She opened the photo album on her phone. Among dozens of photos, cats of various colors were napping peacefully on foreign streets.

"Actually, I opened a stray cat shelter in Sydney. This trip back was also to investigate the rescue environment at home. But since you like cats so much, you must have raised one before, right?"

Julian’s fingers trembled slightly. "I used to have a cat..." The voice caught in his throat. "But it died in an accident." He stared at the bell on the kitten’s neck, recalling the tragic scene he had witnessed that day, his heart filled with regret for not watching more closely.

"She won't blame you."

Vivienne suddenly placed the pet carrier gently on his lap. Clementine immediately curled into a ball of fur, her tail wrapping around his wrist.

"She surely remembers every can of food you fed her and every toy you played with."

She took a ginkgo leaf bookmark from her pocket; tiny cat hairs were still embedded in the veins of the leaf. "I made this from the fur she shed when she first arrived at the shelter. Take it as a keepsake."

"Thank you."

As the plane began its descent, Julian felt the warmth on his knees and listened to Vivienne talk about how stray cats would wander into her clinic on Christmas Eve.

He finally realized that there truly were people in the world willing to light a lamp for a life they had never met.

He carefully tucked the ginkgo leaf bookmark into his travel journal.

The kitten suddenly extended a paw and gently patted the back of his hand, as if offering comfort.

"Our destination is the same city." Vivienne put away her camera and handed him a business card. "The shelter just took in a few newborn kittens. Perhaps... you'd like to come and see them?"

Julian took it and agreed with a smile.

The moment the cabin door opened, Julian took a deep breath. This small interlude had brought a sudden sense of relief to his heart.

The knot in his chest dissipated without him even realizing it.

Due to air turbulence, the plane didn't land in Sydney until after two in the morning.

Julian looked at the landlord's contact on his phone but hesitated to send a message.

It was too late, and he didn't want to trouble someone to make a special trip.

Even though she had told him to contact her before landing so she could provide a free airport pickup.

He pushed his suitcase out of the arrival gate, searching for nearby hotels as he walked.

He planned to make do for one night.

Looking at the crowds of people meeting arrivals, he felt a sudden spark of anticipation for this unfamiliar city.

Suddenly, he saw a sign with his name on it. He found it hard to believe.

The flight had been delayed for over an hour, and just as he was wondering if he should go over and say hello, the woman holding the sign walked toward him first.

"You must be Mr. Julian? I’m your landlord."

The apartment was not far from the airport, and they arrived in just half an hour.

The landlord introduced the basic amenities and quickly departed.

Before leaving, she refused Julian’s offer to pay for the ride, a gesture that warmed his heart.

He opened the windows and tidied up the place. Then, he unpacked some dumplings he had just bought at a supermarket, preparing to boil them for a meal.

His phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. A series of voice messages from a friend came through: "Julian, let me tell you, Scarlett has gone crazy! She’s contacted many of our old friends, asking every single one of us where you went!"

The water in the pot bubbled. Julian stared at the floating dumplings, suddenly remembering that rainy night three months ago.

Back then, he was suffering terribly from an allergy and sent Scarlett a message, but she thought he was just faking it.

Now, her searching everywhere for him felt like a poorly written plot twist.

"Why is she looking for me? She should be relieved to be rid of me."

He bit into a dumpling; the scalding filling made his tongue go numb.

His friend sighed on the other end: "I heard Xavier discovered something about her. Now they're breaking up, and Scarlett probably wants to find you to use as a shield."

"Julian, you can't be soft-hearted again. Scarlett is not a good person!"

The friend spoke earnestly, fearing he might change his mind just because it was Scarlett.

After all, he had witnessed Julian’s confessions over all those years.

"Don't worry. I won't be a fool again."

"As for Scarlett, you all can just ignore her."

He poured the dumpling water into the sink, his voice calm. "I’ve signed a six-month lease. I won't be back for a while."

His friend hesitated. "Have you really let go?"

Julian looked at the ginkgo leaf bookmark Vivienne had given him. The cat hair embedded in the veins glowed softly.

Vivienne’s words, "Stray cats understand the value of being loved best," suddenly became clear.

Perhaps he already knew what he wanted to do next.

"I have. I've found something I love, and I won't look back."

This answer was not just for his friend, but for himself.

"That's more like it! Though it feels strange with you not in the country. I thought you left because you couldn't move on!"

His friend’s words caused Julian’s hand to pause slightly.

Hadn't he thought the same thing? But he didn't regret leaving.

Even if he hadn't left, he wouldn't have continued to love her.

Seeing his silence, the friend quickly realized his words might have been inappropriate.

This time, Julian didn't choose to avoid the subject but told him the whole truth.

After hearing it, the friend couldn't help but continue cursing.

"I thought she was good to you, but it was all an act! She actually believed that Xavier’s lies?"

"Better hope I don't see her, or I’ll really want to hit her!"

The friend finished his outburst in one breath.

Julian couldn't help but laugh, reassuring him again that he was truly fine.

No matter what, he would not drown in the past again.

After hanging up, Julian remembered the scene of his final confession.

The candlelight dinner he had carefully arranged was completely dismissed by Scarlett as "childish."

Perhaps he should have known then that feelings cannot be forced.

The door had just been slammed shut.

Xavier chased after her, holding a first-aid kit.

Seeing the wound on Scarlett’s head, a flash of distress crossed his eyes. "You're bleeding. Let me bandage that for you."

Scarlett didn't refuse, letting him approach.

"How did this happen?" Xavier asked while gently tending to the wound.

"I was driving at night and accidentally hit something," Scarlett said flatly, but her thoughts drifted to Julian.

Xavier’s heart tightened. He knew exactly who Scarlett’s "accident" was for.

Jealousy spread like a poisonous snake in his heart, but he kept a gentle smile on his face and said nothing more.

After carefully bandaging the wound, Xavier frowned. "We're out of gauze. I'll go get some more. Wait for me."

With that, he hurried off to find more supplies.

Just then, Xavier’s phone vibrated nearby.

Driven by a strange impulse, Scarlett glanced at the screen.

It was an unread message from his friend, Hunter.

She opened the phone directly.

What met her eyes were pages of chat history.

The screen was filled with insults directed at Julian. The malice in the words was so extreme she couldn't believe they came from the usually gentle Xavier.

"That Julian is truly shameless, hovering around Scarlett all day."

"He's just an adopted orphan, yet he dares to compete with me. How delusional!"

"I'll give him what's coming to him sooner or later!"

Every sentence was filled with bone-chilling malice, striking her heart like a heavy hammer.

Scarlett’s fingers trembled as she continued to scroll. When photos of a brutally killed kitten appeared, she felt her blood freeze.

The kitten in the photos was a bloody mess; the scene was unbearable.

And the conversation that followed made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Xavier’s friend asked: "Wasn't he angry?"

He replied: "It doesn't matter if he's angry. It’s just a beast that can't talk anyway. With Scarlett taking my side, he can't do anything to me. He treasured that cat, and he was devastated when it died. I could even hear him crying."

Scarlett felt the world spinning.

She remembered Julian’s gaunt appearance during that time, remembered how he often wept in silence, and a wave of guilt washed over her.

That kitten was a gift she had given him, the thing he cherished most.

He had always taken good care of it, being very diligent with its food and water.

Sometimes when he didn't see the cat for a few days, he would ask her to take a photo for him to see.