Shen Jingqi was taken aback for a moment, and it took him a while to react. He shouted, "Senior, you're amazing!"
Li Baiyu frowned and corrected him, "Call me brother."
Shen Jingqi looked bewildered, "Huh? But..."
"No buts. From now on, call me that." Li Baiyu interrupted him without any room for argument.
Shen Jingqi was helpless and had to nod.
Li Baiyu seemed to see through his thoughts, sneering coldly, "Don't look at me with those eyes. This villa belongs to me now."
"Belongs to you? How is that possible!" Shen Jingqi exclaimed.
Li Baiyu sneered disdainfully, "Why not? I'm Li Baiyu's brother, so this house is naturally also my share."
A silver shaded cat gracefully stepped out from the cat room. It had snow-white fur speckled with faint gray patches, resembling the brightest star in the night sky. Its eyes were round and glistened with curiosity and liveliness, and it was looking around as if searching for something.
Shen Jingqi stood in the middle of the living room, holding cat food and gazing helplessly at the little cat named Tuantuan.
Now that the villa had been 'taken away' by Li Baiyu, Tuantuan became his only solace.
He crouched down, gently calling out, "Tuantuan, time to eat!"
Tuantuan seemed to understand his call, twitching its ears slightly and then walked lightly towards him. Shen Jingqi poured the cat food into the bowl, and Tuantuan immediately sniffed it before devouring the food happily.
At this moment, Li Baiyu also approached Tuantuan, gently stroking its soft fur and murmured, "We wanted a cat when we were kids, and now we finally have one. I'm so happy."
Shen Jingqi glanced at her, feeling a surge of complex emotions.
Li Baiyu's attitude towards Tuantuan made him puzzled.
Why was she so gentle with a cat? Was she really just fond of cats, or was there some unknown secret behind it?
Shen Jingqi was full of doubts but didn't express them. He continued to feed Tuantuan, occasionally glancing at Li Baiyu.
Li Baiyu didn't seem to notice Shen Jingqi's abnormality, still immersed in interacting with Tuantuan. She gently stroked Tuantuan, muttering, "Tuantuan is so good, Tuantuan is so cute."
Suddenly, Tuantuan raised its head, looking at Li Baiyu with its bright eyes and letting out a "meow." Li Baiyu's face softened even more as she gently held Tuantuan in her arms as if it was a priceless treasure.
Shen Jingqi watched this scene, feeling a twinge of bitterness inside. He had never seen such a gentle side of Li Baiyu, making him feel both unfamiliar and familiar. Unfamiliar because she was so attentive to a cat, and familiar because of her subtle fragrance and tender aura, reminding him of his time with Li Baiyu.
However, he quickly realized that this Li Baiyu was not the Li Baiyu he remembered.
Realizing this, Shen Jingqi's mood became even heavier. He didn't know what Li Baiyu's true purpose was or what she intended to do next. He could only silently observe, trying to find her flaws.
Just then, Tuantuan suddenly broke free from Li Baiyu's embrace and leapt to the ground. It started running around the living room as if searching for something. Seeing this, Li Baiyu quickly stood up, shouting, "Tuantuan, don't run around!"
Tuantuan seemed to ignore her words, continuing to run on its own. Shen Jingqi also stood up, closely following Tuantuan with his eyes. He noticed that Tuantuan seemed to be searching for something specific.
Suddenly, Tuantuan stopped in a corner of the living room, where an antique wooden box was placed. It gently pawed at the lid of the box, letting out "meow meow" sounds.
Shen Jingqi's heart stirred as he remembered that this wooden box was left by Li Baiyu. Back then, Li Baiyu had told him it contained old items and not to open it casually. But he never expected Tuantuan to be interested in this box.
Li Baiyu also noticed Tuantuan's actions and walked over to the box, squatting beside it. She watched as Tuantuan pawed at the lid with a flicker of confusion and curiosity in her eyes.
"Tuantuan, what are you looking for?" Li Baiyu softly asked.
Tuantuan didn't answer her and kept pawing at the lid. Eventually, through Tuantuan's efforts, the lid of the box was opened. Inside were some old items—letters, photos, and some small accessories.
Seeing these items, Shen Jingqi couldn't help but feel surprised. He had never thought the box could contain so many things. Curious, he leaned in to take a closer look, hoping to find some useful information.
Li Baiyu leaned in as well, looking at the items in the box with a mix of surprise and doubt. Picking up a photo and examining it carefully, she said, "The person in this photo... seems to be me."
Shen Jingqi was stunned. He took the photo and looked closely, discovering that the person in the photo indeed resembled Li Baiyu a lot. But upon careful recognition, he realized the person wasn't Li Baiyu, but Li Baiyu.
"This is a photo of Li Baiyu," Shen Jingqi asserted.
Li Baiyu frowned, sounding displeased, "What are you saying? This is a photo of me as a child!"
Shen Jingqi shook his head helplessly, "You're mistaken. This is a photo of Li Baiyu."
Li Baiyu widened her eyes, looking at him with disbelief. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt
Seizing the moment, Tuantuan jumped into the box, rummaging through its contents. Both Shen Jingqi and Li Baiyu were stunned, watching Tuantuan's search with curiosity and puzzlement.
Suddenly, Tuantuan picked out a yellowed piece of paper from the box, pawing at it and letting out "meow meow" sounds, as if to show Shen Jingqi and Li Baiyu its discovery.
Shen Jingqi hurried forward, taking the piece of paper from Tuantuan's mouth. As he carefully looked at the contents, a surprised expression appeared on his face. The letter was written by Li Baiyu to someone she referred to as "brother," mentioning their family, childhood, and some past events.
Li Baiyu also came closer, gazing at the content on the letter with a complex expression. It seemed to have struck a chord with her heart, and a glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes.
"What... what's going on?" Li Baiyu asked, her voice trembling.
At that moment, Tuantuan suddenly jumped onto Li Baiyu's shoulder, rubbing against her face with its soft body. Li Baiyu's body trembled slightly as she looked down at Tuantuan, a gentle light flashing in her eyes.
"Tuantuan..." Li Baiyu called softly, her voice tinged with a sob.
Watching this scene, Shen Jingqi couldn't help but feel touched. He realized that no matter what Li Baiyu's true identity was, her love for Tuantuan was genuine. This comforted him a little and gave him a faint sense of affection towards this woman.
He went to the wooden box, starting to carefully search through its contents. He hoped to find more information about Li Baiyu and Li Baiyu to solve this mystery.
Li Baiyu also came over, helping Shen Jingqi to search. She seemed drawn to the mystery too, wanting to uncover the truth.
Suddenly, Shen Jingqi discovered a sealed envelope at the bottom of the box. He carefully opened it, finding a yellowed photo and a note inside.
The photo showed a young girl with a bright, radiant smile. Shen Jingqi instantly recognized the girl as Li Baiyu. The note read, "Brother, I will always love you."