Chapter 4
“Lu Yichuan, seeing you is harder than seeing the emperor.” Gao Zhilan placed the plate in her hands in front of Lu Yichuan, plopped down opposite him, and glanced at his plate. “You’re not eating the egg fried rice from that window at the back, are you? Just like you, coming here and picking the worst-tasting one in the whole row.”
The man’s hand holding his chopsticks paused slightly, his tone exasperated. “The meeting ran late. I just ordered something randomly. What did you want to see me about?”
Gao Zhilan finally remembered her original purpose. “What have you been busy with lately? You don’t reply to messages, and you’re nowhere to be seen.”
Lu Yichuan lowered his eyes, using his chopsticks to meticulously pick out the spring onions from his plate, without looking up. “Group meetings, thesis guidance, and my part-time job. I get busy and forget to reply to messages.”
Gao Zhilan took a sip of soy milk and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “You? A part-time job?”
The man’s hands didn’t stop moving. His fingers were long and pale under the cafeteria lights, his knuckles distinct, and the veins on the back of his hands faintly visible.
“That café by the river, not far from the university. You’re welcome to come and try it sometime. I’ll give you a discount.”
“Forget it…” Gao Zhilan said. “I’m a simple person. I can’t appreciate bitter and astringent things like coffee.”
“Are you short on funds recently? Why have you resorted to a part-time job?”
“It’s not that bad yet.” Lu Yichuan smiled good-naturedly. “Since I have free time anyway, might as well find something to do, change my mood.”
Gao Zhilan slowly gave him a thumbs-up. “Just like you. By the way, where’s Zhao Shuo? He’s not with you today?”
Lu Yichuan glanced towards the entrance. “My tutor kept him back to ask some questions. He should be here soon.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Shuo’s figure appeared at the top of the stairs.
He sat down beside Lu Yichuan with a long face. “Murder in a past life, philosophy in this one. I must have hit my head to choose this major.”
After complaining for a bit, he recovered slightly and turned to look at Lu Yichuan. “My Lu-ge is still my Lu-ge, switching majors to jump into this hellhole of a program, making the rest of us feel utterly ashamed.”
Gao Zhilan interjected, “That means Lu-ge truly loves this major, how can he be the same as you guys, trash who just want a diploma?”
Zhao Shuo pleaded, “Junior Sister, I’ve learned my lesson, please stop scolding me.”
In the time it took for this brief exchange, Lu Yichuan had already picked out a small pile of spring onions.
Gao Zhilan and Zhao Shuo’s voices went back and forth beside him. He didn’t seem to be paying attention, just quietly picking out the spring onions with his head down.
Gao Zhilan let out a small “Eh?” “Senior, don’t you eat spring onions?”
Before Lu Yichuan could answer, Zhao Shuo jumped in. “It’s not that he doesn’t eat them. He always eats like this, first picks out the spring onions, then eats everything else one by one. Maybe he can’t stand seeing green things mixed in with his food.”
Lu Yichuan scooped a spoonful of spring onions into his mouth, not bothered by Zhao Shuo’s teasing. “It’s a habit. By the way, Junior Sister, you still haven’t told me why you’re looking for me.”
“Oh…” Gao Zhilan said. “It’s like this. Didn’t the Student Union organize a donation drive for the orphanage a while ago? We used the money to buy clothes, toys, and some food. You donated the most, so the Student Union asked me to ask you if you want to come with us to the orphanage to deliver the things?”
Lu Yichuan took a bite of the egg fried rice. The taste was as indescribable as Gao Zhilan had said, but he still swallowed it without changing his expression.
Rice grains, ham, egg, and the faint aroma of spring onions.
“When?”
“This weekend.”
“Is that so…” The corners of the man’s lips twitched, his tone gentle. “Sorry, I have to work this weekend. I’m afraid I can’t go.”
Gao Zhilan had more or less guessed the outcome.
Although Lu Yichuan was kind-hearted, he rarely participated in such activities. He preferred to contribute silently behind the scenes rather than making a public appearance.
“Come on,” she urged. “Don’t you want to see where the money you donated went?”
To be honest, Lu Yichuan wasn’t interested.
Whether those children in the orphanage lived or died had nothing to do with him.
The fried rice on his plate was hard and dry, and he felt inexplicably irritated.
Gao Zhilan was still trying to persuade him. “The orphanage director, after learning that you donated almost half the money, insisted on thanking you in person. Without you, the children there might not even have summer clothes to wear…”
Clink! The spoon dropped onto the plate, making a sharp sound.
Gao Zhilan was interrupted and looked at Lu Yichuan’s calm face. A strange feeling crept into her heart, and she didn’t dare to continue.
Lu Yichuan picked up his backpack, smiled slightly, and said, “I understand. I’ll talk to my boss and see if I can take the day off this weekend. I have a seminar this afternoon, so I’ll go back now.”
He carried his plate to the dish return area. Too much time had passed, and the egg fried rice on the plate glistened with oil. Judging by the amount, he had only eaten a few bites.
Only the pile of picked-out spring onions had been completely consumed.
Lu Yichuan let go of the plate, watching the leftover food tip into the swill bucket, his expression blank.
“Our slogan is—”
“There are no unattainable fish snacks, only unmotivated kitties!”
“Our goal is—”
“Kick mischievous kids, punch Sang Biao, and become the top cat!”
Jiang Heng flicked his tail, looked at Little White sitting properly in front of him, and nodded in satisfaction. He raised a paw and patted Little White on the shoulder. “Very good. Boss is very pleased with you.”
The orange cat, meanwhile, curled up behind Little White, diligently licking its fur.
For some reason, Jiang Heng, the little kitten, didn’t enjoy the licking activity that other cats loved. He didn’t like other cats licking him, and he didn’t lick his own fur either. Not only was he dirty, but his fur was also unkempt, making him look like a little puffed-up hedgehog every day.
But he was completely oblivious to this, staring at the white cat obediently lying next to the orange cat, secretly chuckling in his heart.
If you lick it, you can’t lick me.
Little White wasn’t very old either, looking about four or five months old. In the elderly orange cat’s eyes, they were both children.
Soon, the slightly dirty white cat was licked spotless, standing next to Jiang Heng in stark contrast.
Today, his foraging partner had gone from one to two. Looking at the clean white cat beside him, Jiang Heng was filled with fighting spirit.
“Today, we’re going to the street we went to yesterday. You’re in charge of being cute, and I’m in charge of being pathetic. First, we’ll eat our fill, and if possible, take some back. Big Yellow is still waiting for us to support him.”
Little White tried hard to remember his instructions and asked, “Are we going to that woman’s place from yesterday?”
Jiang Heng paused, remembering the woman’s words and her missing fingers.
“No…Let’s change to a different place. Her egg fried rice isn’t good.”
Little White thought it was quite delicious, but seeing the little kitten walking in front, it didn’t dare to speak up.
After a clear day yesterday, it was overcast again today. The wind carried the chill of early spring, and passersby had bundled up in thick clothes again.
They walked for almost an hour before finally reaching the asphalt road.
This time, they changed direction and soon came across a lumber mill. The lumber mill was very large, with a canteen next to it where employees were lining up with plates for breakfast.
Jiang Heng’s eyes instantly lit up.
He said to Little White, “See that place? Go there and act cute. Remember to choose girls who look kind. If anything feels wrong, run immediately.”
There were too many people inside, and Little White was a bit scared. “Aren’t you going?”
Jiang Heng wanted to go, but he was too ugly and too dirty.
People could tolerate a clean kitten being around, but when faced with a dirty, ugly cat, their kindness and tolerance would decrease.
“I can’t go yet. You go scout first. If the opportunity is right, I’ll come over.”
“Don’t be afraid…” Jiang Heng comforted him. “You’re clean and pretty now. They won’t do anything to you.”
He squatted outside and chose a target for Little White. “That girl, the one sitting by the entrance. She has a cat pendant on her bag, she must like cats. Just go to her feet and act cute.”
Little White was a house cat, so acting cute came naturally to it. It just walked over and let out a sweet meow, and the girl immediately melted.
She picked up the clean kitten and stroked it contentedly. “Where did this cat come from? So cute.”
She smelled pleasantly of sawdust. Little White didn’t resist, purring softly as she petted it, its eyes fixed on the breakfast in front of the girl, and meowed softly.
“Meow…”
“Are you hungry?” The girl looked at the spicy grilled sausage, dipped it in water to rinse it, and said, “I didn’t bring any cat food today. Make do with this.”
Jiang Heng saw this and felt that he could make his entrance.
He walked over to the girl’s feet and sat down. He knew he was dirty, so he didn’t dare to get too close. He looked up at her and, imitating Little White, meowed softly.
“Meow…”
The girl looked down and found a dirty, thin kitten sitting by her feet.
Little White saw Jiang Heng, jumped down from the girl’s arms, and offered him the sausage.
“So you’re together?”
The girl petted Little White and then hesitated with her hand over Jiang Heng’s head, unable to bring herself to touch him, and finally withdrew it.
“Wait here. I’ll go buy you two more sausages.”
Hooray!
Jiang Heng cheered inwardly.
Today was another day of meeting kind people.
The rinsed sausage rolled twice on the ground, picking up a layer of dust and some small black stones. Little White buried its head and ate with gusto.
Jiang Heng stared at the dirt, and his abdomen began to cramp again.
He felt a little short of breath.
Little White looked up at him. “Boss, aren’t you eating?”
Jiang Heng lowered his head and bit into the sausage. “I am! Sausage is much better than the stuff in the garbage.”
He chuckled, not knowing whether he was comforting himself or Little White.
“Sausage today, canned food tomorrow!”
In the cat world, canned food was the highest honor.
There was a TV hanging on the canteen wall, broadcasting the morning news.
“Good morning, viewers. Today is March 8th, 2024. Happy International Women’s Day to all the women across the country…”
Jiang Heng stopped chewing, doubting his ears. He looked up at the TV above.
A cat’s eyesight is excellent, so he clearly saw the date displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.
March 8th, 2024.
How could it be 2024…
He froze.
He clearly died in 2020. How could it be 2024 when he opened his eyes?
Employees passed by him, speaking in a dialect he didn’t understand.
Time rushed over him like a torrent, making it hard to breathe, and a feeling of panic rose in his heart.
The time was different. Where was he now?
Was he…
Still in the same world?
Seeing that he hadn’t moved for a long time, Little White asked hesitantly, “Boss?”
Jiang Heng swallowed. “I…”
Before he could finish speaking, he was suddenly sent flying, crashing onto the cement road outside the canteen with a thud.
Jiang Heng’s head spun. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a man retracting his foot in front of him.
“Where did this animal come from? So dirty.”
