"At least you have a better chance!" Shangguan Bei said earnestly.
"There's always been a wall between Du Haoqi and me. She loves Ouyang Bihua, but Ouyang Bihua is interested in me, and she's always been jealous of me. Even if I offered her the best treatment, I wouldn't be able to sway her. But you, I can tell Du Haoqi has some feelings for you, plus you... well, it's not like a woman who's been with a man will be devoted to him forever."
Lu Chen was both amused and exasperated. What was this all about? She and I weren't doing this willingly.
However, after thinking it over, he realized he was indeed more suitable to be the persuader than Shangguan Bei.
So, he reluctantly agreed.
"Brother Chen, you're so kind!"
Shangguan Bei said tenderly, completely different from the stern general manager she'd been in the meeting room. Now she was as bright as spring and as warm as summer. She kissed Lu Chen's neck incessantly, finally provoking him to lose control. He rolled over and pinned her beneath him.
Then, he showered her cherry lips with kisses.
Shangguan Bei pouted her red lips, letting him kiss her, her eyes filled with a dreamy look as she gazed at Lu Chen, suddenly saying:
"Brother Chen, I want to be your queen!"
Lu Chen's fingers gently traced her delicate, charming cheeks, then he sighed:
"Silly girl, what have I done to deserve this!"
...
In the afternoon, Lu Chen left work early. As the director, he was free to come and go as he pleased, something he and Shangguan Bei had agreed upon before he became director. Du Haoling called again, saying her sister would be home for dinner that evening.
She sounded very happy.
Lu Chen sighed inwardly. Such a big incident had just occurred that morning with Ouyang Bihua and Du Haoqi; Ouyang Bihua had been expelled, and Du Haoqi had suffered considerable harm. That evening, they were going to her house to cook porridge.
Life truly is like a play.
Lingling seemed to know something in some unseen way, unintentionally helping Lu Chen and her sister repair their relationship.
Lu Chen wanted to ask Du Haoling if she wanted to go back with him, but after thinking about it, he decided against it and let her go back by herself. So, Lu Chen picked up Du Haoling and then went to the nearby market to buy ingredients.
The market was bustling. Du Haoling clung to Lu Chen's arm with both hands, like a little bird nestled against him.
The two quickly decided to cook crab porridge.
Taking her along, Lu Chen first bought an old duck, explaining its features in detail as he went.
"This crab congee...you need a base. First, you simmer an old duck to make a broth, then add rice and peeled crab, and a little shredded shiitake mushroom for seasoning. Finally, sprinkle some cilantro on top. It's so delicious..."
Listening to Lu Chen's vivid description, Du Haoling's mouth was practically watering.
Suddenly, a piercing scream from not far away interrupted Lu Chen's voice.
It was clearly not a human scream. Even Lu Chen was startled; what animal could be screaming so horribly? Du Haoling's face tightened, and she shouted, "Cat!"
Then she took off running towards the direction the sound came from.
Lu Chen quickly followed.
In a corner of the market, three people were butchering a cat. And their methods were particularly cruel. Two of them were grabbing the cat's limbs tightly and pulling them apart. The third person was pulling the cat's head, yanking it backward with all their might. Thus, the cat was stretched out in mid-air, its limbs spread wide.
The person grabbing the cat's scalp was using a sharp knife, the tip already embedded in the front of the cat's neck, pulling it slightly downwards. The cat's flesh was torn open, blood gushing out.
The cat's screams were from that single cut.
It was a black cat, as black as a piece of black jade. It didn't look very old, maybe two years old at most. Both its eyes were blue, and you could see the intense pain within them.
The three people, however, were all young men, looking nonchalant and carefree.
The young man who had stabbed the cat in the neck paused briefly, then smiled and said to the crowd,
"Guys, this is a rare black cat! When eating dog meat, they say black is best, yellow is best, spotted is best, white is best, and long-haired is best – meaning black dogs are the tastiest. It's the same with cats, black cats are the tastiest! Most people like to scald cats to death with boiling water before skinning them. That's wrong; cats killed that way are stiff. You have to skin them alive like this, that's how you get the best flavor!"
"That's right!" a young man holding the cat's limbs added with a smile, "This meat is especially delicious. Add a snake and an old hen, stew it, and you've got a dragon, phoenix, and tiger! It's incredibly nourishing and delicious!"
Another guy chimed in, "This cat is free for everyone to butcher. It weighs about five pounds, and we're only selling it for eighty yuan. That's the starting price. If anyone's willing to pay more, we'd be even more willing to sell!"
There were about thirty or forty onlookers. Some expressed interest in buying the cat, shouting, "Hurry up and kill it!" Others muttered curses, saying it was too cruel. Many others took out their phones to film.
Just as the young man was about to continue cutting, a slender yet voluptuous girl rushed in, shouting, "Put it down!"
This girl was Du Haoling.
This shout startled the young men. The one butchering the cat chuckled, "Oh, where did this pretty girl come from? Want to buy a cat? Don't rush, let me kill it first! Have you prepared the old hen and snake? We'll stew them together! Are you inviting us to eat with you? We'll be guaranteed to be full of energy, but I'm afraid you can't handle it..."
As he said this, the other two men grinned lewdly.
Du Haoling, unfazed, walked straight up to the three men, her ample bosom heaving with anger. She said, each word distinct, "Let the cat go!"
"Let it go? You think you can just let it go like that?"
One of the men leaned his face towards Du Haoling, twisting it grotesquely. He chuckled, "How about you kiss me? Kiss me, and I'll let it go!"
Then, a loud slap echoed.
Du Haoling suddenly erupted in fury, raising a hand and slapping the man hard across the face with all her might. Instantly, the man cried out in pain, a handprint appearing on his cheek.
This slap might be more effective than a kiss! Because the guy immediately released his grip on the cat and lunged at Du Haoling like a demon: "You little bitch, you dare hit me! I'll tear you naked!"
Then, he screamed in pain, clutching his groin and staggering to the ground.
As he pounced, Du Haoling showed no fear, and suddenly kicked him between the legs. The little girl was wearing those sharp, hard leather boots; the impact of such a kick was unimaginable.
Even Lu Chen, who had run over, broke out in a cold sweat.
This girl is ruthless! She was originally a rather delicate girl, but after playing with Guo Fuyun, Yunyun taught her several self-defense techniques, including this one.
"Ouch! That hurts so much! Damn it, what are you two standing there for? Get him!"
The guy yelled in pain, sweating profusely.
The other two casually dropped the black cat and pounced on Du Haoling.
Du Haoling's face paled with fear, and she turned to flee. Lu Chen, however, wore a cold expression. His gaze fell on the black cat lying on the ground.
Still reeling from the pain and shock, the black cat lay there blankly. However, its eerie blue eyes held a hint of malevolence as it stared at the three young people.
Lu Chen was slightly startled. They say white dogs are ghosts and black cats are spirits; this little black cat probably possessed some sentience!
Then, a thought struck him, and he instantly unleashed his divine power. Precise energy rapidly gathered within the little black cat's body, invisible to the others.
Suddenly, it let out a fierce meow, leaping up like a black lightning bolt, pouncing on the two young men who were about to grab Du Haoling.
Then came a scream as the little black cat pounced on one of the men's heads, its two front paws tearing deep gashes into his hair. The man had a buzz cut, and the cat's claws tore two deep gashes from his forehead to the back of his head.
His scalp was ripped open, and blood spurted out!
This was the same man who had tried to skin the black cat with a knife earlier; his screams were like a pig being slaughtered! This was karma; he was the one suffering the consequences.
He raised his hands to grab the little black cat.
But the little black cat had already leaped away, leaping towards the other man's head.
That man was startled and quickly dodged. This avoided the black cat's direct attack, but its claws gripped his left ear tightly. The sharp claws dug deep into his ear. A scream followed, and blood gushed out.
If the creature had remained still, at most it would have had a few more bloody holes in its ear. But, in his agony, he panicked and lunged sideways. Another scream followed, and half his ear was ripped off by the black cat.
Instantly, even more blood gushed out.
The black cat, meanwhile, had leaped to the ground. Its seemingly frail body exuded a chilling murderous aura. It shook its paws, freeing the small, bloodied piece of its ear from the hook.
The surrounding spectators were stunned!
What was going on? It was just a little black cat, a moment ago so easily preyed upon, how did it suddenly become so powerful? In less than half a minute, two young people were severely injured?
"It's a black cat spirit! They say you shouldn't mess with black cats; once you provoke them, they'll unleash their fury!"
"That's right, these young people deserve to die. How could they torment this cat like that?"
"Exactly, they've brought out the evil power within the cat!"
...
The audience murmured amongst themselves, those even slightly close to the little black cat quickly moving away. Those who had wanted to buy black cat meat earlier moved even further back. Du Haoling, however, had a smile on her face as she ran over and hugged the little black cat.