The room was warm, the heating trapping the soft orange light within.
In the brightest spot by the desk, Qilan’s fingers gently lifted the hair from Liang Jianshi’s forehead, carefully applying the ointment around the wound.
Her heart was quietly tightening, not daring to relax for a moment, afraid that her fingers might tremble and reveal something.
Liang Jianshi’s gaze was directed downward. Qilan could see his long, still eyelashes.
Just as her mind wandered for a moment, Liang Jianshi suddenly spoke.
“How does the wound look now?”
Qilan made herself observe carefully. “It looks a bit red and swollen. It might still be inflamed.”
Liang Jianshi sighed with a smile. “I don’t usually feel it, so I thought it had healed. I should have kept applying the medicine for a few more days.”
Qilan parted his hair further, revealing a shallow wound. “Perhaps it’s because the wound is hidden by your hair, making it hard to see and apply the medicine.” Looking at Liang Jianshi’s wound, knowing it had resulted from the car accident caused by her, Qilan felt a pang in her heart. “Having someone help you, or using a mirror, either way, you should follow the doctor’s advice. Otherwise, if it gets infected, you’d have to suffer again.”
Liang Jianshi’s eyelashes fluttered, and then he lifted those beautiful eyes, their depths unfathomable.
Qilan paused. “Sorry, I’m being a bit naggy…”
The corners of his eyes tilted up as he smiled at her. “It’s rare for someone to care about me the way you do, Miss Qilan. It makes me feel warm. Thank you. I’ll remember.”
Qilan felt as if her heart had been illuminated. “If it’s really inconvenient for you, Mr. Liang, I could come every day to apply the medicine.”
The smile in Liang Jianshi’s eyes slowly turned to surprise.
Qilan, who was always sensitive to others’ expressions, noticed this, and her mind raced. She wondered if she was being too forward. Just as she started to feel dejected, Liang Jianshi raised his hand and touched her fingertips.
“Having someone take care of me is something to be grateful for. I’ll leave it to you, Miss Qilan.” Their fingertips touched for an instant and then parted. Liang Jianshi took the used cotton swab from Qilan and tossed it into the small metal bin on the desk.
The little flame that had dimmed in Qilan’s heart flickered back to life.
Liang Jianshi wiped the ink from his fingers with a wet wipe. “Have you ever practiced calligraphy, Miss Qilan?”
Qilan shook her head. “No.”
She had only ever briefly held a brush in elementary school calligraphy class; real practice was rare.
Liang Jianshi handed her the brush he had been using. “Give it a try.”
Like someone who genuinely enjoys sharing, the light shining from his eyes was impossible to refuse. And since it was Liang Jianshi, before Qilan knew it, her hand had already taken the brush.
At first, Qilan wasn’t sure how to start. Liang Jianshi gently guided her hand from behind, slowly applying ink to the paper, stroke by stroke. Between black and white, it felt like an elegant dance.
“Calligraphy was something my grandfather loved. I don’t particularly like it myself, yet I always find time to practice.”
“You practice even though you don’t like it?” “Was he that dedicated?”
At some point, Liang Jianshi had stepped back. His soft breath, tinged with laughter, brushed past Qilan’s ear. “I’m not the type to force myself. I practice because I love the paper.”
“So, after writing, what did you think of the paper?” Liang Jianshi studied the page. On it was a character that Qilan had written.
It was the character for “flourishing” (Prosperous). It was surprisingly not ugly; in some places, it even had a bit of sharpness to the strokes. Qilan herself didn’t understand how.
But right now, she was focused on recalling the feel of the paper. “The paper is very fine. Though I don’t know much about rice paper, so I’m not sure if I’m hitting the mark.”
Liang Jianshi didn’t seem to be listening closely. When Qilan looked at him, he had withdrawn his hand, his fingertip stained with still-wet ink from the character.
Meeting her questioning gaze, the corners of Liang Jianshi’s mouth curved. “The secret is, I made this paper.”
Qilan let out a delighted laugh. Then, thinking ahead, she asked, “So the paper we use for leaving notes, you made that too?”
Because it was rice paper, it wasn’t suitable for fountain pens. A ballpoint pen was placed nearby.
Liang Jianshi nodded. “I’ll show you my paper-making setup sometime.”
Qilan sensed a hidden invitation in his words, which made her selfishly happy. Yet she also felt nervous about this seemingly distant promise. “Where is it…?”
“Right here. The third room.”
Qilan was astonished. She had been working here for so long and had no idea there was a studio where Liang Jianshi made paper.
“Then why can’t we go now?” she asked softly.
This time, Liang Jianshi didn’t answer. He slowly rolled up the paper on the desk, his face still soft with warmth.
Qilan clasped her hands behind her back, her thoughts drifting.
Liang Jianshi glanced out at the night. “Tomorrow is New Year’s Day. Are you going home, Miss Qilan?”
Qilan: “No. I’ll be at the hotel. What about you, Mr. Liang?”
Liang Jianshi’s expression visibly brightened. “Then that means you’re free tomorrow evening. Why don’t we have dinner together?”
The little deer in Qilan’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
“O-Okay.”
If she were a cat, her tail would probably be up in the air right now.
Every previous meeting, Qilan had wondered when she would next see Liang Jianshi in human form.
Their statuses were so different, and their work schedules perfectly misaligned, like the red spider lily that blooms in day and night, never meeting.
“Let’s have dinner together tomorrow.”
It felt like a dream. She had never imagined that a day like this would come, that seeing Mr. Liang could be so easy.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
When she woke up the next morning as a human, Qilan slapped her own face red.
“I must stay alert today. Absolutely no sleeping!”
She was terrified she would transform into a cat and miss her date with Liang Jianshi.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
On New Year’s Eve, the hotel was bustling.
Wave after wave of guests arrived for the New Year’s Eve banquet.
Qilan was an orphan. The New Year was always a lonely time for her, but watching the liveliness around her helped ease the emptiness.
She leaned gently against a Roman column, observing the festivities from a secluded corridor behind.
She watched elderly people bowing to each other with New Year’s greetings, children chasing and playing, young people laughing in groups… These scenes held a beauty that others could hardly imagine.
She didn’t know how long she had been watching when a woman in a purple mink coat pushed open the large glass doors. Qilan straightened up, her eyes widening as she searched the crowd for that woman.
Guests streamed in continuously; the woman appeared and disappeared intermittently. Qilan stepped into the crowd but was abruptly pulled back after a few steps.
Tong Tong looked anxious. “Where are you going? It’s busy out there. What if a guest pulls you aside with questions? You’ve never handled front desk work. Didn’t I tell you to stay in the dorm?”
Qilan: “No, Tong Tong, I saw my aunt.”
She pointed, and her gaze landed on Assistant Wu.
“What is my aunt doing with Assistant Wu?”
Tong Tong stood on tiptoe to look, then burst out laughing. “Qilan, are you hallucinating? Where’s Assistant Wu? And your aunt isn’t among the guests either.”
Qilan seemed unconvinced.
Tong Tong said cheerfully, “Alright, since you don’t believe me, I’ll go ask at the front desk if your aunt is registered.”
She pushed Qilan to a quiet spot in the back, settled her there, and went off to the front desk.
Left alone, Qilan thought back. Maybe she had indeed mistaken the person. The boy beside her aunt looked much taller than her cousin in her memory. As for Assistant Wu, with so many people around, his uniform did look a bit like a staff member’s outfit; perhaps a guest had mistaken him for an employee.
If so, there was no need to trouble Tong Tong.
Since Tong Tong hadn’t gone far, Qilan stepped out to catch her.
In the constant stream of guests flowing through the lobby, perhaps because the heating was too high and the ventilation poor, Qilan suddenly felt an intense wave of heat wash over her, making her dizzy. She stepped back, and someone bumped into her. She lost consciousness.
“Qila!”
In her blurry vision, she saw a boy running toward her.
It looked like Xiao Xi.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
When Qilan woke up, she was a cat.
Night had fallen. In the distance, the large screen in the square was broadcasting the Spring Festival Gala.
In the spacious living room of the presidential suite, a square table was positioned facing the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was set with a lilac velvet cloth, silver dinnerware, and a lush faux flower centerpiece. Two candelabras cast a soft glow. A serving cart was laden with an array of exquisite dishes, but they had long gone cold.
Liang Jianshi, dressed formally, stood by the window, watching the river below reflect the neon lights like ink. Snowflakes fell onto his shoulders from the left.
He had been waiting a long time. His silhouette seemed to carry a loneliness that had grown cold.
Her heart aching, Qilan jumped off the sofa, brushing her fluffy tail against his pant leg, letting out a series of hoarse mews.
She must have been unconscious for a while before transforming into a cat. She was desperate to turn back, but she couldn’t fall asleep.
Helpless, Qilan at least wanted to keep him company tonight, even as a cat.
She expected Liang Jianshi to be angry, but he wasn’t. Seeing the cat, he gently picked her up, cradling her in his arms, stroking her back.
“It’s been a while since I looked at the night view. I didn’t realize the view was so vast from here. You haven’t seen it either, have you?”
“meow~”
The cat rolled over, wrapping her front paws around his neck, resting her little head against his chest. Her soft mews seemed to whisper comfort and apology.
Perhaps because he was alone, he quickly grew tired of the night view. He sat back on the sofa, in the shadows beyond the candlelight, staring blankly into space.
He didn’t go anywhere. He just waited for the person who never showed, like a stone statue frozen in time.
The cat stayed beside him, both heartbroken and desperate.
From six in the evening until eleven, Liang Jianshi waited. He went nowhere, did nothing.
At first, Qilan had wished he would stop waiting and just eat.
He didn’t touch the food.
Later, she wished he would just sleep. After two hours, he finally closed his eyes.
The cat ran to fetch a fleece blanket, dragging it over with her mouth, trying to cover him.
The man, not fully asleep, frowned slightly. He turned over and pulled the cat into his arms.
“Happy… New Year…”
Qilan’s round eyes grew misty. She wrinkled her little pink nose and buried her face against him, her tail wrapping around his back.
Just when it seemed the night would end here, Qilan fell asleep.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
She jolted awake in the dormitory. It was still night.
A surge of excitement was quickly followed by a crushing calm.
“What was there to be excited about? She had already missed it. It was all over…”
Dinner was certainly out of the question. She would go and clear the dishes.
That blanket wasn’t very warm. She could swap it for something cozier.
With this thought, Qilan crept into the suite.
The moment she opened the door, she heard the bells.
In the square below, a sea of people had gathered, counting down the final seconds of the year.
“Two,”
“One,”
“Happy New Year!”
Liang Jianshi, who had also woken up at some point, turned his head. Amidst the fireworks that filled the sky, he smiled radiantly at Qilan.
“Happy New Year, Miss Qilan.”
Qilan’s heart trembled violently, the colorful bursts of fireworks before her blurring into a haze.
“How… are you still waiting for me?”
Her eyes filled with tears.