Chapter 37

Qiao Ruiyi originally didn't want to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, but the person's voice was unexpectedly familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

The man paused, but he couldn't remember the specific scene.

While he was distracted, the mysterious man had left and he was the only one left at the scene.

"Maybe I got it mixed up with my friends." Qiao Ruiyi picked up the bag and planned to continue rushing to the subway station.

The number of people around increased, and the place gradually became bustling.

Two girls holding cheering banners were walking towards Qiao Ruiyi. They had pink headbands on their heads and Q-version stickers on their faces. They looked like fans who came to chase their idol.

"Xi Cheng is so handsome, ahhhh!" Girl A held the cheering banner tightly with both hands.

It was worth it for them to come and queue up for a seat before dawn. All their efforts were worth it.

Girl B heard this and nodded in agreement, then shook her head in disappointment: "It's a pity that Brother Xi Cheng left too early. We wanted to pick him up after get off work but we didn't get to see him."

As soon as the performance was over, the other party left the scene through the artificial channel without any noise or trace, which directly ruined their chance to see the big star up close.

"Logically speaking, Xi Cheng should be the most popular male singer this year, right?" Girl B, who failed to pick up her idol as she wished, turned around and talked about gossip about the big star Xi Cheng.

Girl A nodded in agreement, "Yes, Xi Cheng became very popular right after his debut, and his songs are also very popular. I am his original fan!"

This is definitely the fastest rising star in the history of the entertainment industry, and it has only been a year since his debut.

"Sister, have you heard that Xi Cheng seems to be a second-generation star? His mother is the owner of an entertainment company, his father is a well-known painter, and he has a sister who is said to be a foreign supermodel?"

Girl B talked about these celebrity gossips and was very knowledgeable.

"I've heard about this news, too," girl A nodded continuously.

Qiao Ruiyi, who was indifferent to this, just listened and then walked to the subway station with cat food.

Perform, leave early...

Could it be that the mysterious man who just hurried past is the big star Xi Cheng they are talking about?

The man's speculation followed him onto the subway and was completely left behind.

Ten minutes later, Qiao Ruiyi arrived at his destination - a remote old park.

The iron gate of the park hung crookedly on its hinges, and the rusty words "Evergreen Park" had faded to the point of being almost indistinguishable.

Qiao Ruiyi stood at the door. This area was full of old neighborhoods, and the nearby buildings were low and old, like a corner forgotten by the times.

The park is overgrown with weeds, and the original stone paths have been invaded by overgrown weeds. The sunlight shines through the dense treetops and shines on the ground in patches, forming swaying spots of light.

Qiao Ruiyi walked into the park with cat food. In the corner, at the edge of the bushes, there was a tortoiseshell cat squatting.

The color of its fur is like an overturned palette - black, brown and yellow are irregularly intertwined, presenting a soft luster in the sun.

The cat's ears stood up alertly, its long tail swayed, and its big amber eyes stared at Qiao Ruiyi without blinking, as if it was observing this outsider.

Qiao Ruiyi put the bag on the park bench, turned around and looked around, as if looking for something, "Big Ears, Little Gray, White Tail, are you here?"

The male leader's voice echoed in the empty park, and the sound waves were like ripples. The tip of the tortoiseshell cat's tail twitched slightly, and it suddenly sat up, raised its head and meowed.

There was a commotion in the bushes behind it, and a pure white cat poked its head out from between the branches, followed by a gray-striped one, then an orange one... In just a few seconds, at least twelve cats of different colors appeared.

This group of cats rushed over as if they were people who had been hungry for three days and three nights and heard the signal for dinner.

Their free meal tickets are here!

For a while, the sounds of cats meowing could be heard one after another - this old park turned out to be a kingdom of stray cats.

Qiao Ruiyi carefully poured some cat food on the ground, and the next second, he was surrounded by this pile of fur.

"Don't worry, don't worry, everyone has a share."

Qiao Ruiyi was like a chef, delivering food to every customer.

The stray cats were all busy eating, enjoying their meals with gusto, practicing with their own lives what it meant to be willing to bend over backwards for a living.

After Qiao Ruiyi finished feeding the cats, he squatted on the side and watched the cats eat, rubbing their furry heads from time to time.

The cats didn't mind his touch; they just moved their ears a little and continued to eat.

Qiao Ruiyi kept working, his eyes gradually becoming blurry, as if he was thinking of the past. He muttered to himself, "Today is a special day. Every year on this day I come here to see you."

Today is May 14th - also the birthday of Qiao Ruiyi's brother.

Qiao Ruiyi had never been to this place before. It was his brother who brought him here on his birthday...

At that time, they bought a few bags of cat food and took the subway to this strange place.

Qiao Ruien, dressed like a student, was searching around in an unfamiliar park with cat food in his hand, and finally he found a hiding cat.

Qiao Ruien tore a small hole in the feed bag in his hand, poured some cat food on the park bench, and then retreated to a safe area with the young Qiao Ruiyi.

"Brother, will the kitten really come to eat?" Qiao Ruiyi squatted on the ground with his face in his hands. He saw that the cat food on the bench not only failed to attract the cat, but was regarded as pie in the sky by the bird.

The sparrows were enjoying the food so much that they didn't care at all that the food had a strong fishy smell and was not meant for them at all.

"They should be able to do so. They are just a bit shy."

Qiao Ruien half-crouched beside his brother, constantly stretching his head to observe the cat's location, his hands loosening and clenching from time to time, as if he was unsure.

"Brother, today is your birthday, are we really not going to eat cake?"

Qiao Ruiyi's doubts had lasted from morning till now. He couldn't understand why his brother had such a big change.

Mingming used to buy a big cake and bring it home for his birthday. Although it was usually just the two of them and the housekeeper who took care of them celebrating together, they still had a lot of fun.

Qiao Ruiyi looked around. He had no recollection of ever being here with his family. So how did his brother know about this place?

Qiao Ruien made up his mind and said the decision he had considered for a long time, "Ruiyi, from now on I will no longer eat cake on my birthday. Let's feed the cat instead."

"Why?" Qiao Ruiyi was confused. What on earth had happened to his brother today?

"Because I want to save all the money for my birthday and take it out when I need it."

Before Qiao Ruien could explain in detail what would be useful, his attention was suddenly attracted by the kitten. Excited, he immediately grabbed his brother's arm and motioned him to look over.

A group of furry little guys were tiptoeing towards the cat food on the bench, with their pointed ears erect, always alert, as if constantly catching every suspicious sound in the wind.

Suddenly, an orange and white tabby cat stood out from the crowd. It bravely leaped onto the bench, its tail drawing an arc in the air, and became the "first cat to enjoy the crab".

As it lowered its head to enjoy the food, its whiskers trembled with satisfaction, but it did not forget to glance around with its peripheral vision - its half-closed amber eyes were flashing with a light of wildness and happiness.

"Ruiyi, they've started eating!" Qiao Ruien was extremely excited inside, but on the surface he had to pretend to be calm and composed. He didn't dare to breathe heavily, for fear that he would accidentally scare away this group of timid furries.

"These cats are very afraid of people," Qiao Ruiyi concluded based on the details. "Is there usually no one in this park?"

They didn't see anyone on the way here. The park seemed to have been abandoned by time. There was only desolate grass and trees, and no sign of human life.

"My friend told me: no one will take care of them," Qiao Ruien seemed to know something, but didn't say much.

He suddenly turned around and met Qiao Ruiyi's gaze, his eyes flashing with determination. He took the initiative to ask: "Ruiyi, let's come here to feed the cats every year on this day, okay?"

"Okay," Qiao Rui agreed without thinking, his eyes always on the cat who was concentrating on eating.

He has never touched a cat in his life.

"Maybe we can get acquainted with these kittens!"

Qiao Ruiyi was full of anticipation at the time, his eyes shining, and he couldn't help but fantasize about that day coming.

The cool breeze brushed across his cheek, unexpectedly interrupting his thoughts and bringing the memories in Qiao Ruiyi's mind to an abrupt end.

The tall young man casually reached out and stroked the cat's head. There was still a smile in his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were silently suppressed.

Time is too cruel. We used to be inseparable, but now I am alone. It is so lonely.

Qiao Ruiyi sighed deeply, put away his sad mood and stood up, "I'll go find Uncle Zhang to take care of your food. See you next time."

The Uncle Zhang that Qiao Ruiyi mentioned is the security guard of this park, and he is the one who takes care of these stray cats on weekdays.

Since he comes here every year to feed the cats, he has become familiar with the staff here.

Qiao Ruiyi left the cats eating and walked alone in the park. He went to places where Uncle Zhang might appear on weekdays, but he could not see the familiar figure.

"Strange, isn't Uncle Zhang in the park today?"

Qiao Ruiyi, who was busy looking for someone, met someone by the lake, but the other person was not the one he was looking for.

A young figure was sitting on a bench. He had short black hair and was wearing a black T-shirt. His back was straight. He was holding a mobile phone in his hand and talking to the person on the other end of the line.

"Baby, are you off work yet?"

It was so quiet around that any slight sound could be heard clearly.

For a moment, Qiao Ruiyi didn't know whether to step back or continue standing, for fear of accidentally disturbing the affection between someone else and their significant other.

The young man sitting on the bench by the lake didn't notice that there was another person near him. He was still completely immersed in the sweet phone call.

"Baby, are you busy today?"