Chapter 0525

"Yaoyao, remember that?" Lin Ran pointed to the wall. Luo Yao naturally knew what he was referring to.

They approached the message wall, gazing at two slightly weathered sticky notes.

[Ah Ran will always be with me]

[Always be with Luo Yao]

It was surprising they were still stuck there after all this time.

"Uncle Fu, have someone frame this section to ensure they never fall off."

Uncle Fu nodded. "Yes, Miss."

Lin Ran suddenly leaned down, positioning his head next to the sticky notes. "Yaoyao, let's take a picture."

Luo Yao leaned her head in as well, and the bodyguard professionally snapped a photo.

Inside the second-floor window, the happy couple was frozen in time by the camera lens.

On the street outside the window, a filth-covered beggar was squirming away as he was being shooed off.

The contrast couldn't be starker.

Perhaps Lin Tianba had felt regret at some point?

But he would never admit to his mistakes.

Because he still wanted to rule supreme for all eternity.

"Wifey, let's go home."

"Okay."

Just as the two walked out of the dessert shop, Uncle Fu handed a cup of milk tea to Lin Ran.

"Young Master Lin, here is the milk tea with one straw, as you requested."

Lin Ran held the milk tea to Luo Yao's lips. Blushing, she lowered her head and took a sip.

Lin Ran took a sip as well. Sharing a single straw—a form of indirect kissing—was filled with an ambiguous, romantic tension.

As the saying goes, it was a completely different kind of pleasure compared to their intimacy in bed.

"I specifically asked for no ice; I heard girls prefer it that way." Lin Ran mimicked the lines he had used the first time he drank milk tea with Luo Yao.

Luo Yao smiled at the memory. "Did Liu Ruxue like it?"

Lin Ran: ...

His wife certainly had a good memory.

"She only likes eating shit. Let's... never mention her again."

Luo Yao nodded and took another sip of the milk tea.

Lin Ran took another sip too, smiling as he said, "Sharing a single straw makes one feel shy. My little scheme is truly invincible."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao immediately fed the milk tea she hadn't yet swallowed directly into Lin Ran's mouth.

"This is even sweeter. Does this make Ah Ran even shyer?"

Lin Ran looked at Luo Yao with a doting expression. "Yes, my little princess."

Luo Yao reached out her arms. "Princesses don't walk."

Lin Ran naturally scooped his wife up and carried her to the car.

All the way back to the manor, Luo Yao didn't get down from Lin Ran. He simply carried her, supporting her bottom, and walked right into the villa.

The day passed quickly. After dinner, the two played around for a while before resting.

Lin Ran helped Luo Yao wash up, then tucked her into bed and gently lulled her to sleep.

Luo Yao leaned into Lin Ran's embrace and comfortably closed her eyes.

Recently, not only had her insomnia vanished, but she had also become somewhat lethargic—a common symptom for many pregnant women.

After ten minutes or so, Luo Yao's breathing evened out, and Lin Ran knew she was asleep.

Only then did he gently extract his arm to go wash up. When he returned, he crouched by the bedside, staring at his wife in a daze.

So beautiful.

Looking up from her sexy jawline, the sleeping beauty's red lips were delicate, and her long eyelashes fluttered like feathers, tugging at his heartstrings.

Even every messy strand of hair seemed perfectly placed...

How did he manage to marry such a beautiful woman?

Lin Ran felt a sense of sorrow for his blindness in his previous life.

[Meow—]

A cat's cry interrupted Lin Ran's admiring gaze.

This cry appeared in his mind, so Luo Yao couldn't hear it.

Lin Ran gently tucked Luo Yao in and went to the balcony.

[Little Black: Luo Yao is too ruthless. She didn't wake up, right? Meow meow meow.]

Lin Ran looked helpless. [You finally showed up. I thought you went out and got yourself killed.]

Little Black peered through the glass at the woman inside. Only after confirming she hadn't woken up did it breathe a sigh of relief.

[Little Black: This cat has been at the manor for many days. After all, even cats like to rest in places with beautiful scenery.]

[Lin Ran: So you came to sleep. And here I thought you came specifically to find me.]

Little Black fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Lin Ran. [There's nothing wrong with what you said; I did indeed come to find you. Since I can't sleep anyway, this cat feels it's necessary to face my past self. I want to take you to see the stories of the past.]

Lin Ran was a bit puzzled. [Now?]

[Little Black: When else? Wait for Luo Yao to wake up? I don't have the power to take two people along.]

That was what Little Black said telepathically, but in reality, it was just afraid Luo Yao would kill it.

Lin Ran looked back at the sleeping Luo Yao. After a moment of thought, he said, "Then wait for me a moment."

He quietly returned to the bedroom, found a pen and paper, and left a note for Luo Yao.

It read: [If you wake up, don't look for me. I went to prepare a gift for you. —Your loving Ah Ran.]

When Lin Ran came back out, Little Black looked puzzled.

[What did you write?]

Lin Ran scratched his nose awkwardly. [Nothing much. I was just afraid she'd be anxious if she woke up and couldn't find me, so I left a note to prevent her from worrying.]

Fine, Little Black admitted it had been force-fed another mouthful of dog food.

However, it didn't dwell on that. It was more worried about whether Lin Ran would beat it to death later.

Actually, it had wanted to come find Lin Ran for a long time, but it always had reservations.

Forget it, if I die, I die.

Since it had once promised to tell Lin Ran the truth, it had to follow through.

Because it was a cat of integrity.

[Alright, let's go.]

Lin Ran braced himself. As space distorted, time did not reverse; instead, they entered a vast, white world.

Lin Ran had been here before. It was the time Luo Yao had tried to kill the little black cat; while injured, Little Black had brought Lin Ran into this space.

Twisted shapes appeared before Lin Ran's eyes, beneath his feet, and above his head. These shapes resembled flowing liquid or illusory smoke, constantly shifting and changing.

Little Black walked over slowly. [Lin Ran, there is something I've been keeping from you. This cat wants to say "I'm sorry."]

Lin Ran looked confused. "Apologizing to me? Did you kill my dad? If so, I should be thanking you."

Little Black rolled its eyes dramatically, looking utterly speechless.

[You are not the first human to hear this cat's inner voice.]

What was the big deal about that? Did it warrant an apology?

While confused, a spark of excitement rose in Lin Ran's heart.

It was the thrill of finally uncovering an answer he had been seeking for a long time.

"Then who was the first person? Don't tell me it's someone I know?"

Little Black shook its head in a very human-like manner. [You don't know him. He was my master.]

Lin Ran was stunned. "You have a master?"

[Little Black: Before I answer that question, let me tell you a story. Actually, this cat isn't some creator. To be precise, this cat is merely a witness to the development of this world...]

Little Black sat down beside Lin Ran and began to narrate.

A long time ago—so long that Little Black couldn't remember the exact time—it came to this world.

At first, it was happy, but as time passed, it began to feel solitary, lonely, and afraid.