The Beauty with Terrible Luck Falls in Love with a Ghost - Chapter 33

The bag was unzipped, and an adorable feline head popped out. Its sharp, sapphire-blue eyes locked onto Zuo Lihua instantly. Then, it puffed up, bared its teeth, and let out an angry yowl: “Meow, rowr!”

Zuo Lihua: “…”

An He suddenly let out a high-pitched shriek: “Ahhh, it’s a kitty! A kitty!”

Before the words even finished, she charged forward so fast it seemed like an afterimage was left behind.

But the cat was even quicker. Before it could be touched, it deftly dodged, leaped up, and scrambled right onto Zuo Lihua.

Zuo Lihua nearly stumbled from the force.

“Meowrrrrrr!!!”

“Ahhh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I know I messed up, stop yelling, stop yelling!” Zuo Lihua hurriedly soothed the cat. If she didn’t calm it down soon, she was afraid she’d go deaf.

An He stood there stunned, watching the familiar interaction between the human and the cat, and couldn’t help but say, “Lihua?”

Zuo Lihua offered an apologetic smile. “This is my cat. No one was home to take care of her, and I was afraid she might die, so…”

An He raised an eyebrow. “You can bring family members?”

Zuo Lihua liked that phrasing. Only someone who genuinely loved pets would naturally refer to them as “family members,” truly considering them part of the family.

“We’re here to work, to film a show, not for a vacation. How could you bring a cat?” Han Youyou finally found an opening to interject and couldn’t wait to speak up. “This isn’t really appropriate, is it?”

“Huh?” Zuo Lihua looked at her blankly, then suddenly remembered something and quickly apologized. “Are you allergic to cat hair? I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’ll keep her in my room and not let her out, is that okay?”

After all, Han Youyou’s mother, Zhou Ying, was allergic to cat hair, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it ran in the family. But Han Hai’er, being essentially a dead cat, since she was already dead, probably wouldn’t shed… right?

Han Youyou pursed her lips. “That’s not necessary. I’m fine, but what about others? Some people don’t like cats. Don’t you ever think about other people?”

An He raised her hand like an eager elementary school student. “Not me! I absolutely adore cats!”

Zuo Lihua shot her a grateful look.

Just then, someone tall and lanky walked over, blocking a large patch of light. Zuo Lihua looked up to see Jiang Pingcheng, who was watching Han Hai’er with interest. “She’s a Ragdoll, right? So beautiful. I have one too, a British Shorthair with a chubby face. When I get back, I might get a Ragdoll too. Is it hard to take care of such long fur?”

Zuo Lihua wasn’t sure either. After a moment’s thought, she hesitantly replied, “It’s okay, I guess? Just bathe her once a week.”

Han Youyou pointed into the distance at Yang Luoyu, lifting her chin with a reproachful tone. “Look, she left because of your cat!”

Everyone followed her gaze and was startled to see that Yang Luoyu had quietly wandered off quite far.

Zuo Lihua was distraught, wanting to apologize, but Han Hai’er was restless, jumping and squirming in her arms.

“Senior Lihua!” Yang Luoyu waved at her, pointing to a piece of wood at her feet. “This log would be perfect for scratching! Let’s carry it inside and make a cat tree for the kitty!”

“She’s a woman of action, huh? Damn, I lost!” An He grumbled, then turned to a staff member. “Do you have any cat treats?”

Han Youyou’s expression froze.

The director came over at that moment, chuckling as he clarified, “Lihua asked me beforehand, and I checked with all your managers. Everyone was fine with it, but due to confidentiality requirements, your managers probably didn’t mention it to you.”

Han Youyou: “……”

Zuo Lihua breathed a sigh of relief: “Thank you, director. Thank you, brothers, sisters, elders, uncles, and aunties for your kindness in liking the cat.”

An He had already gotten a cat treat stick ready to earn the first wave of goodwill. Hearing this, she burst out laughing: “Hahahaha, you’re killing me! There aren’t that many people for you to thank.”

Jiang Pingcheng glanced at the bleak and eerie surroundings and remarked coolly: “That might not be true. Perhaps there are many people here, you just can’t see them!”

An He’s laughter cut off abruptly. She shot him a disgusted look: “Don’t scare the kid! My mental age is only three, I can’t handle fright. If you scare me bad, you’ll have to pay compensation.”

Yang Luoyu dragged a piece of wood over, glanced at the flailing cat, then at Zuo Lihua, and said hesitantly: “Senior Lihua, why do I feel like it wants to beat you up? Is it just my imagination?”

Zuo Lihua wiped her face mournfully: “Probably not. There’s… a bit of a misunderstanding between us.”

The interior of the house was different from the outside. The personal rooms had clearly been tidied up, with bedding and slippers all in place. Though not comparable to a hotel, it was at least livable. The outside, however, was another story, the dust was thick enough to suffocate a person, and every corner required manual cleaning.

Zuo Lihua sat on the bed, her head lowered, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Perched on the bedside table in front of her was a long-haired cat. Its adorable face wore a stern expression, and its glass-bead-like eyes stared sharply at Zuo Lihua. Its fluffy tail rhythmically tapped against the wooden surface of the table, thump after thump, with every cell of its body radiating unmistakable displeasure.

Zuo Lihua tried to explain again, “I really didn’t abandon you. Besides, you’re not an ordinary cat, how could I possibly get rid of you?”

The cat sneered and spoke in human language, “So you’re saying if I were an ordinary cat, you would’ve thrown me away?”

Zuo Lihua: “…”

Han Hai’er: “Ha!”

“How could that be? It was for the show! I came to participate in the program, I have to listen to the director. Some things are beyond my control. I’m just a worker! Workers have to follow their boss’s orders if they want to get paid!” Zuo Lihua gestured emphatically, swearing to the heavens, “I really didn’t intentionally separate from you.”

“Really?”

“Really! Every word is from the bottom of my heart. If I’m lying, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!”

Han Hai’er wasn’t buying it. “What’s the use of just saying you’ll die a terrible death? When I was alive, a fortune teller even said I’d live to a hundred!… What’s that expression on your face? Are you disappointed that I’m standing in front of you again? Feeling let down?”

Zuo Lihua felt utterly overwhelmed. “Really, I’m not. What can I do to make you believe me?”

Han Hai’er yowled, stretching her neck, “What do you mean? You made the mistake, and now you’re asking me?!”

Zuo Lihua felt exhausted, more so than after running five kilometers or practicing dance all day. She squeezed her eyes shut and finally uttered that infamous line from the scumbag playbook: “…If that’s what you think, there’s nothing I can do.”

Han Hai’er’s cat-like pupils narrowed slightly, her claws peeking out from her paw pads as a surge of killing intent emerged. “Are you looking for death?”