Chapter 9

March 12th, Arbor Day.

The sky cleared, and the dark clouds that had lingered overhead for so long dissipated, revealing a blue hue that looked as though it had been washed clean.

It was a beautiful day.

Jiang Heng left without a sound. Both cats were still asleep, and he slipped nimbly out of the garden, not even pausing to say goodbye. Given his current situation, he likely wouldn’t see them ever again, and a farewell would only serve to increase the sorrow.

By the time the sun climbed higher, he reached the bus stop he had mentioned.

Two people were standing in front of the platform. The March wind remained biting; Jiang Heng tucked his head in, eyeing the pair, and upon seeing them buried in their phones, he found a corner and crouched down.

He was such a small, thin cat that when he sat, he looked no larger than the pillar of the bus stop, easily overlooked by anyone not paying close attention.

No one knew what kind of journey such a tiny creature was about to embark on, nor did they know how much mental preparation it had taken for him to summon the courage to step onto a vehicle.

He curled up on the ground, looking listless. His body was gaunt and bony, his tail, wrapped around his legs, completely bare. Days had passed, yet his fur had not grown back.

The bus arrived every ten minutes. As the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the shelter’s roof, the bus drove slowly toward him, heading into the light.

Jiang Heng stood up.

To a small, thin cat, the bus appeared as a behemoth. Cold, reeking of gasoline, it felt like a towering building—one that could collapse at any moment and crush him into oblivion.

Without warning, he gagged, a wave of nausea washing over him.

In a moment of disorientation, he felt a mist of blood clouding his vision, and the scent of thick, metallic blood filled his nose.

The two people on the platform put away their phones and stared at the approaching bus.

Jiang Heng padded his paws, suppressing his trembling body and his racing heart. The moment the doors hissed open, he darted inside with agile precision.

There were few people on the bus; some were leaning against their seats catching up on sleep, while others were heads-down, occupied with their phones. No one noticed the sudden arrival of a cat.

Jiang Heng huddled under a seat, trying his best to minimize his presence. He let out a long breath of relief once the bus began to move again.

A cat’s perspective is very low; from where he was, he could only see the bases of the seats and a few pairs of shoes. The bus swayed as it traveled forward, and every jolt made Jiang Heng’s heart jump into his throat.

To say he wasn't afraid would be a lie. The agony of every bone in his body being crushed was still vivid in his mind. The moment he closed his eyes, a vast, blood-red haze would surface.

It was all his blood.

Jiang Heng gritted his teeth, struggling to ignore the bumps of the bus.

It’s fine, he told himself. It’s not as if everyone who gets into a car accident never rides in a vehicle again. Besides, that was a low-probability event—how could anyone be that unlucky?

He secretly tallied a debt against Lu Yichuan in his heart.

If it weren’t for him, he wouldn’t be riding this bus. When he finally saw him, he would definitely bite him and give him a good beating to vent his frustration.

...

It took two hours for the bus to reach the city center. Throughout the journey, Jiang Heng didn't dare to sleep. He didn't know the route, so he had to stay alert, listening to the bus announcements for fear of missing his stop.

As soon as he heard his destination, he slipped out with the crowd.

The sun rose higher. Jiang Heng stretched slowly in the sunlight, smiling as he looked at the familiar shopping malls and streets around him.

Fortunately, even after several years, the place remained exactly as he remembered it.

University A was not far from here; one more bus ride, and he would be there in twenty minutes.

At the thought of this, Jiang Heng was filled with determination.

Good job, Jiang Xiaoheng! The hardest part is already behind you. A mere two bus rides—for you, that’s a piece of cake!

Cherry blossoms in the green belt were beginning to bud, some impatient enough to reveal their pink petals. The air carried a faint, sweet fragrance.

Willow branches were sprouting, the vibrant green swaying along the roadside. Though it was only a two-hour drive away, spring here was far more evident than in that industrial district.

Jiang Heng couldn't find any food, so he lapped up some water by a fountain. He found the bus stop, and when the vehicle arrived, he slipped on just as he had before.

Perhaps because he had been having such a streak of bad luck for over a week, Heaven finally took pity on him; the rest of the journey was exceptionally smooth.

When he stood under the dense camphor trees, looking at the main gate of University A, he still felt a bit dazed, as if he hadn't fully processed that he had actually reached his destination.

Young university students came and went at the gate. There were no speeding trucks, no children wielding wooden sticks, and no adults with numb, exhausted eyes.

Someone noticed the dirty little cat, but everyone’s gaze was kind. Two girls even bought a sausage and placed it before him.

Jiang Heng looked down at himself—filthy, stinking, his tail bare, a sour odor radiating from his body.

The girl’s hands were clean; she carefully laid a tissue on the ground before placing the sausage on top.

"Such a poor kitty, how did you end up like this?"

"..."

Her friend urged her from the side, "Hurry up, we’re about to have class. If the professor takes roll call, we’re done for."

The two girls picked up their bags and hurried away. Moments later, the class bell rang.

Jiang Heng crouched by the flower bed at the gate. The sunlight made the surroundings bright and clear. The trees were tall, the streets were clean, and he, in his filth, felt completely out of place.

He remained silent for a while, then opened his mouth and bit into the sausage.