Chapter 115: The Cat Named Nuomi

The breakfast table was already piled with an elaborate spread. Soup dumplings, steamed dumplings, bird’s nest congee, delicate desserts, everything was there, clearly more than one person could prepare alone.

Wang Yi had probably helped, but Luo Junhe must have gotten up early too.

Luo Junhe pulled out a chair and, as always, first filled a bowl of bird’s nest congee for Shen Zhiyao, placing it in front of her.

Then he used the serving chopsticks to pick up a soup dumpling and put it on her plate. Next, he filled a full bowl of congee for Luo Xiaoyun, added two steamed dumplings, and piled her small dish high.

Throughout the whole process, he completely ignored Luo Jingming sitting across from him.

Luo Jingming looked at his own empty bowl, then at the mountain in Luo Xiaoyun’s bowl, and let out a long sigh. His tone was plaintive: “I really am the most superfluous person in this family.”

Shen Zhiyao suppressed a smile and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, dropping it into his bowl. “Here, stop complaining.”

Luo Jingming looked down at the solitary piece of cake, then back at the towering pile in Luo Xiaoyun’s bowl, and said gloomily, “The gap. This is the gap.”

Luo Xiaoyun was amused by his tone. The corners of her mouth curved up as she quietly drank her congee.

Breakfast ended in a warm atmosphere. Luo Junhe took a call and went to the study to handle some matters. Luo Jingming curled up on the sofa to play games, muttering under his breath, occasionally cursing a teammate.

Shen Zhiyao led Luo Xiaoyun to sit on the sofa by the window. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling warmly on the mother and daughter. Shen Zhiyao pulled out her phone and resumed the shopping spree she had left unfinished last night.

“This one, this one, and this one…” Her fingers flew across the screen, tossing items into the cart as soon as she found something she liked.

Luo Xiaoyun glanced over. The number in the top right corner of the shopping cart had already exceeded thirty-five. She said softly, “Mom, that’s really enough.”

“Not enough.” Shen Zhiyao didn’t even look up, her tone matter-of-fact. “A girl’s wardrobe is always missing one beautiful dress. No matter how many, it’s never too many.”

Luo Xiaoyun opened her mouth, then closed it again. She thought of her own wardrobe, already stuffed full by Su Muxue, and of the dressing room at home that her mother had taken over.

She suddenly realized that women’s passion for clothes probably didn’t discriminate by age.

She leaned quietly on the sofa, watching the sunlight shift inch by inch, listening to her mother’s occasional murmurs, “This one’s pretty,” “This color suits you”, and felt that this was actually pretty nice.

Just as she was thinking that, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

Nuomi.

(This was something Xiaoyun herself forgot, not the author. ≥﹏≤)

Luo Xiaoyun sat up straight. Shen Zhiyao was startled. “What’s wrong?”

“Mom, I forgot something.” Luo Xiaoyun was already standing up. “I left Nuomi at the rental apartment.”

“Nuomi? Who’s Nuomi?” Shen Zhiyao looked confused.

“My cat.” Luo Xiaoyun had already started putting on her coat. “I was in too much of a hurry when I came back, and I left her there. I need to go get her.”

Shen Zhiyao was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “You have a cat? What kind of cat?”

“A calico. She’s super well-behaved.” Luo Xiaoyun was changing her shoes as she spoke. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Take it slow on the road.” Shen Zhiyao called after her.

Luo Junhe poked his head out of the study. “Where’s she going?”

“To get a cat,” Shen Zhiyao answered for her.

Luo Junhe frowned, clearly not quite understanding, but since Luo Xiaoyun had already left, he didn’t ask further.

Luo Xiaoyun got into the ice-blue Porsche and drove back to the neighborhood where she and Su Muxue had lived.

She went upstairs, pulled out her keys, and unlocked the door. As the door opened, a furry little figure was crouched in the entryway, round amber eyes fixed directly on her, tail drooping to the floor, completely still.

That look clearly said one thing: You still remember to come back?

Luo Xiaoyun crouched down, reached out to stroke Nuomi’s head, and gave an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Mommy didn’t mean to.”

Nuomi flicked her tail, turned her head away, and wouldn’t look at her. After two seconds, she turned back and rubbed her head against Luo Xiaoyun’s palm, letting out a soft “meow.”

Luo Xiaoyun’s heart instantly melted. She picked up Nuomi, held her close, and said gently, “Come on, Mommy’s taking you home.”

Nuomi squirmed in her arms, found a comfortable position, and lay quietly.

Luo Xiaoyun looked around the room. The living room was clean and tidy. On the balcony, the sheets that Su Muxue had washed before leaving were still drying, white and gently fluttering in the wind. She stood at the door for a while, watching, and suddenly felt that the room was a bit empty.

Without that person, even the sunlight wasn’t warm enough.

She withdrew her gaze, put Nuomi into a cat carrier, slung it over her shoulder, locked the door, and went downstairs. The car drove back onto the road, and Nuomi meowed from the carrier, as if asking, “Where are we going?”

“To Grandma’s house.” Luo Xiaoyun glanced at her in the rearview mirror, the corners of her mouth lifting. “Grandma has prepared delicious food for you.”

Nuomi meowed again, this time with a much softer tone, as if she understood.

By the time the car pulled back into the Luo family villa, it was almost noon. As soon as Luo Xiaoyun parked, she saw Shen Zhiyao standing at the door, smiling expectantly.

“Come, come, let me see…” Shen Zhiyao leaned in, looking at the calico cat curled up in the carrier, her eyes lighting up. “Oh my, this little thing is so cute.”

Nuomi poked her head out of the carrier, glanced at Shen Zhiyao, then retreated back inside.

Shen Zhiyao reached in and gently stroked her head. Nuomi didn’t dodge; instead, she rubbed against Shen Zhiyao’s fingers.

“She’s pretty friendly,” Shen Zhiyao said with a smile. “Her name is Nuomi, right?”

“Yes, Nuomi.”

“Soft and sticky, a good name.” Shen Zhiyao’s eyes curved into crescents.

Luo Xiaoyun smiled, took the carrier off her shoulder, and carried it into the house.

Luo Jingming was gaming. When he saw Luo Xiaoyun come in with a cat carrier, he leaned over to look. “Where’d the cat come from?”

“Mine.” Luo Xiaoyun took Nuomi out of the carrier and set her on the sofa.

Nuomi stood on the sofa, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings, her tail held high. She looked at Luo Jingming, then at Shen Zhiyao, then jumped off the sofa and, with proud little steps, began inspecting the living room as if claiming territory.

Luo Jingming watched her and couldn’t help laughing. “This cat’s got quite the presence.”

Luo Junhe came out of the study. Seeing the furry little thing on the sofa, he frowned. “Where did this cat come from?”

“Xiaoyun’s cat,” Shen Zhiyao answered for her. “Isn’t she cute?”

Luo Junhe glanced at Nuomi. Nuomi glanced back at him. Man and cat stared at each other for two seconds. Luo Junhe turned expressionlessly and walked back into the study. After two steps, he looked back again and muttered, “Don’t let it on the dining table.”

Luo Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment, then curved her lips.

Those words were as good as permission.

Nuomi finished her circuit of the living room, apparently satisfied with her new territory. She padded over to Luo Xiaoyun’s feet, rubbed against her leg, then curled up and lay down on Luo Xiaoyun’s slippers, purring softly.

Shen Zhiyao crouched down, gently stroking Nuomi’s back, her eyes full of tenderness. “You’ll live here from now on. Grandma will make you delicious food.”

Luo Jingming added gloomily from the side, “Mom, would the cat even dare to eat your cooking?”

Shen Zhiyao shot him a glare, and he immediately shut up.

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