Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Sabotaging the Cousin’s Wedding

Bubbles stayed with Elaine Rivers.

Michelle Fuller was sad to leave, but she knew Elaine Rivers needed Bubbles more than she did.

Renee Jennings returned to Yarrowdale Village to fulfill her promise to Viper. Afterward, she flew back to Zenvia with Michelle Fuller, Sawyer, and Zachary Conway.

She had given Inky to Henry Stark to take back to Zenvia. He and the others were staying in Tarian Province for a few more days to handle some matters and drive the car back.

The moment Renee Jennings stepped through the door, she was surrounded by her furry children.

"Renee, you’re finally back! We missed you so much!"

"Renee, cuddles!"

"SOB SOB SOB... We thought you didn’t want us anymore..."

Renee looked amused. She crouched down and petted each of them in turn. "I would never abandon you. Don’t let your imaginations run wild."

Blueberry circled her once, his fluffy face scrunching up. "Renee, did you find another cat while you were out?"

Hearing this, Cici and Bella immediately grew anxious.

"For real?"

"What’s going on?"

Renee blinked, her gaze falling on Blueberry. "Why would you say that?" she asked curiously.

Blueberry meowed seriously, "You smell like another animal. You’ve been gone for days. Were you spending time with someone else?"

Renee suddenly felt like a husband who had stayed out all night, being interrogated by his wife.

Pippi, playing the peacemaker, chimed in, "Don’t get so worked up. Maybe it’s all a misunderstanding. Let’s hear what Renee has to say first."

"Alright." Renee came clean. "I did indeed hold another cat these past few days."

Blueberry was getting angry. "You didn’t come back for so many days just to be with some other cat?"

"Of course not. I was away on business, handling important matters," Renee explained.

"Did that include holding other cats?" Cici asked, aggrieved.

Renee thought for a moment before replying, "You could say that was part of the job."

"Th-Then... does Renee like that cat?" Bella asked the most sensitive question of all.

Blueberry and Cici stared at her nervously, their round cat eyes wide.

Renee smiled. "That cat was very cute. Of course I liked it."

Blueberry and Cici’s hearts sank. ’Oh no,’ they thought, ’there’s going to be another one competing for her affection!’

"So is Renee going to bring it home?" Bella asked next.

Renee shook her head. "No, it has its own owner, and it loves its owner very much."

Blueberry and Cici breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Alright, go on and play now. I need to use the restroom." Renee walked quickly into the bathroom.

Blueberry watched the door close, then turned to Cici and Bella. "Was Renee just trying to hint at something?"

"What?" Bella tilted her head slightly. "Hinting?"

"What does that mean?" Cici didn’t understand either.

"You’re so dense!" Blueberry swatted at them disdainfully and meowed quietly, "Renee just said that cat loves its owner very much. Do you think she’s saying we don’t love her enough?"

"Ah!" Bella barked in surprise. "Really? But I love Renee very much!"

Cici nodded furiously. "I love Renee very much too!"

After some careful thought, Blueberry analyzed the situation. "Maybe we’re not obvious enough with our love, so Renee can’t feel it."

"Then what should we do?" Bella stared at him, confused.

Blueberry replied matter-of-factly, "I don’t know."

The three fluffballs turned in unison to look at Pippi. "Do you know?"

Before Pippi could answer, a voice suddenly came from the terrarium. "The turtle knows."

**

Renee took a nice, long shower and then sat cross-legged on the sofa.

The house was quiet. She made a call to Rhea Dempsey.

"Mom, where are you?"

"Renee?" Rhea Dempsey answered the phone and found a quiet corner to talk. "Are you back?"

Renee: "Yeah, I just got home."

Rhea: "I’m at your great-uncle’s house."

"Okay, don’t let me keep you." Renee wasn’t interested in any of those relatives.

"Don’t hang up yet," Rhea Dempsey said in a low voice. "There’s some gossip over here. Want to come?"

The mention of gossip made Renee raise an eyebrow slightly. "Tell me about it first."

"Cole might be getting married," Rhea Dempsey said with a laugh. "His girlfriend is pregnant, and now her parents have come over to discuss the wedding."

Renee: "What does his girlfriend do? Didn’t you introduce him to an accountant before? He wasn’t interested in her, was he?"

"Exactly!" Rhea’s tone held a note of surprise. "I heard his girlfriend is a teacher, and her family is quite well-off. Her parents are business owners and are even offering to buy them a house for their marriage, fully paid for."

"With his situation, he managed to find such a great girlfriend?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Why don’t you come see for yourself?"

"I’ll pass. It sounds boring."

Renee had been feeling exhausted lately; she’d much rather stay home and rest.

But just as she hung up the phone, the system issued a mission.

[System 009: New Level 2 mission triggered: Ruin your cousin’s engagement. Reward: 50 points, 500,000 cash. Time limit: 5 hours. Penalty for failure: Asphyxiation.]

Renee: "..."

"Isn’t this mission a bit unreasonable?"

[System 009: Any mission that helps you turn your life around is reasonable.]

Renee couldn’t even be bothered to retort.

Just then, Blueberry trotted over with a bag of snacks in his mouth and dropped it in her lap.

Renee glanced at it and said helplessly, "These are spicy. You can’t eat them."

Blueberry: "They’re not for me."

Renee frowned in confusion. "Then who are they for?"

Blueberry blinked his big cat eyes and answered in a cutesy, high-pitched voice, "For you, of course."

Renee nodded. "Okay, but I don’t have much of an appetite right now. I’ll eat them later."

She had just put the snacks on the coffee table when Bella pushed a can of children’s milk formula in front of her.

Renee reminded her, "Bella, that’s for Zane and Jasmine."

Bella asked, puzzled, "Can’t Renee drink it?"

She’d heard Zane and Jasmine say it was delicious.

Renee chuckled and patted her head, explaining, "Bella, this is formula for children. I’m an adult."

"Oh, okay." Bella looked a little dejected and pushed the can back to where it was.

Cici, holding a small fish toy in her mouth, placed it on Renee’s lap. "Renee, this is for you to play with. It’s my favorite toy."

"Thank you, Cici. You play with it for now; I’ll play next time." Renee stood up and went to her room to change. As she put on her shoes, she said, "I have to go out for a bit. You guys watch the house."

The little fluffballs watched her figure quickly disappear, not even getting the chance to ask if she was going to hold another cat or when she would be back.

Sitting in her car, Renee called Rhea Dempsey as she drove. "Mom, are you guys still at my great-uncle’s house? I’m on my way over."

"Yes, we’re still here, we’re still here!" Rhea hung up the phone and, meeting the curious gazes of the relatives, said with a smile, "My Renee is coming over."

A relative asked with an ambiguous tone, "Isn’t today a workday? Your Renee doesn’t have a job?"

"Isn’t Renee turning twenty-four after the New Year? Is she still not looking for a proper job?"

"I heard Renee has had several boyfriends. Is that true?"

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