"I… it…" The usually reticent Director Lu was at a loss for words, unable to find a way to refute Luo Li's playful teasing. She hadn't expected Luo Li to be so "heartless."
Panic took over, and she completely forgot the embarrassment of being caught feeding a cat here.
Luo Li laughed, satisfied with the little trick that had successfully flustered the cat-like Lu Cixue, before gently reassuring her, "It's okay, I won't tell anyone."
The person who had been flustered just a moment ago instantly regained her composure. After all, Lu Cixue had handled countless unexpected situations at work; it dawned on her that she hadn't done anything wrong.
Luo Li had just been trying to scare her, and she had fallen for it so easily?
"It's not a stray cat."
Luo Li crouched down to take a closer look at the orange cat, which was busy enjoying the fish treat.
It didn't look like a stray cat…
Luo Li glanced at Lu Cixue instinctively. The one she had picked up was clean, cute, playful, and affectionate.
This one was dirty and seemed to have a limp.
"It was abandoned."
The words sent a chill down Luo Li's spine. She turned back to see Lu Cixue standing there, her expression unreadable, her eyes dark with thoughts unknown.
Most of the people living here were wealthy, so owning a cat wouldn't be a problem. But that didn't mean there weren't those with poor morals who would just throw a cat out.
"Have you taken it to the vet? Maybe it's better to find someone who's willing to adopt it," Luo Li suggested, feeling sorry as she gently patted the little cat's head.
"Luo Li." Lu Cixue suddenly called her name.
"Do you think finding it a new owner will make it happy?" Lu Cixue had tried that, even watching as someone took the cat away.
Luo Li froze, unsure how to respond.
"It ran back here on its own, not realizing its owner had already abandoned it." Lu Cixue spoke more than she ever had to Luo Li, her voice tinged with a sadness that made Luo Li feel uneasy. "It's been here for a long time, but its owner has already gotten a new cat."
Luo Li felt as if Lu Cixue was angry, upset at the unfairness of this little cat's fate.
But there was a lingering sorrow in her deep, ethereal eyes.
"Does a pet's feelings mean so little to humans?"
Luo Li kept her lips pressed together, not knowing how to answer.
She didn't think she had ever believed that.
But she had treated her own cat in a similar way, only occasionally feeling guilty when she thought about it, while her life carried on full of excitement.
There wasn't really anything to blame; people keep pets for companionship, not to mourn them all day long.
Lu Cixue also realized she might have been too harsh.
She wasn't like an ordinary cat—she had full human emotions, and her hidden feelings made her more sensitive to these situations.
That's why she had spoken to Luo Li in such an accusatory tone.
"Sorry, I've said too much." The melancholy quickly faded into calm as Lu Cixue quietly packed up the cat treats and turned to leave.
Luo Li crouched down again, staring at the struggling orange cat curled up in a ball, its orange-yellow eyes fixed on the nearby building, unmoving.
She guessed that maybe Lu Cixue could relate more to these feelings, which is why she had said those things.
Luo Li thought back to the cat she had found in her senior year of high school.
It was pouring rain, and she had sneaked away from the driver her family had sent to pick her up, slipping out of the school's back gate to meet up with some friends and stay over at one of their houses.
She had been fighting with her grandfather again.
The old man's traditional, conservative beliefs were something Luo Li couldn't stand.
To mold her into a proper heir, he had filled her after-school hours with endless activities, forbidding her from indulging in her beloved anime and games.
An old-fashioned, sexist man, as Luo Li always complained to her mother, which would earn her a flick on the forehead before her mom would let her go out to play.
Her personality turned out this way largely because her parents always covered for her.
That day, as she walked through an alley, she heard a faint sound different from the rain.
Barely audible, but she caught it—a weak meow.
Luo Li followed the sound and found a soaking wet white cat curled up against the wall, its filthy white fur clinging to its small frame.
It would die if it stayed in the rain any longer.
The young girl was frantic, unsure what to do.
She wrapped the cat in her school uniform jacket, ditched her friends, and obediently returned to the school gate.
At the time, Grandpa wasn't home, and Luo Zhining looked at Luo Li, puzzled to see her standing there in a thin shirt.
Then she noticed the little head poking out from the coat in Luo Li's arms.
"Mom, please help it."
Mrs. Luo sighed and quietly called a vet friend.
When something happens, the child always calls for her mom, regardless of whether she can actually help.
They spent a long time at the hospital before Luo Li was finally able to hold the now clean but still weak kitten. It was soft and well-behaved in her hands, already asleep.
"Are you planning to keep this cat?" On the way home, Mrs. Luo glanced at her daughter, who was cradling the kitten lovingly. She gave her a warning, "Your grandpa might not agree. You should think about how you're going to explain it to him."
Luo Li, holding the kitten like a precious gem, leaned in to sniff it and pouted at her mom's words. "Keeping a cat is my choice. He's not my boss; I don't have to report to him."
In the end, despite the old man's strong opposition, Luo Li kept the cat.
When Monday came, Luo Li and Lu Cixue arrived at the company one after the other. The elevator was crowded, but Luo Li could clearly feel that Lu Cixue was deliberately keeping her distance.
There was only so much space, yet she insisted on staying as far away as possible.
Just as the doors were closing, more people squeezed in, making it even tighter. Seeing that the man in front was about to bump into Lu Cixue, Luo Li reached out and pulled her close.
Lu Cixue found herself cornered.
Today, Director Lu wasn't wearing heels, so she was a few centimeters shorter than Luo Li, who had her securely wrapped in her arms.
Even so, Lu Cixue averted her gaze, refusing to even look at her, leaving Luo Li with nothing but the sight of her delicate, pale neck.
Luo Li wore a helpless expression.
It was a strange feeling. Lu Cixue didn't seem mad at her—after all, she had spoken to her the day before—but it was clear she wanted to stay as far away as possible.
She couldn't figure out what Lu Cixue was being so difficult about.
After the meeting, Director Lu even called her into her office to personally assign her tasks.
"You want me to do it?" Luo Li looked shocked. "I don't think I can…"
Lu Cixue looked up at her with a blank expression. "I'm informing you, not asking."
"Manager Guo's intern has only been here a month longer than you, and he's already planning to offer them a permanent position," Lu Cixue suddenly changed the subject.
"I don't want her to stay. Do you understand what I mean?"
Luo Li fell silent, her mind racing.
She might be the least clever in her family, but she wasn't dumb.
Fengyu only kept the best of the best, and they had joined as extra interns.
They didn't need both of them.
So they would keep the more outstanding one.
But Luo Li couldn't understand. That intern, Zhou Mo, was clearly more capable, so it made sense for her to stay.
Not to mention, Luo Li had connections and wouldn't be staying long anyway.
So why was Lu Cixue acting like this?
"But what if I don't do a good job?" Luo Li asked timidly.
She was fishing for some encouragement from Lu Cixue.
Lu Cixue coldly flipped through her reports.
"Then you'll redo it until it's right."
Ugh… Luo Li wrapped her arms around herself and left the office with her head down.
Despite her earlier doubts, Luo Li was serious about the task. Perhaps because of her passion, she came up with many unique ideas.
When Liu Yue and Chen Ting found out she would be presenting her proposal at the meeting, they eagerly offered advice and helped her make revisions.
So after spending the whole day on it and working a bit during lunch, Luo Li sent her final version to Lu Cixue for review.
Having received plenty of praise from Liu Yue and Chen Ting, Luo Li even treated them to bubble tea as thanks before the end of the day.
The three of them were chatting and laughing when Lu Cixue silently passed by with some documents in hand.
She cast a brief glance their way but said nothing.
Luo Li relaxed and happily packed up to leave.
"By the way, we haven't had a team dinner since Luo Luo joined our department, right?" Liu Yue suddenly suggested. "We've been so busy, but we should definitely have one."
Luo Li couldn't refuse; she might be able to skip future events, but this one was clearly for her, so she had to go.
"I'll talk to the director tomorrow, but she'll probably just pay the bill and not attend."
?
Luo Li's ears perked up. It was true that Lu Cixue usually avoided such gatherings.
But not this time. She was determined to drag her out. She couldn't let this old-fashioned person keep cooped up at home.
When Lu Cixue returned to her office, the workspace was already empty.
Except for one head peeking around, watching her like a thief.
... That was kind of creepy.
"Director Lu, aren't you leaving yet?" Luo Li was clearly all packed up, just waiting for her.
"Do you need something?" Lu Cixue was surprised; it was late, and Luo Li had patiently waited all this time.
"Did you review my proposal?" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Mm," Lu Cixue hesitated but nodded. Still, Luo Li seemed to be waiting for her to say something more.
It suddenly reminded her of how Ji Qiubai's dog, Dumpling, would look when begging for attention.
But work isn't the kind of place where everyone stands around praising you all day.
Maybe it was the encouraging way her parents had raised her that made Luo Li so confident and cheerful, always seeking validation.
But Lu Cixue still said, "You did well."
That was about as much as Director Lu could manage.
If she had a tail, Luo Li would be wagging it furiously by now.
"But I do have one question."
Lu Cixue waited quietly.
"Why have you been so distant these past two days?" Luo Li asked, feeling a bit hurt.
The truth was, it wasn't Luo Li's fault. That night after Luo Li went home, she had sent Lu Cixue a long message, sharing the story of the cat she had once cared for.
She really had listened to what Lu Cixue had said.
[I really liked her and never thought of abandoning her.]
[I just don't know if she'll forgive me after I apologize.]
On the other end, the person reading these words found her phone suddenly too hot to hold.
Out of habit, Luo Li had used "her" instead of "it."
And that "like" wasn't the same kind of "like."
But it was the first time someone had straightforwardly told her that they liked her.
That she was loved.
Why would anyone love her? How could someone like her be loved?
No, Luo Li only liked her cat form.
Luo Li treated her and the little white cat differently.
But Director Lu remained expressionless, hiding her chaotic thoughts well. She just wasn't sure how to face Luo Li.
"No, you're overthinking it."
Director Lu never treated her employees differently.
Hearing that, Luo Li boldly pushed her luck. "Is that so? Then I guess I was overthinking…"
"Have you had dinner yet, Director Lu?" Luo Li twirled her car keys and smiled. "How about a special meal, with VIP transportation, food, and drinks, to introduce you to the best of what the mortal world has to offer?"
"I've been waiting for you here for a long time…" Luo Li added, seemingly offhand.
... Guilt-tripping can be pretty effective sometimes.
And so, Director Lu stood at the company's entrance, her usually composed face filled with complex emotions.
At Luo Li's insistence, she found herself seated on that little electric scooter…