My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 72

Chapter 72: She Licked the Ragdoll Cat From Head to Toe

Long after returning home, Xiao Luohan was still thinking about Xie Xitong’s speculation.

Perhaps, as A-Xi had said, she could just ask Elder Sister directly when she entered the mindscape again in a dream.

But after thinking about it, she felt that even if she had the opportunity, she wouldn’t dare ask.

What if it wasn’t true?

What if Elder Sister was just trying to comfort her, to prevent her from being sad, and had made up that excuse?

Even though she had already said goodbye to her elder sister, and she and Jiang Xue had “buried” her body together, people were always greedy, wanting their loved ones to live long and healthy lives.

Her elder sister had said that she had attached her soul to the plum branches. Wasn’t she also placing this greed on the plum branches?

If the plum blossoms truly bloomed and never withered, it would be a comfort, telling her that her elder sister hadn’t actually left, but had simply changed form, silently watching over them.

Because of this fear, Xiao Luohan even declined Xie Xitong’s suggestion of asking the elders in the Xie family for help.

It would be best to leave it as it was for now.

She would just believe what her elder sister had said.

Jiang Xue, who had been observing her, quickly noticed her silence.

But this was beyond her capabilities. She didn’t know what to say or do to make Xiao Luo stop dwelling on this—if she were in Xiao Luo’s shoes, she wouldn’t be able to easily forget about her sister either.

…If she could, she would immediately enter a dream, call out to Elder Sister Red Fox, hug her bushy tail, and plead with her to tell her the truth.

But what if the truth wasn’t what she wanted? Should she tell Xiao Luo then?

So when Jiang Mei entered the study with a fruit platter, she saw the two of them sitting there in silence, each lost in their own worries.

“Have some fruit,” she said, placing the platter down and deliberately shaking the toothpick container, the rustling sound attracting their attention.

The fruit platter was prepared by Sister Cheng: cherries, winter dates, apple slices, pear chunks, kiwi slices, and white dragon fruit cubes, filling the platter.

Jiang Xue absentmindedly started with her favorite kiwi. Xiao Luohan had only seen a few of these fruits before. After some thought, she took a bright red cherry, tasted it, her eyes lighting up, and couldn’t help but ask Jiang Xue what it was.

With this question and answer, they soon started chatting about the quality and origin of these fruits.

Jiang Mei sat quietly, not asking anything, flipping through Jiang Xue’s recent homework and occasionally glancing at the two girls.

She could roughly guess what they were worried about. Before bringing in the fruit platter, she had already contacted the elder in the Xie family.

The Xie family elder said that she needed to see the plum blossoms from the other world in person to deduce what was going on.

Xiao Luo had a check-up tomorrow, and Jiang Xue would accompany her even though she was on her period. She would take some gifts and the vase with the plum blossoms to the Xie family’s home, trying to figure it out before the two girls returned.

Having made up her mind, she glanced at the plum blossoms on the windowsill and left with the toothpick container.

—She had completely forgotten to remind Jiang Xue to take ibuprofen in advance.

Jiang Xue couldn’t focus on her studies tonight.

It wasn’t because of Elder Sister Red Fox. She was usually optimistic. For problems she couldn’t solve immediately, she would just make a note of her thought process and put it aside. Maybe she would have an idea later.

She had simply forgotten to take ibuprofen in advance. She had thought that with her regular schedule and good health recently, she wouldn’t have period cramps, but they struck that night, so painful that she couldn’t even sit still.

In the midst of the pain, she smelled the faint plum blossom fragrance from Xiao Luohan, then felt her arm being pulled—Xiao Luo was trying to help her to the bed to rest.

“I can walk by myself!” Jiang Xue hurriedly stopped her, but she was too weak, and Xiao Luohan easily lifted her.

Sister Cheng had already placed a pad on the bed. Jiang Xue, embarrassed to worry Xiao Luohan further, quickly changed into her pajamas and lay down.

“I’m fine. I’ve already taken ibuprofen, it will take effect soon,” she reassured Xiao Luohan, then tried to distract her. “By the way, it’s almost your bedtime, right? Do you want to wash up and sleep for a while with me?”

Xiao Luohan obediently went to wash up.

Jiang Xue lay alone in the large bed, the pain in her lower abdomen making her curl up. Even though the heat patch was already working, and the ibuprofen was starting to take effect, she was still in so much pain that cold sweat beaded on her forehead, her breathing slightly labored.

She didn’t even know when Xiao Luohan returned, only feeling an arm wrap around her, and a warm hand, freshly washed with warm water, gently massaging her lower abdomen.

This made her even more embarrassed, but the pain was relieved by the massage, and that conflicting feeling of wanting to escape yet also wanting to indulge in the comfort returned.

For a moment, she felt like the dairy cow cat at Old Cat Noodle Shop.

Deliberately keeping her distance, but when Xiao Luo approached and snuggled close, she also couldn’t help but want to nuzzle against her.

Amidst this strange conflict, Jiang Xue unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

Looking at the girl sleeping peacefully in her arms, Xiao Luohan hesitated for a moment, then didn’t let go.

She remembered Jiang Xue’s comment about Xixi, Xie Xitong’s cat, today: “Xixi grew up spoiled by two families.”

Saying this, Jiang Xue probably hadn’t realized that her own situation was similar to Xixi’s.

Having grown up pampered, she was like a little sun, constantly radiating warmth and light, trusting and treating those she cared about with sincerity.

And this sincerity was pure, simply “hoping that the other person would be well.”

Xiao Luohan was genuinely happy for her, but couldn’t help but worry about their future.

Jiang Xue was so good, so dazzlingly good, that she didn’t know if her feelings for Jiang Xue would one day become twisted—she truly enjoyed being with Jiang Xue, but would she, for her own selfish desires, try to trap Jiang Xue by her side?

No one could predict the future, so looking at Jiang Xue, who trusted her so completely, she felt both happy and guilty, burying her secret thoughts even deeper.

Soon, she also fell asleep.

There was no mindscape in her dream, nor her elder sister, only herself, transformed into a Ragdoll cat, under a leaky roof.

She wasn’t afraid of rainy days, but it was a little cold in the rain, so she wandered around, looking for a dry spot.

Then she met a pair of bright eyes.

A large white cat, perhaps drawn by the sound of the rain, picked her up by the scruff of her neck and carried her inside.

It was a bright and warm room, but its owner was nowhere to be seen.

The crackling sound of burning firewood filled the air, like a lively song.

The white cat pushed a food bowl, a water bowl, and a small bed towards her, then lay down beside her, quietly watching.

Xiao Luohan hesitated for a moment, choosing none of the three, but instead walked to the white cat’s side and lay down next to it.

The white cat wrapped its bushy tail around her, snuggled closer, and started licking her fur.

This was a scene that had never appeared in any of her previous dreams. She was stunned, then recalled the information she had just read: a cat licking another cat’s fur was a way of declaring ownership.

It essentially meant “This cat is under my protection now.”

But “declaring ownership” also meant “possession.”

Xiao Luohan didn’t mind being “possessed” by Jiang Xue, so she accepted the white cat’s kindness, letting it lick her from head to toe.

If she could smell in this dream, she thought, she would definitely be covered in the white cat’s scent.

Perhaps because she had just talked about Xixi, Jiang Xue dreamed of becoming the large white cat.

She wandered around the empty house, then, attracted by the sound of rain outside the window, ran out to watch.

And she saw a Ragdoll cat outside. Its fur was wet from the rain, but it didn’t seem anxious, just searching for something under the leaky eaves.

Jiang Xue carried it inside.

What if it was Xiao Luo transformed? Xiao Luo’s health wasn’t good, and she had just recovered from a severe cold. She couldn’t get sick again from the rain!

The Ragdoll cat was very well-behaved, but it didn’t eat or drink, and instead of going to the small bed to rest, it lay down beside her.

Jiang Xue thought for a moment, deciding to welcome the “newcomer” in cat language, expressing her goodwill so that it could rest more peacefully.

She clumsily licked the Ragdoll cat from head to toe. Seeing the little creature close its eyes, clearly trusting her more now, she felt happy.

Because of this dream, she didn’t wake up at her usual snack time. When she opened her eyes, it was already past 4:00 AM, and she had slept for a full eight hours.

Most importantly, her stomach barely hurt anymore, just a dull ache and some bloating, but compared to period cramps, these were nothing.

Seeing Xiao Luohan sleeping soundly, Jiang Xue carefully moved away slightly and stretched comfortably.

But she hadn’t expected this to disturb Xiao Luo. When she turned over, she met a pair of sleepy eyes.

“M-Morning, Xiao Luo!” Jiang Xue felt a little guilty and greeted her proactively. “You can sleep for another two hours, no rush to get up.”

Xiao Luo had a check-up today and had to fast, so waking up too early would only make her hungry. It was better to sleep.

She heard Xiao Luohan softly reply with an “Mm,” then mumble sleepily, “I dreamed of a cat, A-Xue.”

Jiang Xue was about to ask “What did the cat do?” when a thought suddenly struck her.

…Could they have been having the same dream?

“The cat was very kind to me, giving me food, shelter, and its warm fur,” Xiao Luohan continued, her eyes still closed, her voice a soft murmur, like sleep-talking. “I like her very much and want to stay with her always.”

“Th-Then just stay,” Jiang Xue replied, trying to sound calm. “Since it’s a cat you like, it will definitely let you stay.”

“Why?”

Jiang Xue thought for a moment. “Because giving and receiving affection is mutual. You felt the cat’s kindness, and the cat also felt your dependence. It has no reason to reject a compatible friend, right?”

She didn’t know that the word “friend,” like a clap of thunder, slightly awakened the half-asleep Xiao Luohan.

Having woken up from the dream, she definitely wouldn’t ask further, just pretending to be sleepy, murmuring in agreement and falling silent.

Jiang Xue’s heart raced.

It was a good thing Xiao Luo didn’t ask anymore. She had licked the Ragdoll cat from head to toe!