Chapter 14

“Quite good; cherishing a child is truly a blessing.”
Lu Yichuan clapped his hands and stood up. “I have some urgent matters to attend to. Since the gift has been delivered, I’ll be leaving now.”
Just as he was about to leave, holding a peeled orange, Jiang Zhuo couldn’t help but say, “You’ve come all this way—why not stay until after the birthday celebration?”
Lu Yichuan bent slightly and pushed the gift toward Jiang Zhuo, his voice gentle. “It’s quite urgent; I really can’t put it off…” He glanced toward the kitchen, where Zhao Huailan’s busy figure was faintly visible through the glass door.
A faint smile curved the man’s lips, but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes.
“Happy birthday to your younger brother.”
…
Outside, the weather was misty and looked like rain was imminent. Lu Yichuan walked for a long time before hailing a cab. The driver, not from the local area, asked where he wanted to go in heavily accented Mandarin.
Leaning back in the backseat, the man pressed his fingers to his forehead, closed his eyes, and gave the name of a club.
The scenery around him receded continuously, the same road ahead, familiar turns etched into his memory even with his eyes closed, yet the scenes before him had changed.
Lu Yichuan shut his eyes, unwilling to witness it any longer.
In the middle of the night, he had suddenly woken, unable to resist taking another pill, leaving him drowsy throughout the day.
Before falling asleep again, he felt someone calling his name, tugging at his clothes, a sweet, honeyed voice pulling him deeper into a dark abyss, wishing to never awaken again.
…
“Lu Yichuan, Lu Yichuan, Lu Yichuan…”
Lu Yichuan sighed and put down his pen. “Jiang Xiaoheng, are you a broken record?”
The little rascal clung stubbornly to his clothes and climbed onto his back. “Lu Yichuan, your heart is colder than the auntie who’s worked ten years at the fish market. Your eyes only see homework; there’s no room for me at all!”
Lu Yichuan looked down at the paper before him, on which was written “Class 6-3, Jiang Heng,” and reached out to pull the person who was about to climb onto his head down. “Hmm, I have no heart. If I did, I’d make you stand at the classroom door tomorrow with a blank test paper.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
He hadn’t expected Lu Yichuan to be writing the test paper for him. “I begged you so much yesterday. Didn’t you say you were an impartial judge? Why are you willing to help me today?”
Lu Yichuan recalled the sulky expression from last night and chuckled. “I have no choice—someone’s the birthday star today.”
Jiang Heng grinned mischievously. He released his grip and behaved obediently. “Then I won’t bother you. You take your time.”
This time, Lu Yichuan stopped writing leisurely, folding his sleeves with deliberate slowness. “Weren’t you eager to go out? Doing homework isn’t as important as having fun.”
Jiang Heng widened his eyes. “Lu Yichuan!”
The young man’s slender eyes narrowed slightly, nonchalantly replying, “Hmm?”
The little rascal pouted, clearly displeased, but remembering his blank math test, he reluctantly tugged at Lu Yichuan’s sleeve again, stretching the tone:
“Brother Yichuan…”
The smile in Lu Yichuan’s eyes deepened, though his expression remained cool. “When there’s nothing, it’s Lu Yichuan. When there’s something, it’s Brother Yichuan.”
Jiang Heng’s eyes were large and round, his irises light-colored and cat-like. His temperament was cat-like too—prone to little tantrums.
But it was all because Lu Yichuan spoiled him.
He knew Lu Yichuan wouldn’t get angry, so he kicked his calf without restraint. “Lu Yichuan, you’re really annoying!”
It was March, the temperature still low, and Jiang Heng wore fluffy slippers, kicking with the force of a scratching cat.
Lu Yichuan glanced at his slightly distorted pant leg and raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you beg?”
Jiang Heng choked on his words. “What’s wrong! I’m just stubborn…”
Before he finished, Lu Yichuan reached out and picked up the thin test paper he’d been holding, showing it to him. Only a third was filled; the rest was blank.
Considering Jiang Heng’s poor math skills and the teacher’s strictness, standing outside the classroom door tomorrow was probably just the beginning.
Jiang Heng’s frustration turned into humility; he knelt down and tidied Lu Yichuan’s distorted pant leg, meekly admitting, “I was wrong. Please forgive me, your generosity is boundless.”
That March, sunlight was abundant. Though the temperature remained cool, sunlight streamed generously through the glass into the study, bathing everything in warmth.
Lu Yichuan wrote on the test paper, while Jiang Heng lay on the carpet beside him building blocks.
He wrote a few problems before stealing a glance at Jiang Heng.
The adolescent, clad in a dinosaur onesie, sat barefoot on the carpet amid scattered blocks, furrowing his brows and pursing his lips as he studied the blueprint. Two faint dimples appeared on his soft face.
…
    He seemed to develop slower than others his age; while others shot up in height, the things Lu Yichuan fed him had turned into flesh. His face was round and soft, hands and feet tender to the touch. Sitting cross-legged in a ball, he resembled a fragrant little cake.
Lu Yichuan’s test paper suddenly felt dull and tasteless.
He finished writing in two or three strokes and sat behind Jiang Heng, wrapping an arm around the little dinosaur’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder.
“Stuck?”
The little dinosaur raised his blueprint. “Why does it stop here?”
Lu Yichuan looked down, found the piece, and fitted it in. Turning back, he met Jiang Heng’s surprised gaze.
“How did you figure that out? Amazing.”
Lu Yichuan tousled the little dinosaur’s messy hair lazily. “No choice—I guess I’m just too clever.”
The next moment, his stomach was poked.
Instead of getting angry, Lu Yichuan laughed.
The morning sun was too gentle; for a moment, he thought such moments could last forever.
Later, dreams became fragmented.
He saw jasmine blooming on the windowsill, time pulled backward, candles on the cake illuminating their faces. In the candlelight, five-year-old Jiang Heng closed his eyes and wished sincerely:
“I hope Mom and Dad can celebrate my birthday with me next year.”
But year after year, the person he wished for never came. He seemed to have accepted the truth, changing his birthday wishes each year.
“I hope Lu Yichuan studies well and earns lots of money to take care of me. Of course, it’d be better if he didn’t nag me like a mother.”
“Lu Yichuan, do you think there’s such a thing as a hotpot-flavored cake?”
“Lu Yichuan, you buy low-sugar cakes every year. Isn’t that annoying!”
“Lu Yichuan…”
Lu Yichuan.
Lu Yichuan.
Lu Yichuan…
…
When Lu Yichuan woke, red veins rimmed his eyes, and the sweet, cloying scent of cake from the Jiang family villa still seemed to linger on his nose.
It was nauseating.
The driver stopped the car, looking at the man’s pale face with puzzlement. How could he look worse after waking from sleep?
“Sir, we’ve arrived.”
The man coughed weakly, bowed to retrieve a hundred-yuan note from his wallet, and handed it over in a barely audible voice.
“Keep the change.”
-
“Why’s it raining so much this year? It’s making me moldy.”
The assistant complained softly while closing the hospital door.
The doctor opened a takeout box, and the fragrant aroma of spicy hot pot immediately wafted out. He broke open disposable chopsticks and smiled. “Spring rains are a good thing. If it didn’t rain, farmers would worry.”
The assistant sat across and opened her own takeout, glancing toward a room inside. “Has Mr. Lu still not responded?”
“No. But it’s not his cat, so it’s normal. He’s probably busy with work.”
The assistant clicked her tongue. “What does he want? Doesn’t look like a cat lover. He spent so much saving the cat but didn’t even ask.”
“Why worry about that?” The doctor said, “He’s willing to pay, so we treat it. Whatever his reasons.”
“That may be, but I checked the balance today. The money he paid the day he brought the cat is gone. So, do we give the injection tomorrow or not?”
The doctor paused with his chopsticks. “Let’s eat first. Afterward, I’ll call him.”
…
Jiang Heng’s ears twitched as he shifted to lie elsewhere.
…
The American Shorthair scratched restlessly beside him. After venting its excess energy, it settled down quietly.
It found a spot near Jiang Heng, trying to get closer. “You’re so ugly. Where’s your fur?”
Jiang Heng: “…”
He muttered plaintively, “You sure know how to make conversation.”
The shorthair persisted, “So will your fur grow back?”
Jiang Heng felt humiliated but answered honestly, “Yes.”
“Oh.” The shorthair licked a paw. “Is it because you have no fur that your owner doesn’t come to see you?”
“That’s not true!” Jiang Heng’s fur bristled as he hissed at the shorthair. “He definitely hasn’t stopped visiting me!”
The shorthair tilted its head, puzzled by his anger. “But I’ve been here three days. You’re so ugly I remembered you the first day. No one’s come to see you all this time.”
Jiang Heng said, “He just hasn’t come in these three days. He’ll definitely come tomorrow!”
The shorthair’s furry face looked sly. “Is he nice to you?”
Jiang Heng lifted his chin. “Of course.”
“Then why are you so skinny?”
“…”
Jiang Heng wished he could jump into the opposite cage and claw at it.
“That’s because I used to be a stray. When I follow him, I’ll enjoy the good life and get fatter than you!”
“Does he like you?”
“Of course.”
“Then why doesn’t he come to see you? My two-legged beast visits me every day.”
Jiang Heng paused, then said louder, “That’s because he’s busy. Maybe he’s working to earn money. How could he find time to see me?”
He curled a paw and scratched the mat, making a crunching sound.
“He treats me well—every year he celebrates my birthday, cooks good food, stays by my side, and promised to earn lots of money to take care of me…”
His voice grew softer until he lay on the mat, ears drooping, silent.
The shorthair waited a moment and asked, “Why’d you stop talking?”
“You’re annoying!” Jiang Heng glared. “Are you really this interested in other cats’ private lives?”
The shorthair licked its paw honestly. “Being in a cage is boring.”
Jiang Heng didn’t want to engage, but the shorthair was restless. There were no other cats around, so it kept chattering beside him.
“I think you’re too kind to your two-legged beast. That’s why he hasn’t realized his place as your servant. Next time you see him, you should do this and that…”
It demonstrated a set of “cat martial arts” inside the cage, “Press his face to the ground and rub hard; he’ll obediently bring you treats from then on.”
After finishing, it elegantly licked its paw. “That’s how I tamed my servant. See? She visits me every day and just told me she’ll bring canned food tomorrow.”
Seeing Jiang Heng still ignoring it, the shorthair encouraged, “Your servant doesn’t care about you at all. You should ditch him and get a new servant.”
Not true at all…
Jiang Heng wanted to protest, but the words caught in his throat.
In fact, he had heard the doctor and assistant’s conversation a moment ago.
Though he had tried to comfort himself, telling himself Lu Yichuan was busy with work, the conversation crushed all his hopes.
Because of this, Jiang Heng realized a bitter truth:
Once he was no longer “Jiang Heng,” it seemed there was no longer any connection between him and Lu Yichuan.