Inside the door, there was no lavish decor, no expensive or glaring crystal chandelier.

The sun had fully set, and the room was dim.

Lin Beixing fumbled along the wall for a moment before barely finding the light switch.

With a soft “zzzt” of electricity, a warm-toned incandescent bulb illuminated the center of the living area.

Lu Yu’s home was tiny—standing at the doorway, one could see everything at a glance.

There was no partition between the kitchen and living room. To the left upon entry sat the sink; on the right, a glass-enclosed bathroom; further in stood a computer desk, a sofa, and a bed.

Just a single simple room—every piece of furniture had a clear purpose, nothing superfluous.

Surprisingly, the boy’s room wasn’t messy at all.

“Meeow~~~”

At Lin Beixing’s feet, a dark, fluffy shape rolled out from the corner and gently nuzzled her leg.

“…Ah?!”

Caught completely off guard, Lin Beixing let out a startled cry.

A neighbor passing by with a bicycle in front of Room 302 paused, glancing curiously at the 180 cm tall “boy” who had just squealed in a high-pitched voice.

Lin Beixing quickly clamped her mouth shut and silently closed the iron door.

Nervously, she looked down at the small creature by her feet…

Actually, Lin Beixing liked cats.

At least, she believed she did.

Whenever she saw these fluffy creatures by the roadside or in bushes, she always felt an urge to crouch down and stroke them.

But her mother had always said stray cats were dirty and forbidden her from touching them. Ever obedient, Lin Beixing had never actually petted a cat before.

“Can I pet you?”

She bent down, supporting herself on her knees, and looked closely at the little animal.

“Miao-ao~?”

The black kitten stared up at her with a puzzled expression.

It arched its tail and trotted over to the doormat.

Beside the mat sat an empty bowl.

The kitten stretched out a paw and pawed at the bowl, as if signaling it was hungry.

Only then did Lin Beixing remember—Lu Yu had specifically reminded her to feed his cat.

She recalled… Lu Yu had said “one bowl.”

But he hadn’t specified how big the bowl should be…

Lin Beixing stared helplessly at the cat bowl, then at the bag of cat food beside it.

She crouched down. To her surprise, the bag felt unexpectedly light in her hands—not because it was nearly empty, but because Lu Yu’s body was significantly stronger than her own. A ten-pound bag of cat food felt effortless to lift with one hand.

And right under the wide-eyed gaze of the little black cat, she poured out a generous, overflowing heap—“swish-swish”—filling the bowl to a small mountain taller than the cat’s own face.

“Meeow…?”

The kitten let out a baffled meow, then buried its head in the food.

“Lu Yu never even told me your name…”

Lin Beixing reached out and stroked it once.

The fur was smooth and soft, faintly fragrant—clearly well-groomed. Lu Yu must have taken good care of it.

“What’s your name, little one?” she asked gently.

She gave a soft laugh—genuine, unguarded. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, clear as spring water.

It had been so long since she’d smiled like this from the heart.

But her quiet monologue only earned her the cat’s mild annoyance.

Apparently, this cat disliked being petted while eating. Its black tail flicked irritably.

Lin Beixing finally stood, taking a few moments to properly take in the layout of Lu Yu’s home.

It was shabby, old, and small.

She’d once heard Lu Yu mention this place was even rented.

She couldn’t understand why a senior-year high school student would live alone—away from his parents, renting a place by himself.

But then again, she wasn’t Lu Yu. She knew nothing about his upbringing.

Yet one thing was clear to her now…

She was free.

Truly, unprecedentedly free.

No more being pinned to a chair, studying day and night. No more touching that piano she never liked in the first place…

Lin Beixing leapt onto Lu Yu’s bed with light, carefree ease.

The mattress was hard and narrow, but clean and tidy.

She stared up at the ceiling—where spiderwebs tangled with the lightbulb.

Watching insects struggle helplessly in the web, a wave of tangled emotions surged within her. Her nose stung with sudden tears.

“Ugh…”

She let out an involuntary whimper but quickly composed herself.

How could she cry in such peaceful comfort?

She grabbed Lu Yu’s pillow, hugged it close, and rolled happily across the bed a few times.

What to do next…?

She had no favorite TV dramas, no beloved anime, and didn’t play any of the popular mobile games young people were into these days.

Still lying on the bed, her eyes drifted to the corner—where a computer desk sat.

That desk was the only cluttered spot in Lu Yu’s room, piled with scissors, pens, notebooks, tissues… all sorts of everyday items.

Clearly, he used it often.

Lin Beixing flipped off the bed in one motion.

She decided she’d start by exploring the online world—to slowly experience the kind of life modern teenagers actually lived.

Lu Yu’s computer booted up astonishingly fast—fully ready in just a few seconds.

Lin Beixing, still awkward with the mouse, scanned the desktop folders, searching for something interesting.

Soon, a folder labeled “Study Materials” caught her attention.

Lu Yu had said she could use the computer freely, that everything in the house was hers—as long as she remembered to feed the cat.

Without hesitation, Lin Beixing moved the cursor and clicked it open.

…………………

“Beep—”

Outside the mansion, the iron gate slowly swung open after recognizing the car’s license plate.

First came a vast garden lush with greenery, then a small fountain, and finally a white villa blanketed in ivy.

What an extravagant estate, Lu Yu thought inwardly.

He never imagined Jiangshui City had such a hidden paradise. Until now, he’d only seen places like this in pictures.

As the car came to a stop, Lu Yu knew his “hell-mode” survival trial was about to begin.

“Miss, let me take your bag.”

The door opened. An elderly butler bowed slightly, gently extending his hand toward Lu Yu with a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Lu Yu said, forcing a polite smile as he handed over the backpack.

He stepped out of the car with practiced grace—elegantly holding down his skirt, his white flats tapping softly against the ornate stone tiles as he followed the butler inside.

Outwardly composed, inwardly he was panicking like crazy.

Lin Beixing hadn’t even told him which room was hers!

Thinking back, that girl was way too unreliable…

Lu Yu steeled himself and entered the living room. The opulent, glittering crystal chandelier nearly blinded him.

“Miss?” The butler halted at the foot of the staircase, turning back with a puzzled look at his “daughter,” who was still staring dazedly at the chandelier.

Lu Yu snapped back to reality and shook his head quickly.

“It’s nothing…”

He glanced up at the butler, who was already heading upstairs with his backpack, and added:

“Let’s go—upstairs first.”