Chapter 2

As my mom talked about the absurd story of Zhao Yue’s boyfriend cheating on her, she grew more and more agitated, her voice getting louder and louder.

Afraid that Lu He would overhear, I couldn’t help but turn my head and peek at him through the crack in the door.

Lu He was playing with the cat at that moment.

He had his head lowered, his long fingers gently stroking Tuan Zi’s back, moving slowly and deliberately. The lines of his profile and neck were striking, but his face remained expressionless.

Tuan Zi, the eight-month-old Ragdoll cat, lay lazily by his side, eyes half-closed, looking thoroughly content.

I had given him this cat as a gift half a year ago, when I finally mustered the courage to confess my feelings to Lu He after hearing the news of Zhao Yue’s engagement.

That day, he accepted my gift and even named the kitten on the spot-Tuan Zi-saying it was just like me, a soft, small bundle.

When he said that, his gaze was unusually gentle, a faint smile at the corner of his lips, which only strengthened my resolve to confess.

Maybe sensing that I was about to say something, Lu He suddenly turned his head away from my gaze, his voice slightly lowered:

“Jiajia, just wait a little longer, okay?”

My heart instantly went cold.

Perhaps it was at that moment that I suddenly realized-even if Zhao Yue had a boyfriend, even if their relationship was so good they were about to get married, Lu He was still willing to wait for her, just as I was willing to wait for him.

“Jiajia?” My mom’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I steadied myself and replied absentmindedly, “Hmm?”

But my eyes never left Lu He in the living room.

He seemed to be on the phone with someone now, a faint smile always lingering at the corner of his mouth.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly welled up inside me.

Lu He’s lips moved slightly, as if he was saying a name.

“Yueyue…”

My mom was still talking on the other end, but I just stared blankly, my temple throbbing, my palms cold.

Suddenly, the trash can by the bed was knocked over by Tuan Zi, who had run in.

As I went to pick it up, a box of Okamoto rolled out.

Along with it came a sticky mess.

Half-wrapped in tissue, it looked like it hadn’t been used long ago-maybe last night, maybe this morning.

In that moment, I couldn’t even describe how I felt. I numbly grabbed some tissues from the bedside and tossed everything back into the trash can.

My mom’s voice came through the phone:

“Oh, right, I meant to ask you earlier-your aunt said Yueyue was feeling down and wanted to get away for a bit. She bought a ticket and flew over to your place yesterday. She should’ve arrived last night. Didn’t she contact you?”