5

The silence in the air felt like a crow had just flown by with a loud caw.

As soon as Luo Li realized what she had said, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, she quickly shut the door behind her.

Wait, but Lu Cixue didn't seem to have any memory of turning into a cat. How would she know if she was part of the demon clan or not? What if she accidentally transformed in front of someone else? Could she be in danger?

Hmm? Does this mean she's the only one who knows Lu Cixue's secret?

For some reason, that thought put Luo Li in a much better mood.

Lu Cixue, however, didn't seem upset. She sat back down in her office chair and removed her glasses. "I only wear them occasionally. If Miss Luo still finds me strange, I can ask the chairman to transfer you to another department so we can reduce our interactions."

Luo Li instantly regretted her impulsive, thoughtless comment. By saying that, wasn't she essentially treating Lu Cixue as an outsider? Lu Cixue couldn't control the circumstances of her birth.

At this point, Luo Li didn't really care whether Lu Cixue was human or not.

"Are you angry?" Luo Li asked, noting that Lu Cixue was now addressing her formally as "Miss Luo" instead of by her name.

But somehow, this made Lu Cixue seem more approachable. Emboldened, Luo Li began unpacking the meal she had brought. "I don't think you're strange. Assistant Ji's lunch for you has gone cold—why don't you eat this instead?"

Lu Cixue looked at the neatly arranged meal on her desk and the eager expression on Luo Li's face. Strangely enough, she suddenly felt hungry again.

"Do you not know what you look like when you turn into a cat? How about I take a few pictures for you next time? But if you don't remember, could that be dangerous? What if someone else picks you up? I think…" Luo Li chattered away, her voice filling Lu Cixue's ears.

"No talking while eating," Lu Cixue admonished softly, pausing to swallow her food before speaking.

Luo Li immediately fell silent, though her intense gaze was impossible to ignore.

After only a few bites, Lu Cixue set her chopsticks down, tapped a few times on her phone, and then looked at the obediently sitting Luo Li. "Thank you for the lunch and your concern, but you should get back to work."

"You're done already?" Luo Li started to say, but her phone buzzed, interrupting her.

It was a payment notification from Lu Cixue.

Luo Li looked at the screen, feeling a bit conflicted. "You're really too polite."

After sending Luo Li back to work, Lu Cixue found herself staring blankly at the chat window. Their conversation felt like one between strangers.

A moment ago, she had been confidently managing a meeting, but now, Director Lu felt a bit lost.

There wasn't the expected distance between them; Luo Li was just concerned about her safety.

Her parents didn't care how she managed to live alone in the bustling capital, nor had anyone taught her how to interact with others.

Meeting Luo Li and returning home had been an unexpected disruption in her otherwise meticulously controlled life. It was beyond her ability to manage, and Lu Cixue didn't know what would happen next.

A discarded cat is highly wary; an isolated person is cold and sensitive.

A small amount of kindness was far from enough to thaw her heart.

When Ji Qiubai came in to deliver some files, she was surprised to find Director Lu, usually so focused, lost in thought.

"Director Lu, here's the feedback report."

"Qiubai, do you know why someone's Moments might suddenly disappear?" Lu Cixue asked, staring at the now-empty feed of a certain someone.

Ji Qiubai was taken aback. She knew her director lived like an elderly person, but this question felt particularly delicate.

"Maybe they don't post often, or perhaps…"

Lu Cixue looked up, and Ji Qiubai hesitated, wondering who had managed to pique the director's interest. However, she decided to tell the truth. "They've blocked you."

* * * *

Luo Li practically skipped out of work the moment the clock hit quitting time. Just as she was about to hop on her scooter, her mother called.

"Hi, Mom. Are you done with work?" If she remembered correctly, Mrs. Luo should still be abroad on a business trip.

"Lolo, how was your first day?"

"Pretty good. My colleagues are friendly, and the work environment is nice. I'm keeping a low profile." Except for that ambiguous relationship with her boss.

Luo Zhining nodded on the other end of the line. "And your father?"

At that, Luo Li couldn't help but complain. "Luo Shuhe seems to have forgotten he has a daughter."

She wasn't even sure if he was her real father—he hadn't sent her a single message on her first day of work.

Glancing at the time, Luo Li hurriedly put on her helmet and got on her scooter. "Mom, I've got something to do, so I'll talk to you later. I'll pick you up when you get back. Don't overwork yourself."

Mrs. Luo stared blankly at the phone after the sudden hang-up, then looked out at the bright morning sun, thinking she should probably give Mr. Luo a call.

It was late September, but Jianghuai wasn't too cold yet. Luo Li rushed home, eager to change and put on some makeup.

Even she didn't quite understand why she was so invested in this dinner. After all, Lu Cixue hadn't even confirmed she would come.

But Luo Li still carefully applied her makeup, took out her long-unused car from the garage, and even bought a bouquet of blooming cappuccino roses on the way.

Even if they were just friends, it was okay to give flowers, right?

Luo Li tried to ignore the flutter of her heart, but she couldn't help feeling a bit excited.

She wanted to see a different expression on Lu Cixue's face.

Perhaps out of guilt, or maybe curiosity, she wanted to get to know the person behind the mask.

When she arrived at the restaurant, Lu Cixue hadn't shown up yet. The waiter led her to her reserved seat, where she could see the dazzling city lights outside.

Bored, Luo Li started counting the petals on the flowers when someone suddenly tapped her on the back.

"Well, well, who are you secretly meeting this time?"

"What are you doing here?" Luo Li was stunned to see Jing Yao in a red strapless dress.

She looked more like she was here for a date.

And how had she even found out that Luo Li was meeting Lu Cixue? Luo Li hadn't told her!

Jing Yao raised an eyebrow at the large bouquet of flowers. "Are you going to confess?"

"N-no, don't be ridiculous," Luo Li stammered.

Jing Yao's face was full of disbelief. "Cloud Restaurant, roses, and you're all dressed up. Who are you fooling?"

"I'm just going to apologize properly, okay? I never said I liked her," Luo Li protested loudly, as if that would make her more convincing.

To the Luo family, relationships were serious business, not something to be taken lightly. This was a value they had subtly instilled in Luo Li over the years.

Just like her parents, who had gone from school uniforms to wedding dresses together through many seasons, unwaveringly devoted to each other.

So after being thrust into this situation right after returning to China, Luo Li felt like two little figures in her mind were constantly battling—one urging her to stay away from someone like Lu Cixue, and the other nudging her to get closer.

She couldn't see clearly, so she hesitated.

"Miss Luo…" The waiter's voice trembled slightly from behind Jing Yao, as if sensing why the woman had just stopped her from speaking.

Only then did Luo Li see the woman who had been standing behind Jing Yao, partially obscured from view.

She looked travel-worn, having worked overtime all day. Throughout, she couldn't help but glance at the time, something the usually focused Director Lu never did.

She hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, only to arrive here and hear the final words: "I don't like her."

Luo Li's mind went blank, and she didn't know why she felt so panicked. Lu Cixue's face didn't show any emotion, but…

She had heard, hadn't she?

No, no—why was she feeling guilty? Jing Yao was right; maybe Lu Cixue didn't care about her at all.

Despite her inner turmoil, which left her feeling strangely down, Luo Li managed to meet Lu Cixue's gaze.

Jing Yao silently backed away from the two of them, taking the waiter with her and leaving the scene awkwardly.

No wonder she couldn't find love.

"Director Lu…" Luo Li quickly pulled out a chair for her, smiling slightly. "You've been working late again? Work is important, but don't overdo it. Assistant Ji said you don't have any particular preferences, so I ordered these dishes. Is there anything else you'd like?"

Luo Li babbled on as she practically pushed Lu Cixue into the chair.

She knew she was talking too much, but Lu Cixue's silence was unsettling, making the atmosphere feel frozen.

Especially with Jing Yao still watching them with amusement.

"No, thank you. You said you had something to discuss?" Lu Cixue suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. Her chest felt tight, maybe because she was genuinely tired. Luo Li's concern, rather than soothing her, only made her more irritable.

Luo Li quietly observed Lu Cixue's profile. All the things she had rehearsed in her head disappeared when faced with the real person.

And… Luo Li had a feeling that Lu Cixue was in a bad mood.

Even though she was usually aloof, she wasn't the type to be impolite and avoid eye contact by staring out the window.

"Let's eat first. You need to keep up your strength," Luo Li urged, pausing before adding, "And you didn't eat much at lunch."

When she finished, she found herself staring into Lu Cixue's deep black eyes. The woman watched her quietly, her unreadable face revealing nothing.

Seeing that Lu Cixue neither agreed nor refused, Luo Li bravely placed a few peeled shrimp on her plate.

Cats seemed to like shrimp, right?

Lu Cixue couldn't understand.

Why was Luo Li dragging this out? Wouldn't it be better to just address everything openly and resolve it quickly? Isn't that what humans would prefer?

She had clearly heard Luo Li say she didn't like her, so why was she being so concerned now?

The little cat, having navigated the human world, had figured out many rules, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was utterly clueless.

If you like someone, you favor them; if not, you cut ties.

But they had shared something intimate, something she believed was only for people who truly loved each other.

Luo Li didn't like her…

So…

The little cat was smart—very smart. She knew that many things could be logically deduced to provide accurate, reliable answers.

But for some reason, the more her mind calmly processed it, the more a bitter feeling surged in her heart.

In her confusion, Lu Cixue arrived at a conclusion and blurted it out.

"What do I need to do to compensate you?"