Don't Stare at Me While I Use the Toilet

The bright room was decorated in a subtly elegant, understated style. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stood lush trees, and the sea of green left one feeling refreshed and at ease. The view outside had to be worth a great deal in itself, like a scroll painting carved by nature. Sunlight like scattered diamonds fell on the leaves and reflected into the room. The sun had yet to set, and the light was just right.

The furniture in the room was obviously expensive, especially the crystal chandelier overhead, which grew prettier the longer she looked at it. Judging by its design, it seemed to be part of a matching set with the one in the living room downstairs, one large and one small, both exquisitely dazzling.

Everything was high-end furniture, from the sofa to the unusually patterned carpet. Ruanruan didn't recognize any of the brands. In any case, after Lu Linyuan carried her inside, just as she was frightened enough to let out a few more cries, she was tossed onto the soft bed in a tumble.

She rolled over and scrambled up, then turned to see Lu Linyuan take off his coat and head for the walk-in closet.

The closet had a sliding door, and when he opened it, she could see that it was so spacious it was like another world.

Just as she wanted to get a better look, the curtain inside the closet was drawn shut.

Tch.

Stingy. He won't even let me see what's inside. He's hiding it even from a cat.

She was grumbling to herself when, shortly afterward, Lu Linyuan came out in a comfortable set of loungewear. He picked Ruanruan up again and leisurely rubbed her little head with his fingers.

He gazed intently at her for a moment. "You've got a pair of eyes that can talk. You're brave enough now, so why didn't you bite and scratch when someone was holding you down and making you so uncomfortable just now?" His expression held a faint disdain, as if this cat really was stupid to death. "Are those sharp teeth and claws just for show?" He gave her little paw a shake. At the thought of what he had seen when he stepped out of the elevator, Lu Linyuan was still angry, and his tone grew a few degrees colder. Hearing it, Ruanruan couldn't help drawing her head back, afraid the boss would take his anger out on her.

"Meow~" Ruanruan looked every bit the reasonable cat as she huffed inwardly. She was a young lady. How could I have served her my claws? That would have been awful. Besides, she only wanted to take pictures and didn't really do anything to me. If I'd gone straight in with a swipe and you saw it, what if you thought I was too wild to tame and sent me back?

Ruanruan had her own worries and concerns, but she still remembered how Lu Linyuan had appeared just in time to catch her. The thought warmed her heart, so she leaned over of her own accord and rubbed her head against his palm to show how well-behaved she was.

"Now you know how to act cute," Lu Linyuan said, noticing that Ruanruan was less resistant to him than before.

"Meow~" Finger heart. She even gave Lu Linyuan a wink.

Seeing Ruanruan's clever, sly expression, Lu Linyuan paused. She certainly had a lot of expressions.

Perhaps because Ruanruan had touched his Adam's apple outside earlier, Lu Linyuan rubbed her neck and chin with his fingers in retaliation.

It actually felt quite nice. Ruanruan couldn't help purring, and even her tail, hanging at her side, swayed a couple of times.

Seeing how comfortable and utterly unambitious she looked, Lu Linyuan withdrew his hand and took hold of her tail instead. The moment he touched it, Ruanruan instinctively stiffened and held completely still.

A cat's tail was extremely sensitive. Although she knew the boss wouldn't do anything to her, she still didn't dare move and let him stroke it from base to tip.

Seeing Ruanruan's body stiffen, Lu Linyuan was amused, though his face retained its cool, indifferent expression that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

He had just come out of the room carrying Ruanruan when the butler hurried up from the first floor, without even taking the elevator.

The moment the butler saw Lu Linyuan, he lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"Sir, I was the one who agreed to let Sister Wang's daughter cover her shift. I took it upon myself to decide, and I'm truly sorry."

Many of the older servants in the household had been with him since he was a child, especially the butler, who had started out as his driver. As he got older, he had followed him here to serve as butler, handling all the miscellaneous affairs and managing the staff both inside and outside the house.

Sister Wang, Wang Xiuyu, was no exception. They were all from the same group of longtime employees. It was normal for their children to cover a parent's shift once or twice a year; some of the servants' children had even played with him when they were young. They did it simply to avoid having their pay docked.

What angered him was Cheng Li's careless behavior, which had nearly gotten Ruanruan hurt.

The cat was less than two months old and at her most vulnerable. A single slip and fall could have taken her out of this world.

"Don't let anything like this happen again."

Hearing Lu Linyuan's words, the butler knew the matter was considered settled. He immediately said, "Sorry to have troubled you, sir. I certainly won't let anything like this happen again."

"How is Sister Wang's health? If it's serious, she can take some more time off. She doesn't need to worry about work. Given how diligently she's worked all these years, she'll be paid as usual."

"You're kind, sir. Sister Wang is much better. She said she'd be back at work in three days and doesn't need such a long rest."

"Mm. From now on, without my permission, no one other than the staff is to enter my residence at will."

"Understood."

After settling the matter, Lu Linyuan carried Ruanruan to the cat room. Ruanruan thought he was going to leave her there to play by herself, but the boss took her straight to the litter box instead.

Meow, meow, what are you doing?

Lu Linyuan looked at Ruanruan squatting in the litter box and rubbed her head.

He said simply, "Go on."

"?" The kitten lifted her head, her big eyes wide, and tilted it slightly, looking utterly confused.

Why are you suddenly making me use the toilet?! You're really strange!

"So you don't poop on my hand again when I take you to the study later."

"!!!" The memory Ruanruan had deliberately forgotten attacked her again. She puffed out her cheeks angrily and glared at Lu Linyuan. You just had to lift the lid on the one pot that wasn't boiling. Honestly, the nerve of you! I'm so mad I want to give you a whole flurry of kitty punches.

"Why are you looking at me? You can't go to the study until you're done." His tone was serious; he wasn't joking with Ruanruan in the slightest.

Though Ruanruan was still cross, she had to admit that the boss's suggestion was excellent: mend the roof before the rain, think of danger in times of peace, and nip trouble in the bud. But you're staring so intently while I use the toilet. I really can't go like this, please!

"Meow!" Go away!

Seeing that Ruanruan still hadn't done anything and was only calling at him, Lu Linyuan nodded. "I see. You want me to go away."

That gave Ruanruan quite a fright. She almost thought he could read minds. How else had he spoken her thoughts aloud?!

Lu Linyuan had been about to leave, but when Ruanruan suddenly leaned back and nearly fell into the litter, he reached out and steadied her.

"Can't even stay upright while using the toilet?" He set her straight and only got up to leave once he saw she was steady.

After she finished, a servant cleaned Ruanruan up, and then Lu Linyuan carried her to the study.

In the study, Lu Linyuan put Ruanruan in the cat bed on his desk and got on with his own business.

Ruanruan lay in the bed playing with a little ball, using all four paws as though determined to fight it to the bitter end today. She thought Lu Linyuan had opened his computer to work, but the young master was actually consulting a professional.

"My cat was frightened today. Is there anything I should watch out for?"

"A fright can very likely trigger a stress response in a cat. You should spend plenty of time with her and not leave her alone in a room, as that will only make her more afraid."

Lu Linyuan read this and glanced at Ruanruan playing with her ball on the desk. He replied, "What if she doesn't show any outward signs of a bad reaction to the fright?"

"Even if you can't see it on the outside, that doesn't necessarily mean she's fine on the inside. Sometimes a cat can look perfectly fine but have nightmares at night."

"So I should stay with her while she sleeps too?" Lu Linyuan froze after typing the question.

"If possible, stay with her from morning to night for a few days and soothe her. Once you're sure she isn't uncomfortable in any way and isn't having a stress response, you can put your mind at ease."

"All right."

Three days later, Wang Xiuyu returned to the villa early. She had always been responsible for cleaning the third floor, where the gym was located. Every morning at six thirty, Lu Linyuan went to the gym to work out, while she got up at six to clean the third floor.

Ever since her daughter had discussed becoming a servant for the Lu family after graduation, her head had been full of thoughts about how to bring it up with the young master.

She was afraid that taking such a small matter to him would disturb him.

At first, Wang Xiuyu hadn't wanted her daughter to do it, but that night, her son had called after evening study hall and said he wanted to buy a pair of sneakers.

"All my classmates and friends have them. I'm the only one wearing two-hundred-yuan shoes, and I've been wearing them since last year..." His meaning was clear: he desperately wanted that pair of shoes.

Wang Xiuyu was already at her wits' end over her daughter and didn't know what to do. Hearing this, she said wearily, "We sent you to such a good school so you'd have a better environment for studying. The family doesn't have that much money left to buy you things outside of your studies. Why do you have to keep up with everyone else?"

"Mom, I've never asked you for anything before. I wore whatever you bought me. I was doing just fine at my old regular high school, where everyone was like me, but you insisted on asking someone to transfer me here. They all wear designer clothes and shoes, and every day they see my shoes and laugh at me for being a country bumpkin. You have no idea how much pressure I'm under here every day-"

Her son was full of complaints, and listening to him, Wang Xiuyu couldn't help closing her eyes.

"How much are the shoes you want?" she asked softly.

"I sent you the link on WeChat. They're a little over two thousand."

Hearing that a pair of shoes cost two thousand yuan, Wang Xiuyu sucked in a cold breath. Working for the Lu family, she had seen plenty of fine things, but she had never imagined she would have to buy something so expensive herself. Her son had opened his mouth and asked for something worth over two thousand yuan. How could she not be shocked?

"What kind of shoes cost over two thousand? Are they made of gold?!"

"These are already the cheapest pair from this brand. I only want this one pair. I won't ask for birthday presents this year or next year. I just want these shoes. Please, Mom."

This seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back, and Wang Xiuyu's resolve finally wavered. Her daughter wasn't bad-looking, either: she had fair skin, and she had deliberately had her eyelids done, making her whole face look more striking.

She didn't dare imagine her daughter becoming some rich man's wife, but her daughter had said she was willing to be a mistress. If she did it for a good while and scooped up more money, life probably wouldn't be so hard for their family.

Her daughter was right. With her father in that condition, what decent family would want a wife burdened like that?

She might as well latch onto a rich man while she was young. As for the future, they could deal with it when it came. Who knew? She might have some other good fortune.

Wang Xiuyu finished her work in a daze and received a call from her daughter during her break.

"Mom, I've made up my mind. A year is too long. Why don't you ask the butler first if there's any work I can do part-time on weekends? I want to work for the Lu family while I'm still in school. You can tell him I want to help support the family. Working part-time for the Lu family would definitely pay more than working elsewhere. There's no need to inform the young master about something so minor. I don't have to work part-time at the young master's place, either. I can start somewhere else and get familiar with things. The butler just has to recommend me when the time comes. You two have been coworkers for so many years; he'll definitely be willing to put in a word for me." For example, there was the old residence, the young master's parents' home. As long as he wasn't away on business, the young master visited the old residence every month. When the time came, she would at least be able to see him once a month.

"You're still in school. Will you get enough rest if you work part-time on weekends?"

"Lots of people at school go out and work part-time on weekends to make money. I'm thinking of the family too. If I earn more, things will be a little easier for you, and you won't have to worry about buying shoes for my little brother."