Arriving at Almer’s estate, Ruan Shu curiously poked her head out, looking around.
The last time she was here, she’d been brought back in a daze, embarrassed and not fully aware. After waking up, she had stayed inside the villa and hadn’t seen the outside at all.
Now she realized that Almer’s estate was entirely different from her father’s.
Her father’s villa had only the old butler for company, a large expanse of lawn perfect for running and rolling around, but aside from that, there weren’t many plants.
Almer, however, seemed to live far more elegantly. His estate had a small bamboo grove, a wall covered in blooming roses of various colors, and surrounding the villa was a field of roses, where huge butterflies flitted up and down among the blossoms.
Ruan Shu stole a glance—the butterflies were nearly as big as her face!
After learning how expensive things were in this world, Ruan Shu was utterly stunned, her small mouth forming an “O” as she gazed at the roses and other flowers around the estate.
Besides, having these plants meant hiring dedicated gardeners to tend them and expensive monthly treatments to clear the soil of pollutants.
In short, it was quite a hassle. In this day and age, ordinary people couldn’t afford to grow things like these.
“Do you like it?”
Almer’s fingers curled a strand of her soft hair around his fingertip.
He seemed to enjoy playing with her hair like this.
Ruan Shu nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
“Go have a look over in the pavilion.”
He led her along a rose-covered path, and upon reaching the pavilion, Ruan Shu noticed it was decorated in a cozy, fluffy style.
Inside the pavilion, there was a hanging basket, white and very much like a swing. The swing had been set up as a perfect nest for a cat to roll around in.
It looked so soft that Ruan Shu couldn’t help sneaking glances at it. Her fluffy ears had popped out at some point without her even realizing it.
Her tail started swishing excitedly behind her.
Almer took one look at her face, which practically had “I want to try it” written all over it, and chuckled.
To lure a cat, you have to know what she likes, or she won’t take the bait.
“Go on, have fun.”
Ruan Shu shyly smiled, “N-no, it’s fine.”
And then she was picked up and placed right in it.
As expected, it was incredibly soft, and Ruan Shu sank into it a bit.
She took off her shoes, lay down in the swing, hugged the snowy white fluffy blanket, and rubbed her face against it, reveling in the comfort. It felt so nice, like the softness of a cat’s fur!
Her fluffy tail wagged even more happily. She glanced at Almer, and seeing that he seemed to be looking outside and not paying attention to her, she did a little roll in the swing basket.
And then she heard Almer let out a chuckle.
Ruan Shu quickly raised her head, her slightly tousled hair a bit wild, and met his amused golden eyes.
Ruan Shu quickly sat up, hugging her tail and giving it a gentle squeeze, her little face turning slightly red.
It was just too soft and fluffy—she couldn’t resist.
Almer walked to the back of the swing basket and suddenly gave it a push.
The swing began to sway back and forth, and Ruan Shu, unprepared, tumbled into it.
Luckily, everything was soft and fluffy, so it didn’t hurt at all.
Ruan Shu’s ears twitched, her eyes sparkling with excitement. This was fun!
She promptly transformed into her kitten form, curling up in the spacious, fluffy nest. The swing’s gentle rocking only made her happier.
Standing up, her tiny paws clung to the edge of the basket, and her tail wagged joyfully. She let out several soft meows, thanking Almer in her little kitten voice.
Once she turned into a kitten, she rolled around in the cozy nest without a care, lying comfortably inside. Her tiny paws started kneading, and a soft purr rose from her throat.
She was almost drifting off to sleep when she felt herself being lifted up.
“Meow?”
“Had enough fun?”
Almer placed the little kitten on his knee and gave her tiny paws a gentle squeeze.
“I need a favor.”
Shushu tilted her head, as if to ask how she could help.
Almer pulled out the white cord she had woven for him, dangling it in front of her with a smile that carried a hint of playfulness, his voice low and magnetic.
“Can you braid my hair?”
Ruan Shu looked at his hair—long, straight, and thick. He had no worries about thinning hair at all.
The kitten nodded, then turned back into her little human form.
She had already braided Grass’s tail and Grandpa’s tail, so braiding his hair would be no problem!
Almer loosened his head of jet-black hair, which flowed like a waterfall, looking quite stunning.
With his hair down, his face appeared softer and more refined. In short, he looked very handsome.
He was so tall that even sitting down, he was still quite a bit taller than Ruan Shu.
So, Ruan Shu had to sit on a higher stool.
Almer simply sat on the ground, where a fresh carpet had been laid out in the pavilion, so it was comfortable enough.
Ruan Shu grabbed his shiny, black hair, admiring its thickness with a hint of envy.
“If it hurts, let me know, okay?”
“Mm.”
Almer leaned back slightly, his head resting gently on Ruan Shu’s short little legs.
He was only leaning lightly, so it didn’t feel heavy at all.
Grabbing a section of his hair from the side, Ruan Shu started braiding, carefully weaving the cord in at a spot that seemed just right.
Focused on her task, she leaned in with a fresh, pleasant scent, while Almer half-closed his eyes, fingers idly winding through his hair as he pondered something.
“All done.”
Since there was only one cord, she only braided a single strand.
It just so happened to reveal the blue gemstone earring on his ear, adding an exotic charm to his look.
Almer held the braided strand, examining it, then gave Ruan Shu’s plump cheek a gentle squeeze.
“Very nice.”
Ruan Shu: “…”
Nice? Then why pinch my cheek?
The little one puffed up in slight annoyance, her cheeks puffing out like a pufferfish.
But soon, her little pout deflated.
Considering he had prepared such a soft, cozy nest for her, she decided to let it go.
Ruan Shu twitched her fluffy ears, then curled up in the swing basket with a soft pillow, her tail swaying as she watched butterflies flutter among the roses.
What a big, beautiful butterfly.
But… why did her paws feel itchy? She had the urge to pounce.
Then, a golden butterfly gracefully fluttered into the pavilion.
Ruan Shu sneaked a glance at Almer, who was distracted by a phone call, not noticing her.
She rolled over in the basket, transforming into her tiny kitten form and cleverly hiding in the nest.
The blanket in the swing was already white, so she blended in almost perfectly—only her bright, gleaming eyes gave her away.
As the butterfly drew closer, the tip of her tail flicked with excitement, her tiny rear wiggling as she prepared for the “hunt.”
Strangely enough, despite never doing this in her past life, her new sense of curiosity seemed to have a life of its own, automatically guiding her into a perfect hunting stance.
But she hadn’t quite grasped her own small size.
As she leapt, she realized that the butterfly was nearly as big as she was—even without her tail.
After a round of “intense combat,” her “prey” managed to lift her slightly into the air!
Though she was only hanging a short distance off the ground, the butterfly really had lifted her up!
The kitten was utterly shocked: “!!”