Chapter 85 Chapter 85 An An
These days, Xitong always felt empty in her heart, as if something was missing.
Especially when she was reading in the study late into the night, or when the afternoon sun was at its best, she would always subconsciously look towards the empty, cushioned rattan cat bed by the window.
That was the place An An loved to occupy the most in Yu Sixie's house in W City.
The color-key Siamese cat had eyes as blue as a glacial lake, and its face, ears, tail, and limbs were dark chocolate, like a delicate mask, while its body was a warm off-white.
It can’t be said that it is a very clingy cat, with a little arrogance that is typical of Siamese cats, but it just likes to be close to Xitong.
Whenever she was at Yu Sixie's house, it would quietly jump onto the sofa, find a comfortable position beside her legs, curl up in a ball, and make a satisfied purring sound.
When leaving W City for Beijing, due to the rush of the trip and the concern that the cat would not be able to adapt to the long-distance bumpy ride and the new environment, Yu Sixie entrusted An An to the care of a very reliable nanny who stayed in W City.
I thought it would be just a short separation, but I didn't expect it to last almost a year.
After his memory was restored, various things happened one after another, and Xitong had almost no time to take care of other things.
But recently, the longing for the furry little life has come flooding in without any warning.
She even dreamed about it.
In her dream, she seemed to be back in the sun-filled living room of Yu Sixie's house in W City. An An jumped lightly onto her knees, rubbing her fingers with her cool and moist little nose, her blue eyes full of familiar and slightly reserved attachment.
She was about to reach out to hug it when she woke up from the dream.
When I woke up, I could still feel the soft fur on my fingertips, and my heart felt so empty.
That morning, while having breakfast with Yu Sixie, Xitong looked out the window at the sparrows jumping in the yard, lost in thought. She unconsciously muttered, "I wonder how An An is doing in W City... I haven't seen him for a long time. I miss him a lot."
Her voice was very soft, more like a sigh spoken to herself, without expecting any response.
After saying that, he lowered his head and continued to drink the porridge in small sips, trying to suppress the slight feeling of nausea that was coming up again.
Yu Sixie was reading a financial newspaper. Upon hearing this, he paused slightly in his movements of flipping through the paper.
He raised his head and looked at Xi Tong, who looked a little listless and missing her pet far away. The subtle loneliness in her eyes did not escape his notice.
He didn't say anything, but just kept it in mind.
After breakfast, Xitong went to school as usual.
She was so immersed in her new project report that she almost forgot about the casual mention she made that morning.
It was not until the evening that she returned to the Yu Mansion with slightly tired steps. As soon as she walked into the living room, she heard a familiar, slightly aggrieved, thin "meow~".
Xitong's footsteps suddenly stopped, and he looked in the direction of the sound in disbelief.
I saw an elegant Siamese cat sitting in the wicker cat bed that had been empty for a long time on the Persian carpet near the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room!
Its iconic dark face stood out against its off-white body, its azure eyes staring at her unblinkingly, the tip of its tail wagging gently.
If not An An, then who else could it be?!
It looked well-cared for, with smooth fur and a well-proportioned body, but there was a hint of wariness and scrutiny in its eyes, as if it had just arrived in an unfamiliar environment.
"An An?!"
Xitong exclaimed in surprise, almost trotted over, squatted down, and stretched out her hand cautiously.
An An sniffed her fingers, as if confirming the familiar scent, and his vigilance instantly dissipated. He meowed affectionately and rubbed his head against her palm. The warm little body and familiar purring sound instantly soothed the emptiness in Xitong's heart for days.
Mother Yu walked over with a smile: "It just arrived this afternoon. Yu Sixie specially had someone drive it here from W City, saying that you missed it. The little guy was quite well behaved along the way."
Xitong's heart felt like it was hit by something, making it feel sore and soft.
She didn't expect that he would remember what she just said casually, and quietly and quickly sent the little guy she missed to her.
She picked up An An and buried her face in its soft and warm fur, feeling the powerful purring sound that represented satisfaction like a little motor, and her eyes felt slightly warm.
At this time, Yu Sixie also came back from outside. When he saw Xitong holding the cat with a genuine happy smile on her face, the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose and his eyes became gentle.
"What are you still standing there for?"
He walked over and said in a natural tone, "Auntie Liu has prepared his favorite imported cat food and dried fish. Go feed him. Don't let him feel wronged by being in a new place."
Xitong raised her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with emotions, surprise, and touching, which finally turned into a smile that was filled with anger but also very soft: "You are quick."
Yu Sixie just smiled, reached out and rubbed An An's little head, and then gently touched Xi Tong's cheek: "If you miss it, it should be by your side."
It was a simple sentence, but it made Xitong feel that the slight gloom caused by physical discomfort and uncertainty about the future in recent days was mostly dispelled by the purring of the little guy in her arms and the silent consideration of the man in front of her.
The warmth of home is sometimes reflected in these seemingly insignificant details that touch the heart.
…
The sudden free time fell on Xitong like an unexpected gift.
Her previous case study paper on the cultural integration model after multinational mergers and acquisitions was accepted for early publication by a top international business journal due to its unique analytical perspective and rigorous model construction.
This major achievement directly allowed her to meet the rigid requirements for doctoral graduation. Her supervisor was delighted and told her that she could arrange the rest of her time freely and only need to focus on improving her thesis and preparing for the defense, which was equivalent to allowing her to enter the graduation season early.
At the same time, the core business planning parts of the W City High-end Medical Industrial Park project, which is a collaboration with Luo Xuanji, including early market analysis, business model design, investment return calculation, and strategic partner contact, have been basically completed under her efficient coordination and Luo Xuanji's strong resource support.
What remains is mainly to wait for offline entity promotion and final approval at the local government level. She does not need to do these specific implementation steps herself for the time being.
As a result, Xitong found herself suddenly pulled away from the high-intensity, fast-paced academic and business practice, and fell into a rare, almost luxurious period of leisure.
She did not feel at a loss because of this, but instead enjoyed the long-lost tranquility.
Most of the time, she stayed in the warm and comfortable home of the Yu Mansion.
The new member, the Siamese cat An An, became the perfect companion for her during this leisure time.
On sunny afternoons, she would hold her laptop, curl up in the recliner by the window in her study, and review the data model for her graduation thesis.
An An was curled up on the wool blanket beside her legs, her furry body rising and falling gently with her breathing, making a soothing low-frequency purring sound.
Occasionally, it would stretch out its pink-padded paws and tentatively pull at her hanging pajamas straps, or when she was concentrating on thinking, it would gently nudge her hand holding the mouse with its head, its sapphire eyes full of concentration, as if it was participating in her academic discussion.
When Xitong gets tired of analyzing cases, she puts down her computer and picks up a cat toy.
The little gadget decorated with colorful feathers and bells drew a graceful arc in the air, immediately attracting the attention of the security department.
It crouched low, the tip of its tail trembling with excitement, its azure eyes fixed on its target, and then it suddenly lunged out, leaping into the air, turning, and pouncing. Its movements were agile and graceful, with the agility and cuteness unique to cats.
"An An, look here!"
Xitong smiled and shook the stick, watching the little guy rolling and chasing on the thick carpet, having a lot of fun.
The quiet study was filled with the crisp sound of bells and the occasional, light-hearted laughter that she couldn't help but let out.
Sometimes, she would just lie quietly on the sofa in the living room and read the latest business magazines. An An would jump up, find the most comfortable position at her waist, and enjoy the quiet reading time with her, licking his paws and washing his face from time to time, looking satisfied with the peace and tranquility of life.
These lazy days accompanied by furry little creatures seem to isolate us from all the commercial games and academic pressures from the outside world.
Xitong was very satisfied with this state. She temporarily put aside the M&A models and investment calculations, and immersed herself wholeheartedly in the simple happiness of petting cats, reading, and daydreaming, making up for the many peaceful times she had missed due to amnesia and busyness.
…
Looking at Xi Tong's increasingly obvious sleepiness, loss of appetite, and occasional small movements of suppressing nausea, Yu Sixie's guess in his heart was almost 90% certain.
That night, he saw her put down her chopsticks after drinking only half a bowl of porridge, and her face looked a little gloomy, so he brought up the old matter again, speaking in an extremely gentle tone:
"Xiao Xi, I've noticed you've been feeling down lately, and your appetite hasn't been great either. I'm free tomorrow, so why don't you go to the hospital with me for a comprehensive physical? Just treat it as a routine checkup, and it'll put your mind at ease."
Xitong was holding An An and stroking the cat's fur from time to time. Upon hearing this, she suddenly stopped stroking the cat.
She almost immediately raised all her thorns and retorted without thinking, her voice a little hurried and high-pitched because of a subtle sense of guilt:
"No! I told you I'm fine! I've just been too idle lately and a little lazy, that's all! Yu Sixie, can you please stop cursing me sick all the time?"
She held An An tighter in her arms, as if that would give her some confidence. She avoided looking at him, but her words were very firm: "I know my own body very well! I'm not pregnant! Absolutely not! Stop guessing!"
Yu Sixie looked at her, who looked fierce but weak, and looked as alert as a frightened little animal. He felt both amused and distressed. He knew that persuading her further would only arouse her stronger rebellious psychology, so he could only sigh helplessly and give up for the time being.
However, Xitong's resolute words could not conceal the turmoil in her heart.
The next morning, she did not sleep in for the first time. Instead, she took advantage of the time when Yu Sixie went to the company and the other people at home were still asleep, and quickly got herself ready. Like an agent preparing to carry out a secret mission, she lowered the brim of her hat, put on a mask, and sneaked out the door.
Instead of going to her usual pharmacy, she took a detour and found an inconspicuous community pharmacy. Like a thief, she quickly bought several pregnancy test sticks of different brands, stuffed them into the deepest corner of her bag, and then fled the scene with her heart pounding.
As soon as she left the pharmacy, she immediately took out her cell phone and called Su Luyao, her tone was unprecedentedly panicked and anxious:
"Yaoyao! Right now! Come to the HAI Hotel next to Puzi Station! Hurry! It's urgent!"
Half an hour later, in the hotel standard room.
Su Luyao looked at Xi Tong, who was fully armed and had a nervous expression across from her, and then looked at the familiar and frightening pregnancy test sticks that she carefully took out of her bag, and instantly understood something.
Her eyes widened and she lowered her voice, "Fuck! Xitong, are you serious?! Didn't you swear you didn't?"
Xitong grabbed her hand, her fingertips cold: "Don't ask! Accompany me! Just like...just like last time!"
The trajectories of history seem to overlap at this moment.
Seven years ago, outside the hotel bathroom in Siguniang Mountain, it was Su Luyao who accompanied her waiting for the verdict of fate; seven years later, outside a hotel bathroom in Beijing, it was still Su Luyao, holding her hand, accompanying her to face this sudden possibility that might change the trajectory of her life again.
Xitong took a deep breath, holding the small pregnancy test stick as if it were a hot potato, and walked towards the bathroom with heavy steps.
Su Luyao was left outside, her palms sweating with nervousness, just like before.
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