Chapter 25-Part 3: The Cat is Found

Although Song Jin’s scenes were finished, Duan Yan, as the female lead, still had many more to shoot.

Song Jin didn’t want to be separated from Duan Yan.

Under the guise of “studying,” she stayed on set to have in-depth discussions and seek guidance.

At noon, Song Jin noticed that there was a lot of food left in the lunchbox Xu Qin brought out.

She frowned; it seemed Duan Yan didn’t like the food here.

Due to the crew’s limited budget, daily meals were prepared by a hired cook.

Although the dishes weren’t bad, it was not easy to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

Song Jin had been eating the lunchboxes prepared by her personal assistant, which were all carefully made according to her preferences.

‘How can I let my wife go hungry?’

‘I must improve Duan Yan’s meals. When I was being raised by Duan Yan, I ate my fill at every meal, and what’s more, I was fed by Duan Yan herself.’

But what did Duan Yan like to eat?

Song Jin regretted not having carefully observed every dish on Duan Yan’s dining table earlier.

She racked her brains, trying hard to recall every little detail from her time at Duan Yan’s house, and finally remembered some dishes that Duan Yan might like.

She immediately sent a message to her assistant, asking He Xin to order lunchboxes for the entire crew from Xie Cui Ju.

This restaurant was owned by the Song family.

Although it usually didn’t offer delivery, since it was a request from the Second Miss, they naturally couldn’t refuse.

However, she knew she couldn’t just order for Duan Yan alone.

That would arouse suspicion and expose her intentions.

So, under the guise of treating everyone, she invited the entire crew to a meal, which would make it seem reasonable.

Not only that, but this would also give Song Jin a chance to eat with Duan Yan.

Song Jin was pleased with her own cleverness.

However, Duan Yan had already had lunch.

She had to film soon, so by the time the food arrived, she wouldn’t have time to eat.

Thus, she could only cover today’s dinner and every meal thereafter.

Song Jin secretly sent a private message to the director: “Director Yuan, I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight as a thank you for your care these past few days. I hope you don’t mind me using your name as a pretense.”

As night fell, a delivery vehicle slowly drove up.

Beautiful women in smart uniforms got out and skillfully unloaded the lunchboxes from the vehicle.

Curious crew members from other sets poked their heads out, trying to overhear which crew’s meal this was.

It was such a grand gesture.

As it turned out, the young ladies pulled the food cart right up to them.

“The lunchboxes your crew ordered. Please take them,” the young lady said and began to distribute them.

“Was there a mistake?” a crew member asked in disbelief.

“No, it’s for your crew,” the young lady confirmed again.

“That’s right, it’s for our crew.”

He Xin ran over to get Song Jin’s and Duan Yan’s meals, explaining to the other doubtful crew members.

…

“This food smells amazing. Which restaurant is this from?” someone asked curiously.

“It’s takeout from Xie Cui Ju. The name is printed on the box.”

A crew member checked his phone and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Such expensive lunchboxes! What a grand gesture.”

Duan Yan arrived a little later, having just discussed the plot with the director for a while.

Hearing the commotion on set, she remarked with interest, “What’s this? Looks like today’s food is especially fragrant.”

Song Jin’s eyes lit up when she saw Duan Yan approaching.

She took the lunchbox from her personal assistant’s hand and went up to her.

“This is for you.”

He Xin watched as the Second Miss, who usually held her head higher than the sky, eagerly carried a lunchbox over to her “nemesis.”

It felt surreal, and she thought something was very wrong.

Duan Yan thanked Song Jin, took the lunchbox, and walked into the actors’ dining area.

Song Jin naturally followed her in, carrying her own lunchbox.

Duan Yan looked at the dishes in the lunchbox.

One look at the braised pork and you knew it would be delicious—fatty but not greasy, lean but not tough, the meat tender and juicy.

Each piece had an alluring amber color, and the rich sauce locked in the meat’s aroma.

The flavors of soy sauce, meat, and sweet and sour intertwined, making one’s mouth water.

Looking at the bottom layer, there were also some dim sum.

Golden crab roe xiao long bao, with skin as thin as paper, faintly revealing the rich filling inside; small, cute red bean buns, round and adorable, sprinkled with a few sesame seeds, looking especially tempting.

Duan Yan was surprised to find that these were all her favorite foods.

“This chef really gets it. It’s all delicious.”

Song Jin nodded, secretly pleased.

‘Yes, I really do get you.’

“It seems Director Yuan has some good news today. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made such a grand gesture.”

Duan Yan began to eat without any reservations.

Seeing Duan Yan eating happily, Song Jin felt that all her efforts were worthwhile.

Duan Yan noticed Song Jin’s gaze, thought she wanted a xiao long bao, and picked one up to offer it to her.

“Stop drooling.”

Song Jin was mesmerized by Duan Yan’s smiling face.

She habitually accepted the feeding from Duan Yan and naturally opened her mouth, biting onto the chopsticks to eat the xiao long bao.

Duan Yan’s hand remained frozen, still holding the chopsticks.

As if remembering something, her eyes widened.

Song Jin was still biting the chopsticks, not understanding what was happening, and blinked.

The two stared at each other, frozen for a moment.

It dawned on Song Jin belatedly.

She quickly let go of the chopsticks and lowered her head to eat.

She secretly calculated in her mind, ‘Does this count as an indirect kiss?’

This sudden intimacy filled her heart with both shyness and sweetness.

Duan Yan was also extremely embarrassed.

‘Why did I just habitually feed her?’

Song Jin wasn’t her little orange cat.

The thought of her little orange cat brought an undeniable pang of pain to Duan Yan’s heart.

What if her little cat was caught by a cat trafficker, brutally tortured, able only to let out weak cries for help, with no one to save her?

Her whereabouts were still unknown.

The last time she checked the surveillance footage, she hadn’t found anything unusual.

It was as if her little orange cat had vanished into thin air.

With a heavy heart, Duan Yan hurriedly finished her dinner and then left early due to busy crew affairs.

Song Jin, on the other hand, returned to her room alone, her mind still savoring the unique flavor of the xiao long bao from just now.

The taste seemed richer than usual, unforgettable, so fragrant…

Just as she was lost in thought, a gentle knock came from the door.

It was Duan Yan.

“Tonight’s dinner for the crew… you secretly arranged it, didn’t you? I heard my portion was extra special. Did you prepare it just for me?”

Duan Yan’s words carried a hint of inquiry.

Song Jin hadn’t expected her little scheme to be exposed so quickly and couldn’t help but panic.

Usually eloquent, she was now so nervous she could barely speak, only managing to force out a single word: “It’s fine.”

Duan Yan pressed on, “Was it because of my advice the other day? Actually, that friend of yours… it was you, wasn’t it?”

“You’ve already broken up with that person, so you’re here to thank me? Actually, it’s nothing. At your age, it’s very normal to meet a few bad people. Just keep your eyes open in the future and you’ll be fine.”

Song Jin’s eyes widened, and she screamed silently in her heart: ‘No, I’ve never been in a relationship, I’m innocent!’

However, she didn’t dare to voice these thoughts and just listened silently.

Seeing her silence, Duan Yan thought she had guessed correctly.

“Should I transfer the cost of these to you?”

Song Jin quickly waved her hands.

“Really, you don’t have to.”

“Alright, the meals from Xie Cui Ju aren’t cheap. I know you have some savings, but you can’t be so extravagant. Don’t spend like this again in the future, you hear me?” Duan Yan took out her phone, preparing to transfer the money to Song Jin.

Only then did Song Jin realize that she didn’t have Duan Yan’s private contact information.

She was just about to ask for Duan Yan’s WeChat ID.

But then she heard Duan Yan say first, “I’ve already transferred it to you.”

Actually, Duan Yan should have added her on Satellite messenger, but at the time, because of their competitive relationship and the unpleasantness of their first meeting, she had Duan Yan add her assistant’s Satellite instead.

Song Jin’s intestines turned green with regret.

She was full of remorse now.

If only she had known…

“You should have received it. Good night.”

Song Jin could only watch blankly as Duan Yan left, unable to say anything to keep her there.

What if she found out the Satellite account wasn’t hers? It would be all over.

‘I haven’t even won my wife over yet, and she’s already going to find out about my dark past? That’s not good.’

How could she get Duan Yan’s private Satellite?

Song Jin thought for a moment and sent a private message to He Xin, asking her to send Duan Yan’s Satellite contact to her and not to accept Duan Yan’s transfer.

As soon as she got the contact information, she immediately sent a friend request.

Note: Song Jin’s alt account.

Duan Yan’s profile picture was a small daisy.

White petals, a tender yellow center—it looked incredibly fresh and pure.

Song Jin secretly guessed, ‘Does Duan Yan like daisies?’

Song Jin turned on her phone’s volume to avoid missing Duan Yan’s messages, while looking up information about daisies.

The flower language for this flower: eternal happiness and love hidden in the heart.

‘Giving Duan Yan this flower as a gift in the future wouldn’t be a bad idea. But I’ve never seen this flower in Duan Yan’s house. I’ll make a note of it for later.’

“Ding-dong—”

Duan Yan had accepted her request.

Excitement, thrill, anticipation—all filled Song Jin’s heart at once.

The feeling was indescribable.

A faint smile hung on Song Jin’s lips, a trace of sweetness welling up in her heart.

She eagerly sent the first message.

[Hello Teacher Duan, this is my alt account. Don’t worry about the money. How about you treat me to a meal sometime instead?]

Song Jin silently gave herself a thumbs-up for her cleverness.

This would create another opportunity to meet.

The phone screen reflected Song Jin’s expectant expression.

Her fingers gently caressed the phone screen, waiting for Duan Yan’s reply.

[Okay, let’s set a date some other time. Good night.]

Duan Yan sent one message and then went silent.

Song Jin hugged her phone, a little disappointed.

There were still things she wanted to say to Duan Yan, like why her profile picture was what it was…

In short, she wanted to chat with her.

Suddenly, the phone buzzed.

It was a comment from Duan Yan, showing it was posted a minute ago.

[Very good.]

The comment was on her latest post, a photo of her “Best Newcomer Award” trophy.

Song Jin rolled over in bed, her joy as pure as a child’s.

Being praised by Duan Yan, such a simple interaction, was enough to make Song Jin feel happy.

Out of sheer boredom, Song Jin opened Duan Yan’s Moments feed.

The moment she saw the background of the feed, Song Jin’s lips curled up.

The picture was of a cute little orange cat.

The little orange cat was curled up on a soft cushion, its fluffy body trembling slightly, its ears pressed gently against the sides of its head.

Its eyes were tightly closed, its long eyelashes shimmering in the sunlight, and its little orange paws were tucked tightly under its chest.

‘I wonder when Duan Yan secretly took this photo. Hmph, she really loves me to death.’

Duan Yan’s Moments feed wasn’t set to be visible for only seven days; all of her posts were public.

Song Jin wouldn’t miss this opportunity to get to know Duan Yan.

The pinned post was a missing cat notice.

Song Jin’s breath hitched.

‘I’ll go back after this drama is finished filming.’

‘Don’t be sad, wifey, your little orange cat will come back.’

Song Jin made a call to her family’s butler, asking her to send a cat to contact Duan Yan in a few days.

After settling this matter, she cancelled her other public engagements and contacted her manager, Su Xun.

– “Sister Su, I won’t be working for the next few months. Please cancel all my engagements. I don’t think there were any important ones, right?”

– “My dear ancestor, what’s gotten into you?” The manager was very helpless. “You’re not sick, are you?”

– “I’m not sick, just have some personal business.”

– “Alright then, but you’d better think this through. Your popularity is basically built on traffic. If you disappear for several months, it will be a huge blow to your popularity. The time it takes for you to win the Best Actress award will be extended again.”

Hearing Su Xun’s words of concern, Song Jin was very moved, but she had to disappear for a while.

Otherwise, Duan Yan would be deceived by that “scum woman.”

At the very least, she had to wait until she made Duan Yan break up with that “scum.”

She refused to believe that this “scum woman” wouldn’t meet with Duan Yan for several months.

– “I know. Thank you, Sister Su. I’ll talk to my sister about it.”

After explaining everything, Song Jin also left a message for Zhao Dan, telling her not to contact her for a while.

After all, they had been good friends for so many years.

It was better to leave her a message so she wouldn’t think she had disappeared.

Song Jin flopped onto the bed, counting down the days until she could see Duan Yan again in her cat form.

Duan Yan saw a red dot on her WeChat and let out a chuckle.

“Friend request: Song Jin’s alt account.”

She had known for a long time that the Satellite account belonged to Song Jin’s assistant, and this one was probably Song Jin’s personal account.

She clicked into her Moments feed.

The first post was a photo of a trophy, accompanied by a selfie of Song Jin herself.

In the photo, she was wearing a stunning, form-fitting cheongsam that revealed her graceful figure.

Her long, jet-black hair was tied up.

Her almond eyes were half-closed, revealing a hint of hazy allure.

Her red lips were slightly parted, like a blooming peony, both brightly colored and unabashedly bold.

Duan Yan couldn’t help but leave a complimentary comment.

She was indeed a very ambitious girl.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

It was Auntie Lian.

Auntie Lian brought good news.

Someone had found her beloved cat and wanted to meet her in person to return the cat.

Afterward, a series of photos and videos were forwarded to her.

Every feature of the cat she had raised was deeply etched in Duan Yan’s heart.

In the video, the cat had soft, thick orange fur, and even the white patch in the middle was identical.

Its amber eyes were large and round, and its cry was extremely pitiful and sounded very familiar to Duan Yan.

The cat in the video indeed looked exactly like her little orange cat.

As soon as Duan Yan heard its voice, her heart softened.

She couldn’t help but want to take it home.

She didn’t know how much the little cat had suffered outside.

The heavy weight on Duan Yan’s heart was finally lifted.

Her beloved little cat had finally been found.

When she first posted the missing cat notice, a bunch of scammers had tried to trick her.

But one look at the photos, and she knew those orange cats were not hers.

Duan Yan thought for a moment and decided to set the meeting for tomorrow evening.

That just happened to be a time when she had no scenes to film.