The car fell into silence. Suddenly bringing up money made Jian Ran a bit uncomfortable. But this couldn't be avoided, so she might as well be straightforward and deal with it properly. Chu Lulin glanced at her, a hint of helplessness flickering in his eyes, but quickly returned to normal. "...Okay." Jian Ran nodded, thought for a moment, and asked, "Did you discuss this with that rich lady before?" If they had, she didn't mind following their agreement—she just didn't want Chu Lulin to be at a disadvantage. Chu Lulin shook his head. Jian Ran understood. Well, they probably hadn't reached that stage before she swooped in and took him. Fortunately, she had done some homework recently, discreetly asking Jiang Man for information and getting a basic understanding of the market. Jian Ran felt that Chu Lulin was superior to Xu Zhi in every way, so she offered a third more than Xu Zhi's fee. "If you're not satisfied, we can negotiate?" Chu Lulin was silent for a moment, then the corners of his mouth lifted. "No, it's already very high." He really didn't expect to be worth so much in Jian Ran's eyes. Jian Ran nodded. As long as he was satisfied. "Then let me transfer this month's money to you now." She reached for her phone on the console, but Chu Lulin stopped her halfway. Jian Ran looked at him questioningly. Chu Lulin gazed at her for a few seconds, then seemed to sigh lightly. "Not yet." "...You can transfer it later." Jian Ran blinked. Was her procedure wrong? Wasn't the payment supposed to happen upfront? She forgot to ask Jiang Man about this. She feigned aloofness with an "Oh" and withdrew her phone. "Fine." She hadn't done this before and wasn't familiar with the process, but she couldn't show weakness—it would make her seem inexperienced. "Don't hesitate to tell me if you need money urgently. Rules are dead, but people are alive." There were things she couldn't ask about, so she could only say this much. Chu Lulin curved his lips, looking completely compliant. "Okay, I'll remember that, Big Sister." Jian Ran finally felt at ease. As for the rest, although she was still a bit confused, for the sake of her image as a sugar mama, she maintained a calm and composed demeanor. It wasn't until she was lying in bed that night, tossing and turning, that she started to mull things over. What did "later" mean exactly? Was it cash on delivery, or pay after inspection? Since Chu Lulin had already agreed to be with her, cash on delivery clearly didn't apply. It must be the second option. As for how to inspect... Jian Ran's face flushed involuntarily. She pulled the covers over her head. Ah, forget it. Sleep. Whatever happens, deal with it tomorrow. * Jian Ran was a bit sensitive to new beds. After being away for so long, finally back in her familiar bed, she could relax and sleep well. So she slept straight until ten o'clock the next morning. Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, spilling onto the bed. Jian Ran stretched and sat up, feeling completely refreshed. She picked up her phone to check the time and saw a WeChat notification. She didn't think much of it until she opened it and saw it was from Chu Lulin. He had messaged her at 7:30, saying he was coming to feed the cat and had already arrived at the entrance of the residential area. Jian Ran realized with a start—she had forgotten about the kitten. Without a second thought, she jumped out of bed and rushed to the living room to feed it. This was exactly why she had never dared to keep a pet before. She was used to being carefree and was genuinely afraid she wouldn't be able to take good care of it. In the living room, the little creature had somehow come out of the cat carrier. When it saw her, it shrank back slightly toward the edge of the cat bed but didn't retreat into the carrier again. It seemed to be adapting a bit. The food bowl was empty, and the water bowl had only a shallow layer left. Jian Ran refilled the food bowl and replaced the water, then left the area to the kitten. After finishing, Jian Ran finally had time to reply to Chu Lulin, giving a brief explanation. She didn't think much of it, assuming he had gone back. After all, it had been nearly three hours since 7:30—who would wait that long? But just as she sent the message, a reply came immediately. [Could you please come to the entrance to let me in, Big Sister? The security guard says I can't enter without a key card.] Jian Ran stared at the phone screen, frozen in place. He hadn't gone back?! When Jian Ran hurried to the entrance, she saw Chu Lulin standing by the security booth from a distance. He was leaning casually against the wall, eyes lowered, staring at his feet, lost in thought. Hearing footsteps, he slowly looked up. His originally indifferent eyes lit up with a faint smile when he saw it was Jian Ran. Jian Ran swiped her key card and let him in. "Good morning, Big Sister." Jian Ran: "...Morning." "Why didn't you call me?" she asked. Why did he wait here for so long like an idiot? Chu Lulin smiled, understanding. "I guessed you might still be asleep. I had time this morning anyway, so waiting a bit wasn't a problem." A pang of guilt hit Jian Ran. They had agreed yesterday that he would come in the morning to feed the cat. This really was inconvenient. She had been careless when agreeing to let him come over—she hadn't considered this issue. Their schedules wouldn't always align. Actually, she had an extra key card at home. Maybe... "It's my fault for not specifying the time. I'll sort out my free time for each day of the week later. Let me know when you're home, and I'll come then," Chu Lulin said. Hearing this, Jian Ran felt even worse. It made her seem like she didn't trust him. "No need for that," she said, handing the key card directly to him. "Take this card. Next time, just come in directly." Chu Lulin took the card, a barely perceptible lift in his brows. "Is that... okay?" Jian Ran waved dismissively. "It's fine. You can also memorize the door password later. Come whenever you want." She had asked Jiang Man. According to normal practice, given their relationship, she should have prepared a place for him already. It just ended up being her home instead. As it turned out, this decision was very wise. Over the next few days, Chu Lulin came every day. He almost single-handedly took care of feeding, changing water, and scooping litter for the kitten, which was well taken care of. He was probably busy with school, so his arrival times varied. Sometimes they met, sometimes they didn't. But even with the key card and password, he remained considerate, always messaging her in advance before coming. One day, when Chu Lulin came, Jian Ran happened to be at home with nothing to do. She had just woken up a while ago and ordered takeout, eating her first meal of the day—a brunch. "Have you eaten? Want some?" Chu Lulin shook his head. "You go ahead, Big Sister. I've eaten." Jian Ran "oh-ed" and continued eating on her own. However, the restaurant's food was mediocre, not to her taste. She barely ate enough to fill her stomach. Just as she was about to pack up the leftovers, she felt a soft touch on her foot. Looking down, she saw the little white cat rubbing against her ankle. Feeling her gaze, the kitten looked up with its round head and meowed at her. Jian Ran froze, unsure how to react. For the past few days, they had coexisted without interference. The kitten always avoided her. This was the first time it had actively approached her. "Don't be nervous, Big Sister. It likes you," Chu Lulin said, having finished scooping the litter and noticing the scene. Jian Ran blinked. Likes her? Was he sure? Chu Lulin's voice was calm, carrying a smile. "Try petting it if you don't believe me." Half-doubting, Jian Ran crouched down and tentatively extended her hand to stroke its head. The kitten didn't flinch! It even nuzzled her hand. She looked up at Chu Lulin in delight. "It's not afraid of me anymore!" Chu Lulin nodded. "It's just shy, not scared of you." For the first time, Jian Ran truly felt what it was like to have a cat at home. She experienced the joy of petting a cat and became obsessed. Not only did she play with it herself, but she also dragged Chu Lulin to join. The cat was very well-behaved, a bit timid, but clearly easy to care for. Once it got familiar, it even became affectionate. Chu Lulin stroked the kitten's head and casually asked, "Big Sister, would you like to give it a new name?" Jian Ran was tempted but hesitated. "Better not. A name is a bond between a pet and its owner. It's better for its new owner to name it." Chu Lulin smiled faintly. "That's true. You're thoughtful, Big Sister." Chu Lulin had things to do at school, so he didn't stay long. Before leaving, he took the leftover takeout containers with him. Jian Ran had the day off and didn't need to go to the embroidery workshop. So she and the kitten lounged in the living room, basking in the sun. The midday sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the carpet. Jian Ran leaned against the sofa, and the kitten curled up at her feet, dozing off. Soon, the little thing started purring. The soft rumbling sound was adorable. It was the first time she had heard a cat purr, and she was fascinated. "Maybe I should call you Purr," she blurted out. She paused, feeling a bit embarrassed after having just declined to name it. But then she figured no one would know, so she felt better. However, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the name. 'Purr' was catchy and distinctive—perfect. So she couldn't help but secretly call the kitten that when no one was around. But as the saying goes, you can't hide your actions forever. One day, when Chu Lulin was there, Jian Ran slipped up and called out, "Purr, come get the freeze-dried treats." As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. Sure enough, Chu Lulin looked over. "Purr?" Jian Ran: "..." "Is that the new name you gave it, Big Sister?" Jian Ran was stubborn. "...No." Chu Lulin suppressed his smile and feigned confusion. "Then what?" Jian Ran's mind raced. She started to bluff with a straight face. "I tried calling it the other day, and it responded. So I figured it must have been named that originally." Chu Lulin 'oh-ed,' pretending not to see through her lie. He called out to the kitten, "Purr." Since Jian Ran had called it that many times over the past few days, the kitten had apparently accepted the name. It turned its head to look over. Jian Ran was overjoyed and silently decided to give the kitten an extra can of food tonight. "You're amazing, Big Sister, to have guessed that," Chu Lulin said, feigning surprise, as if completely convinced. Jian Ran sighed in relief, having successfully bluffed her way through. "No, no. I just got lucky." She inwardly congratulated herself on Chu Lulin's simple, gullible nature. If he had been more perceptive, she wouldn't have gotten away with it so easily.