Chapter 285 : My Cat’s a Little... Different
“This should be the place, right?”
Nanase Ren glanced at the address on her phone’s GPS, then looked at the apartment complex in front of her. Unable to read Chinese, she relied entirely on her phone to navigate this unfamiliar city. Without it, she’d be utterly lost—just like last time, when she’d only managed to get back safely thanks to Ling Ning’s help.
Today, however, she had prepared carefully before leaving the hotel, bringing not one but two portable chargers. After showing her phone’s address to a taxi driver, she’d arrived smoothly at her destination.
Double-checking the address again, she muttered to herself, “Turn right, second building…”
“Here it is!” She felt a swell of pride. See, she could find her way without bothering Ling Ning!
Taking a deep breath, Nanase Ren found herself in front of Ling Ning’s apartment. She hesitated—she wasn’t sure if Ling Ning would be home, or if her visit would be an inconvenience. But since she was already here, she gathered her courage and pressed the doorbell.
“Ding-dong~”
After a moment, the door slowly opened, and a burly man appeared. He looked Nanase Ren up and down and asked in confusion, “Little miss, who are you looking for?”
“Huh?” Nanase Ren was taken aback. She clearly remembered Ling Ning mentioning that she only lived with her younger sister, so who was this guy? Could he be Ling Ning’s boyfriend? If she went in now, would she be interrupting something?
A jumble of thoughts raced through her mind.
Though she didn’t understand what he was saying, she replied in Japanese, “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong place!”
Just as she turned to leave, the burly man called after her, switching to awkward Japanese.
“Wait, are you from Japan?”
“Yes. Excuse me…”
“Who exactly are you looking for?”
Since he asked so directly, Nanase Ren felt it would be rude to leave without explaining. “I’m sorry, I was looking for Ling Ning…”
“Ling Ning? You’re looking for that beauty on the fourteenth floor, right? This is the thirteenth floor.”
“Thirteenth floor… thirteenth floor… thirteenth floor…” The words echoed in her mind. She hadn’t made a mistake—she was sure she’d pressed the button for the fourteenth floor. Then it hit her: someone must have pressed the thirteenth floor button right before her, and she hadn’t noticed, just following them out.
Flushing with embarrassment, she bowed to the man. “I’m terribly sorry for the disturbance!”
She hurried away, cheeks burning with humiliation.
Watching her leave, the man breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing he knew a bit of Japanese—he’d almost thought his husband was cheating!
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“This should be Ling Ning’s place…”
After her recent mishap, Nanase Ren hesitated, fearing she might knock on the wrong door again. Should she call Ling Ning to confirm?
After a moment’s thought, she pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Hello?”
Came Ling Ning’s drowsy voice, as if she’d just woken up… which was exactly the case. Ling Ning was sprawled out on her bed, still half-asleep. If it hadn’t been for the phone call, she might have slept till noon—she’d stayed up until 3 a.m. working, only going to bed after a last-minute “meditation session.”
“Ohayou, Ling Ning~”
Upon hearing the familiar yet unexpected voice speaking fluent Japanese, Ling Ning immediately recognized who it was. No one else spoke such flawless Japanese.
“Ren, is that you?”
“Yes, um… are you free today? I wanted to…”
“Of course! Why don’t you wait at the hotel? I’ll come pick you up.”
“N-no need! I think… I’m probably at your door… maybe?”
“At my door?” Ling Ning blinked, groggy. “Hold on—I’ll come check.”
Tossing off her blanket, Ling Ning dragged herself out of bed, rubbing her face to wake herself up.
When she opened the door, there stood Nanase Ren.
Ren was dressed in a pink sundress, her long, smooth hair tied back in a ponytail with a white ribbon. She looked every bit the picture of elegance.
As Ling Ning took in her appearance, Ren was also assessing Ling Ning. With her slightly messy hair, sleepy eyes, and mismatched slippers, it was clear Ling Ning had just gotten up. She was even in a thin nightgown… through which certain details were… visible. Well, of course, since most girls didn’t wear, um, those things to bed.
“Good morning… yawn…” Ling Ning mumbled.
“G-good morning…”
“Come in and have a seat. I’ll go freshen up.”
Nanase Ren settled onto the sofa, curiously glancing around. Just then, a small tabby cat appeared at her feet.
“Aw, how cute!”
As she bent down to pet the cat, it suddenly darted forward and jumped up, slipping right under her skirt. She felt its furry body brush against her thigh and let out a startled yelp.
Hearing her cry, Ling Ning rushed out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in her mouth.
She immediately spotted Ren blushing and clutching her skirt, while “Sprite,” the cat, sat innocently nearby, looking up at her with wide eyes. Ling Ning didn’t even need to ask what had happened.
“Um… my cat’s a little… unusual. It loves diving under skirts. Just be mindful when it’s nearby.” With that, she returned to the bathroom to finish washing up.
Ren, cheeks still flushed, glanced at the cat. She couldn’t understand why such an adorable creature would have such a strange habit.
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Author’s Note:
Three updates today, and I’m all caught up on owed chapters!