“Thinking about it now…”
“It seems that the arrival of these heavy snowfalls over the years was ultimately destined to take away something from my life…”
Even though her feet were clearly planted on the soft, warm soil of the Southern Land, Su Yuqing perceived it more clearly than anyone else — that winter three years ago had arrived with exceptional ferocity.
“Good morning, it’s time to eat.”
Her finger lightly tapped the iron bowl she had just filled with cat food, the movement as natural as it had been for the past 3,000 mornings.
She leaned over slightly and whispered to the cardboard box she had long since grown accustomed to.
Su Yuqing’s soft, black hair fell over her shoulders, blending into the thin, cold light of early winter.
“Hey, Xiaozhi…?”
However, no matter how much she called.
“Xiaozhi? Xiaozhi…?”
This time, that warm, fluffy ‘toast bread’ would never again scuttle out from inside to pounce within her reach.
‘No… that’s not right.’
At that moment, Su Yuqing had vaguely realized something, but the urgent shouting from the kitchen cut off her further train of thought.
Su Yuqing pursed her lips.
After putting on the backpack her mother’s impatient hands had practically forced onto her, she stumbled into her running shoes and stepped out into the pale, cold morning, just like any other high school girl her age.
On that day, the 17-year-old Su Yuqing lost the companion who had been by her side for ten years.
Back then, Su Yuqing never could have imagined that the Red Old Collar she had personally sealed away in the wardrobe would appear again several years later.
Furthermore… it would be worn around her own neck.
***
Three years later, inside an office building.
The lingering echo of that phone call from the Little Claw Idol Agency was stuck in Su Yuqing’s memory like a rusted blade.
Even if 10,000 years passed, she would never forget the ugly face of that damn exploitative Group Leader when he fired her.
“A person that big and you’re telling me she’s just gone?! Do you even know what kind of venue tonight is?!”
It should be noted that the job of an idol manager was actually quite good when considering all the factors.
But that was under one condition: that the star girl idol under her care didn’t suddenly vanish a few hours before a major performance and play hide-and-seek by blocking everyone!
“Your performance has been at the bottom for three consecutive months! You have the nerve to explain yourself to me? I don’t want to hear it! You’re fired!!!”
To put it more bluntly, even if the King of Heaven himself showed up today, she, the manager, still had to get lost.
“Remember, if you don’t want to do it, there are plenty of people who do! Scram!!!”
How should she put it exactly…?
Compared to that verbal abuse just now, Su Yuqing was starting to feel that the heavy rain pelting her cheeks felt a little more friendly.
“I didn’t even bring an umbrella… Su Yuqing, you’re really having the worst luck today.”
And so, Su Yuqing, who had just stepped out of a taxi, chose to sprint all the way into the hallway and swipe her electronic card at the stairwell entrance.
“You really should have checked your horoscope before leaving the house this morning.”
Finally, she stopped, panting, in front of that familiar, shabby little door.
She skillfully pulled the Brass Key out of her small shoulder bag.
“Huh?”
To her surprise, the first thing to greet her behind this wooden door tonight wasn’t the evil Silver Tabby that only acted cute when it was starving.
Instead, it was the “Rising Star” who was supposed to be the center of attention at the City Stadium tonight!
“You…! Why are you in my house?!”
Poor Su Yuqing didn’t have time to process the abstract scene suddenly unfolding before her.
“Ha!”
“Ow!!”
The back of her defenseless head was suddenly struck hard by a pair of fists through thick cat-paw gloves.
Fading to black…
By the time she woke up, Su Yuqing immediately discovered that her limbs were tightly bound to the sofa’s armrests with several nylon ropes.
Unable to move…
“Putting aside what kind of crazy stunt it is to sign a contract and then vanish…”
“With breaking and entering plus illegal confinement, what kind of plot are you planning to play out on me?!”
Even though her posture on the sofa was as pathetic as a dead fish on a cutting board, Su Yuqing was determined to fight back with her words.
She could see that the Runaway Idol in front of her definitely wanted to say something.
Of course, if that cat over there wasn’t howling constantly!
“If you want him to shut up… you’d better go pour him some cat food quickly.”
Su Yuqing sighed. “
Otherwise, he’ll wail at both of us all night long.”
“Mantou? Is that his name?”
The blonde girl blinked.
“What else would it be?!”
“So he’s not a stray?”
“Please! This is a pet cat I’ve raised for nearly three years! I took him from his mother before he was even fully weaned!”
Su Yuqing couldn’t help but sound proud.
It was a unique pride possessed only by veteran cat owners like her.
But it had to be said, time was a terrifying thing.
The little kitten that used to be incredibly clingy now usually didn’t even bother to look her in the eye.
Wasn’t that ridiculous?
“So… you care about this ugly white cat a lot?”
The girl’s voice suddenly deepened.
Since Su Yuqing’s eyes were still on the cat, she didn’t notice the abnormality.
“It’s not that I care that much… but since I chose to raise him, I have to be responsible as his owner, right?”
Eerily, before she could finish, the girl kneeling by the sofa suddenly smiled.
“Oh~ I understand now, meow~”
She suddenly stood up, hopped over to Mantou in a few quick steps, and then picked him up by the scruff —
“Hey…! What are you doing?!”
Then, without hesitation, she walked toward the balcony, opened the window, let go, and dropped the cat!
All in one fluid motion!!!
“No! Ahhh, Mantou — !!!”
At that moment, Su Yuqing’s mind went blank as she witnessed the entire thing.
After all, before tonight, she could never have imagined that a girl in this world would actually get jealous because she owned a cat.
“There~”
After the girl closed the balcony window and jumped back to the front of the sofa, she leaned close to Su Yuqing’s ear with a smile and said playfully, “From now on — “
As the crisp sound of a bell rang softly —
“In your world, I’m the only cat again~ 🐾”
That familiar, old Red Old Collar had been placed around her neck at some point.
The bell, missing a piece from who-knows-when, swayed gently, touching her collarbone.
That cool, metallic sensation inevitably overlapped with a memory of a warm, ordinary afternoon when she held ‘toast bread’ in her arms…
“A… cat?”
Xiaozhi.
It’s you.
You’ve come back…