Shu Ning, I'm going to punish you.

The sun sank below the horizon, painting the clouds in a gradient of tangerine and lavender.

The lake shimmered with golden light as the evening breeze swept across, stirring ripples that blurred the reflection of the trees along the shore.

As dinnertime approached, the park gradually emptied, leaving only a few elderly strollers ambling leisurely along the cobblestone path.

From deep within the bushes, a calico stray cat emerged quietly. Its fur was slightly disheveled, dotted with bits of grass, yet it carried an air of nimble grace.

With a light leap, it settled onto a bench, its tail held high as it meticulously licked its paw. Its emerald-green eyes, both wary and expectant, fixed on the far end of the path.

Before long, a crisp voice broke the tranquility.

"Hey there, little kitty, big sis is back again!"

Not far away, Luo Shuling walked arm in arm with Luo Shuhe, her steps lively.

She crouched down and pulled out a bag containing ham and dried fish.

The calico perked up at the sight of Luo Shuling, its tail straightening as it trotted over and circled her feet familiarly.

"You waited for me right on time today, huh?" Luo Shuling smiled, unfolding a small collapsible bowl from her bag.

The cat eagerly nuzzled her wrist, purring contentedly.

"Easy now, I know you love this."

The calico’s ears twitched, its emerald eyes locked onto her fingers, but it sat obediently, displaying remarkable intelligence.

"Go ahead, dig in."

Luo Shuling placed the bowl on the ground, and the cat finally lowered its head to savor the meal with refined elegance.

"Eat up, eat up."

She gently stroked its warm back, her fingertips brushing against the soft fur.

"Meow~~~"

The cat half-closed its eyes in pleasure, occasionally letting out satisfied murmurs.

Under a nearby tree, Luo Shuhe stood with her arms crossed, her demeanor cool as frost.

She watched her sister’s affectionate interaction with the cat, her gaze softening briefly before returning to its usual detachment.

Then came Luo Shuling’s cheerful remark:

"Grow up nice and strong so we can get you neutered, okay?"

"Meow~~~"

"......"

Luo Shuhe fell silent. Though the scene bordered on comical, she knew it was for the best—most stray cats in East Lake Park had already been neutered by public services to control their population.

She shook her head lightly and walked over to a bench, sitting down with her usual poise. Crossing her slender legs, she rested her chin on one hand and quietly observed the heartwarming moment, her eyes veiling unspoken thoughts.

After petting the cat for a while, Luo Shuling finally stood up and skipped over to Luo Shuhe, plopping down beside her.

"See? Strays don’t have to just pass through our lives," she said softly.

"At first, this little calico didn’t even remember me. But after a few visits, it got familiar—now it’ll never forget me."

Luo Shuhe remained expressionless, only asking flatly, "Shuling, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I’m saying you’re a sentimental, soft-hearted fool." Luo Shuling dropped her usual playfulness, her gaze serious.

"Shuhe, why didn’t you just tell Gu Luo from the start?"

"Of course, I understand."

"You wanted to say it, wanted to reunite, but you couldn’t bring yourself to, right? Were you thinking we’re just strays he once fed on a whim?"

"You didn’t want to bind him with old promises, so you tried to win his attention on your own—only for Luo Shuning to swoop in first."

"You wanted to fight for him, but seeing how fast their relationship grew, you held back, afraid Shuning might relapse into her old suicidal tendencies. So you settled for less—willing to share him, even to the point of being a secret lover."

"And in the end, to protect him from getting his legs broken and to keep this family intact, you stopped everything. You didn’t compete at all. In fact, you pushed him toward Shuning, thinking that if they just made it official, my wild ideas would be put to rest."

Here, she reached out and gently pinched Luo Shuhe’s pale cheek, her voice laced with pity.

"Shuhe, kindness is a sin."

"You’ve always yielded to Shuning, protected me..."

"Sometimes, you should think more about yourself."

"Love is inherently selfish, isn’t it?"

"Are you done?" Luo Shuhe moved her hand away, her face blank.

"Not yet."

"Well, I’ll pretend you are."

"Wow, Shuhe, you’re so domineering."

"Takes one to know one. I’m nothing compared to you." Luo Shuhe sighed faintly.

"Anyway, it’s pointless now. Gu Luo may be a scumbag, but at least he has principles. Once he and Shuning make it official, your crazy fantasies will be over."

"True." Luo Shuling nodded, then asked,

"But what about you?"

"Me? If I can be the other woman, fine. If not, I’ll just be a good little sister—as long as I can stay by his side." Her tone was light, as if she’d long accepted it, but the faint tremor in her voice betrayed her turmoil.

"You call my ideas insane, but aren’t yours just as bad?" Luo Shuling massaged her temples with a sigh.

"You and Shuning are both hopeless, incurable love addicts."

Luo Shuhe shrugged.

"Maybe. Like you said, we’ve been sick for a long time."

"Ugh... you’re impossible." Luo Shuling wiped away a tear that had slipped from her sister’s eye, then stood and walked toward the calico playing in the grass.

"Hey kitty, big sis is here to play with you!"

Only then did Luo Shuhe realize she’d been crying without noticing.

She hurriedly wiped her face, but the tears only flowed harder, unstoppable.

Her heart was torn—she couldn’t bear to see Gu Luo hurt, nor could she stand watching her sister suffer.

She loved Gu Luo, loved her sister, more than she loved herself.

She wanted to fight, yet hesitation held her back.

Bottled-up grievances and helplessness with no outlet weighed on her, leaving her to endure it alone—like a wounded stray cat licking its injuries in silence.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Luo Shuhe steadied herself and answered the call.

Gu Feng’s cheerful voice rang out:

"Hey sweetheart, what’re you up to?"

Forcing a bright tone through her tears, she replied, "Dad... Shuling and I are out for a walk. She’s playing with a kitten, and I’m resting on a bench."

"Good. Has Gu Luo been giving you trouble lately? If he has, just say the word—I’ll break his legs."

"No, no, we’re getting along just fine."

Luo Shuhe now regretted dragging Gu Feng into this emotional entanglement. She had originally thought it would give her an advantage in competing with her sister, but things had only grown more complicated.

"That's good. By the way, Dad wanted to ask you for a favor."

"Mm-hmm, go ahead, Dad."

"Your mom and I are coming home this afternoon... Shuning, she..."

Gu Feng then briefly recounted what had happened at home earlier that day.

He continued, "So I was hoping you could ask Shuning about it and see what's going on."

Hearing that her sister had showered at home with the boy she liked, Luo Shuhe forced a smile through her tears. "Don’t worry, Dad. There’s no rush. I’ll talk to her and let you know once I figure it out."

She even had to help buy time.

"Haha, that’s my little sweetheart."

They exchanged a few more words before ending the call.

On the bench,

Luo Shuhe clutched her phone, head bowed, tears dripping onto the screen and blooming into tiny, scattered droplets.

Just cry once.

Only once.

After this, it’ll be over.

"What an idiot."

Luo Shuling stroked the calico cat in her arms, her gaze subtly fixed on Luo Shuhe crying alone.

Her heart ached unbearably.

She glanced up at the darkening sky.

By now, Gu Luo should have reached out to Shuhe.

Why hadn’t he?

With that thought, she immediately called Gu Luo.

His voice soon came through the phone:

"Little Sun, what’s up?"

"Bro, are you guys back yet?"

"Not yet. Shuning and I are at the market buying groceries. She went to the restroom."

"Oh, I see. Did you finish looking at the photos? Weren’t the three of us just the cutest when we were little?"

"Yeah, absolutely adorable. Those chubby little cheeks looked like porcelain dolls."

"Hehe."

Though Luo Shuling laughed, her expression had turned cold and uneasy.

After a brief exchange, she hung up and silently watched Luo Shuhe still wiping away tears.

Confusion filled her heart.

She couldn’t understand why Luo Shuning would lie.

After seeing that photo, even if Gu Luo didn’t remember anything, he should have at least asked about it.

Yet now, he hadn’t even mentioned it.

That could only mean Luo Shuning had fabricated a story to bury the truth—and made sure Gu Luo wouldn’t bring it up.

What a wonderful sister.

Luo Shuling couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

After all this time, Shuning still hadn’t escaped the shadow of their father.

To win Gu Luo, she was willing to do anything.

Fine then, Shuning.

You’ve left me no choice.

As Luo Shuling watched the last traces of twilight fade, her mind was made up.

It seemed the grudges between their generations were finally due for resolution.

............

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