Qilan buried her head under the covers, the thick comforter muffling her high-pitched squeals like a groundhog.
She replayed countless times in her mind that hint of slyness hidden in the depths of Liang Jianshi’s smile.
Before, she had clearly distinguished between her human self and her cat self. What had happened to her these past few days?
It was probably because their interactions had become more natural and she had let her guard down, no longer as alert as before. That was why she had subconsciously done something only a cat would do.
She had gotten carried away, completely carried away…
Qilan was so embarrassed she couldn’t lift her head.
At the same time, she felt an overwhelming sense of panic.
There was a question Qilan hadn’t considered before, and now, thinking back, she felt it might be too late to matter.
If Liang Jianshi found out that Qilan was Lanlan, and Lanlan was Qilan, she would be mortified to death!
Thinking back to when she first became a cat, she had been so unrestrained, taking advantage of being a little kitten who “didn’t know anything.”
Watching Liang Jianshi change clothes, kneading his chest in the middle of the night, sucking on his abs, sleeping together, pouncing on him like a mountain and knocking him out on the bed, biting his ear ferociously, occasionally adding a little “something extra” to his water, shamelessly napping with her paws around his neck during meetings, even burrowing into his arms with morning grumpiness in front of executives who had come to discuss business, looking every bit like a Daji causing chaos at court…
If Liang Jianshi ever found out that the little cat who did whatever she wanted with him was actually Qilan, she had no idea what would happen!
Qilan tossed and turned all night without sleeping, her mind filled with thoughts like “What did Liang Jianshi mean by that?” “Does Liang Jianshi know she’s the cat?” “Does he know, but isn’t sure?” “If he already knows, when did he figure it out?”, and so on.
She sat up abruptly, clutching her messy hair. “Ahhh! Is there still a chance to salvage this? Is there still a chance to make excuses!?”
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
She spent the next few days in a state of fear, but Liang Jianshi never brought up the subject of how similar Qilan was to the cat again. Gradually, Qilan allowed herself to relax, clinging to a sense of hope.
Liang Jianshi had asked Qilan to take care of the cat, but the cat didn’t really need any care.
When she was in human form, the cat slept quietly, neither playing nor eating, requiring no supervision.
To be honest, this was the first time Qilan had seen the cat from a human perspective.
No wonder Liang Jianshi doted on her so much.
If she herself came across this little runaway fairy, she would also tighten her belt and adopt her.
Qilan reached out and touched the cat’s small body. Her fur was soft as silk, her little paw pads felt wonderful to squeeze, her chin was soft and plush, and the texture was amazing. Even when asleep, she looked sweet… it melted your heart.
“That’s my girl!”
Qilan twisted her face in her hands, overwhelmed by her own cuteness.
As for Charcoal Ball Eunuch…
After he had ambushed her last time, Liang Jianshi had confined him.
“Confinement” turned out to be a deluxe cat villa on the fourth floor, complete with cat trees, cat nets, teaser wands, scratching posts, everything.
Charcoal Ball was overjoyed the moment he entered, bouncing around and exploring his new home.
He didn’t feel like Liang Jianshi was punishing him at all; rather, he felt protected by this luxurious, golden cage.
He was so intoxicated by his paradise-like life that he never scratched at the door, afraid it might accidentally open and someone would drag him out.
But when Qilan went to feed Charcoal Ball, it was a different scene.
His back arched high, his mouth gaping wide like a bowl, baring sharp teeth, as if ready to pounce and bite at any moment.
His hostility made Qilan sad.
“Hmph. You only like female cats!”
Considering that Charcoal Ball didn’t accept Qilan, someone else was assigned to feed him. Every morning, that person would enter through the door behind the terrace, feed him, and leave. Qilan had never met them.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
This winter was long. The snow fell without end, covering Yicheng in white for days. Under the thick clouds, there was no sunlight.
But it seemed only Qilan noticed the gloomy weather. The staff and executives who came to discuss matters with Liang Jianshi had no time to lament the overcast skies.
At some point, Liang Jianshi’s work had become unimaginably busy. Meetings came one after another. Visitors arrived and left, left and arrived, each clutching documents, huddled at the door in tense, hushed discussions. The hotel had even set aside a large space for company employees waiting in line to report to Liang Jianshi.
But this didn’t affect Qilan or the cat.
Since she had woken, the room’s layout had changed.
To prevent strangers from disturbing Qilan and the cat’s life, the living room sofa had been moved, and a large screen partitioned off a meeting area, taking up two-fifths of the room. No matter how busy the day and night were, no one intruded beyond that.
Qilan had little to do besides tidying up the room.
As usual, she wiped dust from several rooms with a cloth. For some reason, she noticed a door at the end of the hallway that wasn’t fully closed.
She pushed it open gently and found a studio inside.
The room was dark. With only the light from the hallway, she could vaguely see shelves lining the walls, covered with white cloth. Further in, she couldn’t see anything.
The room had an inexplicably strange energy, like an unknown black hole quietly pulling at Qilan’s soul.
As if drawn by something, Qilan lifted a corner of one white cloth and picked up an exquisite brass pen case inside. Only when she opened it did she snap back to her senses.
Entering a private room without permission was already rude. In the past, she would never have let curiosity get the better of her. And today, she had even taken something to look at.
But…
This pen looked so familiar. She had one too.
Actually, it was a very ordinary black pen. The metal on the cap was engraved with a string of Spencerian script. Qilan had once looked up that string of characters, but due to its age, some parts were unclear, so she hadn’t been able to find out what it meant.
Looking at the pen nestled in its expensive velvet box, Qilan felt her earlier thought was absurd. How could Liang Jianshi buy the same kind of pen as her? She didn’t know the quality. Saying they looked alike was an insult to something fine; that pen was probably some luxury brand.
Some things, like watches and pens, could rival luxury cars.
Qilan carefully closed the box and put it back, then left the room and closed the door tightly.
She let out a breath. She had nearly picked up that pen in the box to look at it. Her remaining self-control had barely held her back.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
Behind the landscape screen, Liang Jianshi frowned as he reviewed documents. Assistant Wu waited quietly beside him. After he signed, Assistant Wu took the papers and said, “An invitation from the Duchess, inviting you to a gathering at her estate. It’s said she’s acquired several treasures, and next month is her granddaughter’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
Liang Jianshi closed his eyes wearily and shook his head slightly.
Assistant Wu looked troubled. “The Duchess has been a great support to Lanxing and shared a deep bond with your grandfather. You’ve already declined many important invitations during this time. Zheng Yongyu has been privately seizing every opportunity to poach, and now the gaps are growing. Your connection with the Duchess is arguably Lanxing’s strongest shield. If you continue to decline…”
Liang Jianshi remained calm, not even moving his lashes as he kept his eyes closed. “I’ll write a letter of apology personally.”
Assistant Wu, no matter how much he disagreed, had to drop the subject.
He didn’t need to emphasize it; the reason the group had been so swamped these days was that Zheng Yongyu was behind it all.
This man was not to be underestimated. He had stirred up the entire financial market, repeatedly poaching projects Lanxing had been preparing. Their network and partners were hemorrhaging. The Zheng family was clearly focusing their fire on the century-old colossus that was Lanxing Group.
Qilan stood in the doorway and overheard Assistant Wu’s words.
She couldn’t see the company employees rushing back and forth, but she often saw chaotic shadows moving on the screen.
Yet among those overlapping, chaotic shadows, one silhouette remained silent and still at the center.
That was Liang Jianshi.
Though crowds surged around him, he always stood alone.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
In the afternoon, strong winds began to blow, snow flying like goose feathers.
For some reason, perhaps another emergency had come up, Liang Jianshi answered a phone call, frowned, surveyed the living room, hesitated for a moment, then turned and left with resolve.
He left in a hurry, his steps rapid.
This time, unusually, he left the hotel.
Qilan didn’t want to disturb him. When dinner came, she returned to the dormitory, fighting off a sudden headache.
After Liang Jianshi left, Xiao Xi called her room and said he would bring her something from the procurement department.
“If you have a headache, sleep for a while. I’ll wake you in twenty minutes.”
Qilan thought it strange. She didn’t know what was wrong, but she felt dizzy, like she had been on a twelve-hour long car ride, the ceiling spinning.
“I’ll leave it to you, then.”
Xiao Xi smiled as he closed the door. “Don’t be so formal with me.”
But Qilan woke up on her own. Xiao Xi, who had promised to wake her in twenty minutes, was nowhere to be found.
She stepped out and looked around, no sign of Xiao Xi.
Perhaps work had suddenly called him back to the warehouse. The procurement department was always like that, busy and chaotic.
Seeing how late it was, Qilan turned to head back to Liang Jianshi’s suite. As soon as she stepped out of the hallway, she saw the Taoist priest in his blue robe walking toward her.
Unlike before, he was now adorned with bells, all kinds of talisman papers fluttering in the wind.
At that moment, Qilan felt as if she had been frozen in place by a spell. An invisible pressure held her there, unable to move.
The Taoist walked up to her, his black-and-white eyes glancing at her. Then his robe brushed past her, and he walked on.
Suddenly released, Qilan sighed with relief.
Before, she had been an atheist. But after encountering this Taoist with his profound aura, his powerful presence had shaken her beliefs.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
The night was heavy. The garden lights cast strange colors, enveloping the lush trees.
Although Xiao Xi hadn’t woken her on time, Qilan had only been asleep for about half an hour anyway.
Before she slept, she had been dizzy and disoriented. When she woke, she miraculously felt full of energy.
She didn’t know if Liang Jianshi would come back tonight, but she went about her duties as usual, entering the room to prepare his turndown service.
As she busied herself, the bedroom door opened. One step, then another, the soles of shoes pressing into the carpet.
Liang Jianshi watched her fold the sheets. On his weary face, deep red veins in his eyes betrayed the complex emotions swirling within.
As the bedsheets rolled, Liang Jianshi reached out and grasped her hand, cold as ice to the touch.
Liang Jianshi hadn’t been silent; Qilan had simply been distracted, lost in her own thoughts.
Her gaze stopped at their intertwined hands. A whirlwind of emotions surged within her. She looked back at him in shock. His handsome face was pale, his lowered eyes holding a profound desolation.
On the surface, Liang Jianshi looked like anyone who had overworked themselves. But when his hoarse voice reached her ears, Qilan sensed the vulnerability hidden beneath this powerful man’s facade.
“Will you sit with me for a while?”
He slumped down beside her, never letting go of her hand.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ