Ye Lian’s words were vague. After hearing them, Jiang Xiaoyu was momentarily at a loss, tilting his head in confusion as he asked, “What do you mean? Have you lied to me too?”
Ye Lian neither confirmed nor denied it, sitting down on the sofa opposite Jiang Xiaoyu. “I don’t believe there’s anyone in this world who hasn’t lied. Instead of obsessing over the act of deception, why not think about why one would make such a decision?”
Jiang Xiaoyu pinched his fingers, lowering his eyelashes in thought. Of course, he’d initially approached Ye Lian to crack the case. But after Ji Wangan’s case was closed, why had he continued? Why had he deceived Ye Lian that Little Black Cat was just a stray that occasionally came over for free meals, even shamelessly enjoying the preferential treatment it received at the Ye Residence in cat form?
He didn’t want to keep deceiving him anymore, but he couldn’t reveal his identity, nor could he just erase Little Black Cat’s existence. After all, the Ye family treated Little Black Cat with such care. Putting himself in their shoes, if one of his Little Strays vanished, he couldn’t even imagine how heartbroken he’d be. He really felt like a terrible person. Not daring to look at Ye Lian’s expression, he kept his head down. “I…”
He couldn’t bring himself to confess that he was the black cat, because Ye Lian’s hand gently stroked his head again.
“How many people yearn to immerse themselves in the long night but can’t? What’s the point of staying sober in worldly affairs? You might be hiding something from me, but I’m hiding things from you too. If you knew what I’ve concealed, you might get even angrier.”
His eyes were serene and calm, cooling the panic in Jiang Xiaoyu’s heart. He saw him curve his eyes into a smile and say, “I only hope that when that day comes, you can forgive Uncle.”
“And now, you should go to sleep, Officer Jiang.”
—
Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t sleep well that night. In his dreams, he kept mulling over Ye Lian’s words. In the morning, when Old Cat woke him, he had messy bedhead sticking up all over, and without thinking, he lifted his hind paw to scratch his head.
Good thing his fur was black; otherwise, if Old Cat saw the huge dark circles under his eyes, it might fly into a rage and shove him back into the cat bed for more sleep.
“What do you think Ye Lian is hiding from me?” he muttered to himself.
Old Cat didn’t quite understand what Jiang Xiaoyu was asking, but it knew Ye Lian was that scary-scented human. It asked, “What does that human’s name mean?”
Jiang Xiaoyu rested his head on it, still groggy from not being fully awake, and meowed, “Lotus… it’s a really pretty flower.”
The fluffballs knew what flowers were—they often picked them to bring back for Jiang Xiaoyu. Hearing this, they huddled together and meowed, “Does Boss like lotuses? The cats will go pick some for you!”
Jiang Xiaoyu’s face flushed red. He raised his head to deny it. “Cats don’t like lotuses!” Seeing the fluffballs’ puzzled expressions, he pawed at his ears to cover his eyes, dodging reality as he said, “You guys go eat. Don’t worry about it.”
A smart dog nearby understood “lotus.” It burrowed into the storage box, nosed out a plant encyclopedia, flipped to the page with a lotus photo using its nose, and barked once. “Dog knows lotus—it’s this one! Dog heard people talk about it while straying!”
The cats didn’t understand dog speak, but after spending so much time together, they had their own tacit understanding. They pushed each other to squeeze over and look, exclaiming in surprise, “Lotuses grow in water! Boss is Little Yu, and Little Yu grows in water too—they grow together!”
Cat and dog talk was carefree, based on their limited brains trying to make sense of human matters. But Jiang Xiaoyu was different—he was human, with human thinking. Hearing this, when he shifted back to human form, his face turned bright red. “What nonsense… What do you mean ‘grow together’…”
He’d never been in love or liked anyone, so he couldn’t name the sour-yet-sweet feeling in his heart right now. He fled into the bathroom to avoid it.
He couldn’t figure out what Ye Lian was hiding—maybe he was just comforting him. Jiang Xiaoyu sorted out his thoughts and stopped dwelling on it. Instead, he called Zhang Pangpang to check on the Ragdoll Cat.
The shirt from yesterday was still being tested. Yang Guo’s side had been handed over to colleagues at the bureau for 24-hour full surveillance. With nothing else to do, he and Zhang Pangpang agreed to visit the Ragdoll Cat together.
They met at the entrance of the Pet Hospital. Jiang Xiaoyu looked at his hand and asked, “Your hand… can it be fixed?”
Zhang Pangpang was munching on a glutinous rice ball. He thought to himself, “Probably not. If it were a human finger, it could be reattached if preserved, but this was from the cat form—how could it be?” Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu’s tightly pressed lips and evident regret, he comforted him. “It’s really fine. Yesterday, the section chief even said that once the case is solved, I might get a commendation.”
He was a carefree northerner who’d gotten along well with colleagues after so long in Pine City, but he’d never been able to get close to Jiang Xiaoyu. Thanks to this incident, though, he’d seen a completely different Jiang Xiaoyu from the rumors.
Everyone said Jiang Xiaoyu was aloof, cold, and somewhat arrogant—hard to approach. He often heard from Criminal Investigation that Jiang Xiaoyu was spoiled and unworthy of Jin Ge’s heavy cultivation. But if he were really that indifferent, why feel so guilty over consequences not even his fault?
Zhang Pangpang took a bite of his glutinous rice ball, thinking this guy wasn’t aloof—he just had too much empathy, so it was right for him not to mingle with crowds. He pulled another sticky rice cake from his pocket and offered it to Jiang Xiaoyu. “Want one? I just ate two—they’re good, still crispy.”
Jiang Xiaoyu watched him produce a pile of breakfast like a magician. He wanted to refuse, but seeing that round, friendly face, he accepted it and said softly, “Thanks.”
“No need to be polite. Fat Lord’s no good at anything else, but he loves buying food.” Zhang Pangpang waved grandly. “C’mon, bros, let’s go see Tangyuan.”
Tangyuan was the Ragdoll Cat’s name. From a human perspective, it was very pretty—big face, deep blue eyes, fluffy body much larger than Jiang Xiaoyu’s cat form. But right now, it lay lifelessly in the cage.
The doctor, seeing them arrive, handed over the report. “This cat has multiple fractures all over, and some organ damage too. But its condition is stable now. With persistent treatment, full recovery is very likely.”
The doctor’s words didn’t dispel the gloom in their hearts. Zhang Pangpang glared at the Ragdoll Cat in the cage, itching with hatred for Yang Guo. “That lunatic—I swear I’ll get him locked up!”
At this point, they found a quiet corner to exchange current leads.
Zhang Pangpang finished his breakfast and pulled out some gum to chew. “Whether he killed or not, I’m sending him in.”
Jiang Xiaoyu took the gum he offered, awkwardly peeled it, and popped it in his mouth. “There’s no law protecting them. Even if he hurt so many animals, he can’t be sentenced.”
“Then expose him—ruin his reputation!” Zhang Pangpang didn’t care about potential backlash from doxxing. He sneered, “For entertainment industry types like him, infamy might hurt worse than jail.”
Alone, Jiang Xiaoyu burned with rage, but with company, he calmed down. “Be patient a bit longer. Once Jiang Fei’s case is resolved, if he’s really connected, he’ll not only lose his reputation but face true justice.” He lowered his head, tossing the gum wrapper in the trash, feeling a chill inside. Since animal abuse couldn’t get him punished, he could only hope he’d killed someone.
He was a cop, and he knew this mindset was unprofessional, but he couldn’t help it—there was no anti-animal cruelty law.
—
Zhang Pangpang was a good guy—still cheerful despite his injury, even comforting Jiang Xiaoyu’s guilt by saying if he hadn’t come, the injury would’ve been worse. After visiting the Ragdoll Cat, Jiang Xiaoyu planned to part ways, but Zhang Pangpang warmly invited him to eat. “I’m hitting up a viral restaurant for check-in—come with! My treat, thanks for saving me yesterday! We’ve been colleagues so long and never eaten together.”
Jiang Xiaoyu swallowed his refusal, the corner of his mouth twitching into an awkward smile. “Sure.”
Maybe Zhang Pangpang was great at livening things up, or maybe his easygoing personality helped—with good food, he turned lazy-cat relaxed and chill. Jiang Xiaoyu found him easy to be around.
He thought Zhang Pangpang was super easygoing—until checkout, when Jiang Xiaoyu reached for his wallet, and he scowled. “I said Fat Lord’s treating. You wanna pay? You look down on me?”
His face screamed he’d punch if Jiang Xiaoyu dared pay, leaving Jiang Xiaoyu bewildered and helpless as he witnessed a northern guy’s fierce passion for treating.
After the friendly parting post-meal, Jiang Xiaoyu strolled aimlessly down the road. Who’d have thought he’d run into Ye Qingxu so coincidentally.
The man held a bunch of pale green lotuses, standing refreshingly cool in the still-scorching post-autumn sun. Spotting Jiang Xiaoyu, he smiled. “No work today, Officer Jiang?”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded. “Day off.”
Ye Qingxu said, “Perfect timing. Want to hit the Building Materials Market together?” After getting agreement, he smiled again, the laugh lines at his eyes carrying traces of age, his wheat-colored skin gentle. “Let’s go then.”
Jiang Xiaoyu got in the car, carefully buckling up. Ye Qingxu placed the flowers in the back seat. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu’s gaze drift there, he said, “Pretty, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyu embarrassedly turned back. “Lotuses still around now?” It was already after the Start of Autumn.
“Almost gone, so prices have spiked lately.”
The two were quite a few years apart in age, but they got along quite harmoniously. Jiang Xiaoyu watched the scenery flashing by outside the window, only realizing belatedly that starting from this lively summer, more and more acquaintances had gradually appeared around him.
This Building Materials Market in Pine City was close to Pine River, which made Jiang Xiaoyu feel a bit uncomfortable. That was because he’d lived here during his childhood. His childhood home was in a small building by Pine River—damp and gloomy. It was there that his tail had been cut off and he’d been chased until he fell into the river. But it was also there that he’d been spotted and rescued by the fishing Jin Ge, pulling him free from the darkness like a quagmire.
Ye Qingxu looked at the calm and silent Jiang Xiaoyu beside him and asked, “Are you okay?” He looked somewhat sad.
Jiang Xiaoyu snapped back to his senses, pursed his lips, and said, “It’s nothing, I just remembered some things. Let’s keep looking.”
Ye Qingxu didn’t pry too much either. The two walked side by side down the bustling street. Because their faces were similar, many shopkeepers assumed they were brothers when they asked prices.
Ye Qingxu smiled and explained, “I’m not his older brother.”
The shopkeeper was surprised. “Ah? Not brothers? Could it be you’re his dad? You’re way too young; you can’t tell at all.”
The speaker meant no harm, but the listener’s heart skipped a beat, their breathing stuttering to a halt.
