Chapter 15

Before darkness fell, the club was still quiet, with only a handful of people scattered around. The private room, which had been left in disarray after the last incident with Lu Yichuan, was now spotless. The manager, busy directing staff to move bottles of liquor inside, hesitated as he glanced at the man resting on the sofa with his eyes closed. “Brother Lu, about that Lin Chen…”

The man didn’t open his eyes, only tapping impatiently on the armrest.

The manager swallowed nervously and got straight to the point. “Lin Chen didn’t lose his finger, but he got involved with a second-generation rich kid. That person helped him repay the money. Lin Chen apparently said something that made the rich kid think you were responsible for all this. So he’s been coming to the club, demanding to see you.”

Finally, Lu Yichuan opened his eyes. He reached into his pocket but didn’t find a cigarette. Naturally, he extended his hand toward the manager.

After a moment’s hesitation, the manager understood and hurriedly pulled out a cigarette from his own pocket, handing it over.

The man bit down on the cigarette, leaned forward, and lowered his head.

The manager took out a lighter, bent down, and brought it close.

The crimson glow flickered, yet it failed to brighten the darkness in Lu Yichuan’s eyes.

His complexion was pale, his expression deeply fatigued. He inhaled the sharp smoke with reckless abandon until the sting overwhelmed his lungs, causing him to cough violently before finally exhaling.

Lu Yichuan stared at the burning tip of the cigarette for several seconds, then lazily said, “Don’t see him.”

The manager wasn’t surprised by the answer.

Lu Yichuan had bought this club without caring about profits. The manager took care of everything here; Lu Yichuan came only to drink.

He drank every kind of liquor, as if his life depended on it.

At first, he would get drunk and collapse on the sofa, sleeping the day away in a disheveled state. But after drinking more and more, he rarely got drunk anymore.

However, he would still vomit, sometimes with blood.

The manager feared one day he might drink himself to death in the private room.

Lu Yichuan never troubled anyone when he drank; if he got drunk, he’d sleep it off; if not, he left on his own to catch a taxi home.

Having witnessed this many times, the manager sometimes felt Lu Yichuan wasn’t even quite alive—more like a ghost long passed.

Lu Yichuan continued smoking silently. The manager glanced at the bottles on the table and cautiously asked, “Shall I open a bottle for you?”

Lu Yichuan looked up briefly. “No need. Not drinking tonight—I have to get up early tomorrow.”

Hearing this, the manager quietly breathed a sigh of relief and called for the bottles to be taken away.

He knew Lu Yichuan was still a student and smiled, “Right, you probably have classes tomorrow. Drinking too much wouldn’t be good.”

Within minutes, Lu Yichuan finished his cigarette. He pulled out another and, after the manager finished speaking, chuckled softly, his voice gentle.

“No classes tomorrow. I’m going to a birthday party.”

“Oh…” The manager scratched his head, unsure what to say, and dryly replied, “Happy birthday to your friend.”

The man paused his lighter for a moment, then lowered his head to light the cigarette. Finally, a flicker of warmth glimmered in his eyes.

“Thanks. He’ll be glad to hear that.”

The manager left the private room after that, while Lu Yichuan stared up at the extravagant ceiling design, finishing three cigarettes before eventually dozing off on the sofa.

He was awakened by a sudden ringing sound. His eyes remained closed as screams from downstairs drifted up. Judging by the intensity, it must have been past midnight.

Lu Yichuan turned over and sat up, picking up a phone tossed onto the coffee table. The number was unfamiliar.

He furrowed his brow slowly but answered.

“Mr. Lu, hello. I’m a veterinarian from the pet hospital.”

Lu Yichuan rubbed his stiff shoulders. “What’s the matter?”

“Your cat seems to be in poor condition.”

“…”

It was raining heavily when Lu Yichuan arrived at the hospital, a layer of moisture clinging to his hair.

The hospital had only one doctor, who looked sleep-deprived, his eyes heavy with fatigue as he gulped down coffee.

Upon seeing Lu Yichuan, he stood up weakly. “You came.”

Lu Yichuan swept back his damp hair, revealing a smooth forehead and sharp, narrow eyes.

“What’s going on?”

The doctor set down his cup. “The little one seemed fine during the day—eating and sleeping well. But at midnight, something happened. It vomited everything it ate today and was convulsing. It looks like the condition has worsened.”

“Did you medicate it?”

“Yes, yes…”

He hadn’t called earlier that night but had tentatively messaged Lu Yichuan, who surprisingly transferred the money immediately.

The swift response suggested he wasn’t ignoring the messages, yet for some reason, he hadn’t replied to a single one.

“Fluctuating symptoms are common. Don’t worry too much. After the injection, it has stabilized.”

Lu Yichuan glanced at him. “If that’s the case, why did you call me here?”

“Uh…”

The doctor was momentarily at a loss.

To pet owners, their cats and dogs were like their own children. When a child’s life was in danger, notifying the family was only natural.

But before calling, he seemed to have forgotten that this man might not be fond of cats…

Outside, the rain continued, and the streets were deserted. Lu Yichuan checked his phone—it was already past one in the morning.

He was about to call for a ride when he paused, then said, “Never mind. Take me to see it.”

Midnight was when pets were often restless, but sick cats and dogs in the hospital lacked energy and all lay quietly in their cages.

The hospital was very quiet.

At the innermost room, the lowest setting light cast an amber glow on a small cage.

The shaved cat looked like a peeled, unevenly mottled boiled egg, pale and bare, its flesh and remaining fur indistinct. It was undeniably thin, curled up and barely filling a corner.

The wound on its back had scabbed over, the scar dark and conspicuous against its hairless skin.

It lay quietly, breathing so faintly it seemed almost still.

Lu Yichuan stood before the cage, rain-soaked hair falling over his black eyes. The dim light obscured his expression.

The doctor, unsure what he was thinking, spoke up after a moment. “The little one’s very brave. It doesn’t resist when injected and eats enthusiastically. It knows someone’s trying to save it, so it cooperates.”

After several seconds, Lu Yichuan finally replied, his voice hoarse—perhaps from the rain.

“I see.”

He added, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll… go now.”

Before he finished, his gaze met a pair of glassy eyes, and his unspoken words were swallowed in an instant.

“Meow?”

The cat seemed incredulous, even human-like as it reached out a paw to rub its eyes.

Seeing Lu Yichuan still standing there, not leaving, it suddenly flipped over and climbed up.

“Meow, meow!”

Lu Yichuan, you finally came to see me!

The crystal-clear eyes sparkled with tiny stars.

The man hesitated, then slowly bent down and touched the cat’s bare head, moist with rain, with his fingertips.

“Sorry,” his voice still hoarse, “for coming to see you only now.”

“Meow!”

You’re so mean! I had to get a critical illness notice before you showed up!

“Meow, meow!!”

I won’t forgive you so easily! No way!

“Meow~”

If you give me ten little fish treats, I might consider it.

Though Lu Yichuan couldn’t understand meows, the cat’s nibbles and rubs on his fingertips clearly conveyed its feelings.

It didn’t bite hard—just enough to make his fingers damp.

Lu Yichuan’s heart suddenly sank, and for a moment he had a strange, fleeting illusion.

But a cat’s meow pulled him back to reality.

He suppressed the smile in his eyes and withdrew his fingers.

“Looks fine. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go now.”

The doctor, half-asleep, blinked and replied slowly, “Oh… okay. Sorry to have you come out so late.”

Lu Yichuan said nothing and took out a tissue to wipe his hands.

Before stepping out, he paused and, almost on a whim, looked back.

The cat, once lively, now sat quietly in the cage. Compared to before, it seemed overly subdued—no crying, no fuss—just watching him.

It knew he was leaving. Though reluctant, it quietly saw him off.

For some reason, Lu Yichuan felt he had been too harsh. His feet felt rooted to the ground, unable to move.

After a long moment, he seemed to relent and sighed helplessly.

“Is there a chair?”

The doctor, ready to see him off and return to sleep, blinked in surprise.

The cage opened, and Jiang Heng eagerly climbed out.

He sized up the distance, confident it was trivial for a brave and battle-hardened cat like himself.

He gathered strength and leapt, his pink paw pads arcing confidently through the air, aiming to land precisely…

No… wait…

Jiang Heng’s eyes widened as he clawed at the air, struggling in mid-flight.

A few seconds later, he could only watch helplessly as he slowly fell, less than four inches from his target.

My reputation!

He closed his eyes in despair, bracing for the pain, but instead was caught by a warm hand, lifted gently.

When he opened his eyes again, he was safely settled in Lu Yichuan’s arms.

“…”

Jiang Heng tapped on the man’s thigh, his small face partly hidden by fur, showing an awkward expression.

Report: Just recently became a cat; skills still unpolished.

The light fell softly on Lu Yichuan’s face, making him look gentle.

The man sat cross-legged on a cheap red plastic chair, back against the wall. The American Shorthair they had been living with was taken away by the doctor, leaving only one man and one cat in the room.

His hand rubbed the cat’s half-shaved head, prickly and rough to the touch.

He moved his hand down slightly and felt the scar on the cat’s back.

The cat was only as long as the man’s palm; the scar ran nearly the length of its back. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, but the long wound was still striking against the bare skin.

“Sorry…”

Lu Yichuan didn’t know why he said that, but looking at the scar, he felt a weight of responsibility.

The scab itched terribly, and when the man’s fingertips rested gently on it, the itch grew unbearable.

Jiang Heng dodged the hand but then nudged his head back into the palm.

“Meow…”

It’s not your fault. Without you, I’d be dead already!

Jiang Heng rubbed against Lu Yichuan’s palm for a while and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

He didn’t know why Lu Yichuan suddenly decided to stay, but he knew that at this moment, he was the happiest little cat in the world.

“Meow~”

Since you’re so eager, I’ll reluctantly forgive your past behavior.

He stretched out a paw and lightly slapped the man’s arm.

But Lu Yichuan, you were really awful before—rescuing me and then leaving me behind, you heartless man!

The pink paw pads tapped once on the arm and then pulled away.

Lu Yichuan caught the mischievous paw, feeling an unprecedented sense of relaxation, a smile unconsciously curling at the corners of his lips.

“Quite fierce. Is this a punishment?”

The cat snorted haughtily.

After snorting, Jiang Heng glanced at the nearby glass and sensed something amiss.

Something’s wrong. He looked again.

Then he saw himself reflected in the glass.

Hairless, with a long scar running down his back, and if he scrunched up his face even more, he could easily cosplay as Gollum from The Lord of the Rings.

Jiang Heng: “…”

So this was the dignified appearance he’d been flaunting while snuggling with Lu Yichuan? Even sulking and acting spoiled?

Putting himself in the cat’s shoes for a moment…

He suddenly felt the sky was collapsing.

Lu Yichuan didn’t understand why the cat suddenly froze. Thinking something might be wrong, he carefully lifted the cat for a closer look.

Then his gaze paused.

“No wonder he has such a temper—turns out he’s a little tomcat.”

Jiang Heng lowered his head.

His hairless belly was fully exposed.

“…”

His hard-earned dignity shattered once again.