Tener un gato me llevó a la cima de la vida

Capítulo 1

☆, Prologue

Xiang Lan was diagnosed with early pregnancy, and the other party responsible for the car accident has disappeared.

My period was half a month late. I thought it was due to irregular menstruation caused by staying up late. I went to the gynecology department of the school hospital to get some medicine. After the doctor glanced at me, he ordered a pregnancy test.

She earnestly told the school doctor, "Teacher, I am still a virgin."

The teacher, unfazed, said, "Go and look it up!"

Xiang Lan wanted to overturn the teacher's desk, but although she was spoiled, she wasn't stupid, so she went anyway.

She is still a virgin, but she had a sexual encounter twenty days ago.

As a result, she sat on a bench outside the hospital for two hours and finally convinced herself to accept the fact.

Xiang Lan started having nightmares every night, about a little demon with the same captivating face as Fang Zidu crawling out of her belly.

Fang Zidu, the name of that bewitching man. And this man, like a dewdrop before the morning sun, beautiful yet fragile, vanishes without a trace once the sun shines.

He was a jinx, ruining her life.

She would never let him go for the rest of her life.

Author's Note: Come on, let's start with a prologue! I hope you all enjoy it.

☆, Chapter 1

Xiang Lan handed over the first draft of her graduation project to Liu Nanyang; it was a thick stack.

He glanced at the manuscript, but didn't rush to look at it. Instead, he picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and after a while, said, "Xiang Lan, have you ever been in a relationship?"

Xiang Lan was a little impatient, but still answered politely, "No."

Have you ever had someone you liked?

This can't be hidden anymore, "There is—"

"Didn't catch up?" Liu Nanyang put down his teacup, pressed his hand on the manuscript, and said in a friendly manner, "Oh, it's quite thick, and it gets thicker each time."

Xiang Lan really wanted to roll her eyes. If it weren't for the fact that her submissions were criticized the last two times, she wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.

"My brother and my dad don't agree."

"They disagreed, and you just gave in?" Liu Nanyang glanced at her sideways. "You don't seem like the type to be so obedient."

"Teacher, please take a look at my manuscript—" Stop dwelling on personal issues.

"Being able to let your family control your emotions means you don't like them enough." Liu Nanyang lazily pushed the manuscript aside, showing no intention of opening it. "Sit down, standing is too high, it puts pressure on me."

Xiang Lan pulled up a chair, sat up straight, and just wanted to behave herself to satisfy him and stop causing trouble. She deeply regretted not being careful when choosing her topic, picking such a broad one as "love and beauty," thinking it would be easy to write and she could be lazy. Instead, she had encountered such a strict tutor. But it was too late to cry now, and changing topics or tutors was out of the question.

"Never been in a relationship." Liu Nanyang looked her up and down. "This won't do for a young woman; the best years of your life will pass by in the blink of an eye—"

Xiang Lan lowered her head and endured it, simply because the person in front of her was not only her mentor but also her uncle, and therefore naturally had the right to discipline her.

"I'll have to talk to my brother about that."

Do you have someone you love right now?

"have."

Who is it?

Xiang Lan reached out and pulled the stack of manuscripts back, flipped them open, and showed her latest idea: a young and handsome man with his body naked, standing on his back, his hands plunging into his chest and tearing it apart to reveal his bright red heart.

"He is the subject of my graduation project."

Liu Nanyang looked at the girl, flipped through the rough draft and a meticulously retouched sketch, and after a long while said, "What are you trying to convey?"

"Love and Beauty—"

"All I saw was perfunctoriness and emptiness."

"Teacher, you haven't looked at it carefully yet. I wrote all my design concepts on the back. Take another look!" I showed him my whole heart, but he was still not satisfied.

Liu Nanyang shook his head. "If the next thing you submit is like this, I suggest you postpone your graduation."

Xiang Lan froze, seeing his still smiling face, unsure what to do, and said in a dejected voice, "Uncle—"

“Calling me ‘Dad’ won’t help.” Liu Nanyang closed the manuscript. “Move it back. Don’t leave it here. It makes me angry just looking at it.”

Xiang Lan knew why he was so angry. Her uncle was a professor at the art academy, a successful artist with numerous awards. When she was little, he would often teach her to draw, sculpt clay, and carve. When it came time to take the college entrance exam, her family wouldn't let her study abroad, so she defiantly chose the art exam, which she thought was easier. Thanks to her uncle's teaching, she got into the art academy. Playing around with it was fine, but once she started seriously studying the major, her uncle's attitude changed drastically. He looked down on her lazy attitude, but since he wasn't her main teacher, he let it go.

No one expected that they would make a mistake on their graduation project!

"You have to tell me what's wrong with it!" Xiang Lan said anxiously, no longer caring about maintaining her obedient demeanor. "Uncle, I really put my heart into this this time. I've been working on this character for several years, and I've even drawn many sketches and illustrations for him—"

Seeing her anxious, Liu Nanyang said, "Do you think being good-looking is beauty? Without a soul and flesh, just empty lines, it's just an empty shell of a human form. You've been well protected by your family since you were little, and your path has been arranged for you. You don't know what the real world is like. Whether you like it or not, it comes quickly and goes even faster. Without actively pursuing and mastering it, without striving for the ultimate, how can you talk about beauty? It's this kind of attitude that I really dislike."

"What should we do then?" Xiang Lan asked, bewildered.

"Go and love something real, whether it's a person or an object, give it your all, and freeze your beauty and love in that most radiant moment. Then come find me—"

Xiang Lan stuffed the manuscript back into her bag, dejectedly left Liu Nanyang's office, and kicked pebbles as she walked out of the college building, which was designed with all sorts of bizarre and fantastical appearances.

She felt somewhat desperate; at twenty-one, she had only met two men who liked this feeling.

One was her brother's childhood friend, Xiao Chenglin. He was handsome and very good at manipulating people, and he was well aware of her feelings for him. Her brother thought that he was almost ten years older than her, too slick and unreliable, and that she couldn't handle him. He tried to stop her in every way and even introduced her to male friends of the same age. She was very interested in him, but he never reciprocated her feelings. She had been thinking about him for a year, but they never even went on a date alone. In the end, he got married without saying a word, which made her very disappointed, so she gave up. The other was her sister-in-law's classmate, Monkey. He wasn't particularly good-looking, but he had a humorous and cute personality. He was willing to coax her, play with her, and understand her rebellious feelings towards her brother and parents. She struggled with this for a long time. Just when she finally put aside her preference for good-looking guys and wanted to take things further with him, her brother spoke up again, saying that Monkey was very busy with work and that when he was busy, he wouldn't have time to spend with her, and the two of them would blame each other. She wanted to argue, but Monkey disappeared first, making her very embarrassed, so she had to give up.

She was like a flower bud that was about to bloom, but was always plucked out. All her emotions were trapped in her heart, settling down day by day and forming a thick shell that prevented her from truly experiencing the world.

Is it because giving up too easily prevents one from achieving the ultimate in beauty?

If not giving up is the ultimate goal, then isn't the long-term persistence towards this virtual character considered love? Xiang Lan scoffed at Liu Nanyang's words. As for him, he was a free spirit with a colorful love life, yet he himself hadn't reached the ultimate goal, and he was using such an empty concept to demand things of her!

No matter how she looked at it, she felt that her character and the theme she wanted to express were a perfect match.

My phone rang; it was my roommate, Deng Yifan.

"Hey girl, how's it going?" Deng Yifan asked with concern. "Did you pass the first draft?"

"No—" Xiang Lan groaned, "Let me find someone or something to love, and wait until I understand what true love and beauty are before I go to him, otherwise I'll just have to postpone my graduation."

Deng Yifan laughed, while Xiang Lan snapped, "You have absolutely no compassion?"

“Teacher Liu and I think alike, which shows you lack experience.” Deng Yifan was actually quite envious. “You have a big shot willing to guide you, you must be talented, just grovel! By the way, I’m here to tip you off.”

"What?"

"Your photo gallery on the campus network has been dug up again. Someone posted Li Xingda's photo on it, saying that the beauties in your photo gallery were drawn based on him. You haven't been at school these past few days, and you probably haven't been online either, right? It's causing quite a stir. At first, I didn't think much of it, but today the wind has turned a bit off."

"What's wrong?" Xiang Lan was a little listless. Since her freshman year of college, she had been posting four-panel comics or design sketches online. The main character in these comics was the virtual beauty she had submitted to Liu Nanyang today, which had been rejected. At first, no one paid attention, but as she persisted and the four-panel comics became quite interesting, more people started commenting. This year, because she was working on her graduation project, she had been traveling and sketching for inspiration for a long time and didn't have the energy to maintain the post, so it had long since sunk to the bottom.

"The person who commented posted Li Xingda's photo, sketched it, and compared it to the beauty's features one by one; there was indeed a three-tenths resemblance. Those commenting, never ones to miss a chance for drama, accused you of being a voyeur, having a dark side, and secretly in love with Li Xingda but unable to have him, so you resorted to this method to covet him. Plus, he's considered a campus heartthrob with quite a few female fans, so they launched a manhunt to see who was lurking around him—"

"Are you crazy?!" Xiang Lan was already annoyed, and now she was even more disgusted.

Li Xingda was an alumnus of their year and the president of the student union. She and Deng Yifan were members of the publicity department, responsible for drawing various display boards when there were events. They knew each other and occasionally interacted, but they were not close at all, let alone having any crushes or spying on each other.

"Li Xingda is just an average-looking guy, not even as good-looking as my brother. How dare he compare to my beauty? Those people are shameless—"

Deng Yifan said, "Should we talk to Li Xingda? If those people find you and cause a scene in front of him, it will have a bad impact on you."

"There's no need," Xiang Lan refused outright.

Li Xingda has a somewhat aloof personality, is decisive and efficient, and strives for perfection, which Xiang Lan finds a bit overbearing. Xiang Lan, on the other hand, is used to being lazy and easygoing, and has been driven to the point of wanting to quit several times by his pressure to produce exhibition boards. In short, the two have different styles and don't get along well with each other.

"I don't have time to deal with this right now!" Xiang Lan wanted to cry. She knew that with her uncle's serious and dedicated attitude towards art, he wouldn't stop until he pushed her to the brink of emotional collapse. Moreover, he was capable of delaying his graduation; after all, she had seen several senior students tormented to the point of despair.

After hanging up the phone, Xiang Lan didn't want to go home anymore. She stood there, sighed, and stared blankly at the bare tree branches. Liu Nanyang suggested that she find something or someone to love; true to his style, he probably meant for her to find a man.

He once commented on her work, saying it possessed only a refined appearance but lacked soul and substance; it had imagination but no vitality; its expression was precise but failed to convey any emotion. He believed she needed a period of devastation, a trigger to release the power within her, which would then manifest in her work. After saying this, he felt somewhat smug, believing that self-reflection leading to spiritual elevation is difficult; most people need external stimuli, whether it be beauty, sex, or a continuous romantic relationship.

Unable to reflect on her own shortcomings, she can only rely on external factors. The problem is, where can she find a beautiful woman?

Xiang Lan turned and headed towards the internet cafe near the school gate. The whole world seemed to be against her. She was failing her graduation project, and her beauty was being criticized online. At the very least, she had to save one thing.

At the internet cafe's service counter, Xiang Lan rested her hand on the counter, holding her ID card, her slender white wrist curving into a graceful arc.

How long until there are vacancies in the non-smoking booths?

"It will take at least another two hours. You can try other seats first." The internet cafe manager didn't even look up, busy processing cards for customers who weren't picky about seats.

"Hey handsome, can you help me out?" He tapped his ID card on the counter. "I just need a booth."

"There's no way around it, there are just too many people at the start of the semester," he said. "If you dawdle any longer, there won't even be any seats left in the lobby."

The room was filled with young people, all focused and engrossed in their battle. People would often stand up to call out to their friends and shout out strategies to their teammates. Some smoked cigarettes while others drank beverages and pointed out the state of the world. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and hormones.

"Hey handsome, do you have any booths that have been reserved but no one has shown up yet? You can let me use them first." Xiang Lan stood on tiptoe to look at the management software on the network administrator's computer. The best seats were always showing as occupied, so she was clearly not someone who would give up so easily.

The handsome young internet cafe manager glanced at her a few times. She had dark blue hair, fair skin, and red lips. Her features were somewhat aloof, but the dimples at the corners of her lips added a touch of sweetness. He relented, "Station number one is for couples, and it has two computers. The customer who's using the computer now comes alone but has reserved two seats. You should go talk to him about it!"

"What's his name?!" Xiang Lan asked curiously.

"Fang Zidu."

And so, in a corner of this noisy internet cafe, Xiang Lan met Fang Zidu for the first time.

Author's Note: I update almost daily, so please enjoy.

Chapter Two

Inside booth number one, a young man wearing a black mask rapidly typed on a keyboard with his long, slender hands, intently watching the colorful game screen.

He was young, and under the bright light, a thin layer of downy hair covered his forehead, like a half-ripe fruit. His hair was short, revealing his full forehead, and his eyebrows were long and dark, with natural eyeliner; his eyelashes fluttered like fans when he blinked. His pupils were very dark, with points of light dancing within them, and the corners of his eyes naturally turned upwards, giving him an almost bewitching appearance.

Xiang Lan is a sucker for good looks, and she was immediately drawn to his eyes. Her gaze couldn't help but drift downwards, past his mask and long neck, until it reached his collar. Two buttons of his gray shirt were undone under his overcoat, revealing a glimpse of his delicate collarbone, which swayed with the movement of his hands, like a pair of playful wings, making one want to kiss it.

This recipe gives her the eyes she desires and the most alluring collarbones.

As the game ended, the boy sighed softly, stretched his wrists, and leaned back against the booth. The hem of his shirt insidiously parted, revealing a glimpse of smooth skin and taut muscle definition. He closed his eyes slightly, raised a hand to rub them, and twisted his neck to loosen his cervical spine, his lean body displaying elegant lines.

Xiang Lan's gaze was too blatant. He looked over curiously, his eyes sparkling like glass.

She flashed her signature smile and said, "Fang Zidu, classmate?!" The internet cafe was located in the university town, catering to students, so she made sure her classmate was safe.