Chapter 46 The Secret in the Room

"Is this your cat?"

Yu Qing asked casually, trying to change the subject.

Lu Chi nodded: "Yes, its name is Xiao Hei, and I found it."

"Hello, Xiao Hei." Yu Qing tried to reach out and pet its head, but the black and white cat bared its teeth at him without warning, revealing a row of sharp teeth, as if to warn him.

Yu Qing awkwardly withdrew her hand: "It seems it doesn't like me."

"It's just a bit sensitive because its previous owner liked to abuse it, which is why it's wary of strangers." Lu Chi gently stroked Xiao Hei's belly, and Xiao Hei slowly became docile under his comforting touch.

Yu Qing's gaze fell on Lu Chi's hands.

Animals are highly wary, especially felines. They won't easily expose their bellies, and it's quite unbelievable that Lu Chi could still pet it after being hurt by humans once.

Yu Qing found it somewhat amazing and couldn't help but ask, "How did you make it so close to you?"

Lu Chi said softly, "It takes patience and time. At first, I couldn't get close to it either. I could only watch from a distance when I fed it. Later, I gradually closed the distance, and slowly, it stopped rejecting me so much."

"Amazing!" Yu Qing exclaimed.

Although Lu Chi's behavior seemed sincere and natural, Yu Qing had a voice in her heart constantly reminding her: I don't believe you for a second.

"It's alright. Actually, every stray cat has its own story. All they need is someone willing to accompany and listen to them," Lu Chi said calmly.

"Do you like animals?" Yu Qing suddenly asked, trying to verify her guess from another angle.

Lu Chi stammered, "To be precise, I've liked them since I was a child. I think animals are easier to get along with than people. People have too many thoughts and desires. The animal world is very simple, and I prefer to be with them."

"Since you know so much about animals, you must have kept them before."

Lu Chi nodded: "I had a dog when I was a child."

"And what happened to the dog later?"

Lu Chi paused for a moment, his voice low and deep: "Dead."

"How did he die?" Yu Qing asked again.

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Lu Chi looked at him in surprise.

Yu Qing felt a sudden pang of panic. He knew he had been asked too many questions today, so he forced a smile and said, "Um... I was just asking casually. It's okay if you don't want to answer."

Lu Chi was silent for a moment, then continued to stroke the cat's belly and slowly said, "My grandma had an attack that day and killed it."

Yu Qing was stunned.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

Finally, he apologized three times, saying, "I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, it's all in the past."

Lu Chi smiled.

Actually, there's a second half to this story that he didn't tell.

He remembered that evening.

When his mother came home from get off work, she saw him fiddling with the dog's carcass.

She was immediately drenched in cold sweat and grabbed his hand, hitting him hard.

While hitting him, tears streamed down her face: "Tell me, who taught you to do this? Can't you control your hands? How could I have given birth to a monster like you...?"

He looked at his mother calmly.

He knew his mother was very sad.

He had read in a book that one only cries when one is sad.

So he didn't pull his hand away, letting his mother beat and scold him silently.

Grandma clapped her hands excitedly from the side: "I'll beat you to death, I'll beat you to death, you monster!"

Yu Qing was unaware of Lu Chi's childhood experiences.

But he felt he couldn't stay there any longer, nor could he continue asking questions.

He pretended to check the time on his phone: "I should go back, or my mom will scold me again."

Lu Chi placed the cat on the sofa next to him and stood up: "Let me see you off!"

Yu Qing quickly waved her hand: "No need to trouble yourself, I'll just take a taxi home later."

Lu Chi hesitated for a moment, then didn't insist: "Alright then!"

"See you tomorrow."

Before leaving, Yu Qing took a deep look at Lu Chi's bedroom, the tightly closed door seeming to conceal countless secrets.

Lu Chi stood by the window, watching Yu Qing leave until his figure disappeared into the night.

Only then did they close the window and draw the curtains.

She turned and walked to the bedroom door, then gently opened it.

He arrived at his favorite room.

The room was dimly lit, with only the fish tank in the corner emitting a faint light, which allowed the layout of the room to be clearly seen.

Apart from the bed, the entire room was filled with green plants, densely surrounding the bed, making it look like a small tropical rainforest.

The air was filled with the fragrance of earth and flowers.

Lu Chi casually closed and locked the door, walked to the fish tank in the corner, picked up a can of fish food from the small cabinet next to it, poured a few pellets into the water, and the goldfish immediately rushed to the surface, scrambling to grab the food.

Lu Chi stood quietly in front of the fish tank, gazing at the goldfish swimming in the water, as if looking at his own reflection in the water through the glass.

He rubbed the muscles on his face, and his previously tense face finally relaxed, his expression becoming indifferent and his eyes devoid of any warmth.

That's a disregard for life.

He threw all the fish food in his hand into the fish tank.

Countless waves instantly splashed up on the water's surface.

Lu Chi stopped paying attention to them, got up and went to the bedside, lay down on the bed, and put his hands together in front of his chest.

Close your eyes.

The water circulation system in the fish tank makes a soft sound of flowing water, which sounds like rain.

He liked the room; he liked the tranquility and vitality it offered.

In this small space, he can temporarily forget the noise and trivialities of the outside world and immerse himself in his own illusory world.

Lu Chi's breathing gradually became even.

At that moment, he felt as if he had become one with this small tropical rainforest, and all his fatigue and unease gradually dissipated in this tranquility.

...

at the same time.

Sitting in the taxi, Yu Qing reached out and opened the window a crack. A wave of heat rushed in instantly. Looking at the street scene rushing past outside the window, her thoughts also became hot.

Every expression and every word Lu Chi uttered.

And every detail in the room.

It played out in my mind over and over again.

Yu Qing tried to find a flaw in Lu Chi's performance, but no matter how hard he tried, Lu Chi's performance seemed so natural and sincere.

If there's one thing that makes Yu Qing feel something's off...

That is...

Lu Chi's bedroom.

He shouldn't have known he would be visiting so suddenly, yet he locked the door beforehand.

Therefore, it can be inferred that there must be a secret hidden in the room.

What exactly is hidden in the room?

Various possibilities flashed through Yu Qing's mind.

It might be evidence of murder, a diary, or something else he didn't want others to see.

He knew that Lu Chi must have a hidden side, and those shadows forgotten in the corners might be the root of his future crimes.

As the taxi sped through the night, Yu Qing's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic.

He looked out at the neon lights.

He finally sighed and said, "Forget it, why think so much? Anyway, as long as he didn't kill anyone, it's a good thing, isn't it?"

He closed his eyes, trying to relax.

The taxi continued on its way, but Yu Qing's heart remained in that dimly lit room, lingering in Lu Chi's deep and calm eyes.