Chapter 16: The Temple and a Transformation

It had been four or five days since Song Jin fell ill.

Early this morning, Duan Yan got dressed early, scooped up the little cat still sleeping on the bed, and carried it away, cat and blanket together.

Song Jin woke up in a hazy drowsiness. The scene before her was unfamiliar and surreal, and her sleepiness vanished in an instant.

She sat up straight and looked up—it was Duan Yan.

The morning light was faint, gently caressing her face, outlining it with a warm golden contour.

Song Jin’s anxious heart finally settled back into place. She gently lay back down, closed her eyes, and continued to drift into dreamland.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, a disquieting thought suddenly crossed Song Jin’s mind.

‘Could Duan Yan be planning to take her for the spaying surgery?!’

Song Jin immediately shot up as if propelled by a spring.

“Be a good baby, we’re almost there~”

Duan Yan’s words were like a spring breeze on her face, yet they made Song Jin even more uneasy.

She looked around warily, and only then did she feel a sense of relief—they were heading to that tranquil temple.

They reached their destination. Duan Yan carefully held the little cat and stepped into the rather ancient Buddhist temple.

Inside the temple, ancient trees reached for the sky, their branches adorned with vibrant red silks that swayed gently in the breeze, like fiery red petals falling from the sky, adding a touch of vitality and poetry to this tranquil sacred place.

It was still very early, and the Buddhist temple was remote, with almost no people around. Moreover, those who came were mostly elderly, so Duan Yan would not be recognized at all, and there was no fear of causing a commotion.

Duan Yan knelt before the Buddha statue, placing the little cat on the prayer cushion next to her.

“Meow~”

‘What is Duan Yan doing here? This isn’t a famous Buddhist temple, is it? Shouldn’t one go to the Yonghe Temple to pray to Buddha?’

Song Jin was very confused.

Duan Yan knelt and kowtowed respectfully, her hands clasped together, praying softly:

“May my baby kitten have a healthy and peaceful cat life.”

Song Jin listened silently to Duan Yan’s murmurs, a trace of tenderness and emotion welling up in her heart—so Duan Yan was praying for blessings for her.

It was just that this blessing might not be very effective, because the object of the blessing was a person, not a cat. It should be “human life.”

After praying, Duan Yan picked up the little cat and, under the guidance of a nun, went to the fortune-telling room next door.

“Master, please tell my fortune.”

Technology is very advanced now; even places like temples have started using electronic payments.

Duan Yan faced the payment QR code and unhesitatingly transferred ten thousand yuan.

The master heard the crisp notification sound of the transfer. Her eyes widened in an instant, and it seemed as if a thousand words were about to spill from her tongue, but in front of the solemn Buddha, how could she act in a way that betrayed her faith.

Her face bloomed with a benevolent radiance, her eyes seemingly able to penetrate one’s heart and see through everything, “Valued guest, if there is a knot in your heart, feel free to confide in this old nun. This humble monk will certainly do her utmost to guide you through your confusion.”

Song Jin clicked her tongue in her heart. Compared to before, her attitude was significantly more enthusiastic.

“I want to have my cat’s fortune told.”

‘A cat? After being in business for so long, she had never seen anyone have a cat’s fortune told.’

A flash of astonishment crossed the master’s eyes, but she quickly recovered her warm smile and carefully observed Duan Yan and the little cat.

She already had an idea in her mind. This valued guest’s pet was probably sick, and she couldn’t bear for the cat to pass away, so she came here to pray for its safety.

Song Jin observed silently from the side, somewhat puzzled.

‘Nothing is wrong with me, right? Why spend so much money on a fortune telling for no reason?’

However, to Duan Yan, money was merely a tangible form of wealth, while the companionship and warmth the little cat gave her were priceless.

She was afraid of losing this hard-won emotional connection. Although the little cat had not been with her for long, it had already taken deep root in her heart.

She didn’t want to lose anything she cared about.

“This cat of yours, valued guest, is blessed with deep fortune. There is no need to worry. It is born with a life of wealth and nobility. It has two calamities in its life, one at birth, and the other has been safely passed a few days ago. From now on, you just need to take good care of it, and it will be safe and sound.”

The master’s words were like an ancient prophecy, bringing a sense of comfort to one’s heart.

“Moreover, in this old nun’s opinion, this cat has a profound destiny with you…”

The master handed over a protective amulet, strung into a necklace, and gave it to Duan Yan. The action was solemn and sacred.

Duan Yan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, took the necklace, and put it on Song Jin on the spot.

After the fortune-telling was done, under the nun’s guidance, Duan Yan took the red silk ribbon from the nun’s hand.

She casually tied it to a tall tree, but she didn’t notice the three words “Marriage Tree” on it.

It wasn’t until the nun exclaimed:

“Oh, that’s the marriage tree! You tied it to the wrong one!”

An old person who had come to pray for their child’s marriage also teased, “You, little girl, don’t look like you’re lacking a partner. Why are you also praying for marriage?”

Duan Yan smiled awkwardly and gently tied the red silk ribbon to a treetop.

The ribbon fluttered in the wind, as if carrying her hopes for the little cat’s health and blessings.

‘A fair hand ties a red silk, only to pray for her safety.’

Song Jin sat on the tree planter, her heart like a lake brushed by a spring breeze, rippling in layers.

Duan Yan put the amulet on the little cat and was clearly much more at ease.

Her attitude towards her also returned to normal, no longer as cautious as before, as if afraid the porcelain doll in her hands would shatter.

Song Jin felt a tingling numbness under Duan Yan’s touch and couldn’t help but shiver.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the nearby pet hospital sign, and alarm bells instantly went off in her mind.

‘Duan Yan is really going to take me to be spayed, isn’t she?!’

‘Despicable! She must not be caught by Duan Yan and taken to be spayed, sob sob sob…’

The hospital was located in a corner of the city, with an elegant environment and complete facilities.

Duan Yan gently stroked Song Jin’s fur, smiling warmly at the doctor from the last visit.

‘She wants to spay me, this is too much!’

Song Jin suddenly leaped out of Duan Yan’s arms and ran off in a flash.

Unknowingly, she ran into the women’s restroom.

Song Jin felt a wave of heat in her body, and then something felt wrong.

She looked up at the mirror—she had turned back.

Song Jin was greatly surprised. Fortunately, she had clothes on. It was the casual dress she had changed out of that night.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had looked in a mirror. The moment she saw her reflection, she couldn’t help but think of Duan Yan’s appearance.

She and Duan Yan had different styles of looks, which was most evident in their eyes.

Her eyes were like almonds, watery and vibrant; while Duan Yan’s eyes were phoenix eyes, looking mature and full of charm.

The thought of Duan Yan filled Song Jin with guilt.

She had left just like that, without even a goodbye.

Song Jin bit her lip. In the end, she thought it was better to let it be. What if something unusual was detected?

She borrowed a phone from a young lady in the restroom and dialed the number of her sister Song Yu’s secretary, Zhou Jiangqi.

On the other end of the line, Zhou Jiangqi’s voice was full of surprise, “Xiao Jin, what happened?”

Song Jin briefly explained the situation and then said, “I’m here now. Arrange for someone to pick me up.”

Zhou Jiangqi understood at once and arranged for bodyguards for Song Jin.

After hanging up, Song Jin thanked the young lady and stayed in the restroom, not going out.

On the other side, Duan Yan was frantic when she saw the little cat suddenly run away.

After searching everywhere to no avail, she checked the hospital’s surveillance and found that the little cat had run into the women’s restroom.

There were no cameras inside the restroom. Duan Yan was worried. What if the little cat was taken away by someone?

She ran into the restroom and searched carefully but couldn’t find any trace of the little orange cat.

She stopped in front of a closed stall door, a suspicion growing in her heart.

“Hello, excuse me, have you seen an orange cat?” Duan Yan asked softly.

Song Jin’s heart raced. She lowered her voice and tried her best to remain calm, “Sorry, I haven’t seen it, but I did see a flash of orange at the door earlier. It disappeared quickly.”

“Okay, thank you.” Duan Yan’s voice faded away.

Hearing Duan Yan’s departing footsteps, Song Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the people who came to pick her up arrived. She was about to leave.

However, Duan Yan suddenly turned back. Song Jin quickly pulled the bodyguard into the restroom and closed the door.

Duan Yan was really suspicious now. Why was that girl afraid of her?

Could it be that she had stolen her cat?

The more Duan Yan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She knocked on the door, “Hello, could you open the door? I want to confirm if my little cat ran in here.”

Song Jin’s heart pounded, her mind racing.

How was she going to explain to Duan Yan why she, who was supposed to be at a training camp, was here?

Her bodyguard poked her shoulder, signaling for her to listen to what Duan Yan was saying outside.

“If you have a clear conscience, why won’t you open the door? If you’re using the toilet, I can wait. An hour should be enough, right?”

Duan Yan’s voice was very cold, carrying an unquestionable pressure.

Song Jin had never heard Duan Yan speak in such a tone. Duan Yan had always been very gentle, not like today, so fierce.

Song Jin had already thought of a countermeasure. She mouthed “open the door” to the bodyguard.

“Since it’s come to this, I can only open the door to prove my innocence.”

The bodyguard opened the door. Song Jin’s heart was pounding like a drum, extremely nervous.

Duan Yan was a little disappointed when she saw the scene inside; she didn’t see the little cat.

Suddenly, she saw a flash of orange. She turned her head and saw the little orange cat curled up on the toilet lid. It was her baby.

Duan Yan’s face instantly darkened. Her voice was cold as she pointed at the cat on the toilet:

“That’s my cat. Please give her back to me.”

“This…”

The bodyguard looked troubled. How did the second miss suddenly turn into a cat? Was she seeing things, or had the world become magical?

Faced with the sudden “owner,” the bodyguard was at her wit’s end. She looked at the little orange cat on the toilet.

Song Jin was also puzzled. She was just a person a moment ago, how did she turn back into a cat?

This was the height of drama. She had inexplicably turned into a person, and then just as inexplicably turned back into a cat.

Sigh, forget it. She would just go back with Duan Yan for now.

“Meow-wu~”

Song Jin jumped down from the top and ran to Duan Yan.

But Duan Yan completely ignored her, just glanced at her without the usual gentleness and adoration. Her eyes were cold and emotionless.

The bodyguard was very embarrassed and, in a moment of quick thinking, said, “Oh, so it’s your cat. It suddenly ran in. I’m sorry.”

“Please be careful next time. Other people’s pets are very precious and not to be touched casually. If there is a next time, I’m afraid we’ll have to settle this in court,” Duan Yan warned in a cold, hard tone.

Duan Yan warned in an icy tone, then picked up the uneasy little cat from the floor.

Duan Yan looked down.

‘How should she teach this little cat that runs around everywhere a lesson?’