"Stop right there!"
Le Mang's voice carried a hazy quality in the drizzling rain.
Lin Zhiyan finally halted her steps and turned around. The blue streetlights and the fluorescent glow of her pulse umbrella intertwined, casting a cold, solitary shadow across her profile. She looked at Le Mang, surprised to find him without an umbrella, his arms raised over his head, his russet hair clinging to his handsome face, his green eyes glistening with raindrops.
Despite his obvious disdain for the rain, Le Mang straightened his posture with an air of aristocratic arrogance and said, "Who said you could leave?"
Lin Zhiyan replied, "Aren’t you planning to save that cat?"
"What?" Le Mang took a second to process her words before lifting his chin defiantly. "Of course I’m saving it. But that doesn’t mean you get to walk away."
He continued, "You’re not slipping out of here until I get some answers!"
There was always an entitled edge to Le Mang’s words, just like the first time they’d met. She and Ai Wen had been talking when Le Mang spotted them from a distance. With an air of haughty indifference, he stood among the crowd and called out lazily, "Ai Wen."
When they turned to look, he merely gestured for Ai Wen to come over without another word.
Lin Zhiyan glanced at Ai Wen and easily noticed the embarrassment and flicker of fear on her face. "It’s fine," she said. "Go ahead."
Ai Wen didn’t respond, walking over to Le Mang instead. But he didn’t even spare her a glance, turning away to talk to someone else, leaving Ai Wen standing awkwardly beside him and Lin Zhiyan stranded in the distance.
The second and third times they crossed paths, Le Mang maintained the same demeanor—until he realized Lin Zhiyan was utterly unfazed by his casual dismissals. Then, he finally deigned to hurl some actual insults at her. But of course, coming from someone of his privileged background, even his taunts sounded like something out of a textbook—calling her a "penniless schemer" and the like.
Every time Lin Zhiyan heard his lines, she felt like she was playing a dating sim—except, instead of heart-fluttering excitement, she just wanted to skip the dialogue and jump straight to the choices.
But life wasn’t a game. No options popped up above Le Mang’s head. She simply walked closer to him.
Le Mang frowned, his expression a mix of wariness and disdain. "What are you doing?"
Lin Zhiyan lifted her umbrella over his head. "Didn’t you want me to stay with you? Let’s go."
"...Are you insane?" Le Mang’s temper flared, his olive-green eyes sparking with irritation. "Who said I wanted your company? I just need to know—why are you here? Why did you just happen to rescue a cat? Why aren’t you surprised to see me? Do you have some kind of agenda?"
The guy was paranoid, but if he really wanted to be cautious, he should’ve kept his distance and observed from afar—not confront her outright.
Lin Zhiyan opened her mouth to respond, but Le Mang abruptly stepped out from under the umbrella and strode ahead, his posture rigid, as if walking in the rain was the most natural thing in the world. His tone was light, almost playful. "Just follow me."
The two of them re-entered the pet store, one after the other.
Le Mang shoved the cat carrier into her arms before turning on his heel and leading her to his car.
The engine hummed to life as the autonomous driving system engaged.
A mechanical arm extended a towel, and the heater emitted a soft whir.
Le Mang ran the towel through his damp hair and asked, "What were you doing in this area?"
"I work nearby. I was just off my shift when I came across this cat." Lin Zhiyan studied the frail creature inside the carrier, her voice calm. "It’s in terrible condition. It might not have much longer, so I decided to euthanize it."
Le Mang’s tone turned icy. "You don’t get to decide whether it lives or dies."
"Have you ever owned a cat?" Lin Zhiyan asked.
"Of course," Le Mang said, tilting his chin up. "I have one at home."
"No wonder you think that way." Lin Zhiyan smiled faintly. "You come from wealth—of course you’d spoil a pet. To you, cats are probably just adorable, fluffy creatures that purr and rub against your legs. But to me, they’re animals that fight, get hurt, starve, suffer abuse, and sometimes drag themselves around with broken limbs, crying in pain."
Le Mang’s face twisted in discomfort the longer she spoke, as if he couldn’t stand her descriptions.
"Hard to listen to, isn’t it? But I’ve seen it. More than once." Lin Zhiyan met his gaze steadily. "You think I’m cruel for deciding its fate, but the truth is, I only had the means to help today because I just got paid."
Le Mang pressed his lips together tightly, as if struggling to refute her but finding no words.
After a long pause, he finally said, "But I’m willing to save it. And I have more than enough money to give it the same life as Rongrong. You almost robbed it of that chance."
He delivered the line with such conviction that he stared at her triumphantly, ready to dismantle her argument. But instead of arguing back, she simply smiled—just a slight curve of her lips.
Annoyed, he snapped, "What’s so funny?"
"Is Rongrong your cat’s name?" Lin Zhiyan said earnestly. "It’s cute."
Le Mang stiffened, inexplicably feeling like he’d been insulted. "None of your business!"
"As for what you just said," Lin Zhiyan murmured, looking down at the weakly mewling kitten in the carrier, "I have nothing to add."
Le Mang was taken aback. Every time they’d met before, they’d clashed—she’d always been cold and unyielding. This was the first time she’d conceded anything. A smug satisfaction crept into his voice. "So you admit you were wrong."
Lin Zhiyan lowered her eyes. "I just think we see the world differently. There’s no point in arguing. To you, life is precious and vibrant. To me, it’s full of unpredictable suffering."
"But you’re still alive, aren’t you?" Le Mang’s expression held an almost childlike stubbornness, his green eyes gleaming like gemstones. "Someone like you seems impossible to break. So spare me the sob story—I don’t buy it."
Lin Zhiyan: "..."
Was he being deliberately cruel, or was he just that dense?
She stayed silent.
The car glided smoothly through the rain.
Le Mang glanced at her, then away, a strange feeling settling in his chest. He’d been feeling it a lot lately—first when he’d inexplicably called out to her, then when he’d held back his usual taunts, and now, sitting beside her in peaceful silence.
It was like a stain on his shirt. At first, he hadn’t noticed it. But once he did, it was all he could think about—a smudge burning into his skin, making him restless.
That was how Le Mang felt now, drowning in awkwardness and confusion.
Fortunately, the car soon pulled up in front of an upscale pet hospital.
Staff rushed out with umbrellas to greet them, opening the door.
Le Mang stepped out with his usual hauteur, taking the cat carrier from her. "Alright, you can go now."
Lin Zhiyan checked her terminal and sighed. "...You could’ve just asked your questions without driving off. The nearest public transit stop is a thirty-minute walk from here."
Le Mang was somewhat annoyed, feeling like she was making a fuss. "Then just take a cab home," he said.
Lin Zhiyan paused, then opened her umbrella and stepped out of the car. "If I had the money for a cab, I wouldn’t be transferring four buses every day."
Le Mang thought for a few seconds. "Give me your ID. I’ll transfer you the money for the ride."
"No need. I’ll walk to the station," Lin Zhiyan refused outright. "Consider this trip my last chance to spend time with it."
As she spoke, she bent down and poked the cat through the carrier.
Le Mang glanced down and saw the fine hairs on her face glowing under the light. "If you can swear you’ll take good care of it, I can give you some money to keep it."
Lin Zhiyan only smiled, shook her head, and said nothing.
Le Mang frowned, but she had already turned to leave. His brows furrowed deeper. "You’re really going to walk? Fine, I’ll drive you."
Lin Zhiyan didn’t look back, just raised a hand in a casual wave and kept walking.
Curiosity was always zero times or infinite times. If he was willing to chase after her in the rain once, he’d do it again.
She walked calmly, her steps splashing through puddles.
A few minutes later, a car pulled up beside her.
The window rolled down.
Le Mang looked thoroughly displeased, his turquoise-green eyes narrowed. "I said I’d drive you. Get in."
He was indeed in a bad mood, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. So he drove her home, stewing in his irritation the whole way, convinced he’d lost his mind.
Should’ve just sent the driver.
Le Mang sighed.
Soon, the car stopped in a desolate, run-down area.
Le Mang looked around in disbelief. "What kind of place is this? People actually live here?"
"Relax, young master. Not only do people live here, there’s even a night market," Lin Zhiyan said, entirely unfazed by his shock. She opened the car door. "Thanks for your charity ride."
Le Mang rubbed his arms as if repelled. "Let’s pretend tonight never happened, got it?"
"Don’t worry," Lin Zhiyan met his gaze. "If you take Ai Wen from me again tomorrow, I’ll still hate you."
Le Mang couldn’t help but scoff. "I hate you more."
But his words were met with silence. When he turned, she was already gone.
Le Mang: "..."
Why did she always leave so quickly?
He reactivated the autopilot, reclined his seat, and stretched.
His terminal buzzed—a message from the hospital.
[Full examination completed. No major issues.]
[Vaccinated and dewormed.]
[Minor inflammation observed. Requires a few days of monitoring.]
[Would you like to register a name for it?]
Seeing the last line, Le Mang instinctively typed: Sure, call it Fluffy.
But the moment he sent it, he remembered Lin Zhiyan’s laughter when she’d learned his other cat was named Puff. Irritation flared. He was convinced her compliment—"What a cute name"—had hidden mockery, as if she found it childish.
Le Mang fell into deep contemplation.
Two days passed.
The weather was clear, and the school bell rang as students streamed out of their respective department buildings. By the fountain in the garden, a group in Wealth Management Department uniforms lounged. One of them asked, "Le Mang, what breed was that kitten you posted yesterday? It’s adorable."
Le Mang replied, "No breed. Found it on the street."
"Ah, but won’t Puff catch something?" The other student looked worried. "Puff’s lineage is so pure. What if it gets sick?"
"It won’t. It’s been checked," Le Mang said, annoyed. "What’s wrong with having no breed?"
The student awkwardly changed the subject. "So, what’s its name?"
Le Mang was silent for a few seconds before answering airily, "Alexander Caesar Powers."
The moment the name left his lips, a laugh sounded behind him. His temper flared, and he whipped around, his green eyes blazing beneath brown hair. But when he turned, he was met with a pair of dark, amused eyes.
It was Lin Zhiyan.
She was sitting nearby.
Le Mang scowled. "Eavesdropping?"
Lin Zhiyan said, "Just waiting for someone."
Le Mang crossed his arms. "Then what’s so funny? What’s wrong with the name?!"
Lin Zhiyan hesitated, then leaned in and whispered, "Don’t you think the difference between ‘Puff’ and ‘Alexander’ is like the difference between Li Siheng and Ze Fei?"
Le Mang’s green eyes widened slightly. A few seconds later, his lips twitched as he fought back a smile.
…She wasn’t wrong.
Both were cats. Both were brothers.
And yet, they were nothing alike.
Just as Le Mang was about to reply, she stood and walked away, joining a group of Cultural Studies Department students. He suddenly felt deflated—until another voice spoke up.
"You two seem closer now."
He looked up to see a tall figure: Li Siheng.
Li Siheng carried a stack of books, his expression calm as he approached.
Le Mang shrugged. "Just can’t be bothered arguing with her."
Li Siheng nodded, his tone light, as if making an offhand remark. "That’s good. I always thought Ze Fei was too harsh on her."
Le Mang raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in his green eyes. "Oh?"
Li Siheng lowered his gray-black eyes and said nothing, like a shadow lying in wait.
Le Mang watched him and suddenly felt like laughing again.
