Aunty Xie was an experienced elder who had seen it all at the Luo household. The moment she saw Lu Cixue showing up in the rain, she immediately knew there was something special between her and Luo Li.
So, today, there was no escaping that bowl of soup.
The little cat, now mostly sober, sat beside her, staring at her intently with a serious expression. The dining table was already set with a steaming dinner.
It was clear that if Luo Li dared to refuse, Lu Cixue would likely skip dinner altogether.
"Then you have to feed me," Luo Li said softly, tentatively tugging on Lu Cixue's sleeve. She glanced up at her with pleading eyes, "Please don't be mad, okay? I was so foolish back then, not realizing such a beautiful little cat was by my side…"
As she spoke, a thought struck her. "So, were you upset with me when you left?"
—Did that mean Lu Cixue liked her even back then?
Luo Li had a moment of clarity and found herself delighted by this discovery.
Lu Cixue's gaze shifted away, her long lashes hiding the emotions in her eyes. Her voice was tinged with a slight hesitation, "No, I just got lost."
Luo Li hadn't paid her enough attention during that sorrowful time, and that was all there was to it.
There was no right or wrong.
Luo Li could sense something was off in the little cat's mood. She took Lu Cixue's hand, feeling a chill.
"You're lying."
Even if she was so small, how far could she have gone? The house had cameras, and if they noticed the cat hadn't returned by nightfall, they would have gone looking for her.
Unless no one had gone looking.
Luo Li paused, and a painful but plausible suspicion crept into her mind.
"I'm sorry," Luo Li said, lowering her head.
If she had taken the cat with her back then, would things have turned out differently?
"It wasn't your fault," Lu Cixue replied, picking up the ornate porcelain bowl that Aunty Xie had just refilled with soup, its temperature perfect, though the scent was indeed quite bitter.
The clinking of the porcelain spoon against the bowl echoed in the room. The bitterness filled Luo Li's mouth, making her wrinkle her nose in distaste, but she still swallowed the spoonful Lu Cixue offered.
"I'm the one who messed everything up, who couldn't protect you," Lu Cixue murmured.
Luo Li grimaced at the bitter taste, grabbing Lu Cixue's arm and holding on until the bitterness in her mouth faded. Then she looked up at Lu Cixue with a serious expression. "Why did you come to find me today?"
Asking the obvious.
Lu Cixue, perhaps in retaliation, fed her another spoonful.
Now that her mind was clear, she realized this was all a ploy by Luo Li and the others.
Even Ji Qiubai was likely in on it.
Despite the bitterness, Luo Li smiled, "You were jealous, weren't you?"
"If you truly didn't want to be with me anymore, you wouldn't have come today," Luo Li's eyes were soft as she spoke. "I heard everything you said when I was unconscious."
She saw the cat's face flush with embarrassment.
"I know you feel guilty, but even if none of this had happened, I could still have been hit by a car some other day, right?"
"Don't say that."
Lu Cixue frowned, clearly disapproving of such pessimistic talk.
"Okay, okay, I won't," Luo Li said, looking intently at Lu Cixue. "I just want to tell you that we can't predict everything. We're two people. You don't have to protect me all the time, and that's not a reason for us to break up. Got it?"
"Unless one day you really don't like me anymore, then I'll definitely be the first to leave and never come back."
Just like before, even when she was heartbroken over Tao Jinxi, she never tried to hold on.
Because a healthy relationship should never end in chaos.
If the other person couldn't be reached, she wouldn't force it.
Lu Cixue's eyes flickered, the turbulence inside finally settling into a calm, peaceful clarity.
"I won't."
Luo Li's fingers brushed over the small, square box in her right pocket. Hearing Lu Cixue's words, she smiled and teasingly asked, "Won't what?"
Another spoonful of bitter soup was forced into her mouth.
Luo Li wrinkled her nose in protest, but the next moment, her expression softened.
The bitterness seemed to turn sweet as Lu Cixue's soft kiss pressed against her lips.
"I won't stop liking you."
Luo Li's heart began to race.
—Lu Cixue being tender like this was deadly.
She stared at Lu Cixue's delicate features, her fingers tracing the box in her pocket. Unable to contain her excitement, she pulled out the small box and opened it before Lu Cixue could react.
Her excitement was contagious.
"I had prepared a lot of gifts, but they all got smashed."
This was the only one she had kept safe.
"But even if they broke, they can be replaced. Don't listen to my mom stirring things up—she doesn't really want us to break up."
When she had woken up and heard what Luo Zhining had said to Lu Cixue, Luo Li couldn't believe how sharply her mom had cut to the heart of the matter.
"Although the timing and place might not be ideal, this is something I should have given you earlier. It's a bit late, but I don't think I can wait any longer. Lu Cixue, will you be my girlfriend?" Luo Li's eyes sparkled as she held out the elegant ring.
The custom-designed ring had cat motifs, inspired by the white cat she had in mind when she drew it.
Lu Cixue froze, unable to respond immediately.
This was a scene she had never anticipated.
Having spent so much time among humans, she had witnessed countless proposals and confessions, always feeling indifferent while others around her screamed with joy, wondering when they would experience such love.
She had never expected someone else in her world.
But when it finally happened, it was an unstoppable, overwhelming feeling.
Instead of saying, "I will," she simply said, "Thank you."
Thank you for coming into my barren, dark world.
——
"Holy cow, did you see that ring on the boss's finger?" someone in the elevator whispered excitedly.
"Shh—" a colleague hushed them.
"Last month, the boss was so stern that I didn't dare say a word to her," another employee murmured. "But ever since she took that leave, she's been like a different person."
"The power of love, huh? Not even our boss could escape it."
"But who do you think it is? I've never seen the boss get close to any of her suitors."
"It's probably the person who sent those flowers last time. That was the only time the boss ever made an exception."
"Alright then, let's stop making bets. It's probably pointless now."
Luo Ran, sitting nearby, quickly suppressed a smile.
It was hard, knowing something only she knew, with no one to share it with.
She opened her phone and checked Luo Li's social media.
The couple hadn't posted their relationship publicly, likely to avoid causing trouble at work. Colleagues couldn't see the photo of their hands clasped together, announcing their relationship.
Not even Tao Jinxi had liked the post—she was probably furious.
Just as Luo Ran thought this, a message from Luo Li popped up.
[Are you still at work?]
Luo Ran looked around. [It's the end of the year, so I'm working late. The boss just finished a meeting, but everyone's still here.]
[Your rings have caused quite a stir.]
[I think you owe me a dinner.]
Luo Li skimmed the first sentence and put her phone down, suppressing a laugh.
Luo Zhining really had no qualms about inconveniencing others.
She had just dumped her in front of Lu Cixue's place and left her there.
"You insisted on coming back, but with the New Year approaching, your dad and I can't take care of you. Go find someone willing to look after you."
Sure, the maids and servants at home were just for show. Luo Zhining sure knew how to find her a place.
[When the meeting's over, tell her there's a freeloader who might need her care. Ask if she's willing to take me in.]
[?]
——
Luo Li wandered aimlessly around the apartment. Everything was perfectly prepared, with every corner thoughtfully designed for convenience.
Hmm, she felt like her parents had planned to hand her over to Lu Cixue from the start.
The elevator doors opened slowly, and out stepped Lu Cixue, dressed in a black wool coat and a turtleneck. She seemed to be in a hurry, her glasses fogged up from the warmth inside.
"You're back," said the "freeloader" sitting obediently at the door, waving cheerfully at Lu Cixue.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Lu Cixue turned around, not even bothering to go inside her own home, and wheeled Luo Li inside.
"My mom only told me after the plane landed," Luo Li tilted her head, her bright eyes sparkling. "She said I only need someone to help me change my dressings and check on me, so I should find someone willing to take care of me."
Lu Cixue paused, surprised by how casually the Luo family raised their children.
But she realized this was likely Luo Zhining's way of giving them a chance to reconcile.
"So, what do you think, Boss? I'm free of charge, and even though I'm still struggling to walk, I'm quite useful, I promise you'll have a great experience," Luo Li began to pitch herself.
"What experience?" The cat was confused, staring blankly at Luo Li.
Luo Li coughed nervously.
"Didn't you experience it last time?" Luo Li edged away slightly, daringly reminding her, "The night you came to find me."
Great, she successfully turned the boss's face icy cold.
The excitement of their deepening relationship had clearly gone to her head.
Lu Cixue had stayed the night at Luo Li's place, and with Luo Li's deceptively innocent face, she had easily convinced Lu Cixue to agree to sleep together.
The result, of course, was a disaster.
"If you can change at will, can you also make your ears and tail appear?" Luo Li muttered, her voice muffled, her nose and lips glistening with a clear sheen.
"Don't…" The woman, now disheveled on the soft couch, her clothes barely covering anything, her eyes red at the corners, reached out to push Luo Li away but didn't dare use much force, afraid of hurting her. Her delicate skin was marked with tiny blossoms.
The room was thick with a suggestive atmosphere, filled with soft cries.
"Let me see, baby," Luo Li coaxed, one hand gripping the fragile, pale ankle, preventing the cat from escaping. "I still don't know what you're capable of. You've been lying to me for so long; you need to explain."
"No, you need to leave…" The teary-eyed woman, her focus blurred, her face tinged with an intoxicating blush, still tried to resist.
Saying "leave," but Luo Li didn't believe that's what she meant.
"Then show me."
The cat bit her lip in hesitation. "I can't, it'll…"
"It'll what?" Luo Li added another delicate finger, and the woman went limp, unable to stop the soft white cat ears from appearing. Her snow-white face flushed with panic, captivating her attention.
Luo Li froze, staring in surprise. In a flash, the cherry milkshake from what she thought was a dream came rushing back, and she realized it was something far more delicious than a milkshake.
—Maybe this little cat was bolder than she thought.
"Don't look…" The cat's cool hands covered her eyes, her cries trembling.
"It's okay," Luo Li smiled, lowering her head, "I'll help you clean up."