The New Year was approaching. Orders for New Year’s Eve dinners, annual galas, and other events were pouring in, and the hotel had become exceptionally busy.
But none of this had much to do with Qilan.
Qilan was responsible for Liang Jianshi’s accommodation and daily needs; there was no reason to distract her from that and risk offending the richest man.
Her days continued as usual.
Qilan stepped out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel, complaining to Tong Tong for the umpteenth time that the hotel’s hot water never seemed warm enough.
Tong Tong didn’t seem particularly concerned. “As long as it’s not freezing cold, why do you need it so hot? It’s bad for your skin.”
Accustomed to living without a mirror, Qilan expertly tied up her dried hair by feel.
“Are you going home for the New Year?”
Tong Tong shook her head. “No. The hotel is so busy, how could the director allow time off?”
Qilan certainly wasn’t going home either. Not because she didn’t want to, but because she had no home to return to.
Tong Tong wrapped the apple core in paper, piece by piece. “By the way, you said Xiao Xi wants to have a meal with you. When is he coming?”
“Probably around ten.”
“Alright, I’ll head out first. The banquet hall is a mess.” Tong Tong forced herself to perk up, then got up and left.
Qilan glanced at the withered roses on the table, thinking to ask Tong Tong to help throw them away. But when she stepped out, the hallway was empty.
Holding the faded roses, she sat back on the bed. Lost in thought, she lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth curved up.
Her mind was full of thoughts of seeing Liang Jianshi, but Xiao Xi would be arriving soon. She couldn’t close her eyes and sleep; she’d turn into a cat.
If possible, she wanted to speak with him as a human.
Just standing with him, in the same environment, even if it was just a simple work-related greeting, no, even without a greeting, Qilan would feel utterly content.
Sometimes, just imagining possible scenarios made her face flush and her heart race. Without any deliberate effort, scenes of them together would automatically play out in her mind. She felt both like a participant and a spectator, one moment filled with happiness and sweetness, the next covering her face in embarrassment.
As contradictory and tangled as it all was, her feelings were beyond her control. Once formed, they would grow, overflow, and compel her to draw closer, like a plant’s instinct to seek sunlight.
But then she reconsidered.
Work regulations clearly stated she could only enter the suite when Liang Jianshi was absent. She couldn’t break the rules. That left only chance encounters, and the likelihood of those was extremely slim.
Her expression suddenly fell, the corners of her mouth drooping.
In just two minutes, Qilan’s face had gone through a dozen changes.
When Xiao Xi arrived, Qilan happened to miss him.
She walked to the garbage disposal area behind the staff passage and tossed the withered roses down.
She had barely taken two steps when she heard some regretful murmurs behind her.
“Several days in a row now. What a shame, such beautiful Juliet roses…”
The words sounded vaguely familiar, but they were far away, and the voices were intermittent, so she couldn’t quite make them out.
Xiao Xi found her, waving from the end of the corridor ahead, signaling her to come quickly.
Qilan had been feeling happy these past few days. Her smile bright, she ran over. “What is it? So mysterious.”
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Xi quickly stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Qilan.
Qilan stared blankly at Xiao Xi’s back. Beside them, a white-haired Taoist master with an ethereal, otherworldly presence walked past.
He walked straight ahead without looking sideways. Only after he had gone did Xiao Xi turn around, looking very nervous as he said to Qilan, “That man just now, he’s a Taoist.”
Qilan didn’t know why Xiao Xi seemed so serious. “I could tell.”
Xiao Xi: “You’ve heard the rumors, right…” He spoke while keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, pushing Qilan back into the dormitory. He closed the door quickly and sat down, continuing in a rush. “He catches ghosts. The ritual tool he carries contains a ghost. What if he accidentally takes the lid off while walking? The ghost would get out. And ghosts can possess people!”
Qilan: “Stop being so superstitious. I’m a firm atheist!”
Xiao Xi didn’t argue with her. “Just stay away from him. Better safe than sorry.”
Qilan nodded in agreement, taking the bun Xiao Xi had brought from the Cantonese restaurant and nibbling on it. Her heart was so full of thoughts about someone that she had no room for anything else.
From an angle she couldn’t see, Xiao Xi cast a speculative glance her way. Then, ignoring the fact that she was eating, he dropped a bombshell. “You’ve fallen for Mr. Liang, haven’t you?”
Qilan choked and frantically searched for water. After finally catching her breath, she smacked him on the shoulder. “What nonsense are you spouting, you little kid?”
Xiao Xi grinned. “I’m not a kid anymore. So what if you like Mr. Liang? It’s normal, he’s very charming. And you’re beautiful too. I bet Mr. Liang likes you, too! A man’s judgment of another man is always accurate.”
Qilan was completely flustered. She was definitely going to give herself away if this continued. Fortunately, Xiao Xi quickly changed tack and started acting cute, finally steering the conversation away from this heart-stopping topic.
Xiao Xi’s visit had thoroughly disrupted Qilan’s carefully adjusted state of mind.
At naptime, she tossed and turned, taking a long time to calm down even a little. It was only on her third attempt that she finally managed to transform into a cat.
These days, she was transforming less often than before, and the durations were shorter each time.
After some thought, Qilan realized it was likely due to her physical condition.
Before, she had been constantly drowsy and hungry. Now, she felt noticeably more energetic and vibrant.
When she woke up, she heard Assistant Wu in the living room, indignant.
“What’s wrong with you? Being jealous of a cat is ridiculous.”
Assistant Wu was venting angrily. Liang Jianshi didn’t interrupt him. Seeing Qilan awake, he picked her up, kneading the soft flesh at the back of her neck, and said to Assistant Wu with a slight frown, “Keep it down.”
He used his fingers to cover Qilan’s upright cat ears.
Assistant Wu immediately lowered his voice, smiling apologetically.
Qilan listened for quite a while before she finally understood why Assistant Wu was so upset.
It was all because of her.
The “Empty Cat” account was created by Liang Jianshi to document the cat’s life. He had never managed it, just posted content and let it grow wild. There were tens of thousands of comments beneath his posts, none of which Liang Jianshi had ever replied to.
Later, an online beauty contest for internet-famous cats was held. Qilan’s photo topped the charts with over two million votes, making her the champion. Probably because she was a Linqing Lion Cat with the sweet appearance of a blue-eyed ragdoll, most netizens were happy to support “domestic products” and chose this little fairy born of Chinese soil and spirit.
With fame came trouble. Someone must have felt threatened because a blogger named “Xiabuladong” came forward to call her out, claiming that Liang Jianshi’s ingredients were made of bread and that he was just pretending to be wealthy.
Assistant Wu was furious. “How dare someone question the richest man!?” He, as the richest man’s… assistant, would never stand for it!
Upon hearing this, Liang Jianshi lowered his head and pressed his nose against Qilan’s little pink nose, his dark brown eyes gazing at her dotingly. “Doesn’t this just prove that your looks are flawless?”
Qilan: “Meow~” “Exactly!”
Assistant Wu watched as his chairman remained completely unconcerned about his reputation being tarnished. He was frantic. “No, we have to do something!”
Liang Jianshi continued to focus on his cat, undistracted, exchanging a deep gaze with Qilan, their eyes silently communicating. “Do whatever you want.”
His tone was utterly indifferent.
Having thought up a counter-strategy, Assistant Wu was ready to take action when Xiabuladong posted another “debunking,” claiming Lanlan’s photos were fake and presenting a lot of so-called evidence.
Upon hearing this, Liang Jianshi said, “Ban the account.”
And just like that, the blogger ceased to exist.
Assistant Wu, who had prepared a whole operation?
“Where’s the battle? Where did my big battle go? Who took it away?”
“Oh, it was my chairman. Never mind.”
After Assistant Wu left, Liang Jianshi, who had appeared completely unfazed, suddenly stood up, walked to the computer, and started scrolling through the comments one by one.
Public opinion was entirely against the debunking blogger. People thought it was outrageous to slander a cat’s beauty just for money.
Qilan crouched by the computer, browsing along with him. After a while, her gaze drifted to Liang Jianshi.
Moments ago, he had been decisive and formidable, taking down the account in one swift move. Now, he looked somehow more approachable, even a little endearing.
[I only regret that I don’t have the wealth to keep such a beautiful cat.]
[Those eyes like blue crystals, now I have an image in my mind!]
[She’s like a little lion, trying so hard to look serious but just ending up even more adorable. Ahhh, this little princess isn’t the domineering empress type, she’s the kind you dote on forever!]
The comments were full of praise. Some were so vivid that they made Liang Jianshi’s eyes curve with amusement.
Seeing him smile, Qilan’s heart fluttered.
At one point, his eyes met hers. He rubbed her head with his big hand, using his fingers to smooth the ring of long fur around her neck, and said with shared pride, “I think they have good taste. You are beautiful.”
Qilan felt like she might faint.
“Liang Jianshi, that’s cheating!”
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
When she woke up as a human, she recalled everything that had happened in those few hours and felt her heart still racing.
She pressed her hand to her chest, took several deep breaths, and after a restless period of fidgeting, the clock struck nine in the evening.
Standing before that door, her heart began to race again.
It felt like buying a lottery ticket; Liang Jianshi would be there, or he wouldn’t. The uncertainty threw her into turmoil.
If he were there, would she be able to hide her feelings? If he wasn’t… how long until she saw him again?
With her heart pounding like a drum, her cheeks burning, she lifted the curtain and stepped past the screen.
A warm candle flickered on one side of the desk, swaying like a startled fish.
Liang Jianshi had his black shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A large sheet of rice paper lay before him. He held a brush, his wrist moving fluidly as he wrote in bold, energetic characters.
At first, his attention was on the flickering candlelight, but soon his gaze shifted toward the door. The curtain, newly hung today, settled back into place after being lifted.
“Good evening, Miss Qilan.”
Liang Jianshi’s expression showed a momentary pause, then a gentle smile rose to his eyes.
Holding her breath, Qilan smiled back. “Good evening.”
“If you don’t mind, could you wash my brushes for me?”
Liang Jianshi was still writing and didn’t look up.
Qilan: “Of course.”
On the desk were three brushes stained with ink. Qilan chose one and dipped it into the clean water beside her.
The water rippled, the ink spreading out like thin silk.
Liang Jianshi’s brush paused for a moment, his gaze shifting slightly away from the paper. When the brush in front of him was set down, he looked back.
Up in the loft, a flower seed had sprouted a tiny shoot, its fragile body trembling in the cold wind.
As Liang Jianshi lowered his head to write, the stitches on his forehead and temple became visible to Qilan.
This was where he had been injured in the car accident. The wound hadn’t fully healed yet.
He should have changed the dressing tonight, but Liang Jianshi always forgot.
Her guilt and worry magnified. Almost without thinking, Qilan heard herself say, “Mr. Liang, shouldn’t you be applying your medicine?”
Liang Jianshi stopped writing and looked up. His dark brown eyes reflected the flickering candlelight. A drop of ink fell from the tip of his brush. There still seemed to be inflammation in his eyes, a web of red veins spreading.
“Thank you, Miss Qilan.”
As he spoke, he turned, leaning against the edge of the desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. He lowered his head, as if a sharp sting had surged in his eyes. His brows, hidden in the shadow of his hair, were tightly furrowed. It took visible effort to restrain himself.
Qilan found Liang Jianshi’s ointment in the box without error. When she walked over to him, he turned to look at her.
His gaze traveled from her face down to the medicine in her hand, and his eyes darkened.
Qilan’s heart leaped into her throat.
“Oh no.”
“The cat knows, but the human shouldn’t!”
“She should have pretended not to know and asked where the medicine was!!!!”
Qilan: “He didn’t suspect anything, right? Right?”