Luo Li received a call from her mother while leaving the company, precisely at the end of the workday.
Well, the news did spread quickly, and although her parents had never visited her at work, they always seemed to know exactly what she was up to.
—Could Lu Cixue really be their informant?
"How far have you two gone? Does she like you?" The excitement in her mother's voice was unmistakable. Luo Zhining, it seemed, could be quite the gossip when it came to her daughter's love life.
Luo Li couldn't help but feel a little proud. "Of course she does."
"So? All you've confirmed is that she likes you?"
Why did that sound so dismissive?
Luo Li grumbled internally. Her parents had taken forever to officially get together, but her situation was different… right?
Whatever. No point in explaining too much to her mom; she still had to get home and cook dinner.
Luo Li arrived home with bags in hand, quickly changed clothes, removed her makeup, and then headed out again without a moment's hesitation.
When she rang the doorbell, the person inside limped over to answer.
"You said you didn't know what you wanted to eat, so I just bought a bunch of stuff. You can pick something out. My cooking has improved a lot," Luo Li said with a small, proud smile. In her haste to get back, a single strand of hair was sticking straight up, adding to her adorably smug expression.
Lu Cixue opened the door and let her in, noticing the stray hair. Her fingers itched, and she couldn't resist smoothing it down.
It didn't go down. She tried again.
Workaholics might all have a touch of OCD.
Focused, Director Lu continued smoothing the stubborn hair, only to realize the person being petted was staring at her with bright eyes.
"Could you do it again…"
—Why does she like being petted so much? She's just like Ji Qiubai's dog.
Director Lu kept her face neutral, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse those pleading eyes. With a resigned sigh, she reached out again.
"Better now?"
Luo Li nodded enthusiastically, fully satisfied.
But when she entered the living room, she noticed how spotless it was. The TV wasn't even on.
"Did you do nothing all afternoon?"
Watch a movie? Play a game? Even if Director Lu wasn't into those things, maybe she could at least do some drawing? The place was as clean as her face.
"No," the cat corrected Luo Li with a serious look, holding up her phone. "I was writing the annual report."
Luo Li felt a sweatdrop form. The cat's earnest expression made her look so innocent.
Does she think that's reasonable?
"People need to learn to relax. You're already like this, and you're still thinking about work?" Luo Li gently guided the cat back to the sofa. "What if you wear yourself out?"
—Even if you're a cat, you can still wear yourself out.
When it came to enjoying life, Luo Li felt she was far ahead of Lu Cixue. She quickly picked out a movie, something suspenseful and scary.
Luo Li admitted she had ulterior motives, but a little harmless trickery couldn't hurt, right?
"This movie has really high ratings. Enjoy it while I make dinner."
She hummed as she headed to the kitchen, while the person she left behind watched her, puzzled.
Can someone really be this happy watching a horror movie?
Opening the fridge, Luo Li was surprised to find a familiar brand of orange juice on one of the shelves.
She had never seen Lu Cixue drink this. Who else could it be for? Luo Li couldn't help but feel a little smug.
—Wow, her boss was full of surprises.
Luo Li prepared dinner in high spirits, keeping an ear out for any sounds from the living room. But there wasn't a peep.
When Luo Li returned to the living room, she found the person on the sofa frowning slightly. Her expression wasn't one of fear but more like she was listening to an employee give a report.
"Is it not good?"
"No," Director Lu critiqued. "But I think the detective's reasoning has flaws. If you think about it, there are inconsistencies in the testimonies of two witnesses. Even if they aren't directly related to the final outcome, they should still be verified. But this was completely overlooked."
"The rest of the movie is very well done."
Luo Li pressed her lips together, suppressing a laugh.
She hadn't expected Director Lu to say so much for the first time… about this.
The cat is so particular.
"Yeah, you're right. We'll watch something else next time."
Seeing the array of dishes on the table, Lu Cixue's eyes reflected surprise.
After a full day of work, Luo Li still came over to take care of her. It was a lot of effort.
Once again, the cat's mind was already planning how to reciprocate.
Netizens say that relationships should be balanced. One-sided efforts wouldn't last long.
Luo Li noticed that Lu Cixue hadn't touched her chopsticks. She had said it was delicious, but why did she look like she was facing a major dilemma?
Luo Li reached out to touch Lu Cixue's forehead. No fever.
Her gaze fell on the hand Lu Cixue had grasped, and Luo Li felt like she might be dreaming.
"This is my house's code. You don't have to ring the doorbell next time."
So… Director Lu handed her a set of numbers, and now she was registering her fingerprint too?
While Luo Li was thrilled, she also wondered if this cat might be too trusting. A director of her level shouldn't be this easy to fool. What if someone took advantage of her?
"Wait, wait. I don't mind ringing the doorbell. But how can you just give out your house code like that? What if you gave it to someone with bad intentions? What about your safety awareness?" Luo Li lectured the cat like a concerned elder.
But the cat was stubborn, clearly not listening.
Lu Cixue gave her a strange look.
She thought she was at least more careful than someone who called others their spouse after a drink and freely shared passwords.
"Are you someone with bad intentions?"
Well… She had intentions, but they weren't bad.
Luo Li shook her head vigorously.
"I've never given my code to anyone else." Lu Cixue quietly added.
In other words, Luo Li was the only person with the freedom to come and go as she pleased.
Luo Li felt even more buoyant.
"Then I'll give you mine too—" like kids swapping candy at school.
"No need. I know it."
"Huh?"
——
Ji Qiubai closed her laptop and checked the time. It was already 8 p.m.
The thought of her overtime being due to a certain couple's cozy evening made her sigh.
After working hard, she deserved a reward. Maybe she'd treat herself to dinner out, then go home to play with Tangyuan and finish that mystery novel before bed.
But plans are made to be broken.
And Ji Qiubai's plans were often disrupted by this particular woman.
"What are you doing here?" How could she wander the streets without bodyguards?
Jing Yao clung tightly to Ji Qiubai's arm. "Sorry, help me out one more time."
Without another word, the woman kissed her again.
Ji Qiubai froze, stiff and unresponsive.
In her peripheral vision, she saw a short-haired woman holding a rather expensive-looking gift.
The woman stopped dead in her tracks, stunned at the sight of Jing Yao kissing someone she didn't recognize.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, then hesitated. Finally, she lowered her arm and quietly turned to leave.
A surge of frustration welled up in Ji Qiubai's chest.
She gently but firmly pushed Jing Yao away, then stormed off without a word.
She didn't understand why she felt this way, and it didn't seem to be anger over the kiss itself.
This Miss Jing always had people flocking around her. Was she just using Ji Qiubai as a shield because she didn't like that woman? What did Jing Yao even see her as?
If she already had someone she was seeing, why did she keep clinging to her? To Jing Yao, disrupting her life seemed like nothing more than a rich person's game, something she could do on a whim, without a care for Ji Qiubai's feelings.
The sad part was that she didn't even have the power to resist.
"Wait." Jing Yao, out of breath, caught up and grabbed Ji Qiubai's sleeve.
How could she just run off like that without giving her a chance to explain?
"That was my ex trying to get back together. I didn't arrange to meet her, and I clearly rejected her, but she insisted on following me," Jing Yao softened her tone to appease her. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad, okay?"
"This has nothing to do with me," Ji Qiubai replied coldly. "Please, let go of me."
Jing Yao raised an eyebrow.
As the older one, she had more experience and could easily see what was bothering Ji Qiubai.
"You're upset because I treated you like a distraction, right?"
"No."
"A quick denial is usually a lie," Jing Yao smirked. "And why won't you look at me?"
Ji Qiubai's beautiful face scrunched up in frustration, her neck stiff as she turned away.
"I admit, that's how it started."
Ji Qiubai remained silent.
"So, I need to apologize." Jing Yao's tone grew serious.
A kind and sincere person is easy to fall for.
For Jing Yao, romance had always been more of a diversion. Most people were attracted to her looks, her family background, or her power.
After getting to know them a little, she'd find they were shallow, uninterested in her as a person.
So, they'd just take what they wanted from each other.
But Ji Qiubai was different. Despite knowing what kind of person she was, Ji Qiubai had initially wanted nothing to do with her, yet still ended up being the one to soften.
She didn't understand why, but it made Jing Yao want to open up, to reveal her vulnerabilities to this person who wasn't easily swayed.
It was strange how just a few kind words from Ji Qiubai made her believe this person was special.
Someone who likes you shouldn't be taken for granted.
"I'll sort out these loose ends. I promise this won't happen again, okay?" Jing Yao watched as the frown on Ji Qiubai's face slowly eased, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.
"This really has nothing to do with me. I'm going home. You should too, Miss Jing."
This time, Jing Yao didn't stop her, just watched her walk away as if fleeing, smiling to herself as she touched her chin.
She had an idea of what might work.
This sulky little girl shouldn't stay angry for long.
When Ji Qiubai got home, she was shocked by what she saw on her phone. She wasn't angry, just surprised at how straightforward Jing Yao could be.
Miss Jing had pinned a post on her social media—a photo of Ji Qiubai's back.
—When did she take this?
The caption read:
[Definitely a jealous little one (heart emoji)]