Chapter 9: Homeless Cat
“Jingyi, why did you help her?”
After school, Lu Li, An Baili, and Chu Jingyi were strolling on the playground. An Baili looked incredulous. “Jingyi, Wen Hupo is clearly trying to steal our man, why did you help her drag Lu Li into this?”
Chu Jingyi said aggrieved, “I’m sorry, I just thought Miss Wen Hupo looked so pitiful. She kept calling Lu Li’s name, but he ignored her. Everyone was watching. I’ve never seen her so embarrassed.”
“Okay, don’t blame Jingyi. I agreed to it, it has nothing to do with her.” Lu Li pinched An Baili’s earlobe, pulling the agitated girl closer. “Don’t take it out on Jingyi. If you’re mad, be mad at me.”
An Baili glared at him. “You too! Wen Hupo just called your name a couple of times, and you caved? Do you still have feelings for her?”
Feelings? It would be a lie to say he didn’t, but the main reason he agreed was because of Chu Jingyi.
He took both girls’ warm hands, swinging them gently, and said, “I’m already content with you two and my sister.”
An Baili grumbled, “When is Zou Yameng coming back?”
“I don’t know, maybe during the Chinese New Year holiday.” Sister Yameng chatted with him every Sunday, mostly about her training routine. The second team had strict rules, and they only had one day a week to use their phones. She wasn’t sure if they would have any long holidays this year.
An Baili whispered, “Let’s see how you explain Zou Yameng to Jingyi then.”
I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Lu Li chuckled dryly, not knowing how to answer.
As the three of them strolled and chatted, a figure appeared in the distance, a figure who once occupied Lu Li’s every thought, but now he desperately wanted to avoid. Did she always appear like a ghost? Suddenly appearing, then silently disappearing.
Wen Hupo smiled, a fake smile. “Are you preparing for the sports meet? Want to practice the three-legged race and table tennis? I heard you’re very good at table tennis, Lu Li.”
Usually, it was Lu Li who went to the activity classroom to find Wen Hupo. She never sought out others, except for today.
“Maybe next time… I still have to analyze the game data. Oh, and I’ll get your payment for the artwork to you as soon as possible. Is Chinese currency okay?” Lu Li adopted a business-like tone.
“Then… okay. I don’t really need the payment… By the way, are we going to the activity classroom for club activities today?” This was the first time Wen Hupo used “we.” She was trying to integrate herself into their little group.
What are you doing… Lu Li shook his head slightly. He didn’t understand Wen Hupo’s obsession. Why did she have to target him? Didn’t she know that this was selfish and cruel to a man who once loved her? Was it out of some condescending guilt? Was she trying to bestow her pity upon him?
You were the one who said you weren’t interested. Now you’re trying to get close. You were the one who was always aloof and impassive. Now you’re forcing a smile.
Wen Hupo, are you still the same calm and rational person? Do you even know what you’re doing?
“Then… then we’ll be going. Bye, Miss Hupo…” Seeing Lu Li and An Baili turn to leave, Chu Jingyi, ever the kindest, said goodbye politely to Wen Hupo, then ran to catch up with them. “Wait for me! Can I go to your place today?”
Wen Hupo stared blankly at their retreating figures, feeling like she had lost something precious. She suddenly remembered those ordinary days in the activity classroom, silently watching the three of them bicker and laugh. Those days were gone now. A wave of frustration washed over her, but she didn’t know where it came from.
She walked back to the activity classroom alone, not in a hurry to pack her bag. She sat in front of her canvas, looking at the vibrant colors on the rough surface. Usually at this time, Lu Li would come to the activity classroom after school and chat with her about painting. Sometimes, they would engage in wild flights of fancy, discussing the past and future of humanity. It was the highlight of her day.
But the clock struck six, the sky turning a dusky orange, and Lu Li still hadn’t appeared. He was with the other girls, perhaps talking about the same topics they discussed, perhaps telling them the same jokes he told her, or perhaps…
She stared at her left hand, remembering the day at the amusement park. Why did she hold Lu Li’s hand that day?
She had always thought the world was boring, that life held no more secrets for her. Now she realized that she had never even understood herself, let alone others.
6:30 p.m. It started raining in Chuanhai. A light drizzle, the sky dark and gloomy, the world seemingly without hope. Wen Hupo held an umbrella, choosing to walk instead of calling a car, her pristine leather shoes stepping on the wet asphalt for the first time.
The rain in Chuanhai was melancholic and poetic, a bit sticky, a bit lonely. A perfect match for her.
Almost all the students of Chuanhai No. 1 High School were gone.
As she was about to leave, she heard a faint meowing sound coming from the flowerbed. A figure with an umbrella reacted even faster than her, rushing through the rain and squatting down by the flowerbed, carefully pulling out a small kitten.
“Meow…” A tiny kitten, the size of a hand, with mottled fur, a common stray cat in Chuanhai.
The figure gently stroked the kitten’s head, holding it close, then stood up and came face to face with Wen Hupo.
“Lu Li…” Wen Hupo smiled instinctively. “You… you haven’t gone home yet?”
Lu Li held the kitten under his umbrella. “Jingyi forgot her keys in the classroom. I came back to get them for her.”
Wen Hupo felt a pang of disappointment. She had thought he came looking for her.
“What kind of cat is that?” She started making small talk. “Let’s walk together for a bit. You won’t refuse this time, right?”
Lu Li’s expression remained unchanged as he gave a noncommittal hum. “It’s just an ordinary stray cat. A poor, homeless little thing.”
“There are stray cats in Chuanhai too? Where’s its mother?”
“Maybe it was killed by the security guards, or chased away, or maybe it just got lost.” Lu Li said. “That’s the fate of a stray cat.” As if understanding his words, the kitten in his arms let out a weak meow.
“It’s cold and hungry. We need to find some goat milk for it.” Lu Li’s attention was completely focused on the kitten.
“Do you often take care of stray cats?”
“…No, not often, just occasionally.” Talking about stray cats brought back some unpleasant memories. “And not just cats, I’ve taken care of stray dogs too. At first, I would take them in, but then I realized I couldn’t take care of them properly.”
“And then?”
“Then I could only give them away. Sometimes, I could only ignore them.” Lu Li thought of the first dog he ever had.
The rain pattered softly. Wen Hupo suddenly saw a light in the distance, breaking through the rain and fog. “There’s a supermarket ahead, I’ll go buy some goat milk powder for it.” Without waiting for Lu Li’s reply, she ran towards the supermarket, her leather shoes getting soaked in the rain.
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