Chapter 7
Li Ying'an cried because of the little orange cat.
I once heard Empress Wuqing say that men don't shed tears easily, so in this situation, I didn't know whether I should touch Li Ying'an's sore spot and comfort him.
But this suppressed crying really made it impossible for me to sleep.
I sat up from the bed. The bed couldn't bear the weight and creaked, which unsurprisingly woke up Li Ying'an.
When he turned his head, our eyes met.
There is a light bulb hanging in the dark room, but it has no brightness and does not do anything here.
In the darkness, I saw with my clear eyes that Li Ying'an was standing in a daze surrounded by shadows. His eyes were still as bright as before, like stars twinkling in a stream. As his eyes dodged, they were like ripples on the surface of the river, slight, careful and restrained.
It was at this moment that I thought of him when he was burning the stove. Perhaps from that time on, he had been burying his emotions deeply.
The tears in those light grey eyes are like rain that has not yet fallen.
Now, with the help of darkness, this little thought can no longer be hidden. It is like a flood, rushing through the villa in the dead of night, destroying everything that can withstand it.
I heard him laugh, but his attempt to hide his sadness failed, and his laughter was noticeably trembling.
Now, this laughter was like a needle, silently piercing my body. My heart fluctuated greatly with his laughter, and I couldn't help but pat him: Just cry.
But now he was very stubborn and strong-willed. He just pursed his lips, rolled his Adam's apple, and swallowed the sobs, even though sadness was accumulating and swirling in his eyes.
"...I had two cats before, and neither of them died a good death."
He suddenly said, "The first one was a very well-behaved little black cat. When I found it, its body was limp and it had just left. Its four legs were deliberately chopped off by someone. It must have died because of excessive blood loss and pain."
"The second one was a civet cat. It was very beautiful, with soft fur and pink paw pads. It stayed with me for many years, I can't remember exactly how many years. I still remember it was raining heavily the day I found it dead. It was poisoned to death right next to my house. The person who poisoned it was none other than my relative, my father, who was worse than an animal."
He paused, raised his hand to wipe his face, and finally continued with a sob, "This one now, it only accompanied me through one winter. Kittens are so afraid of the cold, but it didn't see the warm spring this year. Maybe I should blame it for running around, I should blame others for deliberately killing it, but no matter what I do, I can't extricate myself from this accident. I always feel that it was my carelessness that hurt it, and I am an accomplice to its murder."
Hearing him say this, I felt so heartbroken. I put my hand on the shoulder of the man who seemed to be immersed in sadness and couldn't extricate himself, and shook my head at him affirmatively: No, you are definitely not the murderer who killed it. Please don't blame yourself for its death, otherwise your tears will only hinder the orange cat's reincarnation, and your concern for it will become a stumbling block for it to enter the next life smoothly.
He lowered his eyes and whispered, "But, I blame myself..."
I sat beside him, watching his eyelashes droop and his mouth drop. The emotions that should have been hidden beneath his skin were all visible on his face, yet not overwhelming. His sadness was so calm, so calm that it made my heart feel choked. Even his long breaths felt like a sharp blade, slicing back and forth.
At this moment, I wish I could turn into a cat to accompany him.
But I can't let this supernatural event in other people's minds become reality. Even though I have planned to follow Li Ying'an, I can't be so reckless as to turn into a cat now.
I want to accompany Li Ying'an, both in cat form and in human form. I will transform into a cat and stay at his house, and I can get snacks and other things myself, which will save me a bit.
As for people, I might become his friend.
So I decided to divert his attention: In addition to the orange cat, I also saw a tabby cat running past the alley.
As expected, when I mentioned the tabby cat, Li Ying'an's sad eyes instantly became like a container of water that had been overturned. When he turned to me, the light in my eyes seemed to hit his face, and his face seemed to be filled with scattered lights, which were slowly gathering at this moment to form the most beautiful appearance. "Have you seen where that little tabby cat is?"
He looked particularly nervous when he asked this question.
I shook my head, but didn't deny it: It's not dead, it's just a little injured, and it will probably come to you in a few days.
"It must have been frightened," Li Ying'an muttered to himself. "It used to come here all the time, but lately its visits have been decreasing. I haven't seen it in a long time. The chances of it coming to see me are probably very small."
Being a greedy person, I was speechless for a moment. I couldn't help but lick my lips and apologize for my behavior.
"But what can I do even if it comes to me?"
I looked at his face and began to hesitate whether I should let him go to bed quickly to get rid of this heavy sadness.
"By the way, did you see clearly the person who hurt Xiaoju?" Li Ying'an asked tentatively.
His words immediately reminded me of Teng Zheng, the man who tried to lure me into the event.
Thinking of his gang, I once again felt that although he looked good, he was not a good person.
I told him that there were five or six people in the gang, three of them were chasing Xiaoju, and there was a leader who hurt the tabby cat.
The information I provided him was not detailed. I did not tell him the appearance, body shape, etc. of the people who hurt the orange cat, because I knew that even if I told him everything, Li Ying'an would not hurt them.
Perhaps in the future, when he happens to meet the murderer, all he can do is reflect on himself day after day.
I didn't want him to experience the feeling of cutting himself with a knife. All I could do was let him know that the people who hurt the orange cat weren't just one person, but a group of people. This also shows that there is a lot of evil in this world, and there may be many people with the same kind nature, but when it comes to commemorating the little orange cat, he is the only one who truly treats the cat.
If the orange cat were here, he definitely wouldn't want him to get hurt.
Besides, I also have selfish motives. He must have a good body and a good mood. I also hope that he can support me.
It was late at night, and the silence outside was so complete that even the slightest sound of the wind could be heard. The heavy drapes hanging at the door slapped against the wooden door as the cold wind blew, and the light bulb hanging overhead swayed slightly as the house swayed. Soon, the wind died down, and the world grew quieter. The sound of breathing within the house became palpable, like the buzzing of insects hidden in the bushes.
Li Ying'an, who was sitting cross-legged beside him, was probably hypnotized by sadness. He closed his eyes sleepily and lowered his head. His chassis was stable enough not to fall, but the bent neck looked uncomfortable.
I think that instead of letting him fall asleep with sadness, it would be better for him to use his brain more and think about the next plan.
After all, a new spring is coming.
I leaned over and patted his leg. After looking into his cloudy eyes, I gestured: What are your plans next?
This question made him blink as if waking from a dream, and his gaze was cast on the small window, as if he could chase what he thought in his heart through the window, and then gradually realize it.
"Leave here, wander around. Find a suitable rental apartment, and pick up a suitable part-time job. As long as I can keep myself from going hungry and have enough to eat, I think that'll be enough." He imagined the future, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned to look at me. "Don't you have any ideas? If it really doesn't work out, will you come with me?"
I pretended to be innocent and asked obediently: Will you support me?
Li Ying'an was truly a kind man, both to animals and to people. He agreed without hesitation: "I can treat you as my younger brother. As long as you're willing to call me brother, I can certainly support you."
I was not only complaining in my heart, but also thinking that he was so poor that he could not even afford to live, yet he still pretended to be so arrogant and said that he could support a grown man like me.
What he said next made me stunned: Did he include me in the future he just imagined?
"If you follow me, I'll work hard to save money to support both of us. Once I have a stable nest egg, I'll enroll you in a relatively affordable tutoring class, and you can learn from the teacher." He fantasized about a bright future, the corners of his mouth curling wider and wider. "You must study. Although it's not a perfect solution, you can't let your mind be empty."
"This is what my teacher told me. I think it's necessary to let you know the importance of learning. It may not allow you to change your fate, but it can help you to a great extent."
He spoke incessantly, and I stared at his face without blinking, my heart inevitably filled with turbulent waves -
How can someone be so nice and so stupid?
We have only met once. Even if you feel sorry for me because I am mute, uneducated and easily deceived, there is no need to take me in or even spend so much for me and treat me as a family member, right?
What if I am an out-and-out bad person, a thief addicted to stealing, or an unforgivable liar, then wouldn't everything he did be in vain?
Li Ying'an, you are really too naive.
If I became a human and accompanied him, his life would only become worse, and his hard work would only bring winter.
So, before daybreak, I quietly left. When I left, the sky was still pitch black, the moon silently obscured by thick clouds, and even the wind was gone, frozen by the cold air. It was as quiet as last night.
There was not a single light on in the huge yard. The black dog in the cage covered with rags rolled itself up into a ball. My stealthy appearance did not attract its attention while it was sleeping.
I walked out of the scrapyard, went to a nearby place without surveillance, and turned into a cat again.
After resting for half a day, my legs were much better, so I could still run freely.
It was nearly five o'clock, but the sky hadn't yet fully awakened. Winter wasn't like summer; no one would do morning exercises in such cold weather. I could walk boldly and nimbly down the street, feeling the morning air like an icy hand, its touch causing my fur to shiver. Though cold, my mind was incredibly alert.
I came to the place that Teng Zheng mentioned yesterday.
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