29

During the days that Luo Li had been taking care of Lu Cixue, she became quite familiar with where everything was in Lu Cixue's home. Even though she hadn't stayed overnight, it felt almost like they were living together.

Luo Li thought this lifestyle was pretty nice—being able to cuddle with the person she liked and even fatten up the little cat who had lost some weight recently. The only downside was that Director Lu insisted on bathing herself, refusing Luo Li's help.

However, seeing how much Luo Li was doing for her made Lu Cixue feel guilty, especially since her leg and foot had healed by Friday. Still, Luo Li thick-skinnedly showed up at her place again.

Sitting in the living room, Luo Li couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What did you say?"

Lu Cixue, who had been staring at the overly expressive person in front of her, kept her face neutral but nervously pinched her fingertips, not wanting to repeat herself.

Saying something like this once was already difficult for the little cat. Did Luo Li really not hear, or was she pretending?

Luo Li, with her sharp eyes, noticed Lu Cixue's ears turning red, the blush even spreading down her fair neck. To avoid Luo Li's gaze, Lu Cixue nervously sipped from a cup that had long since been empty.

If it had been before, Luo Li wouldn't have dared to tease her boss, but today, this shy little cat was being surprisingly bold.

Recalling those past encounters, the sensation of soft, slippery skin under her palms, and the low, restrained sobs in her ears, Luo Li quickly shook her head to rid herself of those untimely thoughts.

"I think…" Luo Li began with a frown.

The person next to her visibly tensed, interpreting Luo Li's seemingly disapproving expression as a sign of imminent rejection. Lu Cixue's mind raced with thoughts of what to do if she was turned down.

Feeling ashamed would be the least of her worries; she might not be able to face Luo Li ever again.

For someone as aloof and composed as Director Lu to express a desire to maintain a more intimate relationship beyond the physical was a clear indication that the little cat had found the experience quite enjoyable. But when Luo Li had asked if she liked it during those moments, this proud cat had remained silent.

Luo Li decided to play a little, feigning difficulty. "This is something you should do with a girlfriend…"

She watched as the little cat's long lashes lowered, trying to hide the dimming light in her eyes. Lu Cixue pursed her lips, pretending to be unaffected.

Luo Li's heart ached, and she quickly stopped teasing.

"But if it's with someone you like, then it's okay to have a little taste beforehand," Luo Li said, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she leaned in. "After all, a girlfriend is someone you like, right?"

She had thought about formally confessing, but it felt too soon for this sensitive and cautious little cat. Besides, she herself wasn't quite ready yet.

Maybe it was the influence of her parents, but Luo Li believed that a relationship should develop slowly, with both parties accepting each other completely before making a lifelong commitment.

For someone like Lu Cixue, who was emotionally inexperienced, pushing for a deeper relationship too quickly would only make her more anxious.

After all, Luo Li wasn't perfect either.

Luo Li decided that she needed to become someone Lu Cixue could truly rely on before proposing anything more serious.

The amusing part was hearing the little cat timidly murmur, "If it happens again… if that's okay… would you mind?"

It had taken Luo Li a while to figure out what her boss was trying to say.

If she said she didn't mind, would this little cat become more open to seeking her out in the future?

—Turns out, this little white cat had a bit of a dark side.

Of course, she was also happy that Lu Cixue trusted and depended on her.

——

—To express her gratitude for Luo Li's care, she invited her out for the weekend. It was perfectly reasonable.

The cat edited the message before sending it.

She would never admit that this was just an excuse to spend more time together.

Luo Li had been discussing something with Jing Yao when she received the message and immediately left her friend hanging.

The strange thing was that Director Lu didn't mention the well-planned but unexecuted date from before.

When had that been? Oh, right—when she'd gone to help Tao Jingxi with a shoot.

Luo Li cleared her throat and decided not to bring it up.

"What are you doing? Weren't you going to share your thoughts?" the person on the other end of the video call asked, noticing Luo Li's distracted smile.

"Oh, you don't need my advice! You already know she's interested in you," Luo Li kindly pointed out. "But you should be a bit more reserved. I think if you keep pouncing on her like that, you'll scare her off."

"Okay, gotta go. Bye!"

"Hey, you—" Jing Yao laughed in disbelief as the screen went dark.

Fine, fine. Just wait, you friend-ditcher. I'll send all your embarrassing childhood photos to your boss one day.

——

Saturday morning, Luo Li stood with Lu Cixue at the entrance of a famous amusement park.

This was the result of her careful planning the night before. An amusement park was the perfect place to foster closeness.

Besides, Lu Cixue seemed curious about everything, her eyes fixed on the park's tallest attraction, even as she stood there with a calm expression.

Luo Li decided not to call out this act of false modesty.

"This is the most famous ride here. Super thrilling," Luo Li said, pointing to the towering roller coaster that looped and dropped dramatically, accompanied by the sounds of screams.

"Want to try it? If you're scared, we can ride the one next to it."

Luo Li gestured toward the nearby carousel, where many children were riding with their parents.

"Look, there's even a pumpkin carriage! We can take pictures, and I brought my camera to capture it all. Then we can get some cotton candy afterward." Luo Li got more animated as she described the carousel's appeal.

—Okay, she admitted she was a little scared of the roller coaster.

But when she turned back around, Lu Cixue was still gazing longingly at the roller coaster, her eyes unblinking.

Since when did Lu Cixue like such thrills? Was this some kind of suppressed desire from childhood finally being unleashed?

"I'm not scared. Let's go on that one." The eager director even took Luo Li's hand and started leading the way.

—But I don't want to go!

Even as the staff secured her safely into the seat, Luo Li felt like she was in a dream.

She tried to resist. "There are so many people. Maybe we can come back later?"

"Oh, it's okay, sister! We're all here together, but our teacher says our activity time is over, so we can't stay. You can move up!" A girl in a school uniform cheerfully guided her classmates away, leaving only a few people ahead of them.

"Thank you, little sister." Luo Li forced a smile.

—It's fine. She could bear it. Seeing the little cat so enthusiastic, Luo Li really didn't want to ruin the fun.

"Are you really scared?" Lu Cixue's concerned voice came from beside her.

"What? No way! I'm not scared."

"But your hand is so sweaty."

Luo Li glanced down. At some point, she had grabbed Lu Cixue's hand again, and now it was drenched in sweat.

"Oh, sorry." Luo Li quickly let go.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this?"

Luo Li shook her head. "No, we're doing it."

"I'm just a little warm. There's no way I'm scared. Haha…"

…

"Aah—!" Luo Li thought she could hit the high notes in "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" without any trouble.

What touched her was that even as her mind went blank, she could feel someone gently holding her hand, their fingers intertwined.

When they got off the ride, her tearful and smiling expression drew curious stares from the high school kids behind them.

"We won't do this again next time."

Luo Li's shaky legs immediately steadied.

—It seemed like Director Lu was worried about her.

"Will you still come with me next time?" Luo Li quickly caught onto the key part of that sentence.

Her brain always worked well in these situations.

The cat didn't want to talk to her anymore.

After discovering Luo Li's small cowardice, they stuck to calmer activities. By the time they were sitting in a Ferris wheel, looking out over the world, Luo Li replayed the day's events in her mind and felt satisfied.

"Did you have fun?"

Lu Cixue hummed softly in response.

"This is my first time here."

Her world rarely included experiences like this. Even as an adult, she had once stood far away, alone, watching the amusement park from a distance, thinking she had outgrown such things.

It wasn't that she had outgrown it—she just hadn't known that having someone with her made all the difference.

"Thank you for keeping me company."

Luo Li wasn't surprised. A family like Lu Cixue's would never have brought her here.

She saw how much more vibrant the cat had become today and felt happy. But she also knew that some childhood experiences could never be replaced, which made her heart ache.

"It's okay. Whenever you want to come, I'll be here with you."

Luo Li smiled and hugged her.

They hadn't really hugged like this before. It was just a simple embrace, but it brought unexpected comfort.

"We can do a lot of things together."

——

"Luo Li? And Director Lu?"

Luo Li and Lu Cixue were standing in front of a milk tea shop. It looked like there was some kind of promotion going on, and just as Luo Li was about to read the sign, she heard a familiar female voice behind her.

Turning around, she saw Chen Ting, her face an array of emotions—from disbelief to surprise, then to a knowing grin.

"Uh, hi there." Luo Li greeted awkwardly.

Lu Cixue's expression wasn't entirely natural either, but she maintained her composed, elegant demeanor and nodded politely.

"You two… came here together?"

"Yeah, it's the weekend, so we're just relaxing."

Chen Ting looked skeptical. "You're buying milk tea together?"

There was an odd emphasis on the word "together."

Luo Li nodded. "Yep."

It wouldn't hurt to let the cat try something new, even if it was overly sweet.

Chen Ting's smile grew more meaningful. "Okay, I won't say anything. You two enjoy yourselves, Director Lu. My friend's waiting for me."

Hmm? Why does she sound so weird?

Luo Li exchanged a puzzled look with Lu Cixue, shrugging as she turned back. "See anything you like?"

Now she could finally read the sign.

A staff member reiterated in her ear, "Our boss is preparing for a wedding, so if a couple takes a photo together, the second cup is free. It's our boss's way of celebrating."

Luo Li suddenly understood why Chen Ting had looked at her so oddly earlier.

On the photo wall, there were pictures of couples sharing a drink, hiding behind a hat to kiss, or simply holding hands.

"I think you two are a couple, right? Would you like to join in? It's our boss's little way of spreading the love."

Luo Li wasn't embarrassed anymore. Chen Ting was trustworthy; if she said she wouldn't tell, she wouldn't.

But this was a golden opportunity for some contact!

Luo Li turned to the cat, using her best pleading eyes.

"Should we…" Lu Cixue managed two words before trailing off.

She couldn't ignore the hopeful gleam in Luo Li's eyes, as if a rejection would make her cry.

"Okay."

Luo Li reacted quickly. "We'll join!"

"You can take the photo anywhere nearby. If you don't want it displayed, you can keep it yourself," the staff member said, handing Luo Li a Polaroid camera.

Taking photos was something Luo Li excelled at.

"Stand here. You can pose however you like, just do what feels comfortable."

But all she got was a stiff little cat.

For this cat, taking pictures seemed to be quite a challenge.

She wasn't used to being in front of the camera—maybe because she hadn't done it much.

Luo Li slowly approached the anxious cat, gently holding her hand at her waist.

"A photo is just a way to capture a moment. Show your true self—there's no need to pretend."

If Jing Yao were here, she'd probably jump in to argue that Luo Li wasn't this gentle when taking other people's pictures.

"Look at the camera."

"See? Even a simple pose looks great."

The staff complimented them as they handed over the two milk teas.

"Can we keep this photo too?"

Luo Li was surprised when the cat asked the question.

"Yes, of course. Congratulations on your love!" The staff handed over the photo.

—It didn't seem like the cat was planning to share it with her.

Luo Li grinned. "Is it good?"

"Too sweet." Director Lu didn't lie; she wasn't a fan of the flavor.

"Really? Can I try it? Just a little." Luo Li's eyes wandered to the cat's lips, mischievous thoughts stirring.

How would she try it? Didn't they have the same flavor?

Lu Cixue instinctively nodded halfway, then realized something was off.

Luo Li quickly leaned in, giving her a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth, then licked her own lips as she pulled away.

"It is sweet."