Luo Li had been acting mysteriously lately, and even Lu Cixue didn't know what she was up to. She would disappear right after work, sometimes for entire weekends, and aside from their conversations at work and on the phone, they had barely spent any time alone together in the past week.
No matter how much Lu Cixue hinted or inquired, Luo Li wouldn't reveal where she had been going.
Ji Qiubai noticed that Director Lu had been staring at a document for a long time, yet her pen hadn't moved at all.
"Director Lu?" Ji Qiubai called softly. "This document has already been reviewed. You just need to sign it."
Lu Cixue snapped out of her thoughts and quickly scribbled her signature, the elegant strokes betraying none of her inner turmoil.
"You should go home and rest. There's nothing urgent left for today," Ji Qiubai suggested, wondering why Director Lu had stayed behind to work late.
"Thank you, Qiubai."
Ji Qiubai nodded and quietly left the office, closing the door behind her.
As Lu Cixue left the office and waited for the elevator, she was joined by Luo Ran, who squeezed in just before the doors closed. The young intern greeted her cheerfully, "Director Lu!"
Lu Cixue nodded politely. "Are you adjusting well?"
—Did the beautiful woman just show concern for her?
Even though Luo Ran knew this was just a routine check-in from her boss, she couldn't help but feel a surge of loyalty, vowing to support this budding relationship between her cousin and Director Lu.
—If this worked out, she'd be able to call Director Lu her sister-in-law!
"Yes, yes! Everyone's been so kind to me, and I've adjusted really well."
Luo Ran inched closer, blurting out, "Director Lu, do you know when my cousin's birthday is?"
"Yes." Luo Li had mentioned that her family celebrated her birthday according to the lunar calendar, while she used the solar calendar when celebrating with friends abroad. By Lu Cixue's calculations, Luo Li's birthday wasn't until late December, which was the lunar New Year's Eve. She'd overheard Luo Li mentioning it during a casual chat with the other marketing staff.
But hearing the date Lu Cixue gave, Luo Ran shook her head. "That's not right. In our family, we've always celebrated her birthday on November 7th."
Luo Ran rolled her eyes. "Our grandfather's an old traditionalist. When my cousin was little and often got sick, he insisted on picking an auspicious date for her birthday. I don't know where he got all these superstitions from."
Lu Cixue was stunned. So Luo Li's birthday was just a week away? Why hadn't she said anything?
Luo Ran didn't realize the implications of what she had just revealed and continued chatting with Lu Cixue about various things.
"Do you know what she's been up to lately?" Lu Cixue asked.
Luo Ran froze.
Wait, she really didn't know, but why didn't Director Lu know either?
Did her cousin really have that little sense of what it meant to be in the early stages of a relationship? Disappearing like this would definitely make someone feel insecure. No wonder Director Lu looked so down after work.
Seeing the expression on Luo Ran's face, Lu Cixue understood. "It's nothing. You should get some rest."
When she got home, the lights were off across the hall, signaling that Luo Li hadn't returned yet. Lu Cixue unlocked her door and stepped inside.
Luo Li's behavior hadn't really changed, but Lu Cixue had noticed that she seemed particularly tired lately. As far as she knew, nothing major had happened in the Luo family.
It was normal to feel anxious and overthink things during a relationship, but she couldn't help wondering what Luo Li was doing, hoping for reassurance.
The little cat sat quietly for a while, making a decision.
——
Luo Li returned home around 9 p.m., her face alight with contentment. But as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a small white ball of fluff sitting patiently in front of her door.
A pair of watery blue eyes stared up at her, filled with an almost pitiful, forlorn expression.
Luo Li suddenly felt like she had done something wrong.
The little cat padded over to her, rubbing against her legs and letting out a soft meow, then nuzzled her leg.
Bending down, Luo Li scooped up the cat, realizing it had been waiting a long time. The little nose was cold.
She cradled the cat closer, speaking to it gently, "Why didn't you find a warmer place to wait? You didn't have to sit here in the cold."
The cat, content in her arms, nestled in closer, ignoring Luo Li's scolding. Its soft, pink ears twitched.
—This little rascal seemed to be in a good mood.
Luo Li chuckled, set down her things, and noticed several messages from Luo Ran on her phone.
"Sis, what have you been up to lately? Why doesn't Director Lu know where you've been?"
"Have a little awareness of your relationship status, okay? Disappearing like this makes people feel insecure. No wonder she seemed so down after work."
"Oh, and I told Director Lu about your birthday. I didn't realize she didn't know."
It was only now that Luo Ran realized something was off.
Luo Li, still holding the cat on the couch, had the messages playing out loud. Even though she knew the cat wouldn't understand, she still felt guilty.
The little cat appeared oblivious, watching the phone screen for a while before getting bored and settling more comfortably in Luo Li's lap, tilting its head to gaze up at her.
Such a spoiled little thing.
—This cat was just as audacious as the one she used to own.
Yawning with sleepiness, Luo Li gave the cat a gentle pat.
She really couldn't tell Lu Cixue what she had been up to. She had finally managed to catch this designer, who rarely returned to the country, and wanted to get the ring designed before he left.
For the past two weeks, she had been rushing to meet with him every night, sketching design after design until they finally agreed on the final draft tonight.
Once the ring was finished, Luo Li felt she would be ready to confess formally.
In the midst of all this, she had completely forgotten about her birthday!
Absentmindedly stroking the cat in her lap, Luo Li sighed. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you—I really just forgot."
"Well, you wouldn't understand now anyway. I'll explain when you're back to normal." Luo Li muttered to herself, reflecting on how she hadn't spent much time with Lu Cixue lately.
She had even turned down a dinner invitation from Director Lu.
This overly cautious cat must have felt quite uneasy.
Feeling guilty, Luo Li cuddled the cat closer, kissing its soft fur. The warmth from the fluffy ball made her feel at peace. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll tell you what I've been up to."
"Meow."
The little cat batted at her face, its tiny paws no match for the human's overwhelming affection.
"Alright, let's go take a bath."
"Meow!" The cat protested again.
"No, no baths mean no bed."
Despite its resistance, the little cat ended up getting a good scrubbing.
The next day, Luo Li was still fast asleep when the person beside her woke up, driven by their internal clock. But the cat didn't move or leave; it just lay there quietly, watching Luo Li's sleeping face with an unusually tender expression.
But Luo Li wasn't a particularly peaceful sleeper. When she couldn't feel the soft, furry warmth beside her, she instinctively reached out, fumbling until she found Lu Cixue's arm, giving it a squeeze before curling up against her, seeking out the softest spot to nestle into.
Breathing in the familiar scent, Luo Li sighed contentedly.
Completely unaware of how rigid the person she was holding had become.
In the end, Luo Li didn't push her away, but instead, half-awake, she felt a soft touch on her cheek, trailing from her cheek to her eyelids, and then down to the corner of her lips.
The gentle kisses continued, and Luo Li grinned secretly, quickly suppressing it to keep pretending to be asleep.
—Better not let on. This proactive little cat was a rare treat.
Director Lu was remarkably understanding about Luo Li's recent absence, simply telling her not to do it again and moving on without much fuss.
It seemed she had a habit of trusting whatever Luo Li said without question.
But when it came to her birthday, Director Lu strangely changed the subject. "How did you usually celebrate your birthday when you were abroad?"
"Oh, just small parties with a few friends. Nothing too exciting."
Luo Li rested her chin on her hands, smiling. "This year will be special because I get to spend it with you."
"But what about your parents…?" Lu Cixue wasn't convinced.
—A birthday should be spent with family, even if she hadn't experienced that herself. She couldn't imagine Luo Li not spending it with her parents because of her.
"My parents are planning a trip and weren't planning on celebrating with me," Luo Li quickly added, putting on a pouty face. "You're not going to abandon me too, are you?"
"No," Lu Cixue shook her head, finally letting out a small laugh. "I'll stay with you."
——
Luo Li found that Lu Cixue was truly amazing.
Even though her personality might not be universally adored, that wasn't her fault.
Take the cake that Director Lu made—it was absolutely bakery-worthy.
Of course, Luo Li had no intention of sharing it with anyone else.
And the necklace with the beautiful chain…
—She loved it so much.
As Luo Li pondered how to cut the cake perfectly, she noticed that the person beside her seemed to want to say something but was holding back.
She turned to her, "What is it? Why is your face so red?"
—Was she getting sick?
Worried, Luo Li reached out to check her temperature, but her hand was caught in a gentle grip.
Luo Li could feel the heat in her palm as she watched Lu Cixue's face turn redder. Her breath came out in ragged, warm gasps, her eyes glistening with a damp haze, and her pupils quivered.
Then, with a slight sway, she collapsed into Luo Li's arms, clinging to her.
"Luo Li…"
She whispered her name softly, her usual cool tone now tinged with a hint of playful sweetness.
"So hot…"
Luo Li thought back—had it really been that long since last time?
She gently wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, glancing at the cake with a twinge of regret.
It wouldn't be good by tomorrow.
An idea popped into her mind, a mischievous one.
—After all, such a delicious cake shouldn't go to waste.
She leaned close to the cat's ear, her voice soft and coaxing, "How about we take a bath first?"
She sounded like a big, bad wolf luring a little white rabbit.
"Then we can come back and eat the cake."