Chapter 75 "You miss me that much? A day apart feels like..."
Su Cheng was startled and jumped back like a frightened rabbit, her heart pounding in her chest, almost letting out a cry.
Her pupils contracted, and she frowned in displeasure, but when she turned around and saw the face outside the window, her breath caught in her throat.
Outside the car, Su Xiangrong was bent over, not wearing his reading glasses, and could only squint and strain to look into the car.
Upon confirming it was his daughter, a smile immediately spread across his face, and lines appeared at the corners of his eyes.
Through the closed car window, Su Cheng could vaguely see his lips move, as if he called out "Yuan Yuan".
But the smile came and went quickly. Old Su seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere in the car. His brows furrowed immediately, and his gaze, filled with scrutiny, tried to look over her shoulder to see who was in the driver's seat.
Su Cheng panicked, and her palms instantly became sweaty.
Almost instinctively, she used her entire body to block the view between the car window and the driver's seat.
Without even having a proper goodbye to Jiang Muzhou, she hurriedly clutched the bunch of sunflowers, jumped out of the car, and deliberately raised her voice, enunciating each word clearly, "Five-star review, right? I'll give you one later!"
Seeing that she was carrying something, Su Xiangrong was about to reach out to help her close the car door, but she didn't give him the chance and slammed the door shut with her elbow.
"This Didi driver keeps pestering me to give him a good review." Su Cheng's face was plastered with an overly bright smile as she reached out and tightly grabbed her father's arm, speaking in a spoiled tone like a little girl, "Let's go inside quickly, it's so cold outside."
The urgency in his voice was almost palpable.
She tried to use her body to lead her father into the yard, but heard his deep voice ask, "Driving this car for Didi?"
Su Xiangrong's gaze remained fixed on the black Land Rover that was making a U-turn, his probing intent undisguised.
The osmanthus tree in the courtyard was in full bloom. As the father and daughter walked under the tree, a few golden flowers swirled and fell, gently landing on the sunflower in Su Cheng's arms, spreading a sweet fragrance.
"It's a private car, it is a private car." Su Cheng chuckled dryly, and only secretly breathed a sigh of relief after the engine noise faded into the distance.
"The service is really good, they even gave us flowers." Su Xiangrong turned around and glanced back and forth between her and the bouquet of sunflowers.
Su Cheng avoided his gaze, sniffed, and answered decisively, "I bought it myself."
Unbeknownst to her, her feigned composure was perfectly visible to Su Xiangrong.
He was like a teacher standing on a platform, looking down at students who were secretly reading novels under their desks. The students thought they had hidden it perfectly, but little did they know that from the perspective of the platform, everything was crystal clear.
Su Cheng quickly changed the subject, "Why are you still out so late?"
Su Xiangrong pulled out a few sausages from the pocket of his cotton pajamas and shook his head helplessly. "It's all because of that cat you brought back. I made you ham and eggs for dinner tonight, but you only ate a few bites. I fed it a small piece, and it started bothering me and meowing at me."
He complained, but a smile played on his lips. "I had no choice but to go to the convenience store next door and buy it some."
Su Cheng's parents live in a villa area on the outskirts of the city, which is not as lively as the city center. The nearest convenience store is almost a 20-minute walk away.
Su Cheng couldn't help but laugh out loud. Isn't this a typical case of "sharp tongue but soft heart"?
She complained about her bringing the cat home again during the day, but now she's braving the cold wind to go out specifically for this little guy.
Is this the charm of Hakimi?
As they were talking, Lin Wei'an saw the father and daughter walking side by side and invited them into the house, "What a coincidence, you two came back together?"
Just as Su Xiangrong was about to pick up the Land Rover, a little tabby cat darted out of the house and circled around their feet.
Upon seeing the two "hunters" return, Decepticon looked left and right, and finally, after Su Xiangrong waved the sausage in his hand, he chose Old Su without hesitation.
Su Cheng pursed her lips to suppress a smile, and while unwrapping the sunflower, she secretly observed her father's expression.
She placed the bouquet in the vase and replied, picking up where her mother left off, "We just happened to bump into each other at the door."
Su Xiangrong was delighted by the rub of the Tyrant Tiger, and in his great mood, he completely forgot about the Land Rover. He proudly raised his eyebrows at Su Cheng, "See? It's still closer to me."
Su Cheng wisely refrained from arguing and instead flattered him, saying, "That's because you're so charming."
Seeing this heartwarming scene of "filial piety and parental love," Su Cheng couldn't help but ask curiously, "Dad, you actually like kittens quite a bit, don't you? Would you consider getting one?"
"Who said I like it?" Su Xiangrong looked down at the little guy circling around his feet, his tone noticeably gentler. "It would be a real hassle to raise this."
Although he said he was refusing, his movements were exceptionally gentle as he carefully broke apart the sausage. "Every day we have to prepare food and water for it, and we also have to find time to play with it. Your mother and I are both busy with work and often have to travel for work. How can we take good care of a kitten?"
The Decepticon, of course, couldn't understand these words. It was only focused on the delicious food in front of it, using its sharp little teeth to gnaw small holes in the sausage.
After finishing a sausage, it squinted its eyes contentedly, and even unusually moved closer to the person who gave it food, trying to be affectionate and friendly.
“Having a pet is a heavy responsibility.” Su Xiangrong raised his hand, wanting to pat the fluffy little head, but then withdrew it. “If you only enjoy the little bit of happiness it brings, but don’t think about how to take responsibility in the future, that’s not right.”
These words were a revelation to Su Cheng.
She recalled the comments she had seen in the comments section earlier:
[Aren't those who abandon cats the same people who call themselves 'cat lovers'? They keep cats and then carelessly discard them. If it weren't for them, where would all these stray cats come from?]
Although she did not agree with this sweeping generalization and condemnation of everyone, she had to admit that although the words were harsh, they hit an undeniable truth: if there weren't so many people who got pets on a whim and then abandoned them when they got tired of them, there wouldn't be so many homeless stray animals in the world.
Some people wave the banner of "pet love," but in essence, they are just greedy for the comfort and companionship that pets bring, without truly thinking about the responsibility that comes with choosing to keep a pet for more than a decade.
Perhaps, while continuing to advocate for "adoption instead of buying," she should also think of ways to promote effective measures that can truly reduce abandonment at the source.
-
With both her physical symptoms and emotional distress relieved, Su Cheng slept exceptionally soundly that night.
On a weekend morning, when her parents didn't have to go to work, they specially prepared a sumptuous breakfast for her.
Although it was almost noon when she woke up.
With a slice of toast covered in peanut butter in her mouth, Su Cheng called out to Lin Wei'an, who was watering the flowers in the yard, "Mom, I'll be back in a bit."
Lin Wei'an turned around at the sound, tilting the watering can slightly, water droplets falling to the ground with a pattering sound. "So you're in such a hurry to leave?"
"The shelter has been a bit busy lately, so it would be more convenient to go back to live there," Su Cheng blinked and made up a reason on the spot.
Su Cheng is in a relationship.
And that boy was most likely the handsome young man who lived next door to her.
However, since Su Cheng didn't bring it up herself, they didn't want to interfere too much. After all, the child had grown up and needed to have her own life.
But that deep bond of blood is something I can't let go of; longing will always creep into my heart.
“Bring Decepticons back to visit more often when you have time.” Lin Wei’an’s gaze shifted from the blooming azaleas, and she sighed softly. “Actually, your dad likes cats, but ever since Little Fold left, he’s had a knot in his heart.”
She raised her hand and gently pressed it to her chest. "Mom and Dad are getting old, and they really... can't bear another separation."
The march of time never stops, silently pushing everyone forward.
The warm sunlight slanted in and fell on Lin Wei'an's temples.
Su Cheng looked at her mother's graying hair, which was particularly noticeable in the light. The black and lustrous hair she remembered had been turned white by the passage of time.
A sudden pang of sadness welled up in her heart. Su Cheng stepped forward and gently hugged her mother, burying her face in her shoulder and nuzzling against her like she did when she was a child. She replied in a muffled voice, "I know, I will come back often."
Su Cheng, arm in arm with her mother, walked back to the living room chatting and laughing. There she saw Su Xiangrong holding his phone, video chatting with an old friend with a beaming smile: "Old Zhang, look at our curtains, they have tassels, aren't they fashionable!"
In the video, a lean tabby cat is hanging on a lake-green fabric curtain, its two sharp front paws pulling at the neat hem of the curtain, creating wispy strands.
Su Cheng couldn't help but smile as she watched this scene.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a message from Jiang Muzhou.
Ease: [The cat abuser's identity has been confirmed.]
Su Cheng swallowed the last bite of toast, her fingers flying across the screen: [Who is it?]
ease: [Shall we talk in person?]
Su Cheng: [Okay, wait for me at home.]
ease: [I live near your house, I can come pick you up.]
Upon seeing this, Su Cheng was slightly taken aback. "[What are you doing near my house?]"
Ease: [Even if I can't see you, it's good to be able to wait for you somewhere close to you.]
ease: [And, won't you take a Didi home?]
Su Cheng raised the corners of her mouth, deliberately teasing him: [Who said I was going home?]
A little while later, she sent a red envelope, ["Remember to park your car further away this time."]
After saying goodbye to her parents, Su Cheng carried her airline suitcase out of the villa area. She hadn't gone far when she saw the black Land Rover waiting by the roadside.
As soon as she got into the car, she heard Jiang Muzhou greet her, "Long time no see."
He wore a light gray knit sweater today, with his bangs covering his forehead, but the falling sunlight made his bone structure even more defined.
"Didn't we just see each other last night?" Su Cheng got into the car and placed the airline case securely on her lap. "You miss me that much? A day apart feels like three autumns?"
After drinking a whole pot of pear soup, her throat felt much clearer, and she was able to banter with him freely again.
Jiang Muzhou lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping past Su Cheng's smiling lips before landing on the flight case. He gestured with his chin toward the little tabby cat inside, "I'm greeting the Tyrant."
Su Cheng wasn't annoyed at all. She fastened her seatbelt on her own. Only then did she truly understand what it meant to be favored and fearless.
But the person beside her spoke in a resentful tone: "You even bring it with you, are you determined to abandon me?"
Su Cheng nodded silently to herself; she couldn't possibly watch him build a love nest with someone else.
How could she have imagined at the time that it was all a misunderstanding from beginning to end?
"I'm back now," Su Cheng mumbled a reply, quickly changing the subject, "Who exactly is this cat abuser you mentioned?"
"You should know about the pet insurance that Tiancheng has been pushing recently, right?" Jiang Muzhou explained to her as he started the car. "In order to quickly seize market share, Cheng Muye made an exception and canceled the industry's usual waiting period for claims. This was supposed to be a good thing for users, but who would have thought that someone would deliberately try to take advantage of this loophole?"
He paused, letting Su Cheng process the information, before continuing, "The person we found is named Zhuang Liang, an employee specifically responsible for reviewing insurance claims. He specifically lured stray cats to abuse, while bribing doctors at designated veterinary hospitals to forge a complete set of treatment records and expense receipts, embezzling funds to defraud insurance companies."
While waiting at a red light, Jiang Muzhou turned his head and his gaze naturally swept over her hand.
Her slender fingers were unconsciously tightening, and her knuckles were turning slightly white from the force.
“The amount involved exceeds 30,000.” He observed Su Cheng’s expression, hesitated several times, and then spoke heavily, “Based on the existing evidence, at least 8 cats have been harmed by him.”
Su Cheng couldn't quite describe how she felt at that moment.
More than 30,000 is no small amount.
He may have genuinely had dire circumstances, desperately needing money but too afraid to actually steal or rob, ultimately resorting to cruelty towards these defenseless little lives. It is precisely because existing laws lack effective constraints on animal cruelty that such people take chances and risk their lives.
But what did those innocent and vulnerable creatures do wrong?
Su Cheng lowered the car window, letting the cool breeze hit her face, trying to dispel the lingering gloom in her chest.
She searched her mind quickly, but couldn't find any connection to the name "Zhuang Liang," which made her even more confused and helpless.
Her voice tightened slightly, "Were those malicious comments targeting the video account and the recent troubles the shelter has encountered also his doing?"
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