Kitty Xiuling

When Bai Ying had opened the door of the room Lai was resting in, he found her in a deep slumber. He quietly stepped inside and walked towards her, taking a seat by her side.

She rustled in her sleep and let out a soft breath of air. He smiled as he watched her.

When he had met her again at the café, he felt like he had entered heaven.

Seeing her again, hearing her voice, it all awakened something in him. He felt alive again, like he was poured with happiness.

Like he was floating on cloud nine. When she gazed at him in the café with a shocked and surprised look on her face, he knew that she remembered him.

Realising that made him want to laugh out loud in the café like a crazy, happy man.

However, he fought back the urge to laugh out loud. She was still as beautiful as ever, if not even more beautiful than before.

Her beauty would put other female celebrities or models to shame. He now scanned her sleeping face and was happy that her pale skin was no longer pale but filled with color again.

'I can't believe this woman beat up three men twice her size,' he pressed his lips together, 'Plus one of them had a knife.'

He sighed and stretched out his hand, wanting to touch her soft skin. His hand hovered over her cheek, and he sighed again, pulling his hand back.

'I should control myself,' he said, rubbing the nape of his neck.

Just then, her hazelnut eyes fluttered open as she stared at the ceiling. She sat up and found Bai Ying rubbing his neck.

"Oh, Mr. Ying," she said, rubbing her eyes.

He pressed his lips together as she looked highly adorable while she rubbed her eyes.

It was like a baby had just woken up from a long slumber.

"I was about to wake you up," he smiled.

She smiled back and got up from the bed, feeling a whole lot better. She looked around, wondering where her stuff was as she held her phone in her hand.

"Oh, I left your things in my car," he told her, standing up.

"Ah, okay. Thanks," she said softly.

He watched as she walked to the white cat and crouched beside it. She began to stroke its head, and it purred, letting out a meow in the process.

Her eyes then widened when she realised something.

"Um...Mr. Ying?" she was hesitant in her speech.

He walked to her and crouched beside her.

"Hm?" he tilted his head and stared at her, raising his eyebrow.

She pointed at the white cat.

"What do we do with him?" she tilted her head as she watched the cat lick and clean itself.

"Pets are not allowed where I stay, and I don't want to send him to the animal shelter. I really wanna keep him, though," she continued, mumbling the last part.

Her shoulders drooped at the thought of sending him away. Seeing her sad made his heart ache and, although he did not like animals, he was determined to make her happy and keep the cat.

"He can stay with me," he told her.

She turned her head to him so fast he thought she might have almost hurt her neck.

"A-are you sure?" she asked, her voice cracking at the 'sure' part, "I mean, I don't want to burden you. You don't have to do this just because..."

He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"Don't worry," he smiled, "I'm 100% sure. On one condition, though."

She raised her eyebrow as he released his hand from her shoulder.

"W-what condition?" she asked, skeptically looking at him.

"Geez," he chuckled, "No need to look at me like I will ask you to pay me with your body in return for keeping the little furry."

She blushed profusely and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

"Oh, is that what you want?" he teased.

"I-I w-wasn't thinking of such a p-perverted thing," she stammered, peeking at him through her fingers.

He softly chuckled.

"The condition is that we both look after him," he stated.

"Huh?" she was confused.

He stood up and opened the door, standing next to it.

"You will come here to feed, bathe, and pet him," he tilted his head, "You are his saviour, after all."

She stood up, not knowing exactly what to say. It was a great offer, and the cat would be able to have a safe, warm place to stay. But to come here? In his house? The home of a mafia CEO?

"Um...every day?" she asked him.

He shook his head 'no.'

"I'll give you the password to the house so you can come on days you are available," he saw her look of astonishment.

"Your password?" she asked, biting her lip, "Isn't that too...I don't know...too personal?"

Oh, if only she knew how he wanted her to be in his life, all up and personal.

"Not at all," he shook his head, "Do we have a deal?"

She thought for a minute and nodded, stretching her hand for him to shake. He stared at her hand and shook it.

'So soft,' he thought.

"Then you have a deal, Mr. Ying," she grinned from ear to ear.

"Here that, kitty?" she said, turning her attention to the white cat, "You'll be safe here. I trust Mr. Ying will take good care of you. Mummy will come as much as she can to see you."

The cat meowed at her.

"Wait a minute," she realised something else, "He doesn't have a name yet."

"You can give it a name since he's yours," he told her.

She pressed her lips together, tilting her head to the side as she thought of a name.

"Hmm," she pouted, "Let's see."

She stared at the cat and bit her lip. Seeing her bite her lip made him lose his mind as he stared at them, wondering how soft those lips would feel against his. What would they taste like?

"How about Xiuling?" she asked him, causing him to snap out of his daze.

"What?" he asked, clasping his hands together.

"You know, from our surnames? 'Xiul' as in Xiulan and 'ing' as in Ying. Xiuling. I think it's perfect since he is our cat. After all, we both saved him," she explained, feeling proud of herself.

He thought for a while and found the name cute, plus it combined both their surnames, which made him secretly happy.

"Yeah, I like it," he told her, and she clapped her hands in happiness.

"Hear that, kitty?" she was beaming with happiness, "From now on, you are Xiuling. Now be good while mummy's gone. Bye!"

With that, they walked out of the room and headed for the car. Since she had come into Bai's home asleep, she never got a chance to see the house.

So when she was finally able to see the man's house, she almost gasped. This was no house. This was a mansion!

She scanned it, her mouth wide open.

"If you don't close your mouth, a bug might fly in," she heard him say with a chuckle.

"Sorry, it's just that your house...it's huge, Mr. Ying," she told him, taking a seat in the passenger seat.

He smiled and closed his door. She struggled a bit to fasten her seatbelt as it seemed stuck. Upon seeing this, Bai leaned his body towards her.

His hand stretched across her body and grabbed the seatbelt.

'Too damn close,' she thought, feeling her face burn up.

He pulled the seatbelt, fastened it for her, and moved back to his seat.

"T-thanks," she said softly, holding her phone tightly.

Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst at any moment. That she might die then and there in her seat.

He began to drive to her house.