Capítulo 34: 34
Luo Li immediately forgot the brief moment of alarm that had flashed through her mind.
She had a lot of things she wanted, but now wasn't the time to ask for them.
"Can we sleep together tonight?" Luo Li's eyes were filled with hope as she gazed at Lu Cixue. "I don't snore, grind my teeth, or toss and turn. You know that."
"Of course."
Lu Cixue agreed without hesitation, her eyes soft and filled with warmth. Her hand remained on Luo Li's face, feeling the growing heat beneath her palm.
Luo Li felt like something was off.
But it didn't matter.
That night, Luo Li found herself unable to sleep, her feet restlessly shifting beneath the covers.
The bathroom door was fogged by the steam, and the sound of water made her glance toward it repeatedly.
Even though she couldn't see anything, the sound, combined with her vivid imagination, wasn't doing her any favors.
The water eventually stopped, and Luo Li buried her face in the blanket, only her eyes peeking out, following the figure that moved around the room.
The face she saw was softer without makeup, the coldness replaced by a flush of warmth from the steam, giving it a hint of allure.
——She smells so good, a faint, clean fragrance.
"Do you want the lights off?"
Luo Li nodded rapidly.
As the room darkened, Luo Li felt the bed sink slightly beside her, the fragrance becoming even more pronounced.
But Lu Cixue seemed completely unaware of the effect she was having on the person beside her as she peacefully settled in to sleep.
Luo Li twisted and turned, accidentally rolling over to bump into Lu Cixue's warm arm.
"Can't sleep?" came a soft voice from beside her.
Luo Li nodded, mumbling a quiet confirmation.
She couldn't exactly say, "You smell too good, so I can't sleep," or Lu Cixue would definitely kick her out.
But why did the scent feel more and more overwhelming, making her feel a bit dizzy?
It was similar to Lu Cixue's usual perfume, but with a touch of something different—something sweeter, more familiar, almost like a scent she recognized from herself.
Luo Li wanted to ask, but strangely, as she drew closer, she felt an overwhelming drowsiness. Maybe it was the scent's enchantment, but her eyelids grew heavy, and soon she was drifting into unconsciousness.
Her arms and legs instinctively curled around Lu Cixue, finding the softest spot to rest her head.
The fragrance in the air thickened, now interwoven with a faint sweetness.
Luo Li slept soundly.
She didn't see the elegant, beautiful, and usually cold woman beside her, who was now disheveled, breathing heavily, with a pair of soft, pink cat ears poking through her dark hair.
A pure white, fluffy tail drooped limply, occasionally giving a weak twitch.
The woman's porcelain fingers gently traced Luo Li's brow, slowly gliding downward.
For a cat, the best way to leave a mark was to ensure the person carried their scent permanently.
If others asked, it wouldn't matter. They'd just assume it was the same perfume.
But this method wasn't commonly used.
Because it was a way to bind both parties—marking the other meant marking oneself as well.
And since her lover was human, this bond wouldn't truly constrain her. Only she could be held captive.
——A bold, reckless decision.
But it was worth it. She wouldn't have to endure the unbearable craving for Luo Li's scent during her heat.
Being fully claimed, with her scent forever ingrained in her body, would ease the torment she faced during those times.
It was just that this form of marking felt so shameful to the cat.
And Luo Li still didn't know she could shift forms at will.
So, it absolutely couldn't be done while Luo Li was awake. She had to wait until she was asleep.
And then, she would do it herself.
The soft cat ears in her dark hair seemed to shyly flicker, as if embarrassed by what she was about to do.
Cherry red fruit was brought to Luo Li's lips by the woman's hand. The woman's lashes were damp with tears, her lips pressed together to stifle any sounds.
Luo Li slept deeply, dreaming of drinking a cherry milkshake made by Lu Cixue herself. The taste was so vivid, sweetened by the scent of her beloved.
Snow-white softness endured the relentless movements, the woman's delicate neck arching beautifully, eyes misty with tears as she clutched Luo Li's dark hair, her cat ears drooping weakly.
"Slow… down…" she begged, her voice barely more than a whimper.
Unfortunately, the one savoring the flavor could not hear her plea.
All she felt was something in her dream gently swallowing her fingertips, so tight it almost forced her out.
Softly released, only to be pulled back in with warmth and hesitation.
Unable to make a sound or look down at her own disheveled state, the woman could only grip the strands of hair beside Luo Li's ear.
It wasn't until late into the night that she finished, exhausted, then nestled herself securely into the warm embrace of the human beside her.
——
It was time to head back, and when Luo Li woke up, the space next to her was perfectly neat, as if no one had slept there.
——She got up really early.
Luo Li also thought back to the dream she had last night.
She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she seemed to detect a faint scent of milk on herself.
Hmm? This scent...
Luo Li sniffed again.
——Maybe it rubbed off on me while we were sleeping together.
After getting dressed and heading out, she found Lu Cixue sitting on the sofa, reading a book, her slender nose framed by silver glasses. Breakfast had arrived just in time, and it was still warm.
"Why did you get up so early?"
Luo Li walked over to the sofa, and Lu Cixue quickly turned a page, pretending to focus on the text.
Lu Cixue wore a loose white wool sweater, giving her a casual and comfortable look.
Of course, that's because the tender white softness beneath was still red and swollen.
"I couldn't sleep, so I got up to pack," Lu Cixue said, indicating the breakfast table. "Go ahead and eat."
A packed suitcase sat neatly by the sofa.
Luo Li nodded and turned toward the table. Casually, she mentioned, "I dreamed about cherry milkshakes last night. They were so sweet. Do you want some? We can stop to buy ingredients on the way back."
She mainly wanted to have some herself.
The cherries in her dream had tasted odd, not at all like real cherries.
For a brief moment, Lu Cixue's expression turned shy and annoyed. She snapped her book shut, walked past Luo Li, and huffed, "You can have it yourself."
Luo Li was puzzled. If she didn't want any, why was she so upset?
Sure enough, as soon as she went downstairs, Chen Ting asked her what perfume she was wearing, saying it smelled just like Lu Cixue's.
Luo Li laughed it off with a vague response.
——
Before New Year's, Luo Li went to personally pick up the completed engagement ring.
She wanted it to be a surprise, so she needed to carefully plan how to give it to her.
At the café downstairs from the office, Luo Ran was buzzing with excitement, brainstorming ideas.
"If you ask me, all that cinema stuff is too cliché. You two should just get right to it—give the ring to her in bed. That's way more romantic."
"Or maybe slip it on her while she's asleep."
Luo Li rolled her eyes. She knew her mischievous cousin wouldn't come up with anything good.
"I just need you to help out. I'll handle the rest," Luo Li warned, "And don't you dare spill the beans. Got it?"
"Don't worry, don't worry. Proposing should definitely be done properly. I won't say a word." Luo Ran patted her chest in assurance.
"Keep it down. There are company people everywhere." Luo Li felt she might have made a mistake by asking her cousin for help. What if someone who knew them overheard?
Luo Li scanned the room, spotting someone waiting for their coffee. Her expression froze.
——Great, I knew I shouldn't have brought Luo Ran.
He Qi'nian noticed Luo Li's gaze, nodded with a polite smile, and then left without saying a word.
——Hopefully, he didn't hear anything.
"Just wait for my instructions. Don't do anything extra," Luo Li threatened. "Or I'll tell Aunt that you spent last month's allowance chasing celebrities."
Luo Ran nodded vigorously, miming zipping her lips to show she would keep the secret.
He Qi'nian returned to the office, heading straight for the marketing department.
His dark expression made it clear to anyone who saw him that he was in a foul mood.
Those in the office watched as he strode toward Director Lu's office, whispering among themselves.
"Come in."
The urgent knocking stopped as He Qi'nian entered. Lu Cixue was still engrossed in her work, but when she saw who it was, her brow furrowed in displeasure.
It was break time, and for He Qi'nian to barge into her office like this was highly inappropriate.
"Xiao Lu, I've told you many times before, you can't just decide to be with Luo Li without thinking it through." He Qi'nian was equally upset. "If Uncle and Aunt find out about this, they won't agree to you being together."
Luo Li had been instrumental in bringing Lu Xingyu down. Those two would never allow it.
Unless Lu Cixue planned to secretly run away again.
He had been out of the office for a few days, but the moment he saw Luo Li, he immediately recognized the scent of a certain cat clinging to her.
It was sheer recklessness.
"If Uncle and Aunt disapprove, there's no way you can be together." He Qi'nian's tone was tinged with a veiled threat.
If Lu Cixue kept going down this path, he would have to tell the Lu family.
He was confident that Lu Cixue wouldn't risk being cast out of the family for a human.
"Don't forget how you were criticized by the entire clan before, and it was Uncle and Aunt who brought you back."
He Qi'nian's voice was filled with anger. "You never explained what happened in detail, but you know exactly what went down."
Lu Cixue looked up at him, her eyes cold, but the memories he invoked sent a shiver down her spine, her fingers curling into her palm.
——
The cat Luo Li had found was one that had accidentally fallen into the hands of some dangerous people. She had barely escaped with her life and was fortunate to be found by Luo Li.
The cat was extremely intelligent, managing to earn scholarships and working part-time to cover her tuition. The money her parents sent was never enough.
She was younger than most in her class but had already contributed to many projects under her mentor.
Her mentor, seeing how tightly wound she was, gave her a break.
It was as if she had been bewitched. Once the cat was brought home by a human, she never shifted back.
It was nice, wasn't it? It didn't matter if there was no Lu Cixue in the world anymore.
At least she didn't have to live so tensely, nor bear the pressure from the Lu family or her fear of human society. Even though Luo Li's grandfather didn't like the cat, he wouldn't dare do anything with Luo Li around.
It didn't matter if Lu Xingyu found her.
This human wouldn't give her away.
She was certain of that.
But it was a brief, self-spun illusion.
At the time, she hadn't understood much, only seeing Luo Li with red eyes, murmuring things she couldn't comprehend: "She must really like that person…" or, "What's so great about that person, anyway?"
Sometimes the cat would rub her soft paws against the human's face, as if trying to wipe away her tears.
Later, when she met Tao Jinxi, she understood.
Her parents, sensing Luo Li's sadness, offered to send her abroad for studies, hoping a change of scenery might help.
The cat had heard Luo Zhining say, "When you see different places and meet new people, all this will become precious memories."
One of the reasons Luo Li left was to escape the past.
She didn't take the cat with her. In her dejection, she feared she couldn't care for it properly.
One day, she called home, only to hear from her grandfather that the cat had run away and never returned.
Luo Li was heartbroken. If she had taken the cat with her, would it still be with her?
Was it angry with her?
She had no idea that her grandfather had arranged for someone to abandon the cat far from home.
Lost in an unfamiliar world, the cat couldn't find its way back.
The dream was over; that place wasn't her home.
——
"My affairs are none of your concern," Lu Cixue said calmly, "He Qi'nian, you're overstepping."
"And…"
Lu Cixue paused, a note of disappointment in her voice. "You're becoming more and more like them."
The employees in the marketing department watched as He Qi'nian stormed out, his anger palpable.
No one knew what had transpired between the two leaders, but the rumors of mutual affection that had circulated some time ago had long since faded.
Inside her office, Lu Cixue sat in quiet reflection.
She had repaid her parents' kindness many times over throughout the years. She knew exactly what she was doing, but she was still afraid.
The cat had never truly blamed Luo Li, instinctively choosing to trust her instead.
And Luo Li had indeed protected the cat well.
But Lu Cixue worried that the uncertainties surrounding her might bring harm to Luo Li.
She feared that she herself might become the one to hurt Luo Li.
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