Perhaps Jin Luo's prayers had an effect, as his consciousness awakened once again in the body of Lolo, the dairy cat.
The cat's fractured paw had healed nicely, and its body was no longer as frail as it had been initially.
Manman had taken excellent care of him.
Jin Luo hopped out of the cat bed, looking around eagerly, desperate to catch a glimpse of the young girl.
Unexpectedly, his body suddenly rose into the air.
The dairy cat was lifted by the scruff of its neck.
The girl's voice was close: "What are you up to? Where are you trying to go now?"
"How many more flower pots do you want to break? Don't you know your value has skyrocketed now..."
She met Lolo's pale golden cat eyes, and the words in her mouth trailed off unconsciously.
How strange, how could she see an emotion akin to longing in the eyes of this stubborn and disobedient dairy cat?
While she was lost in thought, the cat stretched out its front paws and gently pressed them against the girl's soft cheek.
"Meow~" I missed you, Manman.
Manman was a bit flustered by the cat's direct communication. She hurriedly hugged the cat:
"Eh? Why are you so well-behaved today? What's all this about missing me? Don't we see each other every day..."
She couldn't understand the cat's personality, one moment irritable, the next affectionate.
Seeing that he wasn't causing trouble, Manman put the cat back in its bed and went back to her work.
She had several customers who had ordered bouquets today.
Jin Luo lay in the soft cat bed that smelled of sunshine, his pale golden cat eyes greedily watching the girl surrounded by flowers not far away.
It was as if he wanted to deeply engrave her current image in his mind.
It was enough just to see that Manman was living well here.
He had no intention of revealing his identity to Manman. He could only attach his consciousness to the cat's body, and it was intermittent at best.
Perhaps one day his connection to this world would disappear altogether.
So in the days that followed, whenever Jin Luo could enter the dream state, he would try his best to get close to Manman and help her with her work.
Jin Luo cherished these ordinary moments spent with her.
That afternoon, golden sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the plants in the flower shop and on the sleek fur of the dairy cat.
The cat's fur seemed to sparkle.
Jin Luo crouched on the counter not far from Manman, lazily swishing his tail, curiously watching the news on TV.
Hmm... this world has many Kashida novelties.
Suddenly, the girl's clear voice sounded behind the cat: "Jin Luo?"
"Meow." Yes.
The dairy cat's body froze, slowly turning its head to meet the girl's bright eyes.
Manman rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with interest: "Ah, it really is you."
At first, Manman hadn't noticed. She just thought the dairy cat she had picked up had an extremely volatile personality.
One moment cold and irritable, the next affectionate and obedient.
Like two different cats.
Gradually, Manman began to sense something was amiss.
It really did seem like two different cats.
Moreover, the affectionate and obedient one was particularly familiar to her, the way it looked at her, and some of its eating habits.
Wasn't it just her childhood friend from her previous life, the one cats disliked!
The dairy cat pretended not to understand, turning its back, but its tail stood rigid with nervousness.
Yun Manman pouted, picked up the dairy cat by the scruff of its neck, hugged it to her chest, then extended her magic paws to vigorously scratch the cat's pink paw pads.
In the past, Jin Luo's paw pads were most ticklish, and this dairy cat was surprisingly ticklish as well.
The girl grinned wickedly as she tormented the cat: "Pretending not to know me, huh! Do you recognize me now? Do you recognize me now..."
"Hehe, I couldn't beat you in the last life, but now you're just an ordinary little cat. It's my turn to torment you..."
"Meow-ow-ow-ow..." Hahaha, stop, don't scratch, it's so ticklish hahaha...
The girl's laughter and the cat's breathless meows filled the entire flower shop like joyful balloons, as precious as scattered gold.
After a long while, Jin Luo lay on the girl's lap, his gaze vacant and his fur disheveled.
He was now a useless cat.
After they cleared things up, their daily interactions became more familiar and natural.
Manman could immediately tell when Jin Luo had arrived, and if she realized it was him, she would shamelessly put him to work.
The evil cat owner often made the little cat stand at the door to attract customers, or had him fetch ribbons and paper for wrapping bouquets.
Jin Luo was willing, though, and found it reminiscent of the playful banter he had with Manman as a child.
This time, when Jin Luo's consciousness entered this world, it was nighttime.
When Manman returned home at night, she would bring Lolo with her.
Jin Luo silently jumped onto Manman's bedside table, looking down at the sleeping girl on the bed.
His pale golden eyes held a tenderness and deep affection that he was unaware of.
After so many years, Jin Luo had learned to restrain himself, no longer the impetuous youth he once was.
He admitted that when he learned this world held the true Yun Manman, his long-dormant heart began to beat uncontrollably.
But it wasn't possible. There could be no outcome.
Manman's diary had never revealed any feelings for him.
He had to control himself. Suppress these feelings of unrequited love.
It was enough just to watch her live happily.
Being summer, the air conditioning was on in the room, but Manman's fair cheeks were still flushed from sleep, her pink lips slightly parted unconsciously.
The thin blanket had been kicked to one side, and her pajamas had ridden up due to her restless sleeping posture, revealing a slender waist as white as snow.
Officer Jin Luo averted his gaze, jumping over to grab the blanket in his teeth and cover her stomach.
Mm, even though her body was healthy now, it was still easy to catch a cold.
The dairy cat's figure suddenly froze, its ears pricking up, listening quietly.
There was a sound in the living room. Someone had come in.
It was already past midnight, and Manman's father didn't live with her.
Who would sneak in in the middle of the night?
Jin Luo quietly slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and crept along the wall to the living room, where he found a strangely shaped creature rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
"Fertilizer, fertilizer, fertilizer..."
Manman lived in an old neighborhood with mediocre security, but break-ins were still rare.
Moreover, this vine-covered creature wasn't even human!
Jin Luo's fur stood on end as he hissed fiercely at the monster: "Meow!" Get out!
The monster paused upon hearing the cat's voice. Its headless body turned, and a vine lashed out at the cat with alarming speed.
Jin Luo barely dodged it, only to see another vine swinging towards him. The vine swept cups off the table, the shattering glass echoing loudly.
The bedroom door opened, and Manman walked out rubbing her eyes: "Jin Luo? Lolo? What's wrong..."
When she saw the dark silhouette with flailing vines, her eyes widened in horror: "Holy crap, what is that thing!"