In the early morning, when Qin Sisi woke up, she felt noticeably more energetic than before. For quite a while now, ever since her mother fell ill, her sleep had been restless, and she woke up listless and fatigued.
Looking at the tiny, soft black cat curled up in front of her, Qin Sisi felt a warmth surge in her heart. After her mother passed away, she thought her life would be desolate and lonely. However, the timely appearance of Xiao Hei proved that life wasn't as hard as she had imagined.
Qin Sisi rubbed her eyes, got off her bed, washed up, ate breakfast, changed clothes, and prepared to go to work. Just before she left, she affectionately patted Xiao Hei's head and said, "For a small animal like you, the outside world is quite dangerous. Stay safe at home, don't run out on your own again!"
Xiao Hei remained silent, looking at Qin Sisi, rolling his eyes inwardly. 'Who's the real danger here? Have you forgotten who saved your skin yesterday?'
Of course, Qin Sisi couldn't hear Xiao Hei's inner thoughts. She waved goodbye to Xiao Hei and headed for the door. Feeling slightly nervous on the way, she wondered how Wang Ji'an was doing. She wasn't sure if he was enraged or sought retribution because of yesterday's events.
As she neared the office, Qin Sisi decided to let go of her worries, telling herself: 'Come what may, I can always find another job and start fresh.'
Upon arriving at the company, Qin Sisi learned that Wang Ji'an had taken sick leave for a week, telling his subordinates to reach him via phone calls or emails if needed.
Qin Sisi was a little puzzled, 'Taking sick leave? Is it because of the scratch wounds from Xiao Hei yesterday? It couldn't be that serious, could it?'
After pondering for a while, Qin Sisi concluded it probably had more to do with pride than pain. The prolonged scratch marks would be quite visible even with a short-sleeved shirt. As the head of a department, maintaining his image before his subordinates must be vital to him.
With these thoughts in mind, Qin Sisi felt relieved. It occurred to her to call and check on him since it was her cat that had injured him, but the thought of Wang Ji'an's shameless and irritating behaviour from the previous day made her feel repulsed. She pushed the thought of making a call out of her mind and settled down to an orderly day of work.
The calm day passed by quietly. After work, Qin Sisi walked out of the company's gate together with her friend, Lin Shan.
Qin Sisi bid Lin Shan goodbye and prepared to leave. Suddenly, she heard a familiar "meow" from not too far away. She turned her head and indeed, there was Xiao Hei, walking over with his characteristic elegant feline grace.
The dignity in Xiao Hei's stride reminded Qin Sisi of why a stylish walk could be compared to a 'catwalk.'
Xiao Hei stopped in front of Qin Sisi, gazing at her with his round purple eyes. Helpless, Qin Sisi squatted down and tapped Xiao Hei's round head with a finger affectionately, "How did you follow me here again? Didn't I tell you to stay at home?"
Lin Shan laughed at the side, "Your cat is clingy, almost like a boyfriend."
Xiao Hei's ears twitched almost imperceptibly.
Qin Sisi knew that Lin Shan was joking, and she didn't mind. She gently picked up Xiao Hei, who snuggled into her arms obediently, appearing extraordinarily sweet.
Lin Shan then added, "But seriously, you should really get a boyfriend. I know a guy from school who is pretty decent..."
Qin Sisi forced a smile, "You should keep him for yourself."
With raised eyebrows, Lin Shan proudly replied, "You know, I am all for the single life."
Qin Sisi sighed, "Can I be for the single life too?"
"No," Lin Shan immediately rejected, "You are clearly not, why are you trying to be like me?"
Qin Sisi gave a wry smile, then responded seriously, "My mom just passed away, I am not in the mood for that at the moment. Maybe later."
Lin Shan thought for a moment, and it made sense to her. She said, "Alright, but don't be too sad about it. We need to move forward, right?" Lin Shan tried to comfort Qin Sisi while patting her on the shoulder. Then she noticed Xiao Hei raising his head to look at her. Lin Shan was taken aback, it seemed as though he was glaring at her.
Just then, Lin Shan's cell phone rang. So Qin Sisi said goodbye to her, and headed to the roadside to wait for the bus. They were heading in different directions anyway.
As she was leaving, Qin Sisi heard Lin Shan answering her phone in a coquettish manner, "Hello, sis...you're treating me to dinner? Great!"
Qin Sisi glanced back enviously. She knew that Lin Shan's parents had passed away too, but fortunately, Lin Shan had a sister who doted on her. They had a strong bond. Lin Shan would regularly talk about her sister's various acts of kindness.
Qin Sisi sighed, 'Having a sibling is really nice.'
For the next two weeks, every day was calm and uneventful for Qin Sisi. Wang Ji'an didn't come to work, directing his employees remotely through phone calls and emails, ensuring that the work was carried out smoothly.
Lin Shan continued to be her usual lively, unrestrained self. Meng XiaoFei's personality was still over-the-top and flirtatious as ever, occasionally flaunting her new handbags and jewelry, appearing on the top of the world. Secretly, Lin Shan informed Qin Sisi that she had personally seen Meng XiaoFei get into a flashy car, suggesting that she had hooked a rich boyfriend.
Qin Sisi laughed but remained noncommittal, avoiding getting herself too involved in other people's gossip.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hei appeared under Qin Sisi's office building every day, seemingly having calculated the time to meet her after office hours. Lin Shan jokingly said that this cat behaved more like a boyfriend than actual boyfriends.
In the third week, Wang Ji'an finally made an appearance.
During the morning meeting, all the employees greeted Wang Ji'an enthusiastically. Qin Sisi also followed suit, "Good morning, Manager Wang."
Wang Ji'an grunted in acknowledgement, glanced at her with no specific expression and lowered his head back onto the papers he was holding.
Qin Sisi didn't make much of it and sat silently in a corner. Still, she noticed the healed scratches on Wang Ji'an's arm. Without close inspection, the scars were barely visible, but anyone looking closely enough could still make out faint traces left by the scabs.
At the end of the workday, just as Qin Sisi began to pack her things, a colleague suddenly ran over and announced loudly: Manager Wang has said we've worked hard during his absence. He's inviting everyone out for some fun tonight.
Many individuals cheered upon hearing the news. Most were excited over the prospect of having fun while being treated by the boss.