Chapter 5
I slowly raised my gaze and tilted my head back to meet his gaze.
The boy was quite tall, about the same height as Li Ying'an, and his build was slimmer. But the only thing that was memorable about Li Ying'an was his pale gray eyes, while the boy in front of him was much more handsome. Even though his face wasn't bright, but rather expressionless and cold, it was still better looking than Li Ying'an's.
My eyes swept across his moon-shaped earrings, and my heart suddenly trembled. I simply gestured: I saw it, no one passed by here, but a kitten slipped away from here.
Of course, I was the only one who understood what I was saying, as it was quite difficult for the boy to comprehend. His brows, once relaxed, suddenly tensed, and his sharp eyes fixed on my waving hands. He would occasionally interrupt me, then unsurely repeat what he understood, struggling to match it with what I was describing.
"Shit, it was all in vain, the cat ran away." He said to the person behind him.
After I finished gesturing, I secretly glanced at where they were standing and found that they were looking at each other, then turned their heads to look back where they came from, and some even ran back.
The man with the earrings in the lead turned around. He didn't seem to trust me, and he slowly searched the back of the alley. Unable to find what he was looking for, he retreated. Before leaving, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Suddenly, I said in a hoarse voice: I have no home.
The boy obviously didn't believe it. A look of suspicion flashed across his face. His cold eyes swept over my body from top to bottom, and finally stared into my eyes: "No home?"
To be honest, if I were that boy, I wouldn't believe that someone like me looks homeless.
Ever since I took the initiative to ask Empress Wuqing to look for Xiaoju, my human form started at the age of eighteen. Now, four years have passed, and I am already twenty-one years old.
But at this age, I still look like a child, short and thin. Compared with the boy of the same age standing in front of me, I really should live in an orphanage instead of wandering on the streets.
Besides, cats love cleanliness. Even if I transform into a human form and wear human clothes, my clothes will always be clean and tidy in black and gray. At first glance, I don’t look like someone who can wander the streets, so it’s no wonder that others don’t believe it.
No one would dare to suspect that I am not a human, but facing that gaze, I would still hug my legs guiltily.
"How old are you?"
Twenty-one.
"Where are your parents?"
I shook my head. I didn't know my parents. Wuqing Niangniang said I died in a cold, rainy winter, before I could even open my eyes or get my breasts squeezed.
"Then how do you usually survive, picking up trash?"
I rubbed my ankle and pointed: stealing.
There was no need for further explanation. The boy seemed shocked that I had been stealing for over twenty years, his astonishment evident on his face. He learned from me that I had never been to school, hadn't completed compulsory education, and naturally couldn't read. I simply made a living wandering around, doing random things without any purpose.
As if pitying me, the boy showed a trace of sympathy at the corner of his mouth: "You are so pitiful. Do you like small animals?"
I don’t understand why the topic diverges so widely. Even though I’m confused, I’ll still express what’s in my mind: I like small animals.
Then, the boy gave me a seemingly happy smile thoughtfully, as if he was being praised for helping others: "If I find a job for you, will you do it?"
I didn't understand what was going on and asked with a frown: What?
He said simply: "Rescue stray cats."
Seeing that I didn't understand, he embellished it a little.
It turns out that there is a recent public welfare activity called rescuing stray animals and bringing them home. Among the animals that are rampant in cities, stray cats are the most numerous, so most people focus on stray cats in this activity.
The government's rescue efforts are genuine. Cats caught are sent to veterinary hospitals for sterilization if they're still intact, and are found good homes for neutered cats. This prevents them from wandering around, ensuring their safety while also improving the city's appearance. All costs are covered by the charity's sponsors, who earn 100 yuan for every stray cat they capture, prompting a surge in interest.
When I heard this, I immediately decided that I could use this activity to find Xiaoju.
In this case, there is no need for me to transform into a cat and steal food secretly. Instead, I can save money in the form of a human and make full use of the next two years to travel all over the country and smell Xiaoju's traces.
I agreed to the boy's request, and he and I agreed to meet in People's Park tomorrow, and he would take me to register.
I was not familiar with the process and did not raise any questions.
"Then I'll be leaving first," the boy turned around, then twisted back again after a moment, "By the way, my name is Teng Zheng."
Without asking him which two words they were, I nodded.
Then, Teng Zheng asked: "So what's your name?"
I stammered and couldn't explain it for a long time.
"Forget it, I'll figure it out for you tomorrow." Teng Zheng probably guessed that I didn't have a name, so he didn't continue discussing the topic. "Remember the agreement, I'm leaving first."
Looking at Teng Zheng's back as he walked away, I thought I should really give myself a name so that I can tell that I am not a cat.
As for what my last name should be...
In a trance, I stopped thinking hard because I saw a familiar figure passing by the alley. Although he lowered his head, he was holding something familiar in his arms.
……look familiar?
I suddenly remembered the orange cat that had gotten separated from me.
Ignoring the injury on my leg, I stood up and stumbled towards the man with heavy steps.
As expected, the man who passed by my eyes was Li Ying'an. He did not look well. If you look closely, you will find out what caused him to be so dejected and his legs seemed to be shackled.
I lowered my eyes and looked at the furry thing in his arms. It was the orange cat that was with me not long ago. At this moment, it was lying limply and lifeless.
I was almost stunned and smelled the scent of death.
Li Ying'an's entire attention was focused on the dead orange cat in his arms, and my footsteps were so light that he didn't hear them for a while.
I dragged my feet and slowly approached him. When Li Ying'an turned around, I raised my head and dived into his gray eyes. It seemed like there was fog in my eyes, which made me confused and I didn't know what to say for a moment.
I gestured to him: Can I see this kitten?
Although I didn't say anything, Li Ying'an understood what I meant and gently handed the little orange cat to me.
This orange cat is really dead.
I lowered my eyes. It should have been so lively and energetic, but suddenly it was limp. Its soft fur was covered in dirty blood, now congealed and filthy. Its eyes were open, but its pupils were blurred and murky, without any light. There seemed to be tears in the corners of its eyes, as if it was unwilling to leave like this.
Yes, it told me not long ago that it would accompany Li Ying'an well.
Suddenly, I burst into tears uncontrollably.
"Little friend, is this the kitten you lost?"
I lowered my face and shook my head, then reluctantly handed it back to Li Ying'an's hands, then raised my thumbs and bumped our hands together twice: He is not my kitten, he is my friend.
Li Ying'an carried me back to the scrap yard.
We buried the deceased little orange cat next to a sycamore tree near the scrap yard, which was Li Ying'an's request.
He told me that the paulownia tree is a symbol of good fortune, an energy field that transcends life and death, and that all souls buried near it will be blessed and at peace. And in autumn, when the paulownia leaves fall, the cycle of life begins.
"That way, its soul won't be trapped in the soil, and when the wind blows, it will start a new life."
Li Ying'an gave a reluctant smile. "The awakening of spring buds and the coolness of summer shade, the falling of autumn leaves and the silence of winter snow—there's a high probability that it will be present in all these things."
I was surprised that he actually believed this.
Li Ying'an looks simple and honest. He is the kind of person who believes that there is wind in the world but never believes that there are gods blowing it. Although all things have spirits, he should be a firm materialist, not a person who would have unrealistic fantasies about a paulownia tree.
But in an instant, I could understand his idea——
The death of the orange cat hit him hard, and he expressed his love for the orange cat in this way.
His silence then gave way to my prying gaze. I stared silently and timidly at that expressionless face, its corners still raised. If it weren't for me, the orange cat might not have been targeted by those people and killed. The orange cat's death was partly due to me, and I could hardly face the overwhelming guilt.
I suddenly thought of Teng Zheng, whom I met not long ago, and the stray animal rescue activity he told me about. For a moment, I became alert and felt that this was a trap.
The old woman who had been standing silently beside him for a long time looked up, and the eyes on her weathered face were very bright. "The phoenix tree, my old lady likes it, and she also says that phoenix trees are auspicious. I can pick up garbage here mostly because of this phoenix tree. When I have nothing to do, I think of her here. She also said that if she is gone, she should be buried under the phoenix tree, but I still can't fulfill her wish. She should be buried in the cemetery."
Li Ying'an said, "Actually, these words were told to me by someone else. That person also said that if she died suddenly in the future, she should be allowed to sit close to a paulownia tree and let it embrace her gently."
My eyes drifted across their faces, and through their faint smiles, I felt from the bottom of my heart that these two people who could remember what others said had kindness engraved in their bones that could not be erased.
The old man nodded with his mouth half open. Turning around, he saw me sizing them up, and then he asked Li Ying'an, "I've never seen this kid before. Is he your brother?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
