After the Agreement, the Aloof Movie Queen is Chasing Me All Over the Internet - Chapter 48

The rustle of tyres over asphalt gradually faded. After one final jolt, the cat carrier in the back of the van stopped shaking.

The vehicle pulled up at the estate entrance, where the air was thick with the scent of old rust. The flickering streetlamps cast mottled shadows across the ground.

“Why is it a black cat? When we registered, didn’t you say it was a white Ragdoll?”

A man pointed at the kitten in the cage. His eyelids drooped, and a heavy, disgruntled huff escaped his nose.

“We verified the details with you,” the staff member replied. “The one confirmed over the phone was this Ragdoll. Perhaps the notes weren’t detailed enough in the system? This estate is quite remote, and we didn’t dare dawdle on the way here. We truly didn’t expect this sort of mix-up.”

The man’s face darkened, his lips thinning into a hard line of obvious displeasure.

Seeing this, the staff member immediately offered a solution. “How about we take the black cat back to the rescue center and find a Ragdoll for you instead?”

“Or perhaps you’d reconsider this one? She’s incredibly well-behaved. She was looked after by actors on a film set for a while—she even knows how to use a litter tray!”

The staff member was halfway through the introduction when a piercing voice cut them off.

“No! I want a white one! I want a white one!”

A young boy started stomping his feet, wailing loudly. “Black cats are ugly! Waaaah! Wang Youyou’s Ragdoll is snow-white! I want a white cat! I want one just like Wang Youyou’s!”

The staff member looked conflicted and turned to the tall woman standing beside them. “Sister Li, this”

Sister Li knit her brows slightly, her voice calm yet scrutinizing. “Wait a moment. In your application, you mentioned having raised five cats previously, all with perfect medical records and a ‘warm family environment’. But looking at the child’s attitude and your reactions now, it doesn’t seem to match the loving atmosphere described in your paperwork.”

The man’s heart tightened as the boy continued to tug at his sleeve, crying incessantly.

“Shut up!” the man roared.

The boy jumped, standing at attention, sobbing quietly but not daring to make another sound.

“Ah, terribly sorry about that. The kid’s just young and a bit competitive. But look, he loves cats at home. Here’s a video of our Junhao playing with our cat.”

The man quickly pulled up a pre-prepared video on his phone. In the footage, the boy was gently stroking a ginger cat; the scene looked warm and full of love.

“See? We have a proper cat tree, imported food—we even won a ‘Compassionate Cat Rescue Award’ last time. We’ve raised plenty of cats; our conditions are perfect.”

“The silly lad just had his heart set on a Ragdoll. He’ll understand once they’ve spent some time together. We value our pets, after all.”

The man shot the boy a look. “Junhao, stop that. Do you hear me?”

Though he felt wronged, Junhao didn’t dare disobey his father. He immediately switched to a well-behaved expression. “I’m sorry, Sister. I’ll be kind to the kitten.”

The father and son worked in perfect harmony now. The man wore a mask of sincere smiles, occasionally patting his son’s shoulder in an outward display of affection. Junhao wiped his tears and lowered his head, acting the part of the disciplined, obedient child a far cry from his tantrum moments ago.

They worked hard to manufacture the illusion of a strict but loving home, where the child’s outburst was merely a momentary lapse.

Sister Li sighed, ultimately choosing to believe them. “Very well, the kitten is in your hands. I’ll be conducting regular follow-up visits.”

“Of course, of course,” the man agreed, beaming.

But the moment they turned the corner into the building, his face transformed.

He gripped the carrier with irritation, turning toward the dilapidated residential block where the plaster was peeling off the walls. He’d originally intended to get his son a free toy to play with. Now, not only had he failed to please the boy, but he’d brought a “curse” into the house.

Fuming, the man roughly forced the carrier open. He reached in, grabbed the black kitten by the scruff of its neck, and hauled it out, tossing it brutally into an empty iron cage on the balcony. “Get in there! Move!”

Junhao leaned in, watching the cowering kitten with a face full of disdain. “Dad, why did we even bring it home? We should have just chucked it.”

“It was free. I’m going to squeeze a few notes out of it before it goes.”

The man spat on the floor and fished out his phone. “I’ll film a couple of videos to keep them happy, then I’ll sell it in a few days. If I can’t find a buyer, I’ll sell it to a cat-meat restaurant—somewhere far away, to save us the trouble.”

The little black cat curled into a ball in the corner of the freezing iron cage, letting out tiny, terrified whimpers.

“Exactly. We don’t want you! Just wait until you’re turned into cat meat!” Junhao grinned, mockingly kicking the cage with the toe of his shoe.

The cage clattered loudly. The kitten shrank back in terror, trying to hide in the deepest shadows. It huddled in the corner, its deep blue eyes appearing unnaturally large in the dim light as it stared at the humans in a state of high alert.

Frustrated by the cat’s withdrawal, Junhao reached out to open the cage door. “You’re just a toy! How dare you hide!”

The moment his hand entered the cage, the kitten struck out with its claws.

“Agh!!” Junhao screamed in pain, jerking his hand back to find several red welts across his skin. “You little brat!!”

“What happened? What’s wrong, son?!”

While the man was distracted by Junhao, the kitten squeezed through the bars of the balcony window and leapt. It vanished into the darkness of the bushes below.

By the time the news reached the film set, the situation was dire. Sister Li was sharp; she had returned to the estate shortly after the handover, using the excuse of dropping off pet supplies. She found only a mess.

The cat was gone.

Xiao Yu was sobbing uncontrollably. “How could this happen? That ‘loving home’ was a total sham! Where is their conscience? Their basic morality?”

The crew, who had grown attached to the kitten, all joined the search party. In the middle of such a biting winter, the kitten would likely freeze to death if not found quickly.

“Stop crying. It hasn’t been gone long. We’ll split up and search—we’ll find her,” Du Yaozhi said, swallowing her own sense of frustration and trying to keep her voice steady.

Led by the logistics team and Yaozhi, the off-duty staff combed through the areas Sister Li had identified, checking every corner and every gap in the stairwells. Even Shu Yuanxiang, who had only just recovered from a severe flu, came down to help.

They searched from afternoon until night, from a cloud-covered sky until there wasn’t a sliver of light left, right up until a heavy storm was about to break.

Shu Yuanxiang’s throat felt tight. She cared deeply for the cat, but she had to prioritise Yaozhi’s safety. “Sister Yaozhi… let’s go back. It’s too dark. The kitten… she’ll find her way back…”

Xiao Yu had already exhausted herself from crying and had been helped back to the hotel.

There was no movement from the other side. Gong Lin frowned, focusing on the bigger picture. “Back to the hotel, everyone. I’ll keep an eye on the updates.”

Yaozhi was half-convinced, half-pulled back to the hotel. The moment the door shut, her facade of calm collapsed. She slumped onto the sofa and covered her eyes.

Outside, the rain intensified, the droplets drumming against the glass like heavy hammers against her heart. She checked her phone; the group chat was filled with messages like “Just wait a bit longer” and “Don’t give up.” Every well-meaning word only made the wait more agonising.

She thought of the kitten’s deep blue eyes. In a winter this cruel, soaked and freezing… how long could she last?

Two hours passed with no news. Yaozhi ran her fingers through her hair until it was a mess. Memories of her childhood began to surface—a dark, damp rented room reeking of cigarettes and mould.

Her father, Du Mingzhe, sat hunched in a battered wooden chair. He had spent the last of the family’s money on a pack of cheap cigarettes, coughing as he smoked. He’d tell a young Yaozhi, “Go. Ask your mother for money.”

“Mum has a new family,” the young Yaozhi would reply. “She won’t let me visit. She told me to go back to my own home.”

“I told you to go, so go!”

Mingzhe would slam the table, the ash from his cheap cigarette fluttering onto the greasy tablecloth. His eyes were fierce, as if he wanted to devour her.

“Why?” The young Yaozhi’s eyes were red, but she was stubborn. Her back remained ramrod straight. “We used to have money. We could afford food! You gambled it all away!”

The words pricked Mingzhe’s heart. He froze for a second before his lips curled into a manic, cold smirk. Yaozhi would never forget the foul stench of smoke on his breath as he laughed. He looked down at her, the cigarette in his mouth twitching.

“Du Yaozhi,” he said, his eyes full of loathing. “Who said we were a family?”

Who said we were a family?

Yaozhi slammed her fist against the hotel wall. Disgusting.

She grabbed her umbrella, bolted out of the room, and charged into the curtain of rain. She couldn’t stand by and watch the kitten repeat her own fate, dying alone and unwanted.

Just like her.

The rain felt like needles of ice against her face. She searched the surrounding area, hoping the kitten might be in a spot they’d missed. But there was nothing but a vast, suffocating blackness. Every search led to deeper despair.

Just as she was on the verge of giving up, kneeling on the ground, a familiar voice called out to her.

“Du Yaozhi!”

Shen Qing’s voice drifted through the heavy rain. Water cascaded down her jawline; she looked cold and unapproachable, yet so bedraggled it tugged at the heart.

With one hand, Shen Qing held the kitten wrapped in her coat; with the other, she pulled Yaozhi up. Droplets rolled off her eyelashes.

“Don’t do this,” Shen Qing said urgently. “Promise me you won’t do this again.”

“How… where did you find her?” Yaozhi gripped her hand as if it were a lifeline.

“Promise me.”

Of all the times! Yaozhi bit her lip, holding back tears. “I promise.”

“On the road.”

Shen Qing kept it brief. “My car broke down and I had to call for a tow. The kitten was freezing. There were no taxis nearby, so I had to walk back.”

Her voice was raspy; she had been out in the rain for too long.

“The vet isn’t open at this hour. I’ve checked her; there are no obvious injuries. She’s likely just caught a chill from the rain—not life-threatening. I wrapped her in my coat, and she’s doing a bit better.”

“What about you?” Yaozhi gripped her umbrella handle, her heart racing with anxiety. It was mid-December. Shen Qing had given her warm coat to the kitten and walked back, soaked to the bone. Why didn’t she mention herself?

“I’m fine,” Shen Qing said softly.

Yaozhi tilted the umbrella over her and fished her keys from her pocket. “To the motorhome first. I’ll turn the heater on.”

Shen Qing gave a low hum of agreement but stopped before entering. “Wait.”

“Hold her for a moment.”

Yaozhi blinked.

“I don’t like cats,” Shen Qing added.

Only then did Yaozhi remember, Shen Qing was afraid of cats. She usually walked away whenever she saw one on set.

“Right, I’ve got her.” Despite her concern, Yaozhi mimicked Shen Qing’s careful posture to take the kitten.

The moment the cat left her hands, Shen Qing’s arm trembled. Her eyelashes flickered as she closed her eyes—a tiny reaction, like a wound being briefly uncovered. Yaozhi didn’t miss it.

The kitten burrowed into the lining of the coat, her claws snagging the fabric as she shivered. She was curled tight, paws tucked under her belly and tail pressed against her side.

Inside the motorhome, though not as spacious as the hotel, everything they needed was there.

“She’s caught a chill,” Shen Qing said, handing Yaozhi a dry towel from the cupboard. “Help her dry off.”

She was soaked herself, wet hair clinging to her cold, red neck, yet her first thought was the kitten.

“On it,” Yaozhi said, squatting on the floor. “Go and have a shower first. Don’t get sick yourself.”

Yaozhi piled some clothes together and handed them to Shen Qing. “I’ve turned the heater on in the bathroom; it should be warm now. Change into these when you’re done—they’re thicker.”

Shen Qing took the clothes, her eyes catching the high temperature of the main heater. She reached out to test the airflow, looked down at the kitten by the vent, and silently lowered the temperature.

“Why are you just standing there? You weren’t this hesitant during the kiss this morning,” Yaozhi teased, seeing her stall.

“My mistake,” Shen Qing said.

“Eh?”

Yaozhi had been the one who couldn’t get the romantic kiss right, yet Shen Qing was the one apologising. Was she doing it because Yaozhi was upset? A wave of tenderness washed over Yaozhi, but her worry won out. “Go on!” She gave Shen Qing a playful shove toward the bathroom.

“Du Yaozhi,” a voice called from the shower, muffled by the steam.

“Yes?” Yaozhi was busy drying the kitten’s ears.

“The underwear… you’ve brought the wrong ones,” Shen Qing’s cool voice rang out. “These aren’t my size.”

Yaozhi didn’t stop what she was doing. She glanced at the open wardrobe. “I didn’t get it wrong, did I? That’s your cupboard, isn’t it?”

There was a pause from inside, followed by a soft, barely perceptible sigh of exasperation. “In that case… do you want to come in and verify?”

As if! Yaozhi replied instantly, “I’ll get you a different pair.”

Moments later, Yaozhi knocked on the door. The door opened a sliver, revealing pale skin flushed from the heat. Yaozhi kept her head turned away as the scent of shower gel and steam wafted out.

It felt just like that kiss.

Lingering and hot, with a sudden, tingly numbness that made her fingertips tremble.

Shen Qing’s wet hair clung to her neck, one eye visible beneath a drooping eyelid. She took the towel, her long fingertips inadvertently brushing the back of Yaozhi’s hand a fleeting, warm touch. Yaozhi pulled back quickly and shut the door.

“Dry the belly and under the legs first. Those areas take longer to dry; if they stay wet, she’ll get sick.” Shen Qing’s voice came through the sliding door.

Yaozhi hesitated for a moment, her mind whirring, then did as she was told. Her fingers touched the kitten’s icy belly. The kitten let out a weak whimper, and Yaozhi softened her touch.

“You don’t sound like someone who’s never handled a cat before,” Yaozhi remarked into the silence.

“I read it in a book,” Shen Qing explained flatly.

“Which book?”

“The one you gave me.”

Yaozhi fell silent for a long time.

“Shen Qing.” She stopped what she was doing and looked toward the shower. “The kitten keeps hooking her claws into the towel and won’t let me dry her. Can I gently move her paws?”

“No. That’s her instinctual self-protection. Don’t touch her paws right now; it’ll worsen her stress response.”

“Was that in the book too?”

“Yes.”

The motorhome fell silent, save for the kitten’s faint whimpers and the hum of the heater. The atmosphere grew strangely quiet.

“Shen Qing… I’ve finished that book. There isn’t a single word in there about raising cats.”

Yaozhi fixed her gaze on the closed bathroom door, her voice steady. “You aren’t afraid of cats at all, are you?”

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