Chapter 12

Page 1/3

After that phone call ended, Jiang Heng’s spirits seemed even worse. In truth, they had never been good; it was only the joy of seeing Lu Yichuan that made him momentarily forget his physical discomfort.

He was laid on a soft blanket by the doctor and assistant, who, with their backs turned, were searching for something. Jiang Heng lazily shifted his position, his eyes drifting toward the door. The sky had darkened, and soon rain began to fall again. People passed by continuously, and the figure in the black coat looked like a mirage from his dreams.

An inexplicable sense of grievance welled up within him. The emotions suppressed throughout the day surged like a torrential March rain. The little cat nestled on the blanket gave a faint sob, drowned out by the sudden increase in rainfall.

Jiang Heng did not know what exactly he was grieving. His situation was far better than he had expected; not only had he seen Lu Yichuan, but he had also managed to feign an accident involving him—far more perfect than any plan he had conceived.

Yet, a vague sadness gripped him.

That morning, under a blazing sun, he had stood at the school gate, eating a sausage before making up his mind to enter the campus.

Four years had passed, and Lu Yichuan had long since graduated. Jiang Heng knew the chances of seeing him were slim. He thought he would just find the lake Lu Yichuan had once mentioned, lie down in some grass, and wait for death.

But his luck seemed to be spent during the bus ride. When he stopped to rest, he encountered the fiercest fighting ginger cat on campus and, by unfortunate coincidence, trespassed into its territory.

Jiang Heng fled in a pitiful scramble, barely escaping by squeezing through bushes. He hid there, holding his breath, watching the ginger cat circle around him repeatedly before finally leaving when it couldn’t find him.

Two girls carrying cat food approached the flower bed nearby. Jiang Heng struggled through the branches, and when he lifted his head, his gaze pierced through the thicket to see two people walking toward him.

One of them was Lu Yichuan.

Jiang Heng was stunned. For a moment, he even wondered if he was dying again—why else would he see Lu Yichuan’s face?

How could Lu Yichuan be here…

The girl with the cat food seemed to be saying something, but Jiang Heng heard nothing. He watched as Lu Yichuan drew closer, then suddenly stopped just before passing by him.

The man’s unexpected gaze made Jiang Heng almost think he was recognized.

But no—Lu Yichuan only glanced at him with curiosity before looking away.

About to leave, Jiang Heng panicked, but his lower body was trapped in the branches. It took a long struggle just to free his head.

Yet, once out, he regretted it.

He was dirty and smelly—how could he show himself before Lu Yichuan?

Before Jiang Heng could brace himself, the keen-eyed ginger cat suddenly returned and charged at him.

Jiang Heng shrank his head back in fright.

Unexpectedly, the ginger cat also squeezed into the bushes. Jiang Heng was so terrified he forgot his own movements. When he came to his senses, he found himself bumping into Lu Yichuan’s shoe.

More than four years after his death, and just over a week later, Jiang Heng saw Lu Yichuan again.

He looked much the same as in his memories—always clean and exuding a fresh, pleasant scent.

But the look in his eyes held no warmth.

In that moment, Jiang Heng felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. His once joyful heart sank into an abyss.

So everything had changed…

He was no longer the golden, cherished young master of the Jiang family. He was not even human anymore—just a filthy little stray cat crawling out of a gutter.

When he bumped into Lu Yichuan, it was merciful that the man didn’t kick him away.

Still, Jiang Heng clung on stubbornly, ignoring Lu Yichuan’s reluctance when he inquired.

“It’s okay…”

He comforted himself.

Page 2/3

After all, he was dying soon. No one knew he was Jiang Heng. Even if he lingered by Lu Yichuan’s side, no one would notice.

Outside the hospital, the rain pattered relentlessly. Jiang Heng lowered his head, sniffling, his mood as bleak as the storm outside.

...

The assistant closed the door, blocking out the wind and rain. Turning around, she found that the little cat had fallen asleep.

Curled up, with its head resting on its paws, it seemed to have endured something heartbreaking before sleep—its eyes were moist.

“Fallen asleep?” the doctor glanced over. “Good timing, then. Let’s quietly shave off its fur while it sleeps.”

—

When Lu Yichuan parked, the rain had not eased; it had grown heavier.

The student dormitory parking lot couldn’t accommodate sedans, so his car was always parked beneath the multipurpose building near the dorms.

He pulled his hood over his head and braved the rain back to his room.

Just as he reached the dorm entrance, his phone rang. He checked it briefly but ignored it.

After changing into dry clothes, the phone persisted in ringing.

Lu Yichuan poured a glass of water and slowly answered.

“What’s up?”

Jiang Zhuo spoke patiently, “What were you doing just now? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Lu Yichuan tilted his head back, took a sip, and responded calmly, “It was raining, I didn’t have an umbrella, was rushing.”

He asked, “Why are you calling me?”

Jiang Zhuo replied, “Xing Bai told me he called you but you didn’t answer, didn’t reply to messages either. He asked if he had upset you.”

Lu Yichuan chuckled, the sound sharp in Jiang Zhuo’s ears. “No, he didn’t upset me. Probably just been too busy lately and forgot to reply.”

“Lu Yichuan!” Jiang Zhuo raised his voice. “How could you be so busy? Too busy to answer calls or messages?”

Lu Yichuan switched to speakerphone, tossed the phone on the table, grabbed a wet tissue, and began wiping his hands, seemingly indifferent to Jiang Zhuo’s anger. “Unlike you, always fussing over your brother all day.”

Jiang Zhuo took a deep breath, choosing not to argue. “Xing Bai’s birthday is in five days. You know how much he wants you to be there…”

Lu Yichuan tossed the tissue in the trash. “I’ve bought the gift already. It will be sent to the Jiang family.”

“...”

“Lu Yichuan…” Jiang Zhuo said, “You know I don’t mean that.”

“I’m powerless to do anything else.”

Lu Yichuan picked up the phone again. “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

Just as his finger hovered over the end call button, Jiang Zhuo’s voice came through.

“Xing Bai said his birthday falls on a Monday, so he wants to celebrate early, moving it to the weekend.” Jiang Zhuo’s tone was pleading, “It’s just a birthday party on the weekend. It won’t interfere with you. He was only just discharged recently—he nearly didn’t make it. He’s been looking forward to this birthday so much.”

“Lu Yichuan, please, I’m begging you.”

Lu Yichuan lowered his eyes.

After a long silence, expressionless, he lit a cigarette. The flickering flame danced in his eyes.

“I’ll think about it…”

—

Jiang Heng woke up to find himself... shaved!

He lifted his tail—no fur.

He lifted his paws—no fur.

Looking down, no fur.

No fur anywhere!

Jiang Heng: “…”

At eight o’clock in the evening at the pet hospital, a heart-wrenching cat cry echoed.

The doctor approached with medicine, raising an eyebrow at the strong voice. “Not bad, looks pretty spirited.”

Jiang Heng lay despondently on the soft cushion, ignoring the doctor’s teasing.

He had only slept a bit—why did they shave him? What’s the difference between a fur-less cat and a naked runaway?

He adamantly refused to admit he hadn’t paid attention to the conversation between the doctor and Lu Yichuan before sleeping.

The cushion was on the table, next to a glass panel that clearly reflected Jiang Heng’s current state of dignity.

All his fur had been shaved off, even his head, and the doctor’s technique was unskilled—uneven, patchy.

Jiang Heng twisted his head, then glared at the doctor.

“Meow!”

No translation needed—the doctor knew it was a rude curse.

Feeling guilty, he rubbed his nose. “I had no choice; your glue wouldn’t come off no matter how much we washed, so we had to shave it all off.”

The assistant came over and chuckled at the angry little cat. “He’s mad? Well, with your technique, anyone would be.”

The experienced assistant pulled out a cat treat, tearing it open and offering it to Jiang Heng. “Don’t be mad. It won’t take long to grow back. Soon, you’ll be a beautiful little kitty again.”

Jiang Heng sniffed.

No cat can resist a cat treat—no one!

He opened his mouth wide and bit down.

The assistant took the chance to pick him up.

The doctor held a syringe. “We’ll give him a special injection first. The full check-up is tomorrow, but judging by his symptoms, it’s likely feline infectious peritonitis. This shot will hurt; hold him tight.”

Jiang Heng felt the grip tighten around him, his limbs restrained—he couldn’t move.

He understood a shot was coming.

His scalp tingled, but he obediently stayed still. He was young and hadn’t fully accepted his fate. If he could live, he didn’t want to die like this.

Yet, when the needle pierced in, the pain made him cry out, clenching his jaw to stop himself from struggling in the assistant’s arms. He didn’t notice when the cat treat fell from his mouth.

The pain was overwhelming—he hadn’t expected an injection to hurt so much.

Still, even with his mind blank from pain, Jiang Heng kept his claws retracted, not scratching the assistant.

Remarkably obedient.

After some time, Jiang Heng felt himself placed back on the cushion. The assistant’s warm hand stroked his. “All done, all done. Good kitty!”

Having spent so much time in the pet hospital, the staff treated cats and dogs like children, and no one found it odd to speak this way.

Jiang Heng took a while to recover, then bit the cat treat the assistant offered once more.

One shot for one treat—he felt cheated.

So, in his heart, he silently added another debt to Lu Yichuan’s ledger.