Christmas always brings the promise of snowflakes and reunions.
At the Luo Residence.
Luo Li sat in her room, surrounded by the warm holiday atmosphere the family housekeeper had carefully created. A small Christmas tree stood by the bay window in her room.
Although Luo Li's parents usually didn't celebrate such holidays, they had foreign friends who settled nearby and visited every year around this time. Thus, the Luo family took extra care to create a festive ambiance each year.
But those matters had nothing to do with Luo Li at the moment.
She sat on the white woolen carpet, dressed in a red-and-white striped sweater, surrounded by a pile of wrapped gifts. In her hands, she was tying a ribbon around a gift box.
These were all presents she planned to give to Lu Cixue.
From her first birthday to her twenty-sixth, she planned to make up for every single one.
Luo Li had done some research, and the colleagues at the company had mentioned that Director Lu never spoke about her birthday and had even declined their offers to celebrate it.
"Director Lu said she didn't have any special feelings about birthdays, so there was no need to make a fuss."
Luo Li didn't believe that.
Later, she managed to pry it out of Lu Cixue herself—that she had never celebrated a birthday and had long since gotten used to it.
How could that be?
Luo Li's plan to confess her feelings immediately took shape.
She wanted to tell Lu Cixue that she would celebrate all her past birthdays and be there to celebrate all her future ones.
She would make sure she was never alone again.
But for some reason, Lu Cixue hadn't responded to any of her messages today. She didn't know what was keeping her so busy.
Luo Li picked up her phone again, seeing that the good morning message she'd sent earlier was still unanswered.
Maybe it was better to just call.
——
"You ungrateful wretch! We raised you for so many years, fed and clothed you, and now you bite the hand that feeds you, with no sense of gratitude at all!"
Lu's father's face was flushed with anger as he stood by the door, shouting and cursing. He raised the cup in his hand, but then hesitated, remembering it wasn't his house, and reluctantly put it down.
He Qi'nian's expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly composed himself, gently coaxing Lu's father to sit down.
Lu's mother's sobs filled the room, frightening Duo Duo, who hid in the corner, watching the scene unfold in silence.
"My poor boy… you've had such a hard life…"
Lu Cixue closed her eyes briefly. "You told them?"
On the one hand, she found He Qi'nian's demeanor amusing, but on the other, she was filled with anxiety, unsure of what these two emotionally unstable people had done or might do next.
But one thing she was sure of—when people like them lost control, they were capable of anything.
This wasn't a baseless assumption; she had already experienced it.
When she was a child, Lu Xingyu had wandered off and gotten lost. All they found was a pair of tattered shoes. Her parents had gone mad with grief, to the point of considering sacrificing her as a live offering, praying for her life in exchange for Lu Xingyu's return.
At that time, she was so young that she could barely understand what they were saying or walking.
People living in the past, completely disconnected from modern society, were truly pitiful.
Lu Cixue suddenly wondered why she had once felt obligated to be kind to people like them.
But it was probably for the best; it proved she still had some humanity left.
He Qi'nian maintained his composed and caring facade, gently comforting Lu's mother as he spoke, his tone full of concern. "Uncle, Aunt, as parents, of course, you have the right to know."
"Give me back my son! Give him back to me!" Lu's mother, overwhelmed with emotion, would have charged at Lu Cixue if not for He Qi'nian holding her back.
"Auntie, Xiao Yu did make a mistake, but—"
"I don't care!" Lu's mother glared at He Qi'nian, her face filled with hatred. "Nothing good comes from being involved with humans. Every one of them…" Her voice trailed off in anger.
He Qi'nian hadn't expected their reaction to be so intense. It seemed that revealing the truth had brought consequences beyond his control.
"The trial is over. It can't be changed. Even if he turns back into his cat form, he can't escape."
Unless he dared to do so openly in front of humans and cameras.
But if he did, their kind would likely abandon him to protect themselves.
Lu Cixue looked at the two people sitting on the sofa, realizing with a start that she felt nothing at all.
She lowered her eyes.
"Yes, I was the one who reported Lu Xingyu. I attended every one of his trials. If you have any complaints, take them out on me."
"I'm grateful that you gave me the chance to live."
Even if they had only taken her in to pave the way for Lu Xingyu, they had at least given her the right to survive.
She had considered that it might have been better to die there.
But if she had, she wouldn't have been around to receive the gift that fate had sent her twenty-six years later.
"I'll ensure you have the basic necessities of life," Lu Cixue paused briefly, "but beyond that, we have no further connection. I won't be returning to that place."
"And if you try to come to my apartment again, you won't be able to get in."
Lu Cixue's phone buzzed with messages from someone constantly checking in on her, asking if she was busy or tired, or if she was facing any difficulties.
[I'll have dinner with my parents on New Year's Day, then come back to you!]
Courage can overcome trauma.
And the person who gives you that courage is even more precious.
"That's all I have to say."
Lu Cixue's gaze met He Qi'nian's. "I hope you understand that with your current ability, you're far from being able to repay all the medical bills."
Lu's father and mother stared blankly as she turned and walked out, their faces darkening.
But what could they do to Lu Cixue? If they wanted to maintain their lifestyle, they still had to rely on her.
Someone even their own kind didn't want anymore would be very lonely, but from that moment on, she would have no weaknesses.
"What about Xiao Yu? What's going to happen to him?" Lu's father, hearing that the case had already been decided, grew even more uneasy.
This meant it had been going on for a long time.
He Qi'nian hesitated, unsure if he should say it.
If they found out he had been sentenced to death, would they do something irrational?
"Uncle, Aunt, the thing is, Xiao Yu—"
"No, that's not right," Lu's mother shook her head in a daze. "No, she never had the courage to do something like this on her own. Someone must have helped her…"
They knew all of Lu Cixue's weaknesses.
She put on airs, but deep down, she was more desperate for love than anyone else, terrified of being alone.
She'd follow anyone who showed her the slightest kindness.
Ungrateful wretch.
"Xiao He, tell me, who was it?" Lu's mother gripped his hand tightly.
Rationally, He Qi'nian knew that in this situation, he shouldn't say anything more. After all, Lu Cixue had just made it clear.
And without Lu Cixue, he really couldn't cover all of Duo Duo's medical expenses.
But the most primal, darkest thoughts gnawed at him, making his throat dry. He seemed to cast aside all ethics as he slowly revealed the truth.
"It should be... no one helped her."
"But she's been very close to a human named Luo Li. It seems like they're in a relationship."
——It's okay. Lu Cixue won't abandon Duo Duo. She was just saying that. She wouldn't really do it...
Thinking about the two crazed figures who had just left, He Qi'nian's clenched hands trembled, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as his expression twisted between a laugh and a cry.
He was doing this for Lu Cixue's sake. She couldn't possibly be with someone like Luo Li.
"Brother, Sister Lu is mad."
In the now-silent room, Duo Duo suddenly spoke up.
He Qi'nian froze.
"You made Sister Lu unhappy, so I'm unhappy too." The innocent child could only express the most honest thoughts.
"Brother, you did something bad. I don't like it."
——
"Hey, what are you doing? Why haven't you answered my messages?" came a slightly pouty voice from the phone.
Lu Cixue stood by the roadside, the gray sky beginning to release soft snowflakes that gently settled in her hair.
"Sorry, I was dealing with something." Lu Cixue looked up at the sky, her voice a bit hoarse.
"Is it difficult? Can you handle it? Do you need my help?"
"Luo Li…"
Luo Li heard her name, spoken softly and tenderly.
"It's snowing outside."
Luo Li looked out the window, her eyes lighting up. "Wow, it really is! Wait for me, I'll be back soon. Do you want to have hot pot tonight?"
——Her mind always moved so quickly from one thing to the next.
"I want to see you."
Luo Li hesitated for a moment.
"Right now."
She didn't have time to wrap the gifts. They could wait.
Luo Li grabbed her scarf and gloves, running out of the house with a smile, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as she passed.
Her parents were only mildly surprised at her sudden departure, telling her to stay safe before returning to their mahjong game with their friends.
Driving to their meeting place, she spotted the familiar figure standing under the streetlamp, quietly watching her.
The snowflakes sparkled in the light, some landing on her dark hair, turning it white.
She was beautiful.
Luo Li, full of energy, ran over like an excited tiger cub.
——Her eyes were red. Had she been crying?
"What's wrong? Why were you crying? Your hands are so cold. Why didn't you wait for me at home?" Luo Li fussed as she tried to put gloves on her.
"Nothing."
Luo Li suddenly felt as if the person before her was a soft little cat, falling into her embrace.
"I'm just really happy."
——When someone you like hears you say you want to see them and immediately rushes to your side.
——But I'm also really worried. I'm afraid that I'll mess this up, that I won't handle this relationship well.
After all, I've always made a mess of everything—my family, my work relationships, even myself.
I can wear a mask to handle work, but deep down, I'm a coward who retreats at the first sign of trouble.
Happy?
It was surprising to hear that word from Lu Cixue's mouth.
Luo Li hugged her tightly.
"If you're happy, then let's celebrate with hot pot," Luo Li suggested. "It's still early. Let's go shopping together, and we can buy a small Christmas tree and decorations to bring home. We need to create a festive atmosphere. Oh, and didn't you say you like suspense movies? I found one you'll probably enjoy…"
Luo Li babbled on, planning their afternoon and evening.
Happy? Somehow, she wasn't entirely convinced.
The person buried in her shoulder gave a quiet "Mm."
Luo Li took her hand, and they walked toward the car together.
"Oh, and I still want that cherry milkshake. I was so busy when we got back that I forgot last time. Let's get that too... Ow, why did you pinch me...?"
——
At the airport.
Tao Jinxi listened to the detailed report through her Bluetooth earpiece, raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, what do you mean, the parents... don't seem like they're alive?"
"Ahem, Miss, while there's no solid evidence, they're probably involved with drugs."
Tao Jinxi was even more puzzled.
Lu Cixue didn't seem like the type to come from such a family, even if she wasn't exactly likeable.
"They seem to have a particularly hostile relationship."
"Lu Cixue also has a brother, but he's currently in prison."
Tao Jinxi let out a derisive laugh. "It seems Luo Luo hasn't shared all the details with Uncle and Aunt yet."
"This just keeps getting more interesting."