Chapter 28: Infinite Flow 3

That question was a trap.

As if it assumed by default that she had saved the black cat they were talking about.

Jiang Jiang feigned surprise and said, “I haven’t seen that cat recently. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.” Her “father’s” gaze lingered on her for a few more seconds before pulling back.

---

Before entering the building, Jiang Jiang had already noticed something.

People here placed great importance on taking family portraits—everyone, regardless of age or gender, wore formal attire.

At first, she had only felt uncomfortable with their formulaic, forced smiles. But it wasn’t until she reached the door that she realized something even more disturbing—

None of the clothing was black.

Among so many families, not a single person wore black. What were the odds of that being a coincidence?

Jiang Jiang thought it better to err on the side of caution. So before knocking, she tucked the cat into her bag.

Turns out, that was indeed the right move.

There was another thing.

What exactly did the black cat represent here? Her clue mentioned that she needed to raise a black cat, yet everyone else—humans and animals alike—treated it with outright hostility.

Jiang Jiang opened the wardrobe. The little cat had woken up and was curled into a ball, staring at its own paws, as if confused about how they’d suddenly regrown.

When it saw her, it seemed to recognize that she was the one who had saved it. It obediently laid its head on her hand and gave a soft “mew.”

Jiang Jiang: “……”

Jiang Jiang: “………!”

She tried to think rationally—but her heart had already melted.

Gently, she picked up the kitten and cradled it in her arms. Feeling its skinny, bony frame, her heart ached even more. The stray cats in her real-life neighborhood were all plump and well-fed—she had never seen one so pitifully thin.

She pulled out a few pieces of salmon, wrapped in napkins, and carefully fed them to it.

Luckily, the kitten, although small, could eat on its own. Otherwise, Jiang Jiang wouldn’t even know where to find milk.

She had smuggled the salmon earlier when pretending to help wash the dishes.

Once the cat had eaten and started yawning, Jiang Jiang finally had a chance to examine it closely. Its fur was pitch black, except for its paws, which were snow white—like it was wearing little socks. Its face was sweet and gentle, and its bright eyes shimmered as it looked up at her.

Jiang Jiang decided to give it a name.

“I’ll call you Mimi.”

“Meow!” The cat voiced its protest.

Jiang Jiang protested right back: “Every little cat in the world is named Mimi. What do you know?”

“Alright then, Mimi, goodnight.” She stroked its fur. Eventually, the kitten stopped resisting the name and curled up under the blanket to sleep.

Jiang Jiang reviewed today’s conversation with her “parents.”

They clearly didn’t like the other players. And it’s known that the players’ task was to repair family relationships—so did that mean having a good family relationship was crucial in the Happiness Community?

That would explain why the security guard had such a different attitude toward her compared to the others.

Jiang Jiang also recalled the banner in the hallway.

So perhaps the names Happiness Community and Joyful Corporation were actually clues—at home, one must appear happy, and at work, one must act cheerful?

…The second part might be a bit unreasonable.

While mulling this over, Jiang Jiang slowly drifted off to sleep, still hugging the kitten in her arms so it wouldn’t get too cold.

---

As the clock’s hands reached midnight, a dark mist flashed across the room.

The little black kitten resting on Jiang Jiang’s chest transformed into the shape of a teenage boy.

The boy’s black eyes, once filled with malice, showed a flicker of panic when he realized where his hand had landed.

Then he remembered how, when his consciousness hadn’t been awake during the day, his body had rolled onto her, exposing his belly and acting all cuddly…

Lou Su’s pale face flushed with a sickly red.

Ashamed and furious, he nearly pressed a knife to her neck.

Her skin was far too delicate—just a light graze was enough to draw a fine line of blood.

The boy wore a fierce expression as though he might kill her at any moment, but when he saw the crimson blood, he flinched and hurriedly put the blade away.

His body moved before his mind could catch up. By the time he realized what he was doing, he was already nuzzled against the crook of her neck, gently licking the wound.

Soft bed, warm embrace, and the sweet scent on the girl’s skin.

Lou Su’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t move from her neck, and deep down, he knew exactly why.

He didn’t know what crossed his mind, but his lips curled into a mocking smile. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he scoffed softly:

“When you remember what kind of thing you saved… I wonder if you’ll still be able to sleep soundly.”

Lou Su turned back into a cat, curled up in her arms, but couldn’t resist quietly kneading the blanket with his paws and purring twice.

“…”

I’m just curious, Lou Su told himself.

I just want to see her expression when she finds out who I really am.

That’s all.

He convinced himself of this and slowly closed his eyes—completely forgetting how, earlier that night, when the darkness descended and a sliver of his powers leaked out…

He had tormented every last thing that had dared to hurt him during the day.