19

Both of them froze for a moment after Luo Li spoke.

What a shameless request…

Luo Li quickly tried to justify herself, "I'm just worried about you going out alone and coming back late. It's not safe without someone with you."

—A flimsy excuse.

Lu Cixue's impassive expression deflated Luo Li's spirits. She bit into her sandwich with a tinge of resentment and said, "Then, make sure you come back soon..."

Like a wife left home alone.

"I'm going back to change clothes," Lu Cixue said as she headed toward the door. "If you really want to go, then let's go together."

Luo Li's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?"

The woman who had already reached the door gave a soft acknowledgment before shutting it behind her.

Luo Li beamed uncontrollably, completely unaware of how much her actions over the past two days had affected a certain cat.

That little cat hadn't slept all night, repeatedly mulling over two words: Luo Li and like.

The heavily guarded door to her heart had been gently knocked on, the sound of chains breaking echoing in her mind.

Fireworks of joy burst inside her as the snail within her shell began to stir.

She thought long and hard, but she couldn't imagine what the future would look like with Luo Li.

It wasn't a lack of imagination—it was simply too frightening to think about.

For the cat, this felt like a dream.

A person who didn't believe in gods was secretly praying for this dream to last just a little longer, to feel a little more real.

But first, she needed to learn how to love someone.

So the cat tried to respond, her hands trembling beneath her calm facade.

He Qinian's place was close to this neighborhood, making Luo Li suspicious about his choice of residence and whether he had ulterior motives.

She followed Lu Cixue upstairs, and the door was opened by a little girl who excitedly called out, "Sister Lu!"

Luo Li was taken aback when she saw the little girl's face but quickly masked her reaction, greeting the child with a forced smile.

The girl's face was scarred from burns, her original appearance almost unrecognizable.

Her body was frail, as if a gust of wind could knock her over, and she could barely stand on one leg.

"Is your brother not back yet?" Lu Cixue asked the girl gently, smiling warmly.

"No, he called earlier to say he'd be late."

Luo Li followed Lu Cixue inside, noticing the room was filled with medical supplies—medicine bottles, crutches, bandages.

The little girl sat on a small bed, sneaking glances at Luo Li before shyly tugging at Lu Cixue's clothes to hide.

Luo Li watched as Lu Cixue leaned down to speak softly to the girl, who finally looked up, shyly whispering, "Sister, you're so pretty."

"Thank you, sweetheart. You're so brave to stay home by yourself," Luo Li replied, forcing a smile. She couldn't imagine the pain such a small child had endured.

Lu Cixue lowered her lashes, silently observing the interaction between Luo Li and the young kitten.

This child should have grown up healthy, but some humans take pleasure in torturing animals.

Sometimes, Lu Cixue thought she was fortunate back then—it was Luo Li who found her, not someone else.

"Brother said he'd be home soon. I've been reciting ancient poems all afternoon, but I still can't remember them," the child said, clearly frustrated.

Instinctively, the little girl knew Luo Li was human, not of her kind, so she couldn't reveal her true identity.

But she still liked this sister a lot, especially since Sister Lu had brought her along. She couldn't be a bad person.

Luo Li suddenly regretted not bringing a gift. Whatever issues she had with He Qinian, they had nothing to do with this child.

"So, your name is Duoduo? It's okay, I couldn't remember poems when I was little either. I was the only one in class who couldn't recite them and got punished by the teacher," Luo Li said with a wry smile.

Lu Cixue closed her eyes briefly, not quite agreeing with Luo Li's odd form of encouragement.

"But when I grew up, I could recite them all! So Duoduo, you just need to eat well and grow up strong. You'll be able to remember every poem then."

Lu Cixue's gaze softened.

Luo Li had this strange ability—being with her seemed to make everything better, all worries and sorrows melting away.

Duoduo found this sister fascinating, completely shedding her earlier shyness and peppering Luo Li with questions.

When He Qinian finally opened the door, he was greeted by the sound of the child's laughter. Luo Li was playing cards with Duoduo, while Lu Cixue sat quietly beside them, occasionally helping Duoduo out of a tight spot.

He Qinian hesitated for a moment, feeling out of place in his own home.

But Duoduo noticed him first. "Sorry, Duoduo. I got home too late."

"It's okay. Sister Lu and Sister Luo have been playing with me for a long time," the child replied happily, having forgotten all about her earlier wish for her brother and Sister Lu to play with her.

He Qinian sighed. "It's time for bed."

Duoduo reluctantly nodded, looking at Luo Li. "Sister Luo, will you come back with Sister Lu to play with me again?"

"If I can, I definitely will," Luo Li said, smiling as she knelt to hug the small child.

Duoduo suddenly looked surprised and asked curiously, "Sister Luo, are you Sister Lu's girlfriend?"

She could smell Sister Lu on this woman, a very strong scent.

Her brother had said only lovers could mark each other with their scent to let other cats know this person was taken.

"Huh?"

Luo Li was puzzled, but the woman beside her and He Qinian both reacted instantly.

One blushed, her ears turning red, while the other's face darkened.

Luo Li had no idea that while she was sound asleep, a certain little cat had spent the night rubbing her head against Luo Li, marking her with her scent.

"You should go to bed now," He Qinian said, cutting off the child's curiosity.

He Qinian walked them downstairs, asking Lu Cixue to speak with him privately in the parking lot.

Luo Li didn't follow. It might be about Duoduo, and as an outsider, it wasn't her place to interfere.

"Let's just talk here," Lu Cixue said, stopping after only a few steps.

He Qinian looked concerned. "Do your parents know about Lu Xingyu? Have they given you a hard time? I'm sorry for being so useless. If I could have done more…"

Although he was older than Lu Cixue, she had taken care of him and Duoduo on many occasions.

Lu Cixue frowned. "How do you know about this?"

Her tone made He Qinian hesitate, but when he saw Luo Li peeking at them from not far away, his mood darkened slightly.

"I found out by accident, but I wanted to say that we're not like them."

"We've been forced to live among humans since we were children, but even here, we live in constant fear," He Qinian said with a pale smile. "Only we are the same kind. People like Luo Li, we can't even dream of reaching them, right?"

Lu Cixue looked at He Qinian, her face expressionless.

He Qinian clenched his fists. "Think carefully. Humans are fickle creatures."

Luo Li scrolled through her phone, occasionally glancing at the two, wondering why they were taking so long.

She put her phone down and looked up to find Lu Cixue standing silently in front of her.

"Finished talking? Let's go home?" Luo Li eagerly opened the car door, unaware that she had gotten some dirt on her pale face while standing around.

Her smiling face looked quite comical.

"There are still four days left in the holiday. Do you have any plans?" Lu Cixue suddenly asked.

Luo Li bit her lip, thinking. She had agreed to help someone with a photo shoot, so she was busy for the next two days, but she'd have some free time after that.

Wait, why was Lu Cixue asking?

Luo Li realized something and turned to look at her. A cold hand touched her face, gently rubbing away the dirt.

If Luo Li were a teapot, she would have started steaming by now.

"There was something on your face."

Well, that killed the mood. This was the second time Lu Cixue had wiped her face today, and it seemed like there was a hint of disdain in her gaze…

"I have plans, but not too many. I could cancel them," Luo Li said, completely abandoning any sense of priority. After all, the photoshoot was for Jing Yao, with no contract or payment involved—nothing compared to Lu Cixue.

Lu Cixue opened her mouth, but all she said was, "I see."

And that was it…

That was it!

Luo Li couldn't figure out what her boss was thinking, so she focused on driving.

Even when they got home, Lu Cixue didn't mention the holiday plans again, simply saying goodbye before leaving.

How could she be like this!

Luo Li sulked on her way home, feeling like the place was emptier than usual.

No cat, and no Lu Cixue.

Never mind, Luo Li thought. At least their relationship had improved. Lu Cixue wasn't as distant as before, which was a big step forward.

—Maybe I can invite her out once I'm done. Surely, Director Lu won't refuse, right?

Lu Cixue frowned, recalling He Qinian's words.

When people become greedy, their actions and words often become clumsy, making it easy for others to see through them.

A cat who was emotionally oblivious might indeed be clueless about love, but she was very good at observing what others wanted.

So, was He Qinian deliberately trying to drive a wedge between them?

If not for the chance encounter with Duoduo, she wouldn't even have known He Qinian.

Their conversations and connection should have ended with Duoduo, but recently, he'd been overstepping his bounds.

When Luo Li met up with Jing Yao, she learned that she was supposed to take pictures for a model.

"Are you kidding me?" Luo Li said with a forced smile, popping a piece of cake into her mouth. "Which model is so important that you, the big boss, are personally involved? You're so busy, yet you still have time to arrange a photoshoot?"

Seriously, she should have kept Jing Yao away from Ji Qiubai.

Jing Yao looked at her with a hurt expression, like she was the one being wronged.

"It's a favor for a friend. I just thought of you."

"You'd better be telling the truth."

Jing Yao never said anything straight. Last time, she'd gone to a mountain in the middle of the night to surprise her girlfriend during a shoot, only to catch a cold.

It was awkward when she caught them sneaking around with someone else.

She could be very indulgent when in love, but when she got dumped, it wasn't pretty.

"Do you think I'm interested in her?" Jing Yao said indignantly. "Do I seem like someone who would two-time?"

Luo Li nodded. She thought so.

"Hmph, you haven't even held her hand, have you?" Jing Yao countered calmly.

Luo Li slammed her cup down. How venomous!

Sure, they had done everything right from the start, but she hadn't even held Lu Cixue's hand yet, let alone kissed her…

Luo Li shot Jing Yao a disgruntled look.

Just then, the secretary knocked, saying the guest had arrived. Luo Li stood, curious to see who this model was.

When the woman walked in, Luo Li's expression froze.

It's a small world, and it's really unlucky.

The tall woman's attention was immediately drawn to the person standing by with a baseball cap.

Her face was both world-weary and striking, the kind you never forget.

Luo Li thought, she really does look like a model.

The woman's long, upturned eyes held a familiar warmth as she spoke. "Luo Luo, long time no see."