Qilan woke up early, or rather, she hadn’t really slept much the night before.
Her cat’s body swayed as she entered the rooftop terrace. The jungle flying train hovered in a spiral above. The white cat climbed the ladder, chose a seat in the middle, and sat down. The safety belt automatically fastened around her, and with a cheerful melody, the train began to move.
As it traveled, the panoramic special effects around her shifted unpredictably. Qilan stared blankly at everything; the garden full of cherry blossoms couldn’t hold her attention.
She couldn’t help thinking about last night.
The man leaned against the desk, his eyes level with hers, the brown of his irises light and transparent in the light.
“You don’t have to answer me right away.” His tone was tolerant and gentle. “I’ll be leaving soon, leaving Yicheng for Finland. The morning after tomorrow, I hope to see you here.”
His meaning was clear: he could wait, but he needed her to be where he could see her.
Qilan knew herself well. With how easily she was swayed around Liang Jianshi, even a few sweet words might break her resistance. She would inevitably surrender. Agreeing to go with him to Finland was almost the same as agreeing to a relationship.
So, knowing all this, would she accept Liang Jianshi’s invitation to go to Finland?
By the time she had ridden the small Ferris wheel for she didn’t know how many rounds, Qilan the cat had fallen asleep.
When she woke up, Liang Jianshi was in a meeting. The scene before the screen was as busy as ever.
She returned to the dormitory silently and thought about the letters exchanged with Lans. She wanted to read them again. Now that she knew her pen pal was Liang Jianshi, she might find new clues in them.
As she read and reminisced, she got to the third letter when the dormitory door burst open. Tong Tong stumbled in, clutching her chest, her face pale, and collided with the wardrobe.
Alarmed, Qilan caught Tong Tong and guided her to the bed. “What’s wrong?”
Tong Tong was drenched in cold sweat, the dark circles under her eyes exaggerated as if poisoned. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
Qilan didn’t believe her at all. “You need to go to the hospital.”
Tong Tong simply closed her eyes. “It’s an old problem. Just let me sleep.”
Her voice was weak, but her attitude firm. She turned her back to Qilan, leaving no room for argument.
Worried, Qilan reached out to touch her. Tong Tong’s skin was cold as ice.
Since Tong Tong said it was an old problem, Qilan didn’t want to cause harm with good intentions. The subtle distance between them also prevented her from acting on her own.
For the next few hours, Qilan stayed by Tong Tong’s side, occasionally reaching out to touch her. Fortunately, her condition slowly improved until she seemed to be sleeping soundly, her state stable.
Having sat for too long, Qilan wanted to step out for some fresh air.
The hotel had a few deserted areas. Qilan’s spot was the abandoned garden behind the dormitory building.
Dead leaves had fallen on the black tarp overhead. Qilan wondered curiously what the black tarp was for. Her expression as she looked up clearly showed her curiosity. Xiao Xi walked over carrying a bag.
“Because the seeds buried in the soil here can’t be exposed to light, they covered the top with a black tarp.”
Qilan knew about this. “But after all this time, nothing has grown.”
Xiao Xi smiled without answering. He just took a hot dog from the bag and handed it to Qilan.
Qilan tore open the wrapper and ate happily.
Xiao Xi opened a bottle of water, took a sip, and cut straight to the point. “I heard Liang Jianshi is leaving, going to Finland. Is he asking you to go with him?”
Qilan nearly choked.
Seeing her flustered expression, Xiao Xi understood. “Are you going?”
Qilan glanced at him, then lowered her head and slowly took a small bite.
“Finland… that’s a bit far, isn’t it?”
She spoke slowly, her words evasive.
Whether Xiao Xi was genuinely clueless or pretending to be, he seemed not to see her hesitation and avoidance. He leaned in a little closer, looking into her eyes. “What’s the distance matter? He has a private jet. And since Liang Jianshi asked, the management would be thrilled; they definitely won’t give you a hard time.”
Qilan smiled bitterly. “That’s true…”
Whether to go or not was like a scale in her heart. Every new thought made the scale tip violently.
If it had been roughly balanced before, her concern about Tong Tong’s condition added weight to the “no” side.
Qilan had experienced too many partings by death. She treasured what she had now. Her father, who insisted it was just a cold, died of lung cancer. Her grandmother, who left smiling to work and was never seen alive again… everyone around her had refused to admit the truth until it was too late, dying from illness. Tong Tong’s condition had struck Qilan’s deepest fears.
Xiao Xi’s expression visibly darkened. He asked tentatively, “So you… Don’t want to go?”
The weight of responsibility grew heavier. Qilan fell silent. She didn’t deny his guess.
Xiao Xi grew agitated, pacing as if standing on hot coals. “How could you… Ah! Forget it!”
He grabbed his bag and strode away.
Qilan watched his retreating back, blinking.
“He really was a kid who worried too much about others…”
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
After talking with Xiao Xi, Qilan had roughly figured out her answer. On the way back, her mood was even lower.
She pushed the door open listlessly. Tong Tong was already awake.
The dark circles under her eyes had faded. She no longer looked as terrifying, though her face was still pale.
Tong Tong tied her hair unhurriedly, smiling at Qilan. “Did you just see Xiao Xi?”
Surprised for a moment, Qilan nodded. “Yes. We had a meal together.”
Because hotel staff had to serve guests, their meal times were staggered. Staff typically ate between three and four in the afternoon.
Tong Tong tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears. “Did he tell you about Liang Jianshi going to Finland?”
Qilan expressed admiration. “You really see everything.”
Tong Tong’s smile deepened. “The whole hotel knows. I’m hardly seeing everything. As for you, you should have agreed without hesitation.”
Caught off guard, Qilan stared at Tong Tong, unsure how to answer.
Tong Tong’s expression mirrored Xiao Xi’s, her joy gradually fading. But unlike Xiao Xi’s agitation, she quickly understood and lowered her gaze.
“If it were me, I’d react the same way.” Tong Tong sat beside Qilan, gently holding her arm and leaning her head against it.
They were like two small animals huddling for warmth in the snow.
“Liang Jianshi is different. He’s the pen pal you’ve corresponded with for years, isn’t he? You once said that Mr. Lans was a gentleman, courteous, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent. He was like your sun. You admired him, adored him. Now that the sun is coming to you, you’re afraid.”
“You know, really, what a wonderful thing this is. It’s rare in this world that the person you love loves you back.”
Even though Tong Tong always seemed somewhat distant and mysterious, Qilan could feel her sincerity and always opened her heart to her. “I never imagined that when the day I dreamed of finally came, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Tong Tong looked at her, understanding her completely. “People like us, when we love, we fall completely. Because we’ve lost so much, we want to hold on tight. A little warmth, and we give our all without hesitation. Before taking that step, we hesitate and fear, because once we open that door, we’ll lose the clarity we’ve carefully maintained. But Lanlan, you and I are different…”
Tong Tong’s eyes reddened, as if recalling something. “I was once a moth, and he was the flame. But Liang Jianshi and you, one is the sun, the other a seed. He will only help you grow, help you become strong. Listen to me today, take this step. Summon your courage and grow toward the sun, okay?”
Tong Tong took a deep breath, swallowing the memories of her past. She leaned close to Qilan’s ear and whispered playfully, “I’ve quit. I’ll pack my things soon and go back to my hometown. You won’t have to worry about me.”
Qilan was incredulous. “You quit?”
Tong Tong smiled, saying nothing more. “Let’s sleep a bit.”
On the narrow single bed, they lay facing each other.
“Lanlan, don’t see me off. I don’t like goodbyes.”
Qilan made a small “mm” sound.
In the dark basement dormitory, a piece of plaster fell from the wall, exposing the mottled concrete beneath.
Qilan and the cat both slept soundly. Neither opened their eyes.
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
Jingwei and Xiaoran watched the sleeping white cat for a while, left some small gifts they’d brought for “Fupo,” and prepared to leave reluctantly.
“Mr. Liang… why haven’t you posted any new videos?” Jingwei asked carefully. “We have nowhere to see the cat, haha.”
Liang Jianshi: “She’s been lazy lately. Not much content.”
Jingwei smiled in understanding.
Xiaoran hesitated at the back. As the elevator doors were about to close, she stepped forward despite Jingwei’s attempt to stop her. “Mr. Liang, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She bit her lip. “The night Fupo was sold by my aunt, two suspicious people came in and searched the place. My sister-in-law was in critical condition after childbirth and was in a coma for months. She only told us after waking up.”
Jingwei looked worried. “We didn’t dare tell you without being sure.”
Liang Jianshi patted Jingwei’s drooping shoulder. “I’ll handle it. Act as if you never heard this.”
Jingwei and Xiaoran nodded in relief. “If it’s you, Mr. Liang, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
The elevator doors closed. Assistant Wu walked up to Liang Jianshi, indignant. “That Zheng Yongyu, using a cat like that. He’ll stoop to anything, no moral底线. If he has the guts, come at people!” In the eyes of Yicheng’s high society, Zheng Yongyu was practically a thug. He was capable of anything. If a cat could ruin Liang Jianshi, why wouldn’t he do it?
In the dim room, Liang Jianshi sat at his desk, his face hidden in shadow.
Outside, the bustling lights cast scattered reflections on his profile, losing warmth against his pale skin.
His dark brown eyes held unreadable thoughts until the cat, with her big, swaying tail, nimbly jumped onto his lap.
Only then did the storm in his eyes calm.
“Looks like you know where it’s warmest.” Watching the snow fall over the city, Liang Jianshi carried Qilan to the window.
The fluffy, plump cat draped over his shoulder like a luxurious shawl, her body hanging elegantly.
Outside, ice sculptures glittered with colorful lights.
Qilan rested her head against Liang Jianshi’s chest. The warmth beneath his white shirt made her close her eyes in contentment.
His voice was clear and mellow, like a warm spring flowing into her heart.
“This season, the Northern Lights in Finland are even more beautiful than Yicheng’s nightscape.”
“I heard Miss Qilan isn’t too keen on going far.”
“I wonder, at this time tomorrow, will I see you?”
The warm spring suddenly boiled over. Qilan jerked her head up and met Liang Jianshi’s eyes. Amidst her astonishment, Liang Jianshi’s enigmatic smile deepened.
Qilan quickly lowered her head.
“Miss Qilan isn’t here. Miss Qilan can’t hear you.”
Liang Jianshi chuckled softly. “Not admitting it? It’s only nine o’clock. Miss Qilan shouldn’t be asleep yet. Let’s go wake her up, shall we?”
Panicked, Qilan tried to escape, but a large hand pressed her head back down. His steps headed toward Qilan’s room.
“Would Miss Qilan like to be reported to the customer for sleeping on the job?” His eyes narrowed. “There’s still time to admit it.”
Struggling helplessly, Qilan let out a desperate meow. “meow!!!!” “Help!”
“Since Miss Qilan is already asleep, it’s more convenient. We can just carry her onto the plane tomorrow.”
Qilan meowed frantically: “What are you saying? What are you saying!”
“Help! In broad daylight, kidnapping! Both human and cat! Is no one going to do anything!”
Just as Liang Jianshi reached the door and placed his hand on the handle, the cat jumped in front of the door, stood on two legs, and spread her paws wide to block the way.
She admitted it.
She admitted it, okay!!!
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
“Liang Jianshi: Still don’t love me? No problem. I’ll expose you too.”
“[One day, the cat who was taken by force]”
“The cat in question: Regret. So much regret. I shouldn’t have been so wild before.”