Fell In Love With My Older Sister’s Friend - Chapter 87

Lin Qingyue smiled faintly and said, “Of course I’ll come to your birthday.”

She made no mention of the second part of the invitation, merely asking, “Are you still having a birthday party this year?”

Xu Luzhi spread her hands helplessly, “It’s my eighteenth, after all. Mom and Dad are definitely going to hold one for me.”

It was a sweet kind of trouble. A big crowd would be lively, but it made it difficult to spend time alone with Lin Qingyue.

Xu Luzhi whispered, “I’ll sneak out tonight to find you. We’ll celebrate my birthday alone, just the two of us, okay?”

The light in Lin Qingyue’s eyes shifted, as if seeing through Xu Luzhi’s trick. She reminded her, “You won’t turn eighteen until the next day, you know.”

Her cherry lips parted, and she softly called, “Little one.”

Having had some alcohol, the endearment instantly made Xu Luzhi feel weak. Her watery eyes looked over, and she softly answered, “I know.”

She looked a little wronged, “Can’t I just want to spend some time alone with Jie-jie?”

“Of course you can,” Lin Qingyue smiled gently, not exposing the girl’s obvious thoughts. She feigned hesitation, “Did I owe you a birthday gift? What was it, I can’t quite remember suddenly?”

“Jie-jie!” Xu Luzhi cried out urgently, her small mouth instantly pouting, and her dark, round eyes widened. She was clearly very displeased.

How could she so casually forget something so important, something she had been thinking about for an entire year?

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease Zhizhi anymore.” A mischievous smile appeared in Lin Qingyue’s eyes. She rubbed Xu Luzhi’s head and coaxed gently, “I remember, hmm?”

Appeased, Xu Luzhi still let out a little hum of suspicion, “Jie-jie isn’t tricking me, is she?”

“Mmm, I’m tricking you.” Lin Qingyue enjoyed the colorful expressions on the girl’s face and burst into a giggle, “Silly.”

Xu Luzhi covered her mouth and laughed too. When she was with Lin Qingyue, she always fell into her traps, being led around by the nose, yet feeling perfectly willing.

After eating and drinking, they paid the bill and strolled aimlessly along the street.

It was yet another midsummer, and the night breeze in Lincheng was as refreshing and pleasant as ever. A gust from the riverside immediately swept away the summer heat.

Xu Luzhi loved the cool breeze, facing the river to feel it endlessly. At first, she felt cool, but then the alcohol went to her head, and her small face actually heated up.

She raised a hand to touch it was hot.

She looked at Lin Qingyue’s face, which was still flawless, with no trace of the alcohol’s effect, as if she had only been drinking plain water.

Xu Luzhi felt a bit deflated. Maybe alcohol tolerance was innate; no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t match Lin Qingyue.

Even trying to use alcohol to embolden herself felt too naive.

They walked along the river, one following the other, a small distance between them, like a futile attempt at concealment.

They walked until they reached a sparsely lit, secluded area. Xu Luzhi suddenly noticed something and pointed an eager finger at the ground beneath the streetlight: “A little cat!”

Lin Qingyue followed her gaze. By the bushes under the streetlamp, there was indeed a small, pathetic kitten lying motionless on the ground. She wasn’t sure if it was alive.

As if to answer her doubt, a couple came along simultaneously from the other direction. The girl immediately spotted the cat on the ground and cried out, “Oh, it’s a kitten!”

Despite the boy’s evident impatience, he obediently stood by while the girl rummaged in her bag for a sausage. She patiently placed it in her palm and called out softly, “Mimi,” “Mimi.”

The previously motionless stray cat cautiously opened its round, beautiful green eyes. It slowly got up, took two tentative steps forward, and flashed its claws.

The girl wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, she called out with a sweet smile, “Mimi, come and eat.”

The stray cat walked over and began to lick from her palm.

After the girl and the cat interacted for a while, the boy pulled the girl away. The stray cat paused where it was, then lay back down.

Listless, like a dead cat.

Xu Luzhi felt a pang of sympathy. She tugged at Lin Qingyue’s sleeve and softly said, “Jie-jie, let’s go check on it.”

Lin Qingyue didn’t say anything, just followed Xu Luzhi forward, slowly, falling a few steps behind in a blink.

She stopped not far from the streetlight, her phoenix eyes slightly lifted, looking bored.

It seemed she had long lost interest in such overflowing compassion and was only reluctantly accompanying her.

Xu Luzhi, however, enthusiastically squatted down in front of the stray cat, observing its coloring and appearance. On closer inspection, it was actually quite a beautiful orange tabby, but being wind-blown and sun-dried, it was quite dirty. Its belly was sunken, and it was skinny, making it less attractive.

When Xu Luzhi approached, it first twitched its tail nervously, then remained still, continuing to feign sleep, seemingly contemplating its next move.

Xu Luzhi called it softly, “Mimi.”

The little cat sneered, acting as if she didn’t exist.

Xu Luzhi laughed and turned to call Lin Qingyue, “Jie-jie.”

Lin Qingyue leaned against the streetlight and asked languidly, “What is it?”

Xu Luzhi noticed her unusual coolness and tentatively asked, “Jie-jie, don’t you like cats?”

Lin Qingyue shook her head, “I don’t dislike them.”

“That’s good.” Xu Luzhi let out a sigh of relief. She looked up at her hopefully and suggested, “Jie-jie, can I give it something to eat?”

Lin Qingyue replied flatly, “Suit yourself.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted elsewhere, treating the poor stray cat as if it were completely invisible.

Seeing this, Xu Luzhi quietly stood up and subtly pressed close behind Lin Qingyue, blowing a soft breath onto the back of her neck.

Lin Qingyue instantly reached back and caught her hand. Under the dim light of the streetlamp, their eyes met, a sort of confrontation.

Meanwhile, the “femme fatale” of a cat was languidly sprawled at their feet, slowly licking its fur, completely oblivious that it had sparked an exchange.

It was Lin Qingyue who finally spoke, asking nonchalantly, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Luzhi’s expression was calm. She asked her directly, “Jie-jie, why don’t you like feeding stray cats?”

Lin Qingyue chuckled, “I didn’t stop you from feeding it.”

“That’s not it.” Xu Luzhi shook her head seriously, looking straight into Lin Qingyue’s eyes. “I just want to know, is Jie-jie worried about something?”

“It’s not that complicated.” Lin Qingyue said lazily, glancing at the orange tabby at her feet, then at the girl beside her. Both were equally adorable, looking at her with wide, eager eyes.

People are drawn to beauty, but are cats too? Even though she was so cold, it still insisted on rubbing against her feet.

Lin Qingyue squatted down, looking down at the dirty kitten. Her gaze was calm and gentle, “If I feed it today, and it doesn’t see me tomorrow, it will be sad.”

She stretched out her hand, a small distance away, and virtually stroked the kitten’s head in the empty air.

The little cat obediently lifted its head to meet the woman’s delicate fingers, as if it had truly been petted, and let out a purring sound of enjoyment.

Xu Luzhi squatted beside her and whispered, “It’s a stray cat anyway; it should be happy to just have something to eat.”

Lin Qingyue sighed softly, “But I always feel that if I can’t take it home, feeding it is a cruel thing to do.”

Better not to give a little bit of hope at all.

A cool breeze blew, and the alcohol went to her head. Xu Luzhi impulsively asked, “Then why not take it home?”

Her gaze fell upon the orange tabby. She wasn’t sure if she was pleading for the cat or for herself, “It’s very cute and easy to keep.”

Lin Qingyue’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly, landing seriously on Xu Luzhi. Her expression was resolute and calm, “With my circumstances, I can’t keep it. Even if I took it home, I wouldn’t be sure how long I could keep it.”

Her long lashes cast a shadow on her cheek. Her eyes were obscure, and her voice was clear and low, tinged with an indescribable sadness that reminded Xu Luzhi of rain falling late at night bleak and helpless. “I don’t want to be that irresponsible.”

It ended with a soft particle, a gentle smile, as if she were truly only talking about a cat, and not a person.

Xu Luzhi’s expression tightened, and a sudden, inexpressible sense of loss welled up in her heart. She couldn’t tell why perhaps because Lin Qingyue was too responsible, or perhaps because Lin Qingyue was too irresponsible.

Perhaps when the moment truly arrived, everyone would hesitate and retreat.

At least, Jie-jie cared about her in her heart and didn’t want to make her sad.

But what Lin Qingyue didn’t know was that Xu Luzhi was the one who needed to be taken in.

Lin Qingyue took one last look at the orange tabby. Despite the reluctance in her eyes, she resolutely stood up and turned to leave without hesitation.

Xu Luzhi glanced back and quietly followed her. In a few short steps, the sound of Lin Qingyue’s heels clicking against the ground echoed. Her shadow was infinitely long, and her slender back carried an indescribable sense of loneliness.

She didn’t know what Lin Qingyue had been through, that for all these years she preferred to be alone, playing games with life, unwilling to leave a trace of affection behind.

Was she that afraid? Afraid there would be no good outcome?

In fact, she was afraid too, but the cold wind had cleared the alcohol from her head. Xu Luzhi suddenly felt that she still wanted to try again.

To use all her strength to prove all her efforts to Lin Qingyue. The choice lay with the other person, but she only wanted to have no regrets.

No matter the outcome, even if she lost, she had to bring a grand, unforgettable conclusion to this secret crush.

She had waited for so long, so absolutely, she could not give up.

The eighteenth birthday arrived after a month of preparation. Amidst the clinking of glasses, Xu Luzhi found Lin Qingyue and pulled her upstairs.

Lin Qingyue hadn’t drunk much this time. She looked at Xu Luzhi clearly, “What is it?”

Xu Luzhi smiled easily, “I want to show you something.”

The girl, dressed up for the occasion, extended an eager invitation, her moist eyes fixed on her. Lin Qingyue could not refuse.

She curved her lips, “Okay.”

She followed her up the stairs and into Xu Luzhi’s room. Lin Qingyue looked around and didn’t see anything particularly special.

Just then, Xu Luzhi called her from the other side, “Jie-jie, come look.”

Lin Qingyue followed the sound and saw a massive, ten-story cat tree in the corner of the room.

It was probably the biggest cat tree she had ever seen in her life, a full ten stories, comparable to a colossal villa for cats. However, the orange tabby was not cooperative at all, lazily sprawled on the very top level. A small ball dangled above its head, which it completely ignored, burying its face in the cushion to sleep.

The air conditioning was on, and it was living a very comfortable life.

Xu Luzhi called out, “Da Ju (Big Orange)!”

Da Ju was unresponsive, feigning death as it slept spread-eagled.

Quite the attitude.

Xu Luzhi was both annoyed and amused, “Da Ju, guess who’s here?”

Lin Qingyue called out softly, “Mimi.”

Da Ju’s eyes popped open with a soft rumble. It immediately scrambled to the very front of the cat tree, excitedly waving its tiny paws to greet Lin Qingyue, constantly trying to jump out.

A cat as obsessed with beauty as its owner.