I clenched the little slip of paper and stood on the street in the dead of night.
A metropolis prosperous enough to be called a city that never slept remained brightly lit all night. The night markets bustled, and young people still streamed along the streets, usually laughing and chatting in groups. Now and then, a lone wanderer passed by, their solitary silhouette mingling with the darkness overhead, as if proclaiming their own strength.
I was alone, too.
The streetlights caught my shadow as I walked, its dark reflection drawing near, then receding, until at last it vanished completely beneath my feet.
Jingle, jingle.
The sound came from a bell around a kitten's neck by the roadside.
I stopped and looked at the bell. Without thinking, I raised my slender hand to touch my smooth collarbone, then let my gaze linger on my fair ankle.
"Ban Jin, why did you stop?" A young woman in a long dress was leading a Ragdoll cat. When she saw it had stopped, she crouched down and asked with concern, "What are you looking at?"
She followed the Ragdoll's gaze. When she saw the girl up ahead, she suddenly froze.
There was no other reason. The girl was simply too beautiful.
Clear, limpid eyes, with deep, pale-red irises.
Perfectly sculpted features, skin whiter than snow, and long, slender legs.
Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, in a volume no ordinary human could possibly have.
Her red-and-black dress was slightly billowing, yet only made her look more regal.
"H-hello." She kept tugging at her Ragdoll, but when it continued walking toward me, she had no choice but to grab it from behind and apologize profusely. "This cat is usually very well-behaved. I don't know what's gotten into it today. It saw you and just