The air here was thick with a familiar scent, enclosed within a confined space.

Lin Ran instinctively looked up and, sure enough, spotted an opening.

Through it streamed beams of light, revealing dazzling specks of starlight—more breathtaking than any observatory.

Lin Ran reached out, his fingers tracing the carvings on the stone wall.

The dim light only allowed him to make out vague outlines. Etched into the rock was a depiction of a stone, upon which two indistinct figures gazed upward.

The blurred silhouettes seemed to exude a mysterious allure, drawing Lin Ran in.

One appeared to be an adult, the other a child—small in stature, radiating innocence.

This is… A wave of inexplicable familiarity washed over Lin Ran, his mind swirling with thoughts.

He recognized it—this was the scene from that night when he and Luo Yao had stargazed together!

Back then, just like the two figures in the carving, they had looked up at the sky, as if the entire world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

So this was Luo Yao’s "secret hideout." But why was it here?

"Yao Yao, this… No way?"

Lin Ran was certain—this wasn’t a replica. That left only one possibility.

"I had the entire cliff face excavated and transported here. This was my favorite place as a child—my stargazing spot, the place I’d come to whenever I missed you. To me, it’s like home."

"When did you move it here?"

Luo Yao thought for a moment. "The excavation took over a year, and transporting it took another year or so. It arrived about six months ago, and I had it installed here."

"My god."

Lin Ran gave a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed. Luo Yao was capable of anything.

"Do you remember, in this very space, you once stabbed my backpack?"

Luo Yao nodded.

"There was something in your bag. I reacted on instinct and stabbed it. Then something jumped out…"

At this, Luo Yao froze momentarily before shaking her head.

Whatever had taken that fatal strike couldn’t have survived.

Even if it had, it wouldn’t still be alive now—it had been so many years.

"It jumped out… probably a cat."

Lin Ran: "His name was Xiao Hei. He was my friend."

"Friend?"

The word made Luo Yao tense up. She had killed Lin Ran’s friend?

Sure, killing a cat wasn’t a big deal, but she worried Lin Ran might still feel hurt whenever he remembered it.

"Yeah, but don’t worry. Xiao Hei didn’t die. He’s still alive. I’ll introduce you two someday."

Luo Yao hadn’t expected that black cat to be so resilient. So the one she’d seen at the estate back then must have been it.

Wait—Lin Ran had once asked if there were any cats at the estate.

Did that mean Xiao Hei had been living there all along?

But why hadn’t she known?

That wasn’t the main issue, though. The real question was…

"A’Ran, do you like Xiao Hei? Will he take away your affection?"

Lin Ran shook his head. "Xiao Hei is just a friend, no different from Wu Zhishang. Brothers, friends—none of them compare to you."

Luo Yao relaxed slightly, considering whether she should spare Xiao Hei’s life if they ever met.

"But don’t men have a saying? ‘Brothers are like limbs, women like clothes. Clothes can be changed, but limbs can’t be cut off.’"

Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed Luo Yao was veering into childish territory.

"That’s not right at all. I could survive losing a limb, but if I walked outside naked, I’d suffer social death—might as well be actually dead."

"In my world, you’ll always come first. I’ve said it before, and it’ll always be true."

Lin Ran understood Luo Yao perfectly—she was a wife with a pathological possessiveness toward him.

A classic yandere.

What defined a yandere?

Extreme emotional possessiveness, volatile moods, a twisted personality—but also the deepest love.

They couldn’t stand others liking the person they loved, let alone their beloved showing affection to someone else.

Another trait was their lack of security, especially when rivals appeared—even if those rivals weren’t human.

So, to all those who romanticize yanderes, take note: real-life yanderes aren’t as charming as in fiction. Stay safe.

Luo Yao embodied every yandere trait, and these weren’t things that could easily change.

Without constant reassurance, you might just end up as another victim of their blade.

Of course, Luo Yao was a different kind of yandere—she was the heroine of "Tom Without Fur."

"A’Ran, thank you for always giving me that sense of security. I know my issues, but I just can’t control them. Will you ever grow tired of me? Start to hate me?"

Lin Ran: "Ask the people reading this—would any of them hate a wife like you? You’re the best Yao Yao in the whole world."

One of a kind, unparalleled.

If Xiao Hei were here, he’d probably mock, "Oooh, the best Yao Yao in the whole world~"

Tears glistened in Luo Yao’s eyes as Lin Ran pulled her into his embrace.

"My Yao Yao is exactly the way I love her most."

Luo Yao inhaled Lin Ran’s scent, losing herself in bliss.

"A’Ran, let’s not leave tonight. Let’s stay here, okay?"

"Sure."

Suddenly, Luo Yao locked eyes with him.

"Then I have one last question for you."

"Go ahead."

"If I had killed that cat back then… would you have hated me?"

Lin Ran didn’t hesitate. "Don’t talk nonsense. Even if you’d killed me, I wouldn’t hate you."

They held each other close, the starry sky above them, the person they loved most right before their eyes.

Wasn’t this the very essence of love and happiness?

But by nightfall, they were freezing their butts off.

Lin Ran took off his coat and draped it over Luo Yao—a basic act of chivalry.

"Yao Yao, you’re on your period. It’s a bit too chilly here."

Luo Yao didn’t want to leave and pouted. "I’m not cold. I have you. Are you cold?"

"Freezing. Now I finally understand that saying."

"Which one?"

Lin Ran imitated the dopey expression of a husky. "I’m a wolf from the north, but in the south, I’ve frozen into a dog."

I’m a wolf from the north, but in the south, I’ve frozen into a dog.

Luo Yao couldn’t help but burst into laughter—a rare, adorable sight from the usually icy CEO.

"I’ll have someone bring heating equipment."

Soon, Uncle Fu arrived with a team, delivering heaters.

"Young Miss, it’s quite cold here. Perhaps it’s best to return to the villa."

Luo Yao shot him a glance that made Uncle Fu’s scalp tingle.