Chapter 2: An Encounter with a Drunken Cat at Night

Busy until late at night, Lu Liang was preparing to sleep. Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of metal clinking—soft, irregular, and grating.
The convenience of moving into a furnished studio apartment was undeniable, but the downside was the low floor, thin walls, and poor sound insulation, far inferior to a residential complex.
Most residents were young people who partied loudly until two or three in the morning, a regular occurrence.
Lu Liang initially tried to ignore the noise, even burying his head under the pillow, but the clinking persisted endlessly.
“Who on earth is it?” he grumbled, getting up and opening the door. Standing there was a long-haired girl, her back to him.
It was late March, and the temperature in the city still hovered in the single digits. Yet she wore a short skirt, a wool coat draped over her shoulders, and white knee-high cotton socks beneath a pair of Lolita platform shoes.
Her thighs and calves were exposed, offering no protection against the early spring chill. She appeared quite young.
Leaning her forehead against the door, she fumbled with a key, poking repeatedly at the keyhole—the source of the noise.
Lu Liang caught a strong scent of alcohol and frowned. “Could you keep it down? Doesn’t anyone else need to sleep around here?”
The girl turned her head, eyes glazed with intoxication. “Uncle, if the wine tastes so bad, why do so many people still like it?”
She hiccupped and suddenly vomited everywhere with a “wah,” filling the air with the stench of alcohol and sourness.
Startled, Lu Liang quickly dodged, but when he saw her staggering and nearly falling, he rushed to steady her.
No matter how beautiful a girl was, seeing her like this, vomiting and helpless, he felt no attraction—only disgust. “Where’s your phone? Call your friends to come pick you up.”
She couldn’t help but vomit a few more times, then sheepishly rummaged through her bag, giggling foolishly. “Just remembered—I forgot to bring it.”
“...Do you at least remember their numbers?”
“Not really~”
Lu Liang scowled, reluctant to deal with this drunken mess.
He bent down, picked up the key coated with vomit, intending to help her open the door and then toss her inside.
But he found the key was broken off inside the lock—no wonder she had been poking at it endlessly without success.
“Huh, why is this key so short?”
The girl stared at the broken key in a daze, feeling the world spin, and gradually losing her balance onto Lu Liang.
Lu Liang slipped and fell hard onto the floor, his hands and arms smeared with sticky vomit.
He looked at his hands, trembling with anger, and immediately called the police to come and take the girl away.

...

Just after six in the morning at the Qiaotou Police Station.
“Officer, can I leave now?”
Lu Liang yawned, his face still heavy with sleep.
He didn’t understand—since the girl was sober now, it shouldn’t concern him anymore.
Why was he being summoned alone to the interrogation room? The situation suddenly felt odd.
The officer looked at Lu Liang’s file. “Lu Liang, you didn’t touch the girl inappropriately, did you?”
“Is she going to accuse me of harassment?” Lu Liang snapped awake, no longer sleepy. He wasn’t naïve.
“Don’t get mad—she’s only nineteen, insecure and scared. We’re just doing routine questioning. My colleague has already retrieved the surveillance footage from your apartment.” The officer smiled wryly, trying to soothe him.
In these times, good deeds were rare for a reason—it was all too easy to be turned against.
Well-intentioned people wasted time and felt disheartened, likely to turn a blind eye next time.
But when an accusation was made, they had no choice but to investigate—it was their duty.
“Understood.” Lu Liang’s expression hardened.
He answered every question calmly.
Minutes later, he emerged from the interrogation room. The girl sat across the hall, head down, sipping water, avoiding his gaze.
Lu Liang glanced at her but said nothing, waiting for the evidence officers to return.
Fortunately, the apartment’s cameras were new and the footage was clear.
“Li Manli, any questions?”
They reviewed the footage multiple times. It showed that she had approached Lu Liang first and even vomited on him.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, unsure what to say.
“Apologize properly. You were clearly trying to help, but you caused a whole night of trouble.” One officer advised.
“Uncle, I’m really sorry.” Li Manli hurriedly bowed her head and apologized.
“It’s nothing. I’m leaving now.”
Lu Liang’s face remained cold, unwilling to accept the apology.
And calling him “uncle”—did he really look that old?
The officer hesitated, then sighed. “Lu Liang, thank you for cooperating.”
“Cooperating with the law is every citizen’s duty.” Lu Liang smiled and left the station.
Li Manli looked anxious. “Officer, he lives right across from me. Will he cause me trouble later?”
“Go buy some fruit and apologize properly. He’s not that petty.” The older officer suggested.
The younger one reassured her, “It’s fine. If anything happens, contact us anytime.”
“Thank you both.” After much hesitation, Li Manli decided to follow their advice.

...

She had just moved in and didn’t want to find a new place. Carrying a bag of fruit, she intended to apologize to Lu Liang.
But she lingered for a long time, too afraid to knock.
Her mind raced with fears: what if he was dangerous? What if she got stalked?
Just then, faint rustling sounds came from inside, terrifying her so much she wanted to flee back to her room.
Apologies were forgotten.
Then she found the keyhole blocked.
Li Manli almost cried in frustration.
Suddenly, the door behind her opened.
Lu Liang stepped out.
She forced a dry laugh and waved awkwardly. “Hello.”
Lu Liang’s face was expressionless, as if he hadn’t seen her, and he took the elevator down without a word.
Li Manli sighed in relief but scowled, glaring fiercely in the direction he had gone. “What a stingy guy.”

Meanwhile, Lu Liang leisurely arrived at the storefront.
“Brother Lu, you finally showed up. Boss Liu is furious.” A young girl with an innocent face looked worried.
She had only started this job late last year. During a tough time when she couldn’t even secure a minimum guarantee, Lu Liang had sent her a few clients, helping her close her first sale. She was always grateful.
“Is it that serious?” Lu Liang was indifferent as he approached his workstation, only to find his computer locked.
Zhou Xiaowen whispered, “Boss Liu came in this morning and told Manager Wu to lock your computer.”
A voice came from inside the office: “Xiaowen, you haven’t closed a single deal this month. No need to make calls.”
Lu Liang looked toward the voice. “Boss Liu, haven’t seen you in days, and you’re looking more human by the minute.”
Laughter echoed quietly in the office, as if implying he had previously been anything but human.
Liu Jianchun snapped coldly, “Lu Liang, it’s work hours. You’re no longer with our company. Please leave.”
Lu Liang poured himself a glass of water, sat down at his desk, and crossed his legs. “Boss Liu, it takes three days of absenteeism to be considered resignation. How many days has it been today? You want to fire me? Do you have the authority?”
“You... you...”
Liu Jianchun’s fingers trembled with anger. Strictly speaking, he did not have the right to fire Lu Liang.
As one of Greenview’s veteran employees and multiple-time sales champion, Lu Liang was a contract worker with a guaranteed base salary.
Unless he committed a serious violation, firing him would require paying severance according to regulations.