Jiang Nan reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Xia Chi's shoulders. The moment the sweatshirt was tightened under his fingertips, the sharp cat claws just missed Xia Chi's ears.

The world was spinning, Xia Chi stumbled into someone's arms, and the crisp scent of cedar instantly enveloped him.

The shadows of the flowers danced, and the sunlight cast a soft silver glow on Jiang Nan's silhouette. They were so close, their breaths tangled together. In a trance, Xia Chi saw the sea of purple flowers again—Jiang Nan also suddenly approached, his eyes filled with intoxication, and kissed him in the rain of falling flowers.

My heart is pounding.

The more vivid the memory, the more illusory the reality.

Jiang Nan was unconscious at the time. The burning red corners of his eyes, the hot breath falling on his lips, and the trembling from their intertwined fingers were all just illusions brought on by the drug.

He may have forgotten it long ago.

【Or maybe when I think back...】

The abandoned past kept flashing back to his mind. Xia Chi's fingertips curled up slightly, and he quietly let go of Jiang Nan's clothes.

[…Would you think that was an absurdity that you couldn’t bear to look back on…]

He sighed quietly and smiled to himself in his heart.

People like me...

"Haha... Sorry..."

Xia Chi took a step back, his laughter was deliberately cheerful: "It was my fault that I didn't stand firmly..."

Jiang Nan's hand hovered in mid-air. He saw the fleeting light of tears in Xia Chi's eyes, and his chest felt like something was tugging at him. He lowered his voice and explained gently.

"This cat just fell from a tree and almost hit you."

"oh?"

Xia Chi tilted his head and looked behind Jiang Nan, and sure enough, he saw Sang Biao, with his fur all over his body, breathing at him.

[Why is it so fierce? Does it hate me?]

Xia Chi bit his lip, feeling a little sad.

"Be careful."

Jiang Nan's arm was across Xia Chi's chest. Before he could react, his warm hands had already grabbed his shoulders and pushed him into the studio without saying a word.

The crisp cold fragrance enveloped him again, and his originally self-deprecating and self-pitying mind was thrown into chaos by the sudden intimacy. The warmth of his palm came through the thin clothes, and Xia Chi felt the rapid breathing brushing past his ears, but he could not guess what this inexplicable behavior meant.

"you……"

Just as Xia Chi was about to speak, he was pushed into the studio. Several rows of prop stands were pressed against the wall in the corner, and the narrow space forced the two of them to stand close together.

Jiang Nan's arms were firmly clasped around Xia Chi's shoulders, but his eyes kept vigilantly glancing behind him, as if on guard against something.

"What...what happened?" Xia Chi felt the atmosphere was a little solemn.

His shoulders were already against the cold glass window. This posture was too ambiguous. He secretly thanked God that the position was hidden enough. If he was seen by a staff member or photographed by paparazzi... he would not be able to explain it.

"fine."

Jiang Nan relaxed slightly, not knowing how to explain his abruptness. He suddenly pointed out the window and said, "Hey, Shilu and the others are done with their outdoor support. They're heading to the RV soon."

The window was diagonally opposite the cheering booth, and through the glass, he could even see the pearl hairpin in Shi Lu's hair.

"What are you doing in the RV?"

Xia Chi was a little confused as to why he suddenly cared about these unrelated things.

Jiang Nan tapped the window lightly, his fingertips resting on a group of people in the distance. "They're probably going to livestream the dinner, and Venus brought her some delicious food."

"oh."

Xia Chi was guided to look in the direction of the RV, where the members of Venus were gathered together, talking and laughing.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of "thump thump" footsteps, as if some small four-legged animal was rushing towards me.

Xia Chi's attention was attracted by the lively scene outside the window, and his thoughts drifted away, and he was completely out of touch with the world for a moment.

[How dare Shilu eat something Ling Fei gave her? ]

If Ling Fei hadn't led the bullying back then, Shi Lu wouldn't have been unable to even dance, been sidelined for so long, and been replaced by a newcomer.

???

What!!!

Sang Biao, who was rushing over with murderous intent and was about to do a 365-degree front flip to cross the obstacle and end the battle with a soul-scattering iron claw, suddenly braked.

Xia Chi turned his head a little late and found that Jiang Nan was tense with his arms outstretched, blocking him tightly.

Looking over his arm, I saw a black shadow squatting on the ground. Sang Biao's claws, which were frozen in mid-air, were silently retracted, and the exploded fur fell down at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even his tail was neatly curled into the shape of a question mark.

"Meow~"

It tilted its head and barked softly at Xia Chi, without any trace of its ferocious look. It looked just like a harmless cat.

“???”

Xia Chi tentatively squatted down and waved to the cat: "Cat Immortal, why did you follow me? Do you want some beef jerky?"

The black cat that looked ferocious just a moment ago tilted its head obediently, and the tip of its tail swayed gently as if to please.

"Meow~" It calls so many times that even it finds it disgusting.

Xia Chi quickly took out beef jerky from his pocket, tore off a small piece, placed it in his palm and handed it over.

"If you eat my beef jerky, you won't be able to hate me anymore!"

The black cat slowly lowered its head, and under Jiang Nan's vigilant gaze, its pink tongue rolled up the dried meat.

She even rubbed it on his palm intentionally.

"He likes me!"

Xia Chi's eyes lit up, and he reached out and hugged the cat in his arms, rubbing it.

Jiang Nan's eyes twitched——

Is there anyone who would throw himself into the arms of an assassin like this?

And Xia Chi, why are you so easy to coax?

What about your inferiority complex? What about your sensitivity?

Jiang Nan stared at the cat and thought, "I have to learn something too. Maybe I have to use a straight-ball approach to deal with the poor little thing."

Jiang Nan picked up the cat and gently stroked its back, but his five fingers were secretly grasping the skin on the back of Sang Biao's neck.

The man and the cat looked at each other tacitly, reaching a delicate balance of not moving unless the enemy moves.

"You still have to be careful." Jiang Nan warned calmly, "Wild cats are very aggressive and might scratch you."

"How could it be? It's so well behaved."

Xia Chi happily shook hands with Sang Biao's big tattooed arm in a friendly manner. The kitten's paws were hidden in the pads, soft and elastic.

He subconsciously raised his eyes and met Jiang Nan's deep gaze, then hurriedly looked away.

Jiang Nan was indeed different today - those eyes that were always distant were now burning hotly on him.

Xia Chi was so burned by the scorching gaze that he was at a loss as to what to do. He could only look out the window in panic. The glass reflected Jiang Nan's blurry outline. His broad shoulders were like a fully drawn bow, enveloping him in his own shadow.

Unreal and distant.

【It must be an illusion.】

Xia Chi took half a step forward unnoticeably, restoring the brief intimacy to its original state.

The laughter of Venus members could be heard in the distance.

Ling Fei was covering her mouth with her hands and laughing so hard that she was bent over backwards. Her nails inlaid with rhinestones sparkled under her fingers.

"Meow~" Sang Biao called softly, and his eyes moved along.

[This Ling Fei...]

Xia Chi really dislikes Ling Fei.

[She's been doing it on the surface, and there are actually people who support her with Luffy, thinking she really cares about Shilu.]

When the group first formed, it was she who deliberately locked Shi Lu in the dressing room for two hours, not allowing anyone else to open the door, calling it 'new member training'.

[She's actually just too jealous and doesn't allow anyone on the team to be more outstanding than her.]

Sang Biao suddenly pricked up his ears from Jiang Nan's arms, his pupils slightly narrowed. Next to the cheering table, Ling Fei was holding Shi Lu's arm enthusiastically, as if the two of them had been together for eight lifetimes.

During rehearsal, they privately agreed to change the formation, but did not tell Shi Lu, which resulted in Shi Lu repeatedly standing in the wrong position during the performance, earning her the nickname "Queen of Padding."

[Preparing a live broadcast for Shi Lu's birthday party, she was covered in cake at the beginning. Shi Lu could only force a smile and dance on the stage with a face full of cream.]

[Tsk tsk tsk, the survival rule of a girl group is to be patient. Who can blame Ling Fei for having such a strong background?]

[Glorious Tang Tiger, Prosperous Ten Thousand Jackals, Ling Fei relies on the support of this Wan.]

It was the first time that Sang Biao heard these past events.

When it was picked up, Shi Lu had already left the group for a long time. The narrow rental house was always filled with the bitter smell of Chinese medicine. Shi Lu's dance shoes were neatly stored in a cardboard box and she had never been seen wearing them.

At that time, it was lying on an old blanket recuperating from its injuries. When it saw Shi Lu staring blankly at the girl group's performance on the screen, it suddenly turned off the video when the camera swept over Ling Fei.

It turns out there are so many interesting stories.

There was a dangerous glint in the cat's eyes.

Shilu graduated with a dance degree and possesses exceptional body control. Her dramatic split ending immediately topped all the selfie charts upon her debut. The choreographer always saved the killer part for her, which sparked jealousy and led to her receiving some tough treatment.

During a rehearsal for a new song, the choreographer choreographed a difficult somersault for Shi Lu. However, Ling Fei, who was supposed to catch her, deliberately took a half step back, causing Shi Lu to fall and be sent to the hospital. Afterwards, Ling Fei blamed Shi Lu for misremembering the position, and the matter was left unresolved.

Poor Shi Lu, she had spent so much time and energy practicing dancing since she was young, but she couldn't continue because of an injury. How regrettable it must have been. I can't imagine how Shi Lu felt at that time.

【well……】

Sang Biao straightened his upper body, and memories came flooding back like a tide -

That day, the barefoot ghost broke into the human world. It followed the ghost all the way and fought with him for three hundred rounds, biting the ghost until his soul flew away. Unfortunately, it also had its spine broken by its kick and ended up in the garbage dump.

Just when it was in despair, it saw a little girl limping towards it. She gently stroked its broken spine with her fingers and said in a voice as soft as a sigh: "If you can get better, I will definitely get better too."

It was drowsy at the time and thought it was just ordinary comfort, but now it was shocked to realize the bitterness in the words.

On countless rainy nights, the girl curled up on the sofa and rubbed the old wound on her leg, but still smiled and combed his hair. Her whimpers were mistaken for being coquettish, but they were real pain that would accompany her for the rest of her life.

She never told herself how difficult this journey was.

It turns out that all this is because of Ling Fei!

【Fortunately, this girl is doing well! 】

Xia Chi looked out the window at Shi Lu, who was surrounded by the media, his eyes full of admiration.

After being blacklisted by the company, he gritted his teeth and transformed himself, secretly auditioning behind his agent's back. Taking advantage of his still-popularity, he starred in various film and television dramas for low pay, giving his all even for small roles with only a few lines. Finally, he made a name for himself with a low-budget web drama!

[Of course, this is also thanks to the blessing of the Cat Immortal! ]

Xia Chi turned around and was about to tease Sang Biao, but was caught off guard by a pair of murderous pupils. The auspicious aura around the black civet cat turned cold, and even the word "stove" on the nameplate was stained with blood.

Xia Chi was shocked. "My Lord Qingtang! What's going on?"

Sang Biao glared at Xia Chi, rolled over and ran away.