Chapter 21 Idiot "I'm going to die, come save me!"...
Feng Yue was terrified.
But the other party didn't even bother to say a few perfunctory words before hanging up the phone.
Her head was about to explode.
How did Xie Shijin know that she owed Cheng Shiyun money?
Did Cheng Shiyun tell him?
It's been two years, isn't it a bit outrageous for her to ask me to repay the money now?
Feng Yue brushed her hair, which was soaked with cold sweat, and prepared to take a car home.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
Feng Yue opened QQ and received a message from a high school classmate she hadn't contacted in a long time.
Sister, are you there?
Feng Yue: [Yes, what's wrong?]
It's nothing serious. Do you remember Xie Shijin? The guy with the hearing problem.
He suddenly added me and asked me some questions about you...
Didn't you go to high school in Linjiang? How did you do on the college entrance exam?
College Entrance Examination?
Feng Yue laughed self-deprecatingly; she had dropped out of high school in her second year.
The money she had saved, the three hundred she borrowed from Cheng Shiyun, and... some other money were all discovered by her father.
Why did Xie Shijin suddenly start inquiring about her?
He hasn't given up looking for the driver who caused the accident.
It's been two years.
Does Cheng Shiyun have anything to do with him? It's bizarre that he's been so persistent for two years for a classmate he barely knows.
Even if we find her, what good will it do? Can Cheng Shiyun come back to life?
If someone dies, they're dead. Why dwell on it so much?
Feng Yue stopped replying to messages and deleted and blocked all her classmates.
...
"Feng Yue transferred to Linjiang City in her second year of high school." Xie Shijin put her phone on the table for the kitten to see.
On the screen was his chat history with the class's academic representative.
Cheng Shiyun slowly flipped herself down with her paws, then suddenly paused: "Deyuan Middle School?"
That name sounds familiar.
Cheng Shiyun: "Go search it up."
Xie Shijin opened his browser, the loading icon spun twice, and then, without warning, the webpage he hadn't closed before popped up.
Cheng Shiyun read aloud the words in the search box: "How do I hide my QQ/QQ Space browsing history... Whose space did you browse?"
"...Nobody."
Xie Shijin clicked delete expressionlessly and retyped in the search bar.
The search results show that "Deyuan Middle School" is the best private high school in Linjiang City, with tuition fees alone costing more than 20,000 yuan per year.
Cheng Shiyun was puzzled: "Feng Yue transferred to this school? Where did she get so much money?"
Feng Yue has four children. She is the third oldest. Her two older sisters went to work in Guangdong after finishing junior high school, and her younger brother, who is 10 years younger than her, has just started first grade.
Her parents treated her very badly; they didn't even want her to attend high school. It was only after Feng Yue said she could work summer jobs to earn her tuition without spending their money that her parents relented.
Feng Yue lives far away, and it takes her more than forty minutes to catch the bus, but she still insists on commuting to school because boarding students have to pay accommodation fees every semester.
Every evening after school, Feng Yue not only has to do her own homework, but also tutor her younger brother. Anyone who has ever helped a child with their homework knows how tiring that is. In winter, she also has to wash the whole family's clothes by hand, and her hands are covered in chilblains. Cheng Shiyun gives her almost all the hand cream she bought.
Will her dad send her to a private high school?
Did you win the lottery or did your house get demolished for compensation?
That's impossible.
A new unread message popped up in the message bar.
Class monitor: [It seems Feng Yue has blocked me.]
I was just chatting with her, and then... it showed that I was no longer her friend.
Xie Shijin: "..."
Cheng Shiyun: "...She doesn't have to do this if she doesn't want to pay back the money."
If Feng Yue is really having any difficulties, Cheng Shiyun can understand.
But her actions of blocking and deleting made Cheng Shiyun feel that the other party was eager to sever ties with her.
"Feng Yue, are you afraid of me?" Xie Shijin lowered his eyelashes.
He shook his head again as soon as he finished speaking: "No."
"To be precise, it's fear of you."
He and Feng Yue were truly not close; their only connection was Cheng Shiyun.
Feng Yue is Cheng Shiyun's good friend.
He was a witness to Cheng Shiyun's car accident.
Whenever he mentioned Cheng Shiyun, Feng Yue became extremely terrified, and it was a genuine fear, not something she was faking to avoid repaying the money. Xie Shijin felt that she might know something; transferring schools, pretending not to know him, and deleting his contact information were all to prevent him from contacting her again and asking her about Cheng Shiyun.
“I’ve been dead for two years. If you suddenly go to her asking for money, she’ll definitely be scared.” Cheng Shiyun’s logic was consistent. “Feng Yue is very timid. Do you remember when Lao Zhao used to show us movies?”
When the monthly exam results came out, their class had the highest average score in the entire grade. Teacher Zhao specially set aside two evening self-study sessions for them to watch "The Chorus". As soon as Teacher Zhao left, a few mischievous boys in the class immediately switched to playing "The Summoning of Souls", which scared Feng Yue so much that she cried.
Cheng Shiyun was also frightened and had nightmares for two nights in a row.
What was Xie Shijin doing at that time?
I sat next to her and did some coding practice problems.
That scene was more thrilling than a horror movie.
I just finished the exam, did it have to be so intense? Can't I take a break?
For a fleeting second, Cheng Shiyun even considered snatching the pen from his hand.
Xie Shijin nodded and said, "I remember."
He turned off the screen, put away his phone, and went to the kitchen to cook cat food.
...
It seemed like only for a second when a scream erupted in the classroom, startling the usually composed boy so much that his shoulders trembled.
A tremendous sound exploded in his ear canal, turning into a tingling, itchy sensation, and he subconsciously frowned.
Suddenly, a soft laugh filled my ear canal.
He turned his head and met a pair of smiling eyes.
Cheng Shiyun rested her chin on her hand, watching him with a leisurely air.
A light was left on in the classroom. In the dim light, the girl's eyes were slightly upturned, her eyelashes were long, and her fair face was breathtakingly beautiful.
The movie reached a new climax, and screams erupted around them.
The girl's smile widened, and she slightly opened her mouth.
"What?"
Xie Shijin hurriedly adjusted her hearing aid: "I can't hear anything."
The girl sighed, leaned forward, and whispered in his ear.
He finally heard it clearly.
That's right.
"—Xie Shijin, don't be afraid."
...
In the afternoon, seafood was on sale at the market, and Xie Shijin bought a grass carp. The vendor had already gutted and cleaned the fish for him.
He filled a pot halfway with water, washed the grass carp, put it in the pot, and cooked it slowly over medium-low heat without adding any seasonings.
After the water boils, the fish soup gradually turns milky white, and the fresh aroma wafts out through the gaps in the pot lid, filling the entire kitchen with the smell of fresh fish.
Cheng Shiyun squatted by the stove, sniffing incessantly: "It smells so good."
Xie Shijin looked at the kitten, which was barely the size of two of his palms: "It'll be ready soon, just wait a little longer."
Once the fish was cooked, Xie Shijin turned off the heat, took the fish out, and began to carefully debone and remove the bones.
Grass carp have many bones that can easily get stuck in a kitten's esophagus, so they must be removed.
A small pile of boneless fish meat gradually accumulated in the little tabby's bowl.
Although she turned into a grass carp last time, the fish was really delicious.
Cheng Shiyun was drooling.
Little fish, little fish, I'm sorry, I'm going to eat you!
"Awoo—!"
*
Principal Guo's cat is missing and hasn't been found yet.
The following afternoon, Xie Shijin finished his tutoring session and went downstairs, with Guo Xuan following behind him.
"Teacher Xie, please come early tomorrow. My new model airplane is arriving soon, and I need you to help me assemble it."
My gaze fell on the sofa in the living room, where a middle-aged man in a dark shirt was bending down to play with the tabby cat.
Guo Renyi was also at home.
"Dad?" Guo Xuan's eyes lit up, and he ran downstairs. "Why are you back so early today?"
Guo Renyi straightened up, a faint smile appearing on his face: "I came back after finishing up with school matters."
As he spoke, his gaze turned to Xie Shijin, who was standing at the top of the stairs: "Xiao Xie, are you done with class today?"
"Principal Guo." Xie Shijin nodded slightly, his voice calm.
Guo Renyi walked over, looked him up and down, raised his hand and squeezed his shoulder hard, and said, "Good boy, you are all my children. I am really gratified to see that you are getting better and better."
Have the police contacted you recently?
Guo Renyi casually asked, "That day I passed by Xuezi Road and saw a lot of police officers had cordoned off the road. Did they find any new clues?"
Xie Shijin shook his head slightly: "We didn't find anything."
"Sigh, that's true. It's been two years; it's hard to find any more clues." Guo Renyi said regretfully, then asked, "What about Teacher Cheng Jinghua?"
"Professor Cheng has gone to Beijing."
“Beijing…” Guo Renyi’s brow relaxed. “When Xiao Cheng had his accident, the teachers and students at the school all spontaneously donated money, but Teacher Cheng didn’t take a single penny. That’s just his personality.”
"We can only offer them some help within our capabilities; whether they can overcome this challenge depends on themselves."
"Meow?" Cheng Shiyun tilted her head.
Someone donated money to me?
Xie Shijin picked up the cat from the coffee table and confiscated the cat treats she hadn't finished eating.
Guo Renyi asked with a smile, "Is this your cat?"
Xie Shijin rubbed the cat's head and pursed his lips, then hummed in agreement.
Guo Renyi praised, "You're very well-behaved. Being able to keep a pet shows that you've truly let go of the past."
"Xiao Xie, did you see the cat we keep at home yesterday?" Qian Juan came over in her slippers, looking helpless. "It's that big white cat. It was here yesterday morning, but I don't know where it went in the afternoon."
In their search for the cat, the nanny thoroughly cleaned the villa, turning over everything from under the sofa to between the cabinets, but she couldn't find a trace of the cat.
Xie Shijin picked up her schoolbag from the sofa and replied calmly, "I didn't see it."
Guo Xuan was scrolling through videos with his legs crossed. Hearing this, he didn't even look up and said indifferently, "So what if it's lost? Just buy another one."
“You’ve raised your mother for over a month, so you must have developed some feelings for her.” Guo Renyi frowned and said unhappily, “It’s possible that she ran out when no one was looking when the door was opened. We’ll ask the property management to help look for her later.”
Xie Shijin slung his backpack over his shoulder and said, "Principal Guo, Director Qian, I'm leaving now."
Qian Juan called to the nanny who was cleaning, "Sister Lin, go and deliver it."
The nanny escorted him to the door.
"Goodbye, Teacher Xie. Take care on your journey."
Xie Shijin nodded: "Goodbye."
The nanny closed the door and let out a long sigh.
After the cat went missing, Qian Juan gave her a long lecture, blaming her for not closing the doors and windows properly.
The cat wouldn't let her near it at all. Every time she needed food or water, it would hiss at her and bite her.
Things that can't be tamed are better released back into nature.
A while later, the doorbell rang again, but the nanny was in the kitchen making soup and didn't hear it.
Qian Juan gave Guo Xuan a wink: "Son, go open the door."
Guo Xuan reluctantly got up, his eyes never leaving his phone screen, and walked to the door, pulling it open.
"Yuan Shao?"
Guo Xuan paused for a moment, put away his phone, and glanced at him from top to bottom.
Yuan Shao's face was flushed red from the sun, and he was covered in sweat, looking like a beggar.
He asked, "Xiao Xuan, are Principal Guo and Director Qian home?"
Guo Xuan ignored him and raised his hand to close the door.
"Wait a moment!"
Yuan Shao quickly reached out and grabbed the door frame, asking urgently, "Is your cat lost?"
...
"Xie Shijin, do you know roughly how much money everyone donated to me?"
Cheng Shiyun never expected that after her death, the teachers and students of No. 7 Middle School would donate money to her.
Xie Shijin said, "430,000."
The more than 5,000 teachers and students of Yichuan No. 7 Middle School donated a total of 434,300 yuan.
At the beginning of the second year of high school, the students were unaware of Cheng Shiyun's unexpected death. Several boys in the class even came to ask the girls who were usually close to Cheng Shiyun why she hadn't come to report for duty.
The girls didn't know that Cheng Shiyun hadn't been online on QQ for over a month.
Cheng Shiyun still did not attend the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.
The boys in the class were discussing in the back row: "Hey, have you heard? A female student was hit and killed on the student road at the back gate of the school."
"Huh? From our school?"
"No way, if that were true, it would have spread by now."
"Look, isn't that Teacher Cheng?"
At the start of the new semester, Cheng Jinghua delivered a speech under the national flag as a representative of the teachers.
The usually refined middle-aged teacher now looked exhausted, his hair completely white.
Gradually, the students learned that Teacher Cheng's daughter had died in a car accident, and his wife had suffered a severe blow and suffered a mental breakdown.
His once happy and fulfilling family is now empty except for him, who struggles to keep going.
Cheng Shiyun exclaimed in surprise: "So many!"
As Xie Shijin walked out of the villa area, he opened his parasol and looked into the distance: "Teacher Cheng didn't ask for a single penny."
Cheng Shiyun said, "I guessed so."
Her father must have thought that the driver who caused the accident would be caught soon, and that once the driver was caught, Ran Hongyin's illness would get better.
Everything will be alright.
However, two years have passed, and the police officers in charge of the case have changed twice. They have searched high and low but have not found any useful clues, and Ran Hongyin's illness has not improved.
Cheng Shiyun often wondered why she was the one who died.
If only she had left earlier that day.
If she hadn't taken that road that day.
If she received a call from Ran Hongyin.
Does that mean there won't be any accidents?
Wouldn't everything be different today?
...
Today we're going to re-examine Little Tabby's ears, so Xie Shijin got off the bus a few stops early.
Pet hospital.
"Once the scabs fall off, the fur will slowly start to grow back." The doctor carefully examined the little tabby by its ears. "The little one is recovering very well; the parents must have put in a lot of effort."
The vet's cat-petting technique was so authentic that Cheng Shiyun didn't want to get up. The two little cats kneaded her repeatedly, moving left and right.
The nurse standing nearby was so charmed by the kitten that she wanted to suck on it. She wondered if her parents would scold her if she took a bite of the kitten's paw.
"This cat seems to have gained a lot of weight. It was only the size of my palm when it came last week," the nurse said.
"Kittens are just like children; they eat a lot and grow fast, changing every day." The doctor smiled. "The owners can take their kittens to be weighed and get some free toys."
"Meow?"
The little tabby's eyes sparkled: "There are also little toys! Xie Shijin, let's go take a look!"
Xie Shijin scratched the little tabby's chin: "Go weigh yourself first."
"Dr. Lan, the one-eared blue cat has already been induced to vomit," a nurse called out from the office.
"Okay, start the IV drip, I'll be right there."
The doctor put on gloves and went into the office.
Xie Shijin took the little tabby cat to weigh itself.
"Your cat is healthy but a little thin. I suggest feeding it more high-protein cat food so its fur will grow faster."
After weighing me, the nurse handed me a questionnaire: "Here, fill out this form and you can go get your little toy."
Xie Shijin took the paper and pen, recalling the conversation he had just overheard, and asked, "The one-eared blue cat, is it the British Shorthair blue cat we met at the hospital last time?"
"Yes," the nurse said. "Last time it was brought to the hospital because it ate poisoned food. It had only been a few days since it recovered when it was brought here again by some elementary school students. It's still food poisoning."
"This week, many of the rescued stray cats suffered from food poisoning. I guess it's some cat-hating person again..."
"You don't have to love, but don't hurt."
"Filled out." Xie Shijin placed the pen on the questionnaire and pushed it over.
The nurse picked it up and glanced at it: "Okay, you can go over there and get your toy now."
Cheng Shiyun chose a sunflower toy planter that plays the saxophone. It's the kind that twists and turns and sings when you turn it on, and it can even record music.
After choosing toys, Xie Shijin also bought two bags of cat food.
Cheng Shiyun asked in confusion, "Don't we still have some at home?" The brand he bought now isn't the one she eats.
Xie Shijin said, "Go feed the cat."
Feed the cat?
Cheng Shiyun kicked her four legs wildly, preparing to take off from the spot.
Xie Shijin felt like he was holding a hot potato, and almost couldn't hold her. Helplessly, he rubbed her cat head and asked, "What's wrong? Are you itchy? Do you have fleas?"
Kittens have weak immune systems and are easily infected with fleas and ticks. If they do get infected, you should buy deworming medication.
Cheng Shiyun: "..."
You're the one with fleas! She's so clean and tidy; she washes her feet and face every day, okay?
The kitten's head is fluffy and feels really nice to the touch.
Xie Shijin rubbed it and didn't want to let go, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Cheng Shiyun pointed her raised tail at him and asked sourly, "You have other cats too?"
That tone was as if to say, "When did you have another cat behind my back?"
"..."
*
There is a small supermarket diagonally opposite the main gate of Yichuan No. 7 Middle School.
The small supermarket not only sells snacks and drinks, but also sells grilled sausages and hand-pulled pancakes. Every afternoon after school, a long queue forms at the entrance.
It's summer vacation now, and the small supermarket is still open, but not many people come in.
Xie Shijin sat on the old bench by the door, with her schoolbag and cat carrier placed on one side of the bench.
The little tabby cat squatted on his knees, watching him unpack the cat food.
Xie Shijin scattered a handful of cat food on the ground, and soon, stray cats began to peek over.
He went to the small supermarket, bought a bottle of mineral water, asked for a free plastic bowl, and poured the water into it.
He got a haircut, and the stray cats seemed not to recognize him and were too afraid to come near him.
Xie Shijin wasn't in a hurry; he grabbed a few more handfuls of cat food and waited patiently.
After observing for a while, the stray cats, perhaps finding no danger, cautiously approached.
At first, only two or three came, but more and more came later, and a whole bunch of furry creatures grew around the boy's feet.
Cheng Shiyun discovered that there were several cats among them, all from Yichuan No. 7 Middle School. She guessed that they had all come out to look for food after the students went on holiday.
The stray cats circled around Xie Shijin's feet, nibbling at his trouser legs, trying to play with him; they seemed to know him very well.
"These cats...you fed them all?" Cheng Shiyun was deeply moved. So Xie Shijin liked cats and had even fed the cats she had fed before.
Xie Shijin said, "I come occasionally."
I come here occasionally.
But he was very skilled at judging cat size and grabbing cat food.
Cheng Shiyun squatted on the bench, her gaze involuntarily lowering to the boy in front of her.
Jet-black hair, snow-white nape.
Through the thin shirt, one could vaguely see the curve of his shoulder blades.
So thin, too thin.
Cheng Shiyun thought of that bowl of bland noodles and the suppressed vomiting sounds from the bathroom.
The thought kept running through my mind.
—If he's so good at taking care of cats, why doesn't he take better care of himself?
...
Even after a bag of cat food was empty, the stray cats still surrounded Xie Shijin and refused to leave.
They were so affectionate, licking his fingers and tugging at his sleeves.
Cheng Shiyun felt a mixture of liking and jealousy.
She loves kittens and wants to play with them.
But as soon as she jumped off the chair, the cats scattered, as if they were rejecting her.
Having been a cat for so long, she hasn't made a single cat friend except for the big white cat!
She was jealous because... she wasn't a real kitten and couldn't roll over and act cute towards Xie Shijin like other cats.
Xie Shijin scratched the kittens' chins and moved their soft bellies, making the kittens whimper comfortably.
This isn't a cat, it's a fox spirit!
Cheng Shiyun felt like she had just eaten pickled green beans; she wanted to transform into an evil Tyrannosaurus Rex, jump down, and devour all their cat food.
I hate that other people's cats are affectionate towards their owners, but I hate even more that the cats aren't affectionate towards me. How awful!
"Xie Shijin, didn't you ever think about getting a cat before?" Cheng Shiyun sensed that he actually liked cats quite a bit.
Xie Shijin: "No."
"Why? Doesn't your grandmother want you to raise him?" Cheng Shiyun stared at his handsome profile.
He shook his head: "I don't have enough ability to protect another life."
A kitten's life is also a life. Once he adopts it, he becomes the only human that the kitten can trust. But he can't even take care of himself, so why should he drag a kitten down with him?
Before meeting her, Xie Shijin had never thought about raising a cat.
"How could that be? You're amazing and very responsible." Cheng Shiyun thought that if Xie Shijin had a cat, he would definitely treat it very well. He was the type who had principles, but would spoil the kitten if it acted cute. "Besides, these cats really like you. You must have been feeding them for quite a while now."
“I used to feed these cats often, but they wouldn’t let me touch them and only wanted to eat the cat food I brought.”
It was a bit of a pipe dream, but Cheng Shiyun had genuinely considered whether it was because she fed these cats and accumulated good karma that she was able to return as a cat.
Xie Shijin lowered his eyes, his voice calm and unreadable: "Two years."
"You've been feeding them for two years?"
Cheng Shiyun was taken aback: "No wonder..."
She only fed them for a year, so it's natural that they were closer to Xie Shijin.
Another question suddenly popped into Cheng Shiyun's mind: "Why were you able to keep feeding them for so long?"
Cheap cat food is bad for a kitten's health.
The cat food Xie Shijin brought today wasn't very expensive, but it wasn't cheap either. It was the brand she had fed her before, costing twenty yuan per pound, with a five-pound bag.
If she remembered correctly, Xie Shijin's family situation wasn't very good.
Even assuming he feeds them once a week, it's still a significant expense. The boarding students in their class only have a monthly allowance of 800 yuan.
After pouring out the last bit of cat food, Xie Shijin clapped his hands, stood up, picked up the little tabby cat, and prepared to go home.
"Because the girl who used to feed these cats is gone."
His voice was soft, like thin snow falling on the heart of a lake, melting instantly but stirring up ripples.
Cheng Shiyun paused for a moment, then struggled to lift her eyes.
The intense sunlight pierced through the ginkgo leaves, casting geometrically shaped patches of light, one of which fell right into his eyes.
The shifting light and shadow concealed the emotions in his eyes.
The girl Xie Shijin mentioned... is it her?
The idea was nipped in the bud by Cheng Shiyun.
She's being too presumptuous.
So many people have fed these cats, and most of them were girls from school.
Why would she think Xie Shijin was talking about her? She really has a big face.
Moreover, Xie Shijin was implicated because of her death. She almost killed him.
It seems that all she brought him was pain and nightmares.
After ruling herself out, Cheng Shiyun's eyes darted around twice more.
Who was Xie Shijin referring to?
Who is he interested in?
Cheng Shiyun wanted to ask, but it involved his privacy, and asking such a question seemed a bit inappropriate.
Xie Shijin picked up his schoolbag and slung it over one shoulder when a surprised voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Brother, it really is you!"
A chubby little boy with fair skin ran over.
Cheng Shiyun raised her paw and stroked her little whiskers. Wasn't this the chubby little boy who wanted to buy her dried fish?
"You got a haircut?" the chubby boy asked innocently. "I should have gotten one a long time ago. My mom said that boys with long hair look sloppy."
"Although you're already handsome, you'd look even more handsome with a haircut."
Xie Shijin: "...Want to feed the cat?"
The chubby boy waved his hand excitedly and said, "No, I'm here to take the kitten home. My mom agreed to let me keep a cat!"
"Brother, you have a cat too?!" He stared intently at the tabby cat in Xie Shijin's arms.
Xie Shijin: "Mm."
The chubby boy said in a very high-pitched voice, "Mimi mimi, good afternoon, you're so cute~"
Of course.
Cheng Shiyun elegantly licked her lips.
The chubby boy wanted to touch it but was too afraid to; his cautious manner was hilarious.
Cheng Shiyun extended her tail and wrapped it around his finger.
Fatty: "!"
He let out a strange chuckle: "Brother, your cat is so well-behaved, so adorable! It's not afraid of people at all, hehehehe..."
Xie Shijin calmly withdrew the tabby cat's tail: "Which cat do you want to keep?"
"Oh, that one." The chubby boy pointed, "A calico."
Beside the bench, several cats were still digging at the cat food in the cracks in the ground with their paws, seemingly reluctant to leave.
That calico cat is female and has a limp, so she can't run fast. If she isn't spayed/neutered, she'll be constantly bullied and impregnated by male cats in the wild.
"Mom said I can only keep one cat." The chubby boy was a little sad and regretful. "If only I had money, I could give all the kittens a home."
Cheng Shiyun really admired this chubby boy.
These kind and well-behaved children are the kind of children that the Juvenile Protection Law should protect.
"By the way, brother, please don't let your kittens get into the school area." The chubby boy seemed to have remembered something terrifying; his face turned pale, and he said excitedly, "When I came here just now, I saw the security guards from No. 7 Middle School catching them with nets!"
Xie Shijin: "Catch a cat?"
"Hmm." The chubby boy nodded, tenderly picking up the calico cat. "I asked the security guard why he was catching the kittens. He said it was because the cats had scratched people, and the principal wanted them to catch all the cats in the school before the start of the semester... and get rid of them."
At first, the security guard bought rat poison and mixed it into the cat food, and many cats were poisoned. Later, the cats got smarter and refused to eat the cat food with a strange smell, so the security guard used sticky rat traps and nets to catch them.
The cats that were caught were simply drowned, stuffed into plastic bags, tied tightly, and thrown into the trash can.
Xie Shijin frowned upon hearing this.
Cheng Shiyun looked at him: "Principal...is it Principal Guo?"
She suddenly remembered the day she returned home as a cat, when she ran into Guo Xuan in the school parking lot. At the time, she didn't know that Guo Xuan was Principal Guo's son.
If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too.
The son abused cats; it turns out he took after his father.
She even thought Guo Renyi was a good principal, very kind and benevolent.
Guo Renyi came to the school in the afternoon to deal with these cats?
Cheng Shiyun suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
She thought for a moment, then broke free from Xie Shijin's hand as she tried to comfort her, and jumped to the ground: "Stop eating, listen to me."
The furry creatures gave her a strange look, then continued eating.
"Meow—!!!"
Cheng Shiyun yelled and cursed, her words even dirtier than those of a cow-and-cat.
"All you do is eat! You wouldn't even know you've been murdered one day!"
The cats around all had flat ears and were huddled under the bench, trembling.
She's so fierce.
Cheng Shiyun sensed the fear and adoration in the kittens' eyes.
Sure enough, just like people, cats won't listen when you talk to them nicely, but they'll immediately behave if you scold them.
Cheng Shiyun threatened them: "If you don't want to die, don't go to the school across the street recently. If you see any other cats, tell each other, understand?"
An orange cat crawled out from under the chair and circled behind Cheng Shiyun: "Hello, can I lick your butt?"
Cheng Shiyun: "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course not!"
She's still a child!
The orange cat is in heat.
Xie Shijin frowned and held the ruffled tabby cat in his arms to comfort it.
She bared her teeth at the orange cat and accidentally bit Xie Shijin's finger.
The sharp teeth pierced the skin, and a small string of blood beads appeared.
Cheng Shiyun was stunned; she hadn't intended to bite Xie Shijin.
"I'm sorry..."
The apology abruptly ended, and Cheng Shiyun's eyes widened.
Xie Shijin bent that finger and put it into the little tabby's mouth, grinding her sharp molars: "Cheng Shiyun, you're about to lose your baby teeth."
She stared, mouth agape, a little dazed: "Meow? Really?"
"Hmm." Xie Shijin lowered his eyes. "This tooth is a little loose."
"Oh..." Cheng Shiyun blinked, meowed twice, and couldn't speak clearly, "Can you take your fingers out now? Meow~"
"Don't move, let me check."
Xie Shijin supported her chin, his fingertips moved lightly, and touched the corresponding lower tooth.
"And this one too."
They make a perfect pair, one on top and one on the bottom. It's time to buy the kitten some chew toys.
Xie Shijin withdrew his index finger and wiped it with a tissue.
Cheng Shiyun closed her sore mouth and pressed her tongue against her two teeth; they were indeed a little loose.
It took Cheng Shiyun a beat to realize that Xie Shijin had touched her teeth.
Even though she's a cat, how could Xie Shijin touch her teeth so casually!
What?! You think she's not human?! You think you can... you can take liberties with her like that?!
Are all teenage boys this lacking in manners?!
Cheng Shiyun puffed out her cheeks in anger, then paused for a moment.
Should she swallow the saliva in her mouth or not?
—The saliva that had licked Xie Shijin's fingers.
"What's wrong, Cheng Shiyun?" There was drool on the kitten's chin, and Xie Shijin wiped it away.
With a thud.
The little tabby swallowed: "What can I do... I'm perfectly fine, don't talk to me anymore, go home quickly."
"Brother, are you talking to me?" The chubby boy scratched his head, but his name wasn't Cheng Shiyun.
Xie Shijin told him, "Go home early."
The boy walked away, carrying the cat.
On the way home, Cheng Shiyun hesitated several times before finally holding back.
She wanted Xie Shijin to help these cats, but Xie Shijin already had a hard time taking care of just one of her cats.
Even if she were still alive, the two of them couldn't afford to keep so many cats.
As Xie Shijin said before, they simply did not have the ability to protect these lives.
Therefore, her words only added to Xie Shijin's troubles and burdens.
Cheng Shiyun is not someone who likes to trouble others or owe favors.
Xie Shijin has no obligation to pay the price for her saintly heart.
besides.
Principal Guo shattered Cheng Shiyun's illusions about his benevolence!
There are many ways to protect students' safety, but Guo Renyi chose the most cruel one: slaughtering cats.
The original intention may have been for the students, but it also deprived other lives of their right to live, which is an unjust act.
If Cheng Shiyun were a little arrogant, she would tell Xie Shijin to quit tutoring and stop earning that money.
However, wealth can sway people, while poverty can make them feel inferior.
She couldn't do that, so all she could do was curse those despicable rich people!
Once Xie Shijin earns money, he can buy more cat food for them; it's a way of robbing the rich to help the poor.
But the next afternoon, at one o'clock, Xie Shijin still hadn't come out of the bedroom.
It takes more than an hour to get from home to Lushan International. They should leave at 12:30. Didn't Guo Xuan tell him to go and assemble the model airplane early today?
"Meow?"
Cheng Shiyun patted the bedroom door.
There was no response.
Cheng Shiyun pricked up her ears, pressed her ear against the door, and heard the buzzing of a cell phone in the bedroom.
The alarm clock rang for a long time until it automatically turned off, which Cheng Shiyun felt was not normal.
Even if Xie Shijin overslept, such a loud noise should have woken him up.
Little Tabby jumped up, grabbed the bedroom doorknob with both hands, and pressed down hard.
"Squeak—"
The door opened, but the cat was still hanging on it.
Cheng Shiyun kicked herself and jumped onto the bed.
The curtains in the bedroom were half-drawn, and Xie Shijin was lying on the bed without a blanket, as if he had just lay down.
He looked as if he had been pulled out of the water; his T-shirt was soaked with sweat, his face was as white as snow, and his lips were deathly pale.
"Xie Shijin?"
Did you have another nightmare?
Cheng Shiyun tried to bite his hand, but was burned and pulled back.
It's so hot, Xie Shijin has a fever.
Xie Shijin is sick.
Cheng Shiyun patted his arm and bit his clothes, trying to wake him up, but no matter how she called, Xie Shijin didn't move.
She panicked and quickly thought of a solution.
A fever can be a serious or minor illness; if she doesn't save Xie Shijin, he might die.
After a brief moment of thought, Cheng Shiyun jumped onto the bedside table, snatched Xie Shijin's phone in her mouth, dragged it onto the bed, and then picked up Xie Shijin's finger and pressed it on the screen.
Fortunately, Xie Shijin's phone could be unlocked with a fingerprint, otherwise she really wouldn't know what to do.
She opened the dial pad, and after entering three numbers, a contact popped up.
Xie Shijin saved Ni Jiaqi's number.
That makes things much easier.
The phone rang twice, and the other end answered quickly.
"Hello?" Ni Jiaqi's voice was lazy.
"Meow!"
"Meow?" Ni Jiaqi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "Oh, it's a kitten. Where's your dad? Is he next to you?"
The little tabby cat was meowing through the receiver, sounding a bit anxious.
Ni Jiaqi asked casually, "What happened? Did your dad abuse you, and you secretly called me to complain? Hmm?"
Cheng Shiyun almost fainted.
"Cheng Shiyun..." a hoarse voice rang out.
Cheng Shiyun was stunned for a moment.
She turned to look at the person on the bed; Xie Shijin was still asleep.
But he was calling her name, his brow furrowed.
On the phone, Ni Jiaqi didn't hear clearly: "What did you say?"
His breath was faint, mixed with a faint electrical hum, making it difficult to discern.
"Xie Shijin, who are you calling?" Ni Jiaqi was getting a little impatient.
He asked Xie Shijin several questions but received no response, so he prepared to hang up.
But just a second before he hung up, he suddenly heard it clearly.
Xie Shijin said, "Cheng Shiyun... I'm sorry..."
His brows furrowed, the piercing pain felt like an iron clamp gripping his internal organs, and he could only repeat those three words over and over again in a low, hoarse voice.
Cheng Shiyun tried to bite his hand, hoping to wake him up.
Why should I say sorry?
What is there to apologize for? Xie Shijin did not apologize to her in the slightest.
There was a moment of indifference on the other end of the phone.
Then came a soft sneer.
Ni Jiaqi twitched the corner of his mouth.
He felt sorry, but he didn't know who to tell.
Isn't it said that people become ghosts after they die?
Why doesn't Cheng Shiyun become a ghost and come back to find him?
She clearly said that if she died in the future, she would be the first one to scare him.
But why... it's been two years, and she hasn't come to see him?
Whether it's a ghost, a phantom, or a nightmare.
...Don't just go to Xie Shijin, go to him too.
"Meow?"
The cat's meow brought him back to his senses. Ni Jiaqi sighed and asked, "Little cat, is your dad asleep?"
Why would I call him while he's asleep? Are you sleepwalking?
"I'm hanging up now. Be a good girl and stay with your dad. Don't let him die. I'll bring you something delicious next time I come."
"Beep beep beep—"
Cheng Shiyun: "..."
Ni Jiaqi is an idiot.
She had no choice but to open the text message and start typing.
...
It's almost 1:30, and Ni Jiaqi is going to the community to volunteer.
He washed his face, changed his shoes, and prepared to go out when his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated twice.
Xie Shijin sent him a text message.
He opened it and took a look.
[Idiot.]
I'm dying, please save me!
Ni Jiaqi rubbed his eyes.
Holy crap, this is unbelievable.
-----------------------
Author's note: My childhood friend is terrified! [frightened][frightened] His face turned pale!
Random thoughts: I changed the title of the story, but I don't think it's quite right. I'll change it back tomorrow. Also, I'll be uploading tomorrow (Saturday), so Saturday's update will be moved to 11 PM. I'm also setting up a giveaway event. Thank you all for your support! [Sprinkling flowers]
It will turn into a human! I won't go into details about how and when it will happen due to spoilers, but it's definitely a happy ending! I guarantee it! [Loudshy bunny head]
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