Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 250 Playing games on the mountain, collecting packages at the foot of the mountain

"Look!" She tossed the black box in her arms high, as if showing off a treasure. "It's so boring to just rest! You've been sleeping all night, so you probably can't sleep now, right? Perfect timing, my two cousins ​​have been acting strangely lately, giving me a lot of these two-player co-op game discs."

Chen Anran took a closer look and saw that the black box had a familiar white logo on it. Wasn't that a PS5 console? Then she looked at the game boxes she was carrying under her arm. The covers of games like "Two-Person Team", "Overcooked", and "Escape from Hell" all featured characters that required close cooperation and had either cute or tense art styles.

He shook his head helplessly: "What's wrong with you...?"

"I'll play with you!" Feng Xiaolu said matter-of-factly, taking two steps forward while carrying the box. "You pleaded with Senior Sister for me, so I have to repay you! During my recovery, strenuous exercise is prohibited, but that doesn't mean I can't use my brain or fingers, right? These games can train reaction time and coordination, which is good for both mind and body!"

Looking at her cheeks, slightly flushed from the weight of the equipment, and her bright, expectant eyes, Chen Anran couldn't bring herself to say the words of refusal.

Chen Anran asked, puzzled, "Then why not just play in your room?"

Feng Xiaolu explained in a serious tone: "If my senior sister comes to see me suddenly while I'm in her room, or if she hears the noise while passing by and opens the door, well, the junior brother who is supposed to be 'resting from injury' isn't in his room to adjust his breathing, but is instead playing games in my room with great enthusiasm... then wouldn't we both be doomed? The ban on alcohol didn't work out, and I'm afraid we'll have to add a 'ban on entertainment' as well."

She paused, a smug look of "I'm so clever, aren't I?" on her face. "It's much safer with you! You're injured, so Senior Sister definitely won't disturb your rest. Once the door is closed, we can keep a low profile. Who knows if she's practicing meditation inside, or delivering meals or putting out a fire in the kitchen on the snowy mountain?"

"..."

Chen Anran sighed and reached out to take the heaviest-looking box. "I'll take it."

"No need, no need!" Feng Xiaolu nimbly twisted her body, avoiding his hand, but her smile widened even more. "This weight is nothing!"

Chen Anran was amused by her absurd reasoning, and the gloom in his heart caused by his injuries and the hidden worries of the sect was also diluted by her lively and cheerful appearance.

The two changed direction and headed towards Chen Anran's residence. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and Feng Xiaolu walked briskly ahead, occasionally turning back to urge him to hurry up.

Chen Anran watched her lively figure from behind, shook his head and chuckled, his heart gradually filled with a long-lost, simple warmth.

Perhaps, a few days of "quiet rest" wouldn't be bad. He thought silently, gazing at the jubilant figure ahead.

………………

Down the mountain, the "Meow Fairy Abode" is filled with the aroma of coffee and the lazy atmosphere of cats.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm dappled patterns on the wooden floor and the soft cat tree. Several cats of different colors were either curled up in their hanging baskets dozing, strolling gracefully, or rubbing against the guests' legs, purring contentedly.

Qi Lan, dressed in a light blue cotton-linen dress and still wearing the baseball cap she used to conceal her animal ears, was squatting beside a wicker cat bed, gently coaxing a somewhat shy tortoiseshell kitten to eat nutritional paste. Her movements were gentle, her gaze focused, and the surrounding noise seemed irrelevant to her.

The cat café was quite busy, mostly with young tourists who had come from the resorts at the foot of the mountain. A young couple sat by the window, the girl taking pictures of a silver shaded cat jumping onto the table with her phone; at another table were several college students who had come together, drinking coffee and discussing various rumors about Yunyin Mountain that they had seen online; and there was also a young man alone, with a chubby orange cat on his lap, engrossed in sketching something in his sketchbook.

Everything seemed calm and ordinary.

Until the wind chimes on the door rang softly.

Qi Lan subconsciously looked up and gazed towards the doorway.

The guest who came in turned out to be her neighbor, Lingdang, with whom she always argued whenever they met.

A three-meter-high boulder followed behind the bell.

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Qi Lan gently shook the tube of nutritional paste in her hand.

The tortoiseshell kitten keenly sensed her distraction, warily withdrew its head, and turned to burrow deeper into its cat bed.

Qi Lan composed herself, screwed the cap on the nutritional paste, stood up, and calmly met the bell that rang as she entered the door, as well as the silent stone wall behind her.

The other customers in the cat café also noticed the two newcomers. Stone's unusual height and build made him the center of attention wherever he went. Several college students stopped talking and looked on curiously; the girl in the couple gasped softly, then her boyfriend pulled her hand, gesturing for her not to be too obvious.

"A rare guest," Qi Lan spoke first. "Would you like some coffee, or to see the cats?"

Lingdang walked up to Qi Lan, crossed her arms, and shook her head, saying, "No, I've come to say goodbye."

Bell snorted, "Shut your crow's mouth. I just need to leave for a while, it's not like I'm never coming back."

"Then why did you come all this way to say goodbye? Our relationship isn't that good yet, is it?"

Qi Lan's words were quite blunt, but Lingdang, unusually, did not immediately get angry and refute them.

Lingdang calmly replied, "I received a message from home that something urgent needs to be done, so I have to go back."

Qi Lan frowned. "'Home'? Your Crimson Spirit Cult?"

The bell did not answer.

Qi Lan sneered, "What evil scheme are you cult plotting now?"

When Lingdang was asked this by Qi Lan, her expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her nonchalant attitude: "What's it to you? Anyway, I'm not here to destroy your cat cafe. Besides, the Crimson Spirit Cult is an evil cult, that's hundreds of years old. In this new era, our Crimson Spirit Cult has not done a single bad thing, and we are striving for reform and development internally."

Qi Lan didn't say anything, just chuckled.

Lingdang rolled her eyes at her stubbornness, but she was too lazy to argue with her anymore. She took out a small storage bag from her bosom and tossed it to Qi Lan.

"Please give this to Chen Anran for me."

Qi Lan instinctively caught it; it was a small black pouch embroidered with an antique flame pattern. It felt slightly heavy and carried a faint, similarly warm scent to the bell. She squeezed it, then asked疑惑地问道, "What's this? Why didn't you give it to him yourself?"

"I'm in a hurry to leave." Lingdang's tone was a little stiff, but her eyes unconsciously drifted to the window.

Qi Lan weighed the storage bag in her hand, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, has the sun risen in the west? Even a miser like you'd part with his money? Or perhaps…" she drawled, her gaze scrutinizing, "This is… a parting gift? Are you afraid you won't be coming back?"

"Tch! Lan!" Lingdang almost jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Can't you say something nice about me?! It's just that some messy things at home, I'll be back as soon as I'm done! Have that kid keep this for me for a while."

Seeing her exasperated expression, Qi Lan's sarcastic tone faded. She remained silent for a moment, then put the storage bag into her apron pocket.

"Okay." Her voice lowered. "When are you leaving?"

"Shi Tou has packed everything, and the car is waiting outside." After Ling Dang finished speaking, she paused, glanced around the cat cafe, and finally looked back at Qi Lan's face. "You... be careful here by yourself. There are a lot of people and all sorts of weirdos down the mountain now."

The admonition came suddenly, and the tone was awkward. Qi Lan was slightly taken aback, then forced a smile: "It's none of your business. Mind your own business."

Bell hummed, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the door. The tall stone followed silently, like a moving hill.

The wind chimes rang again, and the door opened and closed.

The cat café has returned to its previous languid tranquility, with the whispers of the guests and the purring of the cats once again dominating the atmosphere. The sun is still shining warmly.