woman, lost in thought, before murmuring, "Miss Lu, you have to be a little greedy. Otherwise, people will walk all over you and take what's yours."

"The more ambition you have, the stronger you'll become."

——

Luo Li sat idly in her wheelchair, watching the dark clouds gather outside, lightning flashing as the storm rolled in, just as the weather forecast had predicted.

Her current residence was a bit of a distance from her grandparents' house.

Considering her condition, staying with her elderly grandparents might not be the best idea, so her parents had arranged for her to stay somewhere else. Here, apart from the maids and the caretaker, she had no one to talk to.

Pretending not to care, Luo Li found it hard to settle. She couldn't shake the image of Lu Cixue, supposedly fleeing in defeat after her conversation with Jing Yao that morning.

A sense of gloom hung over her.

This little cat always ran away from her problems, and Luo Li felt both pity and a strange sense of frustration.

If Lu Cixue kept this up, their relationship would inevitably suffer.

Sighing, Luo Li felt a headache coming on. She quickly dismissed her thoughts, gently massaging her temples.

When she opened her eyes again, the rain was pouring down.

"Luo Luo, I've just made some soup for you," said Aunty Xie, who had cared for Luo Li since she was a child and knew her best. She had come along to help.

"Aunty Xie, I don't want any. I've been drinking it for days. The doctor says I can start using crutches soon, so I shouldn't need any more, right?" Luo Li, feeling queasy at the sight of the dark broth, tried to wheedle her way out of it.

"No way. You need to follow the doctor's orders." Aunty Xie poured the soup and just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Luo Li chirped, wheeling herself toward the door.

Whoever was at the door—her parents, her grandparents—was her savior.

"Careful!" Aunty Xie called, alarmed at the speed with which Luo Li was moving.

The cat outside startled her just as much.

Sitting primly, her fur soaked and matted, she looked even smaller than usual. She was shivering, whether from the cold or something else, and her blue eyes were filled with sorrow.

Oddly enough, the scene reminded Luo Li of the first time she had found the little cat as a teenager.

But she couldn't believe this cat was Lu Cixue.

How could it be? Even if Lu Cixue had come to find her, why would she look so heartbroken as a cat?

Luo Li was so shocked that she forgot to pick up the trembling cat, her searching gaze only making the little creature more miserable.

But Lu Cixue's alcohol-clouded mind was overwhelmed by emotions.

How could Luo Li watch a movie with someone else?

Why was Luo Li looking at her so suspiciously without even picking her up?

Greed is a seductive but terrifying thing—once indulged, it becomes uncontrollable.

Luo Li's wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, though the hold soon softened, fingers clutching her sleeve instead.

Those icy eyes, usually so cold around Luo Li, were now nearly red, filled with mist and other unreadable emotions.

The little cat transformed into a woman.

Luo Li had lost count of how many times she had witnessed this.

But this time was different.

Luo Li blinked slowly, a bold thought forming in her mind.

"Luo Li, are you abandoning me again?"

What? And why "again"?

Luo Li didn't understand, but she didn't dare ask.

There was something terrifying about the way Lu Cixue looked now—her wet hair dripping water as her cold fingers traced along Luo Li's face, then down her neck, lingering on her pulse.

She could smell the alcohol on Lu Cixue and knew she was drunk.

The question wasn't frantic, but there was a chilling edge to it, as if the next moment, she might lock her up and punish her.

—Like those brooding villains in TV dramas.

The thought popped into Luo Li's head, and she even found it oddly fitting.

Though she was scared, she knew she was in the right. Clearing her throat, Luo Li timidly replied, "But you were the one who didn't come to find me."

"I didn't watch any movie with anyone…"

Luo Li tried to wheel herself back, not hearing Lu Cixue's murmured words.

Turning around, she saw Aunty Xie and the maids standing nearby, listening intently with serious expressions.

"Uh, Aunty Xie, could you please get some clean clothes?"

Aunty Xie snapped out of her daze and quickly shooed everyone away.

"There are new slippers here. Come inside," Luo Li offered, stepping aside. The woman behind her obediently followed, looking around as if searching for something.

"How about a bath?"

Luo Li eyed her suspiciously, sensing that Lu Cixue was in a strange mood.

——

The rain poured down harder, and thunder rumbled in the distance. In the kitchen, Aunty Xie prepared dinner while the two women sat facing each other in the living room. Luo Li covered Lu Cixue's bare legs with a blanket.

"I have a few questions."

Luo Li's expression grew complicated. "You didn't really forget about turning into a cat, did you?"

Lu Cixue bit her lip, hesitating before finally nodding.

—Why hesitate? You already spilled the beans.

So she knew all along when I hugged and kissed that little cat?

Luo Li felt both embarrassed and a bit pleased.

Alright, then. The little cat had been the one to follow her home and always sneak into her bed, so clingy that she never associated it with Lu Cixue.

"So you remember everything that happened?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then why didn't you just tell me?" Luo Li widened her eyes, baffled by the roundabout way Lu Cixue had handled everything.

The still-tipsy woman answered each question dutifully, glancing at Luo Li with a hint of sadness and loss. "I was afraid you'd hate me."

"Why would I hate you?" Luo Li felt wronged. Did she really come across as someone mean and unapproachable?

—Because she hadn't been entirely innocent when she followed Luo Li home.

The cat refused to answer that question.

Luo Li sighed, feeling a bit defeated.

Even when she was in the right, she felt powerless against Lu Cixue.

"Alright, so what's with the 'again'?" Luo Li narrowed her eyes. "I feel like you're hiding something from me."

The cat suddenly shot her a cold look, the delicate, pale woman instantly losing her earlier vulnerability.

Luo Li realized something was off, feeling as if she were the one in the wrong now. Why did Lu Cixue look like a heartbroken lover?

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

—Oh, so she's questioning me now? The alcohol sure makes her bold.

Luo Li was pleased but acted haughty. "I've been miserable for days, and you didn't come to see me. Am I not allowed to watch a movie?"

"No," Lu Cixue's eyes reddened again, her expression turning soft and broken, but her tone remained firm. "You can't watch movies with anyone else, and you're not allowed to go to Tao Jinxi."

"What does she have to do with this?" Luo Li found the comment baffling. "I've been in this condition, so I haven't been watching movies or going anywhere."

This little cat really wanted everything spelled out.

"Didn't you go abroad because of her?"

Luo Li's heart skipped a beat, stunned and suspicious as she stared at the woman on the sofa.

"I liked her for so long, but she never noticed."

Lu Cixue leaned closer, her voice low and sorrowful. "Wasn't that what you said?"

It was. She had only ever said that to one person—no, one cat.

Luo Li's voice wavered, trembling as she tried to change the subject. "Are you hungry? How about we have dinner?"