Chapter 170

“Where do you live?” Abigail couldn’t help but ask as the car went further and further into a remote area.

“In a villa community in the mountains. You should know it,” Sebastian replied calmly, one hand on the steering wheel.

It was already late at night, and the road was completely empty. Abigail had heard of that area; it was said to be far from the suburbs.

“You’re this guarded against me–looks like we really aren’t meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend,” Sebastian said with a bitter smile as he noticed her constantly checking the surroundings.

Abigail withdrew her gaze and slightly lowered her guard.

After a stretch of quiet road, they soon reached a cluster of buildings. The isolated, island-like area looked like a self-managed zone. Abigail noticed there were commercial streets here too, with a fair number of people.

Sebastian’s car passed through the commercial zone and entered the villa district. It stopped in the courtyard of a villa built in a vaguely European style.

Only then did he get out of the car, and from the flower bushes sprang seven or eight cats, all meowing at him.

When Abigail stepped out, a few of the cats arched their backs at her. Sebastian said to them, “This is a guest. Be nice.”

Abigail asked curiously, “Do they understand you?”

“They don’t, but I say it anyway,” Sebastian replied, walking more cautiously now.

The cats surrounded his legs, each of them rubbing against him. Abigail was reminded of the stray cats she used to feed. She liked cats very much–their soft fur, their cuteness, and their friendliness when they rubbed against humans.

Back then she often thought, a kitten would trust a person completely just after being fed once or twice. She liked creatures as pure as cats.

Walking behind him, Abigail softly said, “They all really like you.”

“I raised them from kittens. Of course they like me,” Sebastian said as he reached the front steps. He even picked up a fat orange tabby that had flopped across the stairs, blocking his way.

Abigail’s remaining defenses vanished completely. She stared at the adorable cats–each of them well-fed, smooth-furred, and round. She really wanted to cuddle one of those fluffy little things.

“Do you like cats?” she asked as she followed Sebastian into the house, still holding the cat.

Seeing the cluster of cats follow him inside, Abigail felt a joy she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Just watching the scene made her heart feel warm. Sebastian’s villa differed from others in that the entire ground floor featured large glass walls, allowing a clear view of the interior from the outside.

There was no foyer. He took off his shoes directly by the door.

Abigail, wearing summer slippers, also stepped barefoot onto the floor.

“I love cats. Ever since I adopted the first one, I’ve brought every stray I found home,” Sebastian said as he set the orange tabby–named Orange–on the sofa.

“Every time I come up the steps, Orange lies there and waits for me to carry him. If I don’t, he gets mad,” said Sebastian.

“Really?” Abigail was amazed. She had fed stray cats too, but always thought of them as relatively simple-minded animals.

Sebastian replied, “Kittens are just like kids–they can act spoiled, get angry…”

While listening to him, Abigail noticed a large cat had come over to her feet. It was bigger than all the others, strikingly elegant, with tufts of long fur on its ears.

It rubbed against her legs and, when she didn’t pet it, looked up at her as if to say–You owed me a pet.

Abigail cautiously crouched down and realized how unbelievably soft and smooth its fur was. Her heart melted.

As she gently stroked the cat, it lay down directly at her feet and began purring.

Sebastian remarked, “Looks like Code likes you more.”

“What? Code?” Abigail blinked. She thought she had misheard.

Sebastian chuckled, “Yeah, that’s its name. It’s also the only one I actually bought. What do you think of the name?”

Sitting on the sofa and opening a bottle of water, he asked if she wanted any. Abigail shook her head. She just wanted to play with the cats.

Though truthfully, she had to admit that no matter how skilled a technical person was, their naming sense for cats was often questionable.