Ning Dongya ate very quickly; when she put down her spoon, my bowl of double-skin milk was only half-finished. Then, she just sat there, elbows propped on the table, fingertips lightly against her chin, her gaze falling on me.
It wasn’t scrutiny, nor was it mockery, but something… with warmth, quietly enveloping me. Like afternoon sunlight—not scorching, but leaving one with nowhere to hide.
Ugh… stop looking at me…
I buried my head low, wishing I could stick my whole face into the bowl.
Every swallow became incredibly difficult; my throat tightened, and the heat in my cheeks never receded. The subtle sound of the spoon hitting the rim of the bowl seemed exceptionally clear in the quiet corner. I could feel her gaze lingering on the top of my head, occasionally sweeping over my cat ears, which were twitching slightly from nervousness.
Finish quickly… finish quickly and I can leave…
I was practically counting the grains of rice… no, counting the red beans, mechanically stuffing the last bit of dessert into my mouth. Just as I put down the spoon, before I could even catch my breath, that familiar hand reached out again.
Her fingertips, carrying a gentle warmth, lightly brushed the corner of my mouth, wiping away a non-existent crumb.
Meow!
I was so startled that I sprang back, my head nearly hitting the wall again. My heart felt like it was squeezed tight and then suddenly released, thumping wildly. The sense of shame that had just subsided a little came rushing back again, more overwhelming than before.
This person… how did she… how did she suddenly reach out like that again out of the blue!! Ugh…
Ning Dongya, however, had already withdrawn her hand as if nothing had happened, picking up the bill and standing up. “Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”
On the way back to the cat cafe, the inside of the car was even quieter than when we came. I pressed myself tightly against the car window, pretending to watch the night scenery rushing past, but the corner of my eye uncontrollably drifted toward the driver’s seat.
Ning Dongya looked ahead intently, her profile appearing somewhat blurred in the flowing light and shadow. That look of hers just now… what did it mean? And that gesture—so natural, so natural… as if she had done it countless times.
Who exactly does she see me as?
Does she think I’m like “him,” so she can’t help but take care of me?
Or… did she discover something and is using this method to peel away my disguise bit by bit?
My mind was a mess, like a ball of wet yarn. My tail unconsciously swept back and forth on the seat, exposing my inner irritability and unease.
The car eventually stopped at the roadside near the cat cafe. I almost immediately went to unbuckle my seatbelt, saying vaguely, “Thank you, CEO! I’ll just walk over by myself!”
Without waiting for her response, I quickly pushed open the car door and jumped out, running toward the cat cafe’s warmly lit door as if escaping. As the night wind blew, my face seemed to get even hotter.
“Sister Yueran! I’m back!” I shouted habitually as I pushed open the glass door, my voice still carrying a hint of lingering panic.
The wind chimes tinkled.
Wearing an apron, Yueran was coming out from behind the counter, her face wearing its usual gentle smile: “Little Guiyun, why today…”
Her voice stopped abruptly.
The smile froze on her face.
Her gaze passed over my shoulder, looking straight behind me.
I instinctively looked back.
I saw that Ning Dongya had also gotten out of the car at some point and was standing a few steps behind me. She seemed to only intend to watch me go in and had no intention of following, but at this moment, she happened to meet Yueran’s instantly cold gaze.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment.
I was dumbfounded, meow!! Why is this person still behind me!! Hadn’t she already gone back?
Yueran was halfway through wiping a glass, her knuckles turning slightly white.
I stood frozen at the door, caught in a dilemma, feeling the temperature that had just dropped in the car flare up again with a boom. This time, disaster was imminent!
It’s over…
Her gaze passed over my shoulder, looking straight behind me.
I looked back again.
I saw that Ning Dongya had also gotten out of the car at some point and was standing a few steps behind me. She seemed to only intend to watch me go in, but at this moment, she happened to meet Yueran’s instantly cold gaze.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment, carrying a sort of touch-and-go tension.
The usual gentle smile on Yueran’s face vanished without a trace. She put down the glass she was halfway through wiping, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the rim, and spoke first, her voice a few degrees lower than usual. “CEO Ning, a rare guest. Why have you troubled yourself to personally send our Little Guiyun back?”
“Manager Yueran.” Ning Dongya nodded slightly, her tone as composed as ever, a faint curve even appearing at the corners of her lips. “The intern worked late. As a superior, ensuring safety is part of my duty.”
Her gaze lightly swept over my stiff back as she added, “After all, Guiyun seems… quite easy to worry about.”
These words were like feathers, yet they had thorns. Yueran’s brow furrowed imperceptibly.
“No need for CEO Ning to worry.” Yueran’s voice grew even colder. She stepped forward, almost instinctively shielding me behind her. “Guiyun is here with me; she will naturally be well taken care of. It’s late, please leave, CEO Ning.”
A clear order to see the guest out.
However, instead of leaving, Ning Dongya took half a step forward, her gaze candidly meeting Yueran’s hostile look.
“Actually,” she said in a relaxed tone, as if it were just a spontaneous thought, “I’m a bit thirsty. Manager Yueran won’t mind if I go in for a cup of coffee, right? I’ve heard the signature hand-poured coffee here is very good.”
As she spoke, her gaze once again skimmed over the top of my head.
Meow meow meow! Meow!! Don’t look at me QAQ, you two immortals fighting, don’t drag a mortal like me into it!
But having said that, the implication of those words was… she, she wants to come in?!
My whole body stiffened, and my tail fur almost puffed up again.
Yueran’s eyes turned completely cold, like a layer of ice had formed. Her fingers tightened around the glass, her knuckles turning white. After a few seconds of silence, she almost gritted her teeth as she pulled out an extremely formulaic smile:
“Oh, is that so? Then of course… you’re welcome. CEO Ning, please.”
She stepped aside to open the way, but her tone carried obvious hostility.
Ning Dongya nodded elegantly, as if she hadn’t noticed that hostility which had almost solidified, and stepped into the cat cafe. When she passed by me, that familiar cold fragrance enveloped me again, making me shudder involuntarily.
Yueran closed the door behind me, the sound of the glass door colliding much louder than usual.
I was frozen in place, with Ning Dongya already sitting leisurely by the counter in front of me, and Yueran behind me, whose aura was clearly unfriendly after closing the door. I was caught in the middle, feeling the surrounding air turn into a thick gel, making every breath incredibly difficult. My tail tightly wrapped around my own calf, and my ears drooped, wishing I could instantly turn invisible.
It’s over, it’s over, it’s over… This, this smell of gunpowder. Maybe I should find a place to hide now _