The Beauty with Terrible Luck Falls in Love with a Ghost - Chapter 31

The puppet twitched its ears and propped itself up on its hind legs. Perhaps it was still adjusting, or maybe because the cat had already died, its legs lacked strength. It wobbled unsteadily, as if drunk, nearly stumbling.

Its sapphire-blue eyes widened in surprise at its own condition, and it let out a delicate “Meow~” sound.

Mid-meow, it suddenly paused, and an expression of utter disbelief appeared on its feline face.

Zuo Lihua: “…Pfft.”

The cat shot her a murderous glare.

Though completely harmless, the effect was overwhelming. Zuo Lihua, a certified cat lover, felt her heart melt instantly, blissfully defeated.

She raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean it… How are you feeling now? Do you need me to hold you?”

Han Hai’er turned her head away, clearly unwilling to engage. She tried to stand and took a few shaky steps before stumbling and falling to the ground. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t get back up.

Zuo Lihua pressed her lips together, her eyes crinkling with suppressed laughter. The moment Han Hai’er shot her a death glare, she quickly looked up at the sky. Despite her best efforts to hide it, her shallow, rapid breaths betrayed her barely contained amusement.

Han Hai’er: “Meow, ow!”

“Pfft… Haha, I really didn’t mean it. Come on, let’s go home.”

Ignoring Han Hai’er’s struggles, Zuo Lihua picked her up.

The cat seemed to have suffered greatly before its death, reduced to little more than skin and bones. It was small and weighed almost nothing in her hands.

Zuo Lihua felt a pang of heartache, thinking that since Han Hai’er had taken over this body, she wondered if it could still eat. How long did Han Hai’er plan to stay? At the very least, she should fatten it up before leaving. That way, the cat would be buried plump and content, not as pitiful as it was now, so light it would barely leave a mark in the earth.

The cat continued to struggle violently until Zuo Lihua instinctively stroked its fur. Surprisingly, Han Hai’er stopped resisting.

Cat Han Hai’er was placed in the passenger seat.

“Rest here for a bit. We’ll be home soon.”

Han Hai’er lifted her eyelids to glance at her, then curled into a ball and closed her eyes.

At the age of 24, Zuo Lihua had acquired her first cat in the most peculiar way.

…

After resting during the journey, Han Hai’er seemed much more energetic by the time they arrived home. Zuo Lihua tried to carry her inside, but Han Hai’er dodged her. Not only that, but she also swatted Zuo Lihua’s delicate, jade-like hand with her tail.

Zuo Lihua: Hurt feelings.

Perhaps because a female ghost had visited earlier, the room felt unnaturally cold, even chillier than outside. Han Hai’er strutted to the center of the room, her ugly, oversized tail held high. Puffing out her chest, she closed her eyes and let out a meow.

It was a long, drawn-out sound, reminiscent of a female cat in heat.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the room, coalescing into visible strands of black mist that swirled and converged into the cat’s body.

The temperature instantly returned to normal, and the cat’s fur became noticeably glossier.

Knowing it was now safe, Zuo Lihua decided to change her clothes. As she walked, she pondered the necessities of cat ownership, whether to buy a scratching post, special pet shampoo, and so on. Just as she stepped onto the stairs, Han Hai’er leaped at her, landing squarely on her face.

“Waaah!”

Startled, Zuo Lihua stumbled and fell to the ground.

“Meow, ow!” Han Hai’er scolded sternly.

“What’s wrong?” Zuo Lihua looked utterly bewildered, her clothes now adorned with a few more dirty ‘plum blossom prints.’

Han Hai’er didn’t make a sound, just stared at her with piercing blue eyes.

Zuo Lihua: “…”

Her cat-loving instincts kicked in, and her gaze drifted away for a moment.

Han Hai’er’s fur bristled, and she bit Zuo Lihua’s hand.

Zuo Lihua: “Hiss!”

Driven by a will to survive, she quickly considered Han Hai’er’s habits and glanced at her current grimy state. Suddenly, inspiration struck: “A bath?”

Han Hai’er’s fluffy head bobbed up and down, her ears twitching slightly.

Zuo Lihua: “…” A cat with a terrible temper was making an unbearably cute gesture!

She sniffled and said, “Got it. I’ll order some pet shampoo. Don’t get too worked up, cat fur and skin are different from humans’. You don’t want skin problems, right?”

Only then did the cat relent.

While placing the order, she remembered she hadn’t eaten much, so she added a fruit parfait for herself.

An hour later, Zuo Lihua had a brand-new Ragdoll cat.

She closed the curtains, let the cat curl up on her lap, settled on the sofa, and watched TV while eating her fruit parfait.

The faint glow from the screen made her appear even smaller in the dim light.

The variety show she was watching was the very one she was about to join, titled Splendid Wonders. Centered around the theme of “wonder,” each episode featured a different activity, with even the guests unaware of what they’d be doing. For example, this episode involved caring for children at an orphanage, the previous one was a five-day survival challenge on a deserted island, and the one before that revisited campus life. It was all about the thrill of the unknown, earning it the nickname “Blind Box Variety Show.” Since its premiere, it had maintained high popularity.

Lost in thought, Zuo Lihua puffed her cheeks and swallowed a piece of dragon fruit. Setting the spoon aside, she dialed the director’s number with one hand.

A few days later, a hashtag called #LihuaSplendidWonders# trended on social media.

The van door slid open, and Yang Luoyu was guided inside blindfolded.

“Wow, so mysterious, feels like I’m being hauled off for an assassination,” he joked as staff helped him into his seat.

Four other blindfolded celebrities were already in the vehicle, all guests for this episode of Splendid Wonders.

“See? I knew I wasn’t the only one with that thought! You all said I had a persecution complex, now admit you were wrong and apologize!” Jiang Pingcheng declared with exaggerated flair.

A veteran entertainer with decades in the industry, Jiang had won several Best Actor awards in his youth. Though older now, he kept up with trends and had joined the show purely out of boredom, “so idle I’m growing mold,” as he put it, seeking something to do as retirement loomed.

An He spoke up beside him: “Who just came in? Sounds familiar.” He patted Zuo Lihua next to him. “Do you recognize them?”

Separated from Han Hai’er, Zuo Lihua had been too lost in anxiety to notice the newcomer. She murmured absently, “Too little, say more.”

Her voice was distinct, delicate but not cloying, sweet yet refined, soft and pleasant to the ear. Yang Luoyu recognized it instantly and blurted out, “Senior Lihua?”