He just broke up with his girlfriend and is already living with the devilish rich girl.

His current normal strength is only at the B-rank, which is completely insufficient.

That so-called "game" even included Luo Yao's powers as prizes.

It's easy to imagine what kind of monsters will appear.

"Speaking of which..."

The cat came closer, tilted its head, and stared straight into his eyes with its cat-like pupils.

"Mr. Bai, why do you insist on participating in that game?"

"Although the boss made some harsh remarks, she also said that you should relax and that she would find a way to get those powers back herself. Why are you working so hard, meow?"

There's no particular reason.

Bai Ziheng wiped the water off his face and spoke calmly.

"I promised her before that I would help her regain all her power."

"She saved me several times, and I don't like owing people favors."

"Oh my god!"

The cat's mouth was pursed into a "ω" shape, and its ears were standing straight up.

The tip of its tail was sticking up.

"Is it really just repaying a debt of gratitude, meow? Are you sure you haven't already fallen in love with my boss, meow?"

Bai Ziheng glanced at her sideways but didn't say anything.

The cat didn't care whether he spoke or not; she was already having a great time on her own.

Its tail was held high, and it held its cheeks in its hands, looking at him with a smile.

"Oh dear, I guessed right, meow! I'm shy, meow! My face is turning red, meow—"

"I'm not blushing."

"Yes, yes, meow, no, no, meow, then why are your ears so red, meow?"

Bai Ziheng raised his hand and touched his ear; it was indeed hot.

It wasn't because of what the cat said, it was because...

Forget it, there's no point in explaining.

Once this cat's gossip spirit is ignited, ten fire trucks wouldn't be able to extinguish it.

But he himself had thought about this issue.

Do you like Luo Yao?

have no idea......

Dislike it? That's not right either.

They kissed, several times.

The first time was in that alley. She pinned him against the wall and forced a kiss on him, saying she wanted to save his life.

On several later occasions, some were to feed him the core, and others were simply to see him in an awkward situation.

Each time, it wasn't because of any real romantic relationship.

At least that's what Bai Ziheng thinks.

He always felt that there was something between them that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

It's like two people sitting at opposite ends of the same table, who could easily reach out and touch each other.

But he couldn't see what was under the table, and she never mentioned it.

Luo Yao always appeared completely at ease in front of him.

With a wicked grin and a lazy air, he said, "My knight."

Her toes drew circles on his thigh, as if she didn't care about anything.

It seems like she can dismiss everything in the world with a simple "uh-huh".

But he still remembers another side of her.

In that dark bridge arch, on that cold stone wall.

Something that could barely maintain its human form, huddled in a corner.

It wants to die.

That was Luo Yao more than ten years ago.

Back then, she didn't have strawberry cakes, supermarkets, or a chandelier that allowed her to sleep upside down.

All she had was a bridge arch and a tattered comic book.

There was also a silly boy who brought her bread every day.

That was her most vulnerable side.

But now she says not to be afraid, that everything will be alright, and that she's here for you.

But what about herself?

What they were fighting for in that "game" was her power.

A group of raiders are going to use her flesh and blood as prizes to hold an absurd competition.

She said "let them do whatever they want," but those powers were part of her body.

The thought of it made his chest feel like it was being sawed back and forth by a dull knife.

She can still laugh and say it's okay, and she can still curl up on the sofa and paint her nails.

You can even pinch his thigh with your toes and ask him if it looks good.

How much effort does it take to maintain this kind of "effortless" control?

If she can act so nonchalantly, what about him?

He at least has to get her things back for her.

Whether it's out of gratitude or for something else.

"Mr. Bai."

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a while, the cat came closer again.

This time, she used a towel to rub his head vigorously.

The action was no different from wiping a large dog that had just had a bath.

"Actually, you don't need to worry about our boss's health at all, meow."

"...What?"

"What do you think the boss is? A monster?"

The cat flipped the towel over again and began drying its hair, its tail swaying leisurely behind it.

"Actually, our boss is neither a monster nor a god."

"She is a new species born from this world."

"However, she has no parents and no brothers or sisters."

"A cat has lived for over three hundred years, and at least it has a litter of brothers and sisters. But the boss doesn't have a single one."

"Even the most endangered species in the world have, or have had, their own kind."

"But she wasn't; she was destined to be alone from the moment she was born."

The cat tilted its head again, and its ears drooped down a little.

"I don't know what you did, Mr. Bai, to make my boss so concerned, but don't worry, she's definitely not a monster."

"She's a cat who can have babies! So don't look down on the boss, cat!"

"...What are you thinking?" Bai Ziheng was amused by her logic.

"I don't care who she is. She saved my life and reached out to me when I was in the most pain. That's enough."

"That's good, meow!"

The cat nodded in satisfaction, then flipped the towel over and began wiping his face.

As he wiped, Bai Ziheng's face froze.

"Wait, why does this dishcloth smell weird?"

"Really, meow?"

The cat blinked innocently again, then took the towel down and sniffed it.

"Ah, I just used it to wipe my feet after soaking them, meow."

"...Say it again?"

"After I soaked my feet, I just used this towel to dry them, meow."

"Soaking your feet in ice water feels quite nice, hey, why are you hiding, meow?"

Bai Ziheng stumbled back several steps, his back hitting the edge of the basin, almost knocking the whole basin of water over.

He stared at the towel dangling in the cat's hand.

"You gave me a rag to wipe my face?!"

"I wasn't planning on using it, but you jumped into the water so suddenly, and this is the only towel I have."

"etc."

Bai Ziheng's face turned pale, and he slowly turned his head away.

He looked at the basin of water where he had just buried his entire face.

"...In other words, this basin of water."

"Yeah, it's the water from when I just soaked my feet, meow."

Bai Ziheng gasped.

"I was going to throw it away, but you just buried your face in it."

"I thought you were like those perverts in the live stream, with some kind of weird fetish."

"Hey, put the basin down! Don't smash that! It's stainless steel!! It won't break, it'll just bounce back!!"

After a while.

In the basement, Bai Ziheng leaned back against the wall, his face a picture of utter despair, staring at the fluorescent light tube.

The cat squatted down beside them, its tail slowly drawing circles on the ground, and muttered something under its breath.

"Actually, the water I use to wash my feet isn't that dirty... There are a bunch of people in the live stream who are all vying to take a sip each, meow."

Bai Ziheng closed his eyes.

He decided to bring his own towel starting tomorrow.