In the end, the farce concluded with Shen Yunyang crying so hard that his nose and tears were a complete mess, agreeing to take the blame.
Shen Father was so furious he skipped dinner entirely and went straight to his room.
Seeing the red marks on her youngest son, Shen Mother hugged him tenderly, calling him her precious little one.
Shen Mother cried for as long as Shen Ran leisurely ate her meal, enjoying the show.
Finally, Shen Mother couldn’t help but glare at her:
“You’re heartless! Your little brother is hurt like this, and you still have an appetite to eat?”
Shen Ran put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a warm towel, and said calmly:
“Mom, I think you’re blaming the wrong person. You should blame my sister, the real culprit. If it weren’t for her, my brother wouldn’t have been beaten so badly by Dad.”
Shen Yunrou, dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief and pretending to cry: …
This smart little brat really knew how to push her buttons. The words to stir up trouble should have come from her!
“Yunrou, what are you waiting for? Bring the first-aid kit and help your brother apply some ointment!”
For the first time, Shen Mother felt a pang of resentment toward Yunrou; even her tone was no longer gentle.
Yunrou bit her lip, a flash of anger in her eyes:
“Yes… Mom.”
In the end, she obediently fetched the kit.
Shen Ran smirked, thoroughly pleased. Not-so-deep mother-daughter affection, she thought—let’s see how long that lasts.
After finishing her meal, it was time to head to her room.
Pushing the door open, she spotted a familiar figure on the windowsill.
The previously dirty little tabby cat had transformed into a pristine white feline.
“Hehe, I just took a bath in the river and cleaned myself up. Look at how handsome I am now! The ladies must be dazzled. Didn’t I say not to fall for me? Hmph~”
The little white cat lounged lazily on the windowsill in a seductive pose.
Shen Ran: …
This little guy had way too much inner drama—but it was cute.
A sparkling white coat, eyes like two green gems, a soft pink nose, and chubby little paws.
Shen Ran felt an itch in her heart, dying to pet it.
“Little one, come here. I’ll give you some dried fish if you let me pet you.”
She pulled out a small pack of dried fish to tempt it.
“Meow~”
“No way!”
The fluffy cat shook its head haughtily.
But its inner thoughts betrayed it:
“Dried fish! I want dried fish! Slurp! I must have it!”
Shen Ran chuckled: “Come on then, if you want it, come get it!”
The cat froze: …
It had forgotten that this woman could read its thoughts.
“Cursed human, stealing my thoughts! I won’t look at you!”
It turned its back to her, tail flicking.
“Wow, this beef jerky is delicious!”
Shen Ran pulled out a stick of beef jerky, waving it teasingly.
The little white cat’s eyes lit up:
“Beef jerky? What’s that? Smells good! I want it!”
Shen Ran placed both the dried fish and the beef jerky on the ground, smiling warmly:
“If you let me pet you, all of this is yours.”
“Deal!”
The little greedy cat gave in. Two quick pets wouldn’t hurt, and no fur would fall—it wasn’t a big deal.
The little one sprawled on the floor, one paw clutching the dried fish, the other holding the beef jerky, munching away with gusto.
Shen Ran reached out her delicate hand and gently stroked its back.
Soft… so soft!
Petting the fluffy fur brought her pure joy.
She caressed the cat’s chin and belly as well.
The little cat fully cooperated, lying on its back, purring, while still chewing happily on the jerky.
Its adorably soft antics made Shen Ran laugh out loud.
Suddenly, she decided to adopt it:
“Little one, want to stick with me? There’ll be endless dried fish and beef jerky.”
She had loved fluffy animals back in the modern world, but couldn’t afford one. Now that she had the means, she would definitely keep it.
“Meow?”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
The cat blinked with wide, innocent eyes.
Shen Ran nodded: “Really!”
The cat tilted its head, thinking.
After wandering the streets, living on scraps, it never knew when it might starve.
If this woman really had delicious food, following her sounded perfect.
Best of all, she smelled so good. It wanted her to pet it.
It had even washed itself today to not be disgusting.
Shen Ran heard all its thoughts.
“No worries, I have plenty of food. You could eat for a lifetime!”
At this, the little cat leapt up, placing its soft pink paw on her hand.
“Okay, I trust you this time!”
Shen Ran squeezed its paw, grinning:
“Good! From now on, we’re partners. Nice to meet you!”
Having tamed the little white cat, Shen Ran took it into her secret space.
Inside, a lush green meadow stretched out, with a delicate villa at its center.
Nearby were huge warehouses stacked with all kinds of supplies and goods.
Shen Ran led the astonished cat on a tour:
“Little one, this is my secret base. You can play here all you want.”
“And there’s endless dried fish, beef jerky, canned cat food—eat as much as you like.”
“Meow???”
“Ahhh! I’m so happy! I’ll never be hungry again!”
The little white cat went wild, rolling on the grass, spinning like a top, leaping with feline grace.
Shen Ran lounged in a wicker chair, munching on a big apple, smiling as she watched.
Having a cute little pet around felt… pretty great.