Chapter 97

"Here we are. This is it. Please use it as you wish."

The chef in the back kitchen sent her to the door of a small kitchen, then stepped away. Shi Yu nodded and looked curiously at the dozen or so people busy in the large kitchen behind her. It was just after lunch time, and most of the chefs were washing dishes, processing meat and livestock, and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables. There was no sound of anyone talking to each other, and everyone was concentrating on their own work.

Moreover, in such a large kitchen, there is no trace of the cooking robots commonly used in modern times... Maybe Sturga is really rich and willful.

Shi Yu sighed silently and pushed the door open to enter her small room. The 15-square-meter mini kitchen was enough for Shi Yu to use, and all the ingredients were available. She quickly made a dessert and planned to send it to Rona later. She used the remaining ingredients to make some small cookies as snacks for herself, and finally cooked a piece of chicken breast to feed the cat later.

After delivering the dessert, Shi Yu carried the plate and walked through the corridor to the garden. She had indeed met the kitten here yesterday, but she wasn't sure if she would meet it again today...

She didn't let Nicole follow her - perhaps she knew she wouldn't go too far, so she agreed quite easily. Without anyone following her, Shi Yu's steps became much lighter.

...But the cat doesn't seem to be here.

She walked around the flower bed several times, then squatted down and called "meow meow" several times. After a long time, there was no movement, so Shi Yu had to give up helplessly.

She stood up and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. She was surprised to find that the long-haired cat with white heterochromia was sitting behind her, wagging its tail. It tilted its head, as if confused by Shi Yu's behavior just now.

Shi Yu: “…”

Shi Yu scratched his cheek awkwardly, raised the plate in his hand and asked, "Um, do you want to eat?"

The cat meowed softly with a long tail.

After feeding the cat chicken breast and playing with it for a while, Shi Yu said goodbye to it reluctantly. However, the cat didn't seem to understand Shi Yu's meaning. As soon as she turned around, the cat yawned and followed Shi Yu leisurely.

"I really can't play with you."

Shi Yu whispered to it, but the cat shook its head and ignored her. Its big furry tail hooked over and rubbed against her leg.

After walking for a while, they were almost at their room. Shi Yu was a little conflicted. She was not sure whether to take the cat back. Although she met it in the garden, it looked very beautiful and clean. It should have an owner, right?

While she was still standing outside the door hesitating, the cat meowed softly, and its tail accidentally brushed Shi Yu's calf. Shi Yu shuddered and looked down, only to see the cat lightly jump over the threshold and then climb up the stairs gracefully.

Noah's residence was a three-story Western-style building. The first floor was their bedroom and dining room, and the stairs leading to the second and third floors faced the gilded gate. Not knowing where the cat was going, Shi Yu hurriedly followed it.

"Wait, where are you going?"

The cat ignored her and continued to climb to the second floor, then to the third floor.

Shi Yu was panting as he trotted after the cat's nimble figure and arrived in front of a solid wooden door. The cat looked up at the wooden sign hanging on it, its beautiful heterochromatic eyes unblinking as it looked a little confused.

Shi Yu thought that the cat couldn't run around anymore, so he breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to approach it lightly. Unexpectedly, the cat jumped and pushed the handle away, then kicked the door with all four limbs and slipped in.

Shigure:?

Is there such an intelligent cat?

Shi Yu didn't think too much and hurriedly pushed the door open. He had already prepared an apology in his heart, fearing that the cat would disturb someone...

“…”

Correction, it doesn't seem to matter if I disturb you——

Shi Yu stared at someone who was sitting by the window in front of an easel for a moment. He was stunned for a moment, then politely took a step back and said, "Sorry to bother you."

After saying this quickly, Shi Yu did not forget to close the door.

When she reached the stairs, the door at the back was pushed open. Noah walked out and said gently but reluctantly, "Sorry, Shi Yu, can you please wait a moment?"

"The cat that just ran in jumped onto the cabinet. If possible, please take it back."

Shi Yu paused and turned to look suspiciously. Noah smiled at her. The boy was wearing a clean shirt with one sleeve rolled up above his forearm. His painting smock seemed to be free of any trace of color due to his meticulousness and attention to detail.

"I have some," Noah pointed his finger under his eyelashes as if to indicate, and the slightly red corners of his eyes confirmed his explanation.

“…allergic to animals.”

Shi Yu took a deep breath slowly and reluctantly returned to the studio door.

"If it doesn't want to come down, there's nothing I can do. It ignored me no matter how I called it just now."

Shi Yu entered the studio, stood on tiptoe, and saw the cat lying on the cabinet with its eyes narrowed leisurely, lying in the sunlight shining in from the window. It looked so comfortable that it was about to melt into a pool of cat cake.

"I see."

"Then...you go out first, I'll try to call it down."

Shi Yu made the suggestion somewhat awkwardly. She stood far away from Noah and never looked at him. Her gaze seemed evasive. When they were alone, she didn't dare to look at him.

Noah covered his nose with a handkerchief, thought for a moment, and said, "It's better for me to be here. Maybe I can help you."

Shi Yu gave him another possibility without holding out hope: "What if neither of us can call him down?"

"Give it a try," Noah said calmly, "I want to finish this painting today no matter what."

Shi Yu had no choice. After all, she was also responsible for the trouble caused by the cat. She had to resign herself to her fate and start thinking about strategies to catch the cat. She remembered that there was still some meat left that she had just cut in the small kitchen. Maybe she could use food to lure the cat?

But the kitchenette isn't in this building, and it's quite far from here...

Noah suggested, "There's a stool here. Stand on it and see if you can carry it down. I'll help you."

Noah couldn't touch animals, so Shigure had to do it. She stood on the stool Noah mentioned, reached out to try it, and couldn't help but show a trace of embarrassment on her face.

"It seems, I can't reach it."

She mumbled something, her ears a little red. Noah's eyes couldn't help but show a slight smile, and he looked quietly at the girl's cheek turned to the side.

"It's okay, we'll think about it," he comforted her.

"……Um."

Shi Yu looked up and estimated the height – if she replaced the low stool with a high one, she would definitely be able to reach it, but there was no one nearby. Apart from that, Noah would have to carry her…

Stop, this is absolutely not okay!

As if to quickly kick the thoughts out of her mind, she stiffened her face and called the cat on the cabinet a few more times, but there was no response from the cat. Shi Yu's voice gradually became weaker and she felt a little discouraged.

"Let me try."

Shigure glanced at Noah in surprise, "But, aren't you allergic to cats...?"

"It seems there's no other way now," Noah said. "I've never seen this cat before. If I ask Nicole and the others to come and deal with it, they'll probably just chase it away. If I come, I won't hurt it."

"You like it very much, don't you?"

Having his thoughts touched upon, Shi Yu silently turned his face away and nodded.

Noah took off his smock and handed it to Shigure, then stood on a low stool. The boy had a tall and slender figure, and his height was just right to catch the cat. The cat seemed to notice his movements and twisted its body to avoid him.

"Be good and listen..."

He stretched out his hand and tried to touch the cat's back and limbs. His low, coaxing voice was exceptionally gentle. Shi Yu's face felt inexplicably hot. She tried her best to divert her attention from Noah and pay attention to the cat's every move.

"Meow."

"Come here, it's great." The cat didn't resist too much, so Noah couldn't help but relax a little. He tentatively picked up the cat, stroked its soft back, and said softly, "Good boy."

Shi Yu: “…”

I always feel that this sentence is familiar... Uh, is there something wrong with her memory?

Shi Yu's face turned a little redder.

She was thinking about her own things and didn't pay much attention to the situation above. When she realized that the cat seemed to be uncomfortable in being held and began to struggle, with its limbs flailing in the air, and she was right below, unable to avoid its sudden resistance, Noah had already stretched out his arm to block her forehead, frowned slightly, and gasped softly.

"Noah?!"

Shi Yu reacted and checked his injuries in a daze. Noah moved sideways to block him, without showing much emotion on his face: "It's okay, don't worry."

"But...I'll go get the disinfectant."

Shi Yu had not expected such a situation to happen suddenly. She felt anxious and guilty. Noah shook his head, and the striking red at the corners of his eyes became more and more intense. He reached out and handed the cat to her: "Don't worry, let me take my time."

As soon as Shigure took the cat, Noah covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, coughed several times, and his breathing seemed intermittent and heavy.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, maintaining a steady and gentle tone, "I'm rude."

"...No, it's my fault." Shi Yu hugged the cat tightly, ignoring its complaining tail that patted his arm, and said sadly, "I was just daydreaming...I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Then please do as you said. Please get me some disinfectant." Noah said helplessly, "Also, please take the cat to where it belongs. If it stays here, I will continue to feel uncomfortable."

Shi Yu nodded: "Yeah, okay!"

She took the cat downstairs and locked it in her room first. Then Shi Yu quickly rummaged through the small medicine box she brought with her and found some disinfectant. After thinking about it, she also took a few cookies that she had made while making dessert for Rona.

"Here are the disinfectants, gauze, and then..." Shi Yu returned to the studio and handed things to Noah one by one, but when it came to her cookies, she hesitated.

There was no packaging and it was just a few dollars, so she was embarrassed to take it out.

"Um, what?" Noah looked at her questioningly.

"Here, for you..."

Shi Yu finally brought out the small plate and said nervously, "I made this snack. Thank you for that."

Noah was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Thank you? It's my reward."

"It's a thank you gift..."

Shi Yu corrected his incorrect wording, but when she thought about how no one could give such a small thank-you gift, her voice softened and even tinged with a hint of guilt.

Noah didn't care and took the biscuit naturally, saying, "I'll take it then. Thank you."

"Since you're injured, um..." Shi Yu quietly looked at the two bloody scratches on Noah's forearm caused by the cat's scratches, and asked to ease the atmosphere, "Do you still want to paint today?"

"Well," Noah rolled up his sleeves a little more, lowered his eyes, and gently pressed the wet cotton swab on the wound, "I want to finish this painting as soon as possible."

"If it's not that important, you can rest first, right?"

"That's right," Noah looked up and smiled at her, "but the flowers in the garden outside are blooming beautifully right now. If we delay too long, we won't be able to see such beautiful scenery, and we'll lose our inspiration."

Shi Yu was a little confused. Following Noah's words, she looked out the window - from here she could enjoy the view of the garden, with lush and beautiful flowers coming into view. She hesitated and didn't know what to say.

——Because he knew what kind of person Noah was and had seen his bad side, and was now being treated so gently by him, Shigure felt an even stronger sense of confusion and a slight trance.

What attitude should I take towards him?

After a moment of silence, she suppressed her annoyance and quietly warned herself - no matter what, she must not lose her vigilance!

His insistence on painting had nothing to do with her, so Xie Li would of course compensate him, and she had already advised him.

"Okay," she looked away, without saying anything more, but whispered awkwardly, "Then do your best."

The cat was later released back into the back garden. Shi Yu was lost in thought until dinner, when Nicole came in with a food cart, and she came back to her senses.

"Ms. Shigure, please have your meal. By the way, I received a gift for you today."

"...Huh, what?" Shi Yu was confused.

Nicole smiled and nodded. After placing the plates on the table, she turned around and went outside to retrieve a scroll tied with red silk.

When Shi Yu saw clearly what was in Nicole's hand, her heart moved. She seemed to realize something, and she felt that this matter was too... terrifying.

"Is it really for me?" Shi Yu confirmed again.

"Yes, would you like to open it and watch it?"

Shi Yu bit his lip and nodded, agreeing to Nicole's suggestion.

This is a landscape painting.

The composition is exquisite, and the colors are hazy but delicate. A breeze blows through the courtyard, and green vines climb on summer flowers. Among the thousands of swaying flowers, the girl in a white dress sitting on the swing and the white cat at her feet are the only two main subjects.

At the bottom are two lines of small, beautiful floral calligraphy.

"Today, I will give you a return gift."

“Thank you for the delicious food and inspiration, I love it.”

The author has something to say:

Gain some points before your brothers come back, because Noah will be in danger once they come back!

Next chapter try hard (?)