Chapter 43
Jiang Heng was a Munchkin cat.
The vet at the pet hospital, after examining him thoroughly, finally came to this conclusion.
“The kitten’s mother was probably a stray. Otherwise, with this breed, it’s unlikely it would have been abandoned. Something must have happened to the mother after it was born, leaving such a small kitten to fend for itself. It’s a miracle it even survived…”
The vet examined Jiang Heng’s newly grown fur. “Preliminary assessment, a silver-white Napoleon cat, with amber eyes. It’ll be very beautiful when it grows up. Such a beautiful cat, wandering the streets…Mr. Lu, you’re quite lucky.”
He recalled the hefty sum the man had initially paid for the kitten’s treatment and chuckled. “Well, it’s the kitten who’s lucky, actually. If it hadn’t met you, it might not have survived.”
The man didn’t say anything, his expression not showing much joy. Jiang Heng, seeing this, rubbed against him.
Soft, short fur brushed against his wrist, bringing Lu Yichuan back to his senses. “Can he get his vaccinations now?”
“Yes,” the vet said. “He’s about the right age. By the way, Munchkin cats often have bone development issues. I didn’t see anything in the X-rays before, but there’s a chance of skeletal deformities later on. Keep an eye on him.”
Lu Yichuan made a mental note and pulled the kitten, which was trying to climb up his arm, back down. “Be good, it’s time for your shots.”
Jiang Heng’s tail drooped, clearly unhappy.
“Meow!”
[It’s going to hurt.]
The needle the vet brought out was almost half his length. Even though Jiang Heng was, mentally, an eighteen-year-old adult, the sight of such a long needle still made him nervous.
Lu Yichuan didn’t put a cone on the cat, but instead held him close, facing him, his rear end towards the vet. “He has to get his shots. If it hurts, you can bite me.”
The vet, preparing the syringe, twitched his lips.
As he approached, the kitten started trembling. And the tall man holding him, whenever the kitten trembled, would give him a cold look.
Vet: “…”
Seriously, it made him look like the villain.
No stray cat within a five-mile radius dared to approach the pet hospital, and the vet was well aware of his image in the animal world.
He sighed inwardly, pushed the air out of the syringe, lifted the kitten’s tail, and administered the injection with practiced ease.
By the time Jiang Heng cried out, the vet was already done.
The silver-white kitten, tears welling up in its amber eyes, clung to a cat treat and gnawed on it. Lu Yichuan, under the vet’s persuasive salesmanship, bought another pile of things, putting them in the trunk of his car before coming back to get the cat.
Seeing him, Jiang Heng started eating even faster.
The man lifted him by the scruff of his neck, and the already small kitten curled up into a ball, its tail covering its belly, still clutching a cat treat almost as long as itself.
“Meow!”
[This is mine! You can’t have it!]
The man looked down at the ball of fluff in his hand. “Little Jiang Heng, you make it seem like I’m abusing you.”
Jiang Heng stared at him with watery eyes, his expression clearly saying, “Aren’t you?”
The alleged cat abuser was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and pulled at the cat treat.
Jiang Heng was startled and immediately grabbed it with his paws.
But his meager strength was no match for Lu Yichuan’s, and within seconds, most of the treat was gone.
“Waa!”
Jiang Heng struggled in Lu Yichuan’s hand.
“Meow…”
[My treat! Lu Yichuan, you bastard!]
Lu Yichuan narrowed his eyes and stopped pulling.
Jiang Heng kicked out with his 3.5-centimeter-long legs, pulling the treat back towards himself. “You promised me! If I was good for my shot, I could have a cat treat! You can’t go back on your word!”
“Did I?” the man said coolly. “I only promised a cat treat, not how much…” He looked at the half-eaten treat. “Half is enough. You already had one last night when you were throwing a tantrum.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
His world crumbled again.
He sulked with a dejected face. After a moment, a soft chuckle came from above, like a gentle breeze.
The cat treat, which had been sliding down his belly, was pushed back by two long fingers. Jiang Heng was lifted up to Lu Yichuan’s face, their eyes meeting.
A few seconds later, he saw the man’s eyebrow raise slightly, his index finger beckoning him closer, and then—
Boop!
Jiang Heng buried his head.
“Rongrong is a silly kitty.”
Lu Yichuan said.
…
There was a cup holder between the front seats of Lu Yichuan’s car. After removing the cup holder, the space was just big enough for a cat.
Jiang Heng sat inside, his front paws resting on the sides, and looked at Lu Yichuan. “Where are we going?”
The man fastened his seatbelt and turned to look at Jiang Heng, then, after a pause, asked him, “Are you scared, Rongrong?”
His question seemed out of the blue, but Jiang Heng knew what he meant.
Their car was parked by the roadside, the sounds of passing vehicles clearly audible. Whenever he was in a car, Jiang Heng’s heart would race uncontrollably; he was afraid.
But now, he didn’t seem as scared.
He answered honestly, “Yes, I used to be scared every time I was in a car, but after meeting you…”
The kitten seemed a little embarrassed and retracted its paws, curling up into a ball.
“…I’m not as scared anymore when I’m with you.”
Because he knew that if anything happened, Lu Yichuan would protect him. Even if…even if it meant facing death together, Jiang Heng would accept it.
The trust and dependence in his eyes were so pure and sincere that Lu Yichuan felt his breath catch in his throat.
After a long moment, he flexed his numb fingers and gently stroked the kitten’s head, his voice hoarse, “It seems Rongrong isn’t so stupid after all.”
Talk about hitting a sore spot.
Jiang Heng bit his hand.
A two-month-old kitten, its baby teeth not yet replaced, biting so hard he was afraid they would break.
Lu Yichuan pulled his hand away. “I told you, my hands are dirty.”
Jiang Heng meowed at him indignantly.
The man wiped his hands with a wet wipe and, seeing his expression, finally smiled. “Smaller than my hand, but such a big temper.”
He said, “Your toy mouse is under the cabinet, do you still want a new one?”
Jiang Heng, of course, wanted a new one, but on their way to the pet store, after pacing back and forth, he couldn’t help but ask Lu Yichuan,
“I saw the message Jiang Zhuo sent you. He said Jiang Xingbai is in the hospital. I…I want to go see him.”
Lu Yichuan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Jiang Heng knew his request was unreasonable. “I know you don’t like him, and it’s probably too much to ask you to take me to see him. But Jiang Zhuo said he’s having surgery soon, and the success rate isn’t high, so I wanted to…”
Lu Yichuan sighed softly. “Rongrong, his situation has nothing to do with you…”
Jiang Heng flexed his claws. “I saw the information they sent. It said that Jiang Xingbai’s mother went on a business trip with his father that year and went into premature labor because of an earthquake. It was very chaotic, and that’s how we were switched at birth.”
“The couple who took Jiang Xingbai died in a car accident when he was five. He was adopted after that, and although his adoptive parents were good to him, he has a congenital heart condition and has always struggled with his health.”
“Lu Yichuan…” Jiang Heng said, “If it weren’t for that mix-up, that should have been my life.”
Lu Yichuan was silent.
Jiang Heng continued, “I enjoyed eighteen years of wealth and privilege in his place. Now that it’s finally his turn, I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
His voice was soft. “If I were the one struggling, would you feel sorry for me?”
…
Hospital.
Zhao Huailan entered the ward, carrying a thermal lunchbox.
Jiang Xingbai was sitting up in bed, staring out the window. Hearing the door open, he turned around with a faint smile. “Mom, you’re here.”
Zhao Huailan gave a strained smile and took out the food containers from the lunchbox. “These are the dishes the housekeeper made, all your favorites. Come and eat.”
Jiang Xingbai got out of bed. He had no appetite, but he obediently ate his meal, asking Zhao Huailan as he ate, “Where’s my brother? I haven’t seen him these past two days.”
Zhao Huailan paused. “He’s been busy with work. He said he’ll come see you later.”
Jiang Xingbai stirred the seafood congee in his bowl, his complexion pale, his voice slow and weak. “I see…he promised to buy me a new skin for my game. I hope he remembers.”
Zhao Huailan’s eyes reddened slightly, and she quickly turned away. “How could he forget something he promised you? Just focus on eating and recovering…”
Her voice choked slightly, but she stopped, afraid Jiang Xingbai would notice.
But Jiang Xingbai still looked at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. “What if…the surgery fails…”
Zhao Huailan covered his mouth with her hand. “Don’t say such things. How could it… We’ve found the best doctors and medical team for you.”
The delicate-featured young man lowered his eyes, a weary sickness clinging to him.
Lu Yichuan’s polite knock on the door broke the tense atmosphere in the ward.
“Sorry, am I interrupting?”
Zhao Huailan removed her hand, her face changing slightly when she saw Lu Yichuan. Jiang Xingbai, however, smiled. “Yichuan-ge.”
Meeting Zhao Huailan’s suspicious gaze, Lu Yichuan placed the fruit basket he was carrying on the table. “I heard you’re having surgery, so I came to visit.”
Something stirred beneath his black jacket, a small, furry head poking out.
Jiang Xingbai’s eyes lit up. “Your cat is growing fur! So cute!”
Lu Yichuan pushed the kitten’s head back under his jacket. “He’s very clingy, insists on following me everywhere.”
Zhao Huailan was allergic to cat fur. Her face darkened at the sight of the cat. “Yichuan, I understand you like cats, but it’s not appropriate to bring a cat to the hospital, is it? What if it runs around?”
Lu Yichuan met her gaze calmly. “He’s very well-behaved.”
Before Zhao Huailan could say anything more, Jiang Xingbai interrupted, “If Yichuan-ge says he won’t run around, then he won’t.”
His eyes were bright. “I was wrong last time… I thought you were angry and wouldn’t come see me again…”
Many things had happened in the past few days, but Jiang Xingbai had been sheltered from it all and remained blissfully unaware, his eyes still innocent.
This innocence made Lu Yichuan’s gaze darken. He held the cat closer and said, “I’m here on Jiang Heng’s behalf.”
Hearing this, both Jiang Xingbai and the cat froze.
