Chapter 52
Because Song Zhang was also joining them, they chose a restaurant not far from the university. It wasn’t particularly upscale, but it had a good reputation.
Although Zhao Shuo and Song Zhang had spoken on the phone, this was their first time meeting in person. Thanks to their shared connection with Lu Yichuan, they hit it off immediately, whispering and gossiping, no doubt comparing notes about him.
Lu Yichuan ignored them, picked up the menu, and started ordering.
A furry head poked out from his arms, looking at the menu even more intently than he was. “Order this, this one is delicious.”
The man’s gaze lowered, the kitten’s gaze lifted, their eyes meeting.
After a few seconds, Jiang Heng said shyly, “Can I have some?”
No matter how delicious canned food was, it was still cat food. As a human, he naturally preferred human food.
The man, usually strict about his diet, was surprisingly agreeable. “Alright, I’ll order a small bowl and give you some.”
Jiang Heng was so surprised he was momentarily speechless. “I really can?”
“You seem very doubtful.” The man raised an eyebrow. “In that case…”
Jiang Heng immediately pounced, covering his mouth with his paw, and quickly retracted his previous statement. “Forget it.”
Lu Yichuan removed the kitten’s paw from his mouth and was about to explain when he met Zhao Shuo’s puzzled gaze. “Lu-ge, are you…talking to your cat?”
Song Zhang chuckled. “I’m telling you, this cat is super smart, it understands everything you say, it’s practically human.”
Hearing this, Zhao Shuo thought back. “It does seem pretty smart. As expected of a cat raised by a top student, its intelligence must be exceptional among cats.”
Jiang Heng tried to maintain a neutral expression, but his tail twitched uncontrollably, the tip brushing against the man’s chin, making him look down.
Yes, truly the smartest cat in the cat world.
After the menu had made its rounds, they finally finished ordering. The waiter took the menu and left, and Zhao Shuo, ever the attentive one, got up to pour water.
They were in a private room, and since he occasionally saw Lu Yichuan smoking, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one obsequiously. “Here, here…Lu-ge, have a cigarette.”
Lu Yichuan subtly leaned back, about to say he didn’t smoke, when the cat in his arms meowed.
“Meow…”
Silly boy, your Lu-ge doesn’t smoke this brand.
Seeing him frown and not responding, Zhao Shuo, unfazed by his rejection of the cheap cigarettes, casually put them away. “Then how about a bottle of wine?”
There was a wine cabinet behind them. Zhao Shuo glanced at it and chose a bottle within his budget. “How about this one?”
“Meow…”
Don’t even bother, with this alcohol content, your Lu-ge wouldn’t even touch it.
Lu Yichuan: “…”
Lu Yichuan’s expression froze, and it took all his self-control to maintain a neutral face.
He looked at the bottle of wine in Zhao Shuo’s hand, then at the cigarette-shaped bulge in his pocket, his carefully constructed composure crumbling.
What had he been doing before Jiang Heng’s identity was revealed?
Smoking, drinking… He had paraded all his bad habits in front of him.
After Jiang Heng had appeared, he had subconsciously avoided these vices in his presence, forgetting that when he was still a bald kitten, he had witnessed everything, the good and the bad.
In other words, the image he had carefully cultivated for over ten years had been completely shattered in just a few short weeks?
Lu Yichuan closed his eyes slowly, even he, with all his self-control, couldn’t face this reality for now.
But the cat in his arms suddenly jumped onto Song Zhang’s lap, pawed at his jacket, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
Lu Yichuan’s usual brand.
The kitten, in its beige rabbit vest, placed the cigarettes in front of Lu Yichuan with a surprisingly gangster-like air and nudged them with its paw.
“Meow.”
Have a smoke, bro.
“…”
Silence was the opening act of this dinner.
The other two were momentarily speechless, stunned by the kitten’s actions.
And the main character of this story couldn’t quite process the situation.
Lu Yichuan closed his eyes, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists, then finally opened them.
He grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck and put it back in his lap, then tossed the cigarettes to Song Zhang, his voice surprisingly calm.
“I don’t smoke, and I don’t drink excessively. I was just in a bad mood a while ago, so I…fell off the wagon. Don’t offer me these things anymore.”
Hearing this, Zhao Shuo knew he had saved some money tonight and happily put the wine back in the cabinet.
Song Zhang, however, looked perplexed.
He glanced at Lu Yichuan, then at the cat in his lap.
It was too similar, even though he had only interacted with the cat a few times, its every move reminded him of someone.
He didn’t know Jiang Heng well, but he knew Lu Yichuan.
Although everyone praised him for being gentle and polite, Song Zhang knew that without Jiang Heng, he was an unleashed mad dog.
Four years had passed, and he had almost lost control, his behavior becoming increasingly erratic. But after a suicide attempt, he had strangely returned to normal.
Song Zhang didn’t believe he had simply “seen the light.”
He was more inclined to believe that the leash that had held him back was now back in his grasp.
Lost in thought, he suddenly felt a cold, sharp gaze on him.
A chill ran down Song Zhang’s spine. He looked up and saw Lu Yichuan staring at him.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, a strange numbness spreading through his hand.
Zhao Shuo chuckled. “Lu-ge, your cat is amazing! It even knows how to offer cigarettes!”
Lu Yichuan ruffled the kitten’s head. “I talk to him a lot, so he’s probably more…attuned to human behavior than other animals.”
His hand blocked the kitten’s view, and across the table, his eyes met Song Zhang’s.
He saw Song Zhang open his mouth, about to say something.
Lu Yichuan slowly curved his lips into a smile, his eyes devoid of warmth.
He mouthed a warning to Song Zhang –
Shut up.
Lu Yichuan wasn’t in a good mood during dinner. But he was good at hiding his feelings, maintaining a calm façade despite his inner turmoil.
He asked the waiter for a small bowl, picked out some bland dishes, and placed them in the bowl for Jiang Heng.
Song Zhang, who had been sitting across from Lu Yichuan, had somehow moved his chair next to him and was observing the cat in his lap.
Seeing him pick up a piece of plain, boiled meat, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure it’s okay to feed a kitten human food?”
Lu Yichuan, now back to his usual gentle demeanor, with none of the coldness he had shown Song Zhang earlier, said, “It’s fine, as long as it’s not too oily or salty.”
He had asked about this when they went to the mountain. Although Little Jiang Heng wasn’t as robust as other cats of his kind, he wasn’t an ordinary cat either. He could eat human food, just not too much yet.
As soon as he finished speaking, the kitten in his lap started nuzzling his hand impatiently. “Lu Yichuan, I’m done…”
He stared longingly at the boiled fish in the center of the table. “I’m a cat. Cats are supposed to eat fish! Please give me a piece of boiled fish, thank you.”
The man tapped his forehead. “Cats do like to eat fish, but no cat would like boiled fish swimming in chili oil.”
Jiang Heng flicked his head, realizing his request was a bit excessive. But as long as he could eat human food, he was happy. A picky cat wasn’t a good cat.
He pushed the small bowl forward. “I want a slice of meat, a piece of winter melon, and a slice of lotus root, please.”
A balanced and nutritious meal, the most sophisticated cat in the world.
Lu Yichuan picked up the food for him.
He lowered his eyes, watching the kitten bury its head in the small bowl, its face hidden, his hand holding the chopsticks trembling almost imperceptibly.
Qian Lu’s face flashed through his mind, her features, which vaguely resembled his, twisted in a hateful grimace.
“Who are you pretending for? Do you really think you’re some noble person? We’re the same…”
She had chuckled slowly.
“You’re just like me, we’re both crazy, cut from the same cloth. Why do you look down on me? Why do you try to distance yourself from me?”
“Tell me, if Jiang Heng knew what kind of person you really are, would he still be with you?”
“If he knew about your true nature, your coldness, your selfishness, your ruthlessness, if he knew that beneath your perfect façade lies a dirty, ugly soul…”
“Lu Yichuan, you protected him so fiercely, so afraid I would hurt him, you wouldn’t even let me near him. Yes, he knows I’m crazy, he avoids me like the plague. But what about you? Aren’t you also crazy? He’s afraid of me, wouldn’t he also be afraid of you?”
…
“Lu Yichuan?”
Jiang Heng tilted his head, puzzled.
The man snapped back to reality, his chopsticks clattering against each other, a sharp, jarring sound.
“What’s wrong? You seem…strange.”
Lu Yichuan put down his chopsticks, hiding his hands under the table.
“Something is strange,” he said slowly. “A certain cat is eating like a pig, but still can’t seem to get enough.”
“…”
Jiang Heng wanted to subject that mouth to the ten tortures of the Qing dynasty.
The short-haired kitten turned its back to Lu Yichuan, its long rabbit ears drooping with indignation.
He reached out and played with the rabbit ears, a smile appearing in his eyes, then quickly fading, replaced by a shadow.
Lu Yichuan lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes hiding his emotions, a coldness settling over his usually gentle face.
He stared at Jiang Heng’s back, lost in thought.
So he knew.
He knew about his dark side, his obsession, that he wasn’t the gentle, refined childhood friend he remembered, but someone rotten to the core.
Would his Rongrong leave him then?
Even now, Jiang Heng was sitting in his lap, showing no sign of disgust, but Qian Lu’s words were like a brand, seared onto his soul.
His reason told him that his Rongrong wouldn’t leave.
But a voice inside him kept screaming: Give up. No matter what you do, once he knows who you really are, he’ll leave. You don’t deserve love. You’re not worthy.
The brand was too deep; whenever he thought it had faded, it would resurface, causing him another wave of pain.
This unsettling feeling intensified when, after dinner, he saw two people approaching them in the lobby.
Li Xingyue, his arm around Lin Chen, saw Lu Yichuan and immediately stepped in front of him.
“Lu Yichuan, so hard to get a hold of. I’ve come to this club several times looking for you, seeing you is harder than climbing Mount Everest.”
He looked him up and down disdainfully. “Weren’t you quite the high-roller before? What happened? Reduced to eating at a place like this now?”
Lin Chen, seeing the coldness in Lu Yichuan’s eyes, cowered slightly.
“Hiding from what?” Li Xingyue shoved him forward. “Our Lu Yichuan wanted to chop off your finger, remember? The club’s former top earner is with me now. How does it feel, Lu Yichuan?”
Lu Yichuan’s fingertips twitched. “Get out of my way.”
“Whoa! Look at you, acting all high and mighty.” Li Xingyue laughed. “Who do you think you are? I used to give you some face when you were still the Lu family’s second young master, but now…how does it feel to be kicked out? I heard your father is divorcing that mistress of yours.”
“I said, move.”
Seeing his impassiveness, Li Xingyue’s expression changed. He instinctively took a step back from the man’s cold face, then became angry again.
He knew where to strike to inflict the most pain and continued relentlessly.
“I just came back, and I heard that little follower of yours died? A car accident, they say. Crushed so badly they couldn’t even put him back together.”
“What was his name again?” He leaned closer to Lu Yichuan. “Jiang Heng…Jiang Heng, was it? Jiang Heng died, crushed by a car…”
“Did you curse him to death?”
