?Chapter 288:


    He texted again. “Wait for me at the next station.”


    Rachel didn’t feel like replying. She put her phone away and shut her eyes to rest for a bit. After a long day of work, she was truly exhausted. Feeling drowsy, she dozed off in no time.


    She had no idea how long she had been sleeping when her head suddenly jerked back. To her surprise, something stopped her from falling. A momentter, she realized her head was resting on someone’s shoulder.


    Too tired to think, she didn’t bother moving. She assumed it must be a kind stranger. Noticing how exhausted she was, someone had offered their shoulder for her to rest on.


    After a while, as the subway announced her stop was approaching, Rachel’s eyes suddenly flickered open. Realizing she was still leaning on someone, she quickly sat up.


    “Thanks…” she started, but her words froze mid-sentence. A stranger? No, it was Brian.


    “How are you here?” she asked, shifting away from him.


    “I have my ways. Still sleepy? You can rest a little longer.”


    Rachel shook her head right away. Sleep was thest thing on her mind now.


    The moment the subway stopped, Rachel stepped out, and Brian followed right behind her. They walked toward her home together.


    The sky was growing darker. After a few steps, Rachel suddenly heard faint, weak meows. Her heart clenched with sympathy. She followed the sound and spotted two cats huddled in the bushes. One of them was hurt, its leg covered in blood. The other cat sat close, watching over it silently.


    Rachel knelt down and whispered, “Stay here, okay? I’ll get something to help you.”


    As if they understood, the cats stayed put.


    She rushed to a nearby pharmacy and picked up some first-aid supplies. When she got back, the cats were still curled up in the same spot.


    Brian raised a brow. “You’re actually going to treat it?”


    He wasn’t exactly against animals, but he wasn’t fond of them either.


    “Of course,” she replied, opening the antiseptic and carefully dabbing the wound with a cotton swab.


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    The kitten whimpered softly, flinching from the pain. The other cat gently patted its injuredpanion’s fur.


    Seeing this, Rachel’s heart ached. She couldn’t help but think—they must be a pair.


    “See? Even a cat knows how tofort its injured partner. Sometimes, people aren’t nearly as thoughtful.”


    Brian wasn’t slow on the uptake. He jumped at the chance. “Rachel, I know I let you down before. I’ll change. Just give me another chance.”


    Rachel kept her focus on treating the cat’s wound, acting as though she hadn’t heard him. She carefully disinfected the injury, applied some medicine, and wrapped it up before setting down some food for them. Just as they were about to leave, the male cat suddenly sprang up and lunged at Brian, its sharp ws raking across his neck and leaving angry red marks.


    Brian instinctively reached out to grab it, but before he could, the cat struck again, scratching him even worse this time. Rachel quickly stepped in and pulled the cat away.


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