Lin Li, dressed in a tank top and beach shorts, ended his call with Su Yue. He tossed his phone onto the sofa and went into the bedroom to change.
Lin Li emerged from the bedroom, now in a white T-shirt and beige casual pants. He picked up his phone from the sofa; Su Yue had already sent her current location.
After checking the location Su Yue sent, Lin Li pocketed his phone, turned off the TV and the lights, and headed out.
As for the Refrigeration Spiritual Artifact in the corner, he didn’t turn it off. ’It doesn’t use electricity anyway, so I might as well leave it on!’
That way, he could enjoy the cool air as soon as he got back from barbecue.
...
It was almost ten o’clock, so the parents who had been enjoying the cool evening air with their children in the district had all gone home.
Cats are creatures that become full of energy at night.
The Little Black Cat and the Little White Cat had taken a nap for several hours after their meal. Now, full of vigor, they were strolling through the district, hunting for the big rats hiding within.
"Meow... Sigh, we’ve searched everywhere and haven’t found a single big rat," the Little Black Cat said, a little disappointed.
The Little White Cat glanced at its companion, its gaze drifting into the distance. "Meow... Maybe we hunted them too often a while back, so all the big rats got scared and left."
"Meow... Is that so? That’s terrible! Now we won’t have a midnight snack," the Little Black Cat said, its spirits low.
"Meow... Since there are no big rats here, we could..." The Little White Cat was about to suggest they go look elsewhere, but it abruptly shut its mouth when a person appeared in its line of sight.
"Meow... We could what?" the Little Black Cat asked quizzically, pausing from scratching its face with its paw when its friend stopped mid-sentence.
"Meow... Shh, quiet," the Little White Cat said, looking nervously at the human who was walking out of a building entrance in the distance.
"Meow...???" The Little Black Cat turned its head and followed the Little White Cat’s gaze.
Lin Li walked out of the building entrance and strode quickly toward the parking area. Noticing something staring at him from the darkness, he turned his head and saw two little creatures watching him warily.
’Why are these two stray cats always so wary of me? It would make sense if I’d ever bothered you, but the thing is, I’ve never even touched you... How strange.’
Lin Li looked away, muttering to himself, and continued toward the parking area.
A moment later, a silver-white van left Ping’an Garden District.
"Meow... That human is gone now," the Little Black Cat said.
The Little White Cat, which had been extremely tense, finally relaxed. Seeing its companion’s reaction, the Little Black Cat asked in confusion.
"Meow... You don’t have to be so nervous! If that human tried to hurt you, I’d protect you..."
"Meow... You can’t beat that human. He’s way stronger than the Big Orange Cat," the Little White Cat said seriously. Although it had never seen Lin Li fight, it could feel a very dangerous aura emanating from him.
"Meow... Once I figure out how to transform, that human will be no match for me," the Little Black Cat said. It wasn’t just posturing that it was strong enough to beat the human right now.
"Meow... Okay, let’s stop talking about that human. Let’s go find a midnight snack somewhere else!" the Little White Cat said, changing the subject.
The Little Black Cat nodded. Though it didn’t say anything more, it took the matter to heart, determined to become stronger as soon as possible.
Afterward, the two stray cats left Ping’an Garden District and ran to an alley behind a nearby restaurant to catch rats.
...
In the quiet park, a few strolling couples whispered to each other, their heads close together.
By ten o’clock at night, it was getting late. The couples strolling in the park began to leave one by one, some heading home, others heading directly to the hotels near the park.
A slick-looking young man in designer clothes, reeking of alcohol, walked into the park.
His home was on the other side of the park, and he needed to cut through it.
Inside the park, the cobblestone paths were lined with quaint lampposts set at regular intervals.
A swarm of moths fluttered around the dim, yellow light of the lampposts. Every now and then, a moth would drop from the sky and fall into the grass by the path.
The slick-looking young man had drunk quite a bit with his friends at a bar tonight.
He had been in high spirits right after leaving the bar, but after walking for a while, the night breeze hit him, and the alcohol rushed to his head, making him sway as he walked.
’Huh? What a beautiful woman.’ The slick-looking young man’s expression changed, and his eyes widened.
Not far away, on a park bench, sat a stunningly beautiful woman. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she wore a form-fitting white blouse, a tight black pencil skirt, and black high heels that accentuated her well-defined curves.
’I have to get her number.’ The slick-looking young man stared blankly at the gorgeous woman on the bench, who was looking at her phone. His heart began to beat a little faster; he knew this was the feeling of being smitten.
After sending her location to Lin Li, Su Yue sat on the park bench, playing on her phone while she quietly waited for him to arrive.
"Hey there, beautiful!"
Su Yue, who was on her phone, sensed someone standing in front of her. She looked up and saw a slick-looking young man greeting her.
Just then, the man couldn’t help but hiccup. From his appearance and the stench of alcohol coming off him, it was obvious he was drunk.
When accosted by a drunkard like this, the wisest choice was to ignore him and leave immediately.
Su Yue stood up and turned to walk toward the park entrance.
Seeing the gorgeous woman who had captivated him ignore him completely and turn to leave, the drunk, slick-looking young man grew anxious. He quickly chased after her and blocked her path.
"Hey, beautiful, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! I’m not a bad guy!"
Su Yue stared expressionlessly at the persistent drunk. Parting her lips, she said coldly, "Please move."
"Beautiful, let’s be friends!" the slick-looking young man said shamelessly, ignoring Su Yue’s icy, standoffish attitude.
Su Yue frowned, turned, and started walking in another direction.
Seeing this, the slick-looking young man immediately chased after her again, blocking her path once more.
"Sir, please have some self-respect. If you continue this, I’m calling the police," Su Yue warned in an indifferent tone.
"Don’t do that, beautiful!" Although the slick-looking young man was drunk, he still had a sliver of reason. He grew a little scared when he heard Su Yue threaten to call the police.
Seeing the fear on the drunkard’s face, Su Yue continued her warning, "Don’t do something you’ll regret when you’re sober."
After saying this, Su Yue turned to leave again. This time, the slick-looking young man didn’t dare to follow.
However, at that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew through the park, blasting him head-on.
The drunkenness surged through him, and in that instant, his inner desire overwhelmed his reason. He chased after the departing Su Yue one more time and blocked her way.
"..." Su Yue stared speechlessly at the drunkard before her. Just then, she heard him say:
"Come on, beautiful, don’t be so cold! Just give me your contact info, and I’ll stop bothering you..."
...