Chapter 1

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Exclusive release on Jinjiang Literature City
Author: Xi Shuimu

——

One for me, one for Da Huang.
One for Da Huang, two for me.
...

After the rain, a thin mist rose in the air, and the ground was damp and muddy. In the dilapidated urban village, amid the filthy, muddy streets, a skinny little cat bit onto a biscuit and carefully pulled it out from the trash heap, landing steadily on the ground.

Jiang Heng found a clean spot and placed the biscuit he was holding onto the ground. He lowered his head and carefully counted again.

One, two, three, four, five...

Five pieces in total!

He poked at the biscuits and began dividing them again.

One for me, one for Da Huang.
One for Da Huang, two for me.

Exactly five pieces!

He truly was a fair and just little cat.

It had been raining for days. Other cats avoided lingering near the wet garbage heaps, but he had been patiently waiting for half an hour and finally got this box of biscuits.

Clean, unexpired, and only one piece had been eaten.

Even if it had that strange mustard flavor.

Thinking of this, Jiang Heng glanced around.

Good. No enemies, no hostile humans.

He opened his mouth, bit down on a biscuit, and trotted home on all four legs.

The urban village was in poor condition, full of potholes and puddles after the rain.

Jiang Heng struggled to avoid the puddles.

When he reached the edge of a half-meter-wide puddle, he halted inexplicably and looked down at his reflection in the water.

A frail, mouse-like cat, filthy and blackened all over, with a tail hanging mid-air—half its fur burned off, bare and even more mouse-like.

He clutched a biscuit box about his size in his mouth, and behind it, his eyes were large and bright but surrounded by dirt and grime, looking like a fungal infection.

Ugly and scruffy.

Jiang Heng let out a mournful cry in his heart as he bit the biscuit.

Wail! The protagonists in novels are always reborn holding a golden ticket, backed by a system, punching villains, kicking main characters, and walking toward a new starting point in life.

He, on the other hand, became a stray kitten barely weaned for just over a month, and to make matters worse, had his tail fur burned halfway off by a brat with a lighter. Ugly, always hungry, unable to snatch food from other cats rummaging through trash — forced to live life at the bottom rung.

Drip, drip!

Raindrops splashed into the puddle, blurring Jiang Heng’s pitiful reflection.

It began raining again.

Jiang Heng gathered his resolve, bit down on the biscuit, and continued trotting.

Compared to death, perhaps becoming a filthy stray cat was not so unbearable.

His legs were short, and no matter how hard he hurried, he couldn’t outrun the spring rain falling in March.

Thunder rumbled faintly in the sky. Jiang Heng was forced to shelter from the rain in a corner.

He put down the biscuit, glanced around to see if any other cats were nearby, and only relaxed once he was sure he was alone.

He curled his legs and leaned against a glass door.

Inside was a small convenience store. The owner was a burly man with a thick neck, wearing a gold-plated chain — clearly someone not to be trifled with.

Jiang Heng observed the man, who glanced at him briefly before returning his attention to a game on his phone with boredom.

Jiang Heng quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

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It seemed he wouldn’t be troubled for seeking shelter from the rain.

After all, the residents of the urban village were a group of people who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from; who would have the luxury of kindness to spare for an ugly little cat?

The fact that they didn’t kick him away in frustration was already their greatest mercy.

The rain grew heavier, and a gray mist shrouded the sky, the air chilling.

Jiang Heng sneezed involuntarily.

He raised a paw to rub his nose, staring listlessly at the falling rain, pondering:

Do cats catch colds?

A taxi, splattered with dirty water, pulled up in front of the convenience store. A man stepped out.

Jiang Heng shifted aside, making way.

The man bought a pack of cigarettes and leaned against the counter, chatting casually with the owner.

Jiang Heng listened quietly, hoping the rain would stop soon. It would take him twenty minutes to get back to where Old Huang was hiding at his pace.

He didn’t want to encounter other cats.

Because anyone could easily take down a kitten barely weaned.

Thinking this, his heart filled with mournful cries again.

We’re all cats, why be so cruel to one another?

The driver chatted for a few minutes, finished his cigarette, threw the butt on the ground, and drove off.

After the driver left, the owner stopped playing his game. He turned on the TV, then reached for a sausage from the shelf.

He tore off the packaging and rolled the sausage in front of Jiang Heng, smeared with mud.

“Eat.”

In that moment, Jiang Heng felt as if the golden chain around the man’s neck emitted a dazzling Buddha light.

He crouched beside the sausage, eagerly biting into a big piece.

Almost moved the tough guy to tears.

Compared to the strange-smelling scraps he usually found in the trash, this mud-stained sausage was a royal feast!

Meat! It was meat!

Even if it was made from dead rats, it was still meat!

He buried his head in the food, tears welling up, while the female news anchor’s voice drifted from the TV, accompanied by the rain.

“Today is the Awakening of Insects. The spring thunder suddenly rumbles, waking insects that have lain dormant all winter. All things revive, willows sprout new shoots, and spring flowers bloom...”

...

Morning mist swirled into the café, a layer of water vapor clouding the clean glass, obscuring the scene inside.

Click!

Xiao Liu raised his hand, expressionless, and turned off the morning news. The anchor’s sweet voice abruptly stopped. He connected his phone to Bluetooth and started playing music.

A soothing rhythm flowed through the café. He tied on his work apron and opened the door.

Outside, the rain pattered softly. Across from the café was a river, its banks lined with willow branches swaying in the breeze, their soft green soaked in spring rain, brimming with life.

Xiao Liu rubbed his slightly chilled hands and tiptoed to flip the “Closed” sign to “Open.”

As he turned, he saw Lu Yichuan walking toward the door, holding an umbrella.

The man was tall and lean, wearing a black coat that contrasted with his pale, jade-like hand holding the umbrella. His downward gaze was vacant, as if nothing was truly occupying his mind.

Xiao Liu let out a breath and greeted him.

“Brother Lu.”

Lu Yichuan raised his eyes, and when their gazes met, the vacant look faded, replaced by a gentle expression.

“Sorry, I seem to be late.”

Though his face seemed aloof, his personality was gentle. Even after only a few days working together, Xiao Liu felt quite close to him.

“Not late, the shift hasn’t started yet. I actually came early.”

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Lu Yichuan reached the café entrance and closed his umbrella. Raindrops slid down the tip, splashing onto the dry floor like fireworks.

He lowered his eyes, stepped on the “fireworks,” and placed the umbrella into the stand by the door.

The café was located near the university town, facing a picturesque riverbank. Naturally, the prices were higher.

Corresponding to the high prices was high-quality service; their daily work was meticulous and demanding.

Following the usual routine, Xiao Liu went to the back to check inventory while Lu Yichuan washed cups and greeted customers at the front.

The cups were already clean, but the boss was a neat freak who demanded they be washed again before opening.

Most employees would slack off, but Lu Yichuan always washed them properly every time.

The cool water of early spring fell on the back of his hand, creating bubbles that quickly dispersed.

The man lowered his eyes, his slender fingers tracing the cup’s rim with precise and gentle movements. A soothing prelude played softly in his ears.

He turned off the water and placed the cup into the sterilizer. A clear, pure male voice came through the speakers.

How many autumns,
How many winters,
I was almost healed...

Lu Yichuan closed the sterilizer door and expressionlessly pulled out a paper towel to dry his hands.

Ding dong!

The door’s wind chime rang as two girls peered inside and stepped tentatively into the café.

Lu Yichuan tossed the paper towel into the trash bin and smiled, “Hello, what would you like to drink?”

The girls stared at him, obviously with intentions beyond just wanting a drink. They nudged each other, and finally one of them stepped forward.

“Um... hi, may I have your WeChat?”

Lu Yichuan’s gaze paused as he looked at the girl.

She had a beautiful face, an oval shape, big eyes, shy and cute expression.

His lips twitched slightly, his tone gentle. “Sorry.”

The girl didn’t expect such a straightforward refusal. “Then maybe you...”

Before she could finish, Lu Yichuan interrupted, “Is there anything you’d like to drink?”

The girl bit her lip, clearly reluctant.

She took out a note and placed it on the counter. “Here’s my contact information. You can think about it.”

Without looking back, she hurried off with her companion.

Xiao Liu came out from the back carrying coffee beans, watching the girls’ retreating backs. He sighed, “Brother Lu, you’re too ruthless. You’ve only been working here a few days, and I’ve already lost count of how many people have asked for your WeChat.”

Lu Yichuan smiled good-naturedly but said nothing.

Xiao Liu added, “I think that girl was really pretty. Didn’t you feel tempted?”

Lu Yichuan lowered his eyes, tossed the note on the counter into the trash, pressed the hand sanitizer, and turned to wash his hands.

Xiao Liu’s voice came from behind him:

“By the way, what kind of girl do you like?”

The man pulled out another paper towel, drying his hands with a gentle expression and a casual tone, as if answering a troublesome coworker’s question.

“If I had to say a standard...”

He paused and chuckled softly.

“Lively and adorable, I suppose.”