Chapter 8: I Want to Bite You to Death

Gu Shiying couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes dramatically at Fu Huan.

Argh, this guy was just so incredibly annoying!

Fu Huan assumed Gu Shiying had just been startled by his sudden appearance and asked again, “What exactly are you looking for in there?”

Gu Shiying patted his chest, trying hard to face Fu Huan with a normal mindset. “I’m looking for a cat.”

Fu Huan peered into the dark little shrubbery. “Where is it?”

Gu Shiying switched on his phone’s flashlight and pointed at the greyish-white shadow among the weeds and small bushes near the chain-link fence.

“See it? It’s crouching back there. Its eyes reflect green when the light hits. My hand can’t reach; I can’t grab it.”

Fu Huan, crouching beside him, nodded. “Yeah, not easy to catch.”

A lightbulb went off in Gu Shiying’s head. “Are you allergic to cats? Can you help me get it out of there?”

Fu Huan looked at him with amused interest, his tone relaxed. “Why are you trying to catch it? Planning to keep it yourself?”

Gu Shiying: “Helping out a Senior Sister.”

Fu Huan plucked a half-trimmed, broken leaf, his voice dropping a few degrees. “Senior Sister? You really get around, socially.”

Gu Shiying, his brain fully occupied with figuring out how to extract the cat, didn’t register the deeper meaning in Fu Huan’s words, nor notice the brief fluctuation in his mood.

“The Senior Sister came to me. So can you help me grab it or not?” Gu Shiying, tired from crouching, simply sat down on the ground. He blinked his bright, almond-shaped eyes expectantly at Fu Huan.

“I can. But that means you owe me another meal.” Fu Huan seized the opportunity.

Gu Shiying suddenly remembered his previous bold promise. Fu Huan had saved his life, and he still owed the guy a meal.

He looked left and right. No one familiar was around, and he certainly couldn’t call the Senior Sister over here.

What difference was one meal versus two meals, anyway? It wasn’t like he couldn’t just treat him at the canteen.

Projecting a straight guy’s boldness and gallantry, Gu Shiying agreed readily. “No problem.”

If he didn’t agree soon, that cat was going to bolt!

Gu Shiying urged him, “Hurry, grab it, grab it! Don’t let it get away.”

Fu Huan: “Got it. Keep the light steady. It’s a bit hard to see clearly in there.”

With his long arms, Fu Huan was just able to reach the cowering Youtiao. However, just as he was about to make contact, the cat suddenly swiped a paw at Fu Huan. He reacted quickly and narrowly avoided getting scratched.

Gu Shiying saw it too. “The Senior Sister told me this cat wasn’t mean. Why’s it trying to bite?”

Fu Huan said, “A pet cat that’s escaped, been outside too long. It’s probably stressed and scared.”

Though Fu Huan’s inner thoughts caused him no end of trouble, Gu Shiying couldn’t just disregard his safety. Getting bitten or scratched by an animal meant getting a rabies shot.

Worry creased Gu Shiying’s brow. He hadn’t anticipated the cat would be this stressed. “What do we do? I don’t have any experience with cats.”

He remembered he had the treats the Senior Sister gave him. He pulled them from his pocket and handed them to Fu Huan.

“Maybe try luring it out with a snack?”

Fu Huan tore open the packaging and extended a treat toward Youtiao.

Starving for two days, Youtiao caught the familiar scent of its favorite snack. Within moments, it stopped yowling, even nibbling the dried fish treat right from Fu Huan’s fingertips. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Seizing the moment when the cat relaxed its guard, Fu Huan’s long arm shot out, and he swiftly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, pulling it from the shrub.

Gu Shiying let out a relieved breath. “Impressive, man.”

Fu Huan glanced at him, then placed the cat on the ground, his hand firmly on its neck. “Where does it need to go?”

Gu Shiying: “I’ll just deliver it to the Senior Sister. Saves her the trip from her dorm to come find me.”

Fu Huan let out a short, soft, derisive laugh. “Didn’t peg you for the caring type.”

Gu Shiying grinned up at him, scratching his head and speaking honestly: “The Senior Sister said she’d pay me. I’m earning money here. She’s the client.”

He really hadn’t thought about it any other way at that moment.

Fu Huan picked up the pet cat, now so dirty its original color was barely recognizable. “Let’s go, then. I’ll help you deliver it.”

Gu Shiying: “Want me to carry it? It’s really dirty.”

Fu Huan: “I was just playing ball; my hands aren’t clean either. Doesn’t matter.”

Seeing Fu Huan wasn’t put out, Gu Shiying said, “Alright. You’re done playing basketball, then?”

He fed Youtiao two more dried fish. The cat in Fu Huan’s arms was now as quiet as a lamb, nothing like its initial fierce, clawing attitude.

Fu Huan: “Nah, it’s too hot out.”

Gu Shiying had come by bike. Fu Huan carried the cat while Gu Shiying hung Fu Huan’s caged basketball on his handlebars and pushed the bike along.

The two, who’d barely interacted all week, somehow found themselves walking the campus paths together because of a cat rescue.

Gu Shiying contacted the Senior Sister, even sending her a few photos of the grimy Youtiao. Once she confirmed it was indeed her cat, she flooded his WeChat with messages of gratitude.

The basketball court was a fair distance from the girls’ dormitory. Two handsome guys walking along with a dirty cat drew quite a bit of attention. Some passing students surreptitiously snapped photos of the picturesque scene beneath the streetlights.

However, one of the subjects of these photos soon began ceaselessly slapping his own arm.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Gu Shiying’s right hand smacked against his left.

Fu Huan didn’t understand the sudden self-flagellation: “What are you doing?”

Gu Shiying muttered sullenly: “Mosquitoes are biting me.”

Fu Huan: “Lots of trees here, and there’s a drain below. Breeds mosquitoes. Next time, spray some bug repellent before coming out.”

Gu Shiying looked at the red welts rising on his forearm and scratched them. “Fine. Why aren’t the mosquitoes biting you?”

Fu Huan let out a light laugh. “With you here drawing all their fire?”

“Your words are infuriating.” Gu Shiying felt that Fu Huan, whether his inner thoughts were audible or not, was equally exasperating.

“It’s just the truth.” Fu Huan shrugged.

When he couldn’t hear the inner thoughts, the guy was sarcastic. When he could, the thoughts were so obscenely yellow he wanted to deck Fu Huan. How could one person have so many faces?

Gu Shiying glared at him, then scratched his arm again, even digging a cross shape into one of the bites with his fingernail. It seemed to work a little, but honestly, it was mostly psychosomatic.

Tortured by the relentless itch all the way, they finally reached the Senior Sister’s dormitory.

Seeing Youtiao, the Senior Sister was so moved she looked ready to cry. She thanked Gu Shiying profusely.

“Thank you so, so much, Junior!”

Gu Shiying was a bit thrown by her overly enthusiastic gratitude. “No need. It was Senior Daju who located Youtiao, and the one who actually caught him was my roommate.”

He made a point of bringing Fu Huan into it.

“But still, thank you both! I’ve sent the payment. Thank you, both of you juniors.”

Gu Shiying glanced at the amount the Senior Sister had transferred. He thought to himself, Cat owners really are generous. Five hundred bucks for just two hours of work.

The Senior Sister happily carried Youtiao away.

That was one less stray cat in the world. When his mind-reading helped others, his own sense of happiness rose, too. His mood improved.

The girls’ dorm was close to the boys’. It was just a short walk back.

After washing his hands, Gu Shiying fiddled with his phone.

Ping!

Fu Huan, who had washed his hands and was about to grab clothes for a shower, felt his phone vibrate slightly. He saw the message from Gu Shiying.

Fu Huan: “Why are you sending me money?”

Gu Shiying: “Your cut of the payment, for helping.”

Mainly, though, last weekend when he was injured, Fu Huan had brought him breakfast and dinner, and Gu Shiying hadn’t paid him back. This was a convenient opportunity to settle that debt with him.

Fu Huan: “This is too much.”

Gu Shiying: “The Senior Sister paid generously. And you risked needing a rabies shot to catch the cat. It’s only fair.”

Fu Huan didn’t say anything further. He accepted the transfer. “Next time there’s a good deal like this, you can ask me again.”

Gu Shiying forced a smile, thinking: Not a chance. I’m not giving you any excuse to get close to me!

Fu Huan and Gu Shiying showered one after the other.

When Gu Shiying came out, Guan Yu and Yang Shuheng were both back in the dorm. For once this weekend, the two had coordinated to stay on campus.

Yang Shuheng, the moment he walked in, slapped a ticket down on each of their desks.

Gu Shiying, still toweling his hair, picked up the ticket. “What’s this?”

Yang Shuheng lifted his androgynously handsome idol-like face. “Our band has a livehouse gig tomorrow night. If you guys are free, come out and show some support.”

Yang Shuheng was a music major. He’d formed a band with friends, and he was the guitarist. Besides classes, his time was pretty much swallowed up by band practice and stuff.

In Gu Shiying’s eyes, Yang Shuheng was his future connection to the entertainment industry.

Zhang Zhi was going to a mixer tonight. Knowing him, he’d be booked for other stuff tomorrow. Looked like Gu Shiying would be going solo.

Gu Shiying: “You’re not selling these tickets?”

Yang Shuheng: “We’re hardly some hot-ticket group. Just got a few small-time fans. It’s cool.”

Gu Shiying: “Then I’m definitely down to experience it live.”

He’d seen Yang Shuheng perform at last year’s Mid-Autumn Gala, and sometimes he’d practice singing in the dorm, but he’d never actually been to a real livehouse show.

Yang Shuheng then turned to Guan Yu. “Old Guan, what about you? Free tomorrow night?”

Guan Yu: “Of course I’m going to cheer you on.”

Yang Shuheng didn’t hold much hope for Fu Huan coming, but he asked out of politeness: “Brother Huan, no worries if you’re busy.”

Fu Huan gave an unexpectedly positive answer: “I can go.”

Yang Shuheng: “Then this’ll be our dorm’s first group outing together. So it’s settled. Show starts at seven-thirty. Just get there by seven. I’m heading over early tomorrow afternoon to prep, so I won’t be going with you guys.”

Guan Yu proposed: “Then the three of us can head out together.”

Fu Huan: “Fine.”

Gu Shiying didn’t want to be a buzzkill. “Works for me too.”

He had no room to refuse anyway; he just had to agree.

But wasn’t Fu Huan the type who always skipped these social things? Why was he agreeing this time?

Gu Shiying had only said yes in the first place because he’d calculated Fu Huan wouldn’t go.

Torn between avoiding Fu Huan and watching the livehouse show, Gu Shiying gritted his teeth and chose the latter. He couldn’t just let Yang Shuheng’s kind gesture go to waste.

Guan Yu was a detail-oriented control freak, a meticulous planner. If he went on a two-day trip, his itinerary was planned down to the minute. He was a textbook J-type personality.

Guan Yu asked Gu Shiying and Fu Huan: “How are we getting there tomorrow? Subway?”

Fu Huan checked the address on his phone. “I can borrow Liang Qi’s car and drive us there tomorrow.”

Guan Yu: “Excellent. We’ll leave at four thirty in the afternoon. Accounting for traffic congestion, we’ll arrive before five thirty, grab dinner together, and be right on time.”

Gu Shiying: “Sounds good to me.”

Transportation, departure time, even dinner—everything was flawlessly arranged.

His roommates were all absurdly impressive in their own ways.

Fu Huan: “Sure.”

The next day, Gu Shiying didn’t see Fu Huan at all during the day. But at exactly four thirty in the afternoon, Fu Huan sent him and Guan Yu a pinned location.

Temperatures had climbed again today. He wore a loose, light blue shirt.

Gu Shiying and Guan Yu found Fu Huan waiting for them in the parking lot.

Seeing them, Fu Huan casually raised a hand in greeting, his voice as flat and indifferent as ever: “Over here.”

Guan Yu spotted the car’s make and immediately let out excited exclamations.

“Liang Qi’s car is nice! Rich people!”

Without hesitation, he climbed into the back seat. Gu Shiying also moved to get in the back, but Fu Huan caught his wrist.

“Gu Shiying, you sit in the passenger seat and handle the navigation.”

The instant Gu Shiying’s wrist touched the heat of Fu Huan’s palm, the other’s inner thoughts surged on cue.

【Buttoned his shirt so low. His collarbone must be very kissable.】

Gu Shiying secretly ground his molars: “…”

I fucking want to bite you to death.

He sneered inwardly. Fine, if he couldn’t change Fu Huan’s thoughts, then he’d change himself.

Gu Shiying plastered on a smile and looked at Guan Yu. “Old Guan, mind sitting up front and helping with the navigation? My sense of direction isn’t great.”

Guan Yu: “Sure, I can handle the navigation.”

Fu Huan: “…”