Chapter 458 - 457: IF-Storyline: Did the Big Shot Compete for Favor Today? 26

Chapter 458: Chapter 457: IF-Storyline: Did the Big Shot Compete for Favor Today? 26

Shi Lan was stunned. Xiao Li and Zhang Chen were shocked, too.

’So these flowers were for the cat?’

’And... a manor?’

Zhang Chen knew Brother Yan’s family wasn’t ordinary, but he had always been so low-key around him. This was the first time he’d heard his home was a manor.

Shi Lan was rather flattered. ’This guy... Wasn’t he just disgusted with me a short while ago? Why is he giving me flowers now? Don’t tell me he saw that rose truck from earlier?’

She had simply been stunned by the sight at the time. As for the flowers themselves—she was reasonably attractive and had plenty of admirers. She had been sent many flowers in the past, but she wasn’t one to casually enter an intimate relationship, so she had never accepted them.

Yan Huoshui noticed the two men and the cat were all staring at him. A flicker of embarrassment flashed in his eyes, but his expression remained calm and composed.

"Why are you all staring at me? Zhang Chen, drive back to the hotel."

"Oh, oh, okay."

Zhang Chen immediately averted his gaze, not daring to look back again. Xiao Li also suppressed his curiosity.

As for Shi Lan, she decided to treat this as an apology gift for the numerous times he had scared her and dangled her around for his amusement. ’In any case, I’ve already decided to find a new meal ticket. This bouquet can wipe the slate clean between us. I won’t badmouth him to my bestie in the future.’

’There are plenty of meal tickets in the world; a kitty doesn’t have to follow him.’

Shi Lan couldn’t resist batting at the flowers a few times with her paws. But she had just had a bath today and was worried that pollen would stain her white fur. She played rather demurely, not damaging a single flower.

However, the scent of the roses right in front of her was too strong. Shi Lan let out a sneeze. The whiskers by the corners of her mouth trembled a few times, her paws gave way, and she stumbled, collapsing directly onto the seat.

Yan Huoshui couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.

’Cats are so much fun, huh?’

In the past, Yan Huoshui would start resting the moment he got in a car. Now, looking at this cat, he felt no drowsiness at all. His eyes were filled with amusement.

Having embarrassed herself in front of him, Shi Lan felt sheepish and turned her head to continue looking out the window.

She had intended to casually watch the scenery outside as before, but her gaze suddenly landed on some people smoking by a parked car in a distant alley. Shi Lan’s paws scratched excitedly at the window. ’It’s those two catnappers!’

But just as quickly, she grew discouraged. ’I’m just a cat now. How could I possibly save the other cats?’

’Besides, I can’t just write out a license plate number with my paw in front of people. If I did that, I’d probably be treated like some monster and taken away for research.’

’I can’t put myself in such obvious danger.’

Shi Lan’s ears drooped, and she became listless.

Just then, Yan Huoshui told Zhang Chen to stop the car.

He put on a mask and a hat, scooped up the cat, and brazenly stepped out of the car.

Zhang Chen’s face went pale with fright. Although foot traffic wasn’t heavy in this area, if Brother Yan were to be recognized, it would cause a huge commotion given his current popularity.

He also put on a mask and followed, asking in a low voice, "Brother Yan, what are you doing?"

He scanned their surroundings as he spoke.

Yan Huoshui’s eyes were fixed on the cat. With a streetlight behind him, he was backlit against the night. His fox-like eyes, which appeared sharp and cold during the day, held a certain warmth at this moment. "What were you looking at just now?" he asked. "Tell me."

’This cat, usually so lively when protesting against me, had suddenly deflated for some reason.’

’And it was scratching at the window for a moment there. Something was clearly off.’

After all, this was the cat he was going to keep. And when he decided to keep something, he wouldn’t allow it to have any potential problems. He had to resolve them in advance.

Yan Huoshui hated trouble, but he was never afraid to deal with it.

Shi Lan stared at him blankly. For some reason, her eyes suddenly stung. She never thought Yan Huoshui would notice her mood and be willing to stop for her.

She had always thought he had a nasty temper—that he was arrogant, flippant, sharp-tongued, and fussy. She had even suspected he had violent tendencies toward Zhang Chen and the others. But in reality, he had never done anything; he just had a vicious tongue. On the contrary, she had been the one to judge him by her first impression, disliking him from the start.

Shi Lan’s eyes shifted slightly, her gaze unconsciously drifting into the distance again.

The car hadn’t been going fast, but they were now several hundred meters away from the two men. They were still there.

Shi Lan hesitated, debating whether to lead him over. She was worried it would put him in danger. Those two men were not to be trifled with, and she feared they might be carrying dangerous objects. If it were possible, calling the police directly would be the best course of action.

But Yan Huoshui had already noticed the direction of her gaze.

It was almost nine o’clock. While Z City was prosperous, not every area had heavy foot traffic. Besides, they were on the side of the road, where the only passersby were a few sparse pedestrians. Most of the movement came from the flow of cars.

The cat’s eyes, however, weren’t following the people or the cars, which meant it was looking at something stationary. And in that spot, there were indeed two people.

Most people wouldn’t bother to investigate what a cat was staring at in such detail, but Yan Huoshui was different. He had always done things his own way. Zhang Chen was nervously nagging him to get back in the car, but he turned a deaf ear. He simply retrieved something from the back seat, stuffed it into his coat pocket, and started walking over, still holding the cat.

Zhang Chen couldn’t stop him and could only gesture helplessly for Xiao Li to follow them.

He was truly at a loss for words. ’Does Brother Yan have to get involved in everything the cat looks at?’

Zhang Chen couldn’t help but wonder if letting Brother Yan keep this cat was a good thing or a bad thing.

The three men and one cat walked toward the two smokers. The closer they got, the more nervous Shi Lan became, her claws instinctively hooking into Yan Huoshui’s clothes as she nestled in his arms.

She looked at him with worried eyes, her gaze also urging him to leave.

Yan Huoshui gave the cat’s head a reassuring pat, his touch a little rough. Shi Lan’s head was left ringing, but her daze had cleared considerably.

He couldn’t help but chuckle again.

The sound of his chuckle startled the two smokers. They stopped their conversation, and their gazes swept coolly over the approaching trio.

The pair warily took a step back.

Zhang Chen and Xiao Li vaguely sensed something was wrong. They tugged on Yan Huoshui’s clothes and shook their heads, trying to stop him from getting any closer.

Yan Huoshui temporarily handed the cat to him, then cracked his knuckles. As if taking a leisurely stroll, he walked over with a composed expression and said casually, "Hey man, smoking? Mind if I bum one?"

Seeing three people approaching, one of them holding a cat, made them think of the few that had escaped the previous night. They had a bad feeling about this.

The two men struggled to remain calm. Not wanting any trouble, they gave him a cigarette.

Yan Huoshui didn’t have a lighter in his pocket, so he asked them for a light as well.

As he spoke, he took off his mask and took a casual drag. Sometimes his roles required it, so he had mastered this Skill.

However, the cigarette was cheap. After one taste, he just let it dangle from his fingers, not taking another puff. He lightly blew out a smoke ring and glanced at the large truck parked nearby. "You guys out running a shipment this late?"

The two men nodded vaguely. Staring at his face, they felt he looked familiar. Worried that he might be a cop, they exchanged a look, cut the pleasantries short, and prepared to get in their truck immediately.

Yan Huoshui clapped a hand on one of the men’s shoulders, holding him in place. He grinned and asked, "Oh? What kind of shipment? I’ve been getting into business myself lately. Mind sharing the details?"

As he spoke, he casually flicked the ash from the cigarette in his other hand.