Chapter 22 Now, you've touched the star.
Ignoring the tears still clinging to her chin, Su Cheng looked up in disbelief.
Jiang Muzhou's tall figure filled the hazy vision.
The edges of his hair were tinged with a pale yellow light, and the street lamp behind him was completely blocked by him, so the halo gently nestled on his head, like a golden halo casually drawn by a god.
Backlit, his expression was indistinct; only his warm breath brushed against her damp cheeks.
“Do you know? It takes more courage to let a life exit with dignity than to indulge its suffering in the name of treatment.” Jiang Muzhou gently patted her back. “You are a responsible owner, accompanying it to injections and medications, staying by its side every step of the way. But when all the treatments turned into torture, it was you who personally untied its shackles. That is the most difficult kind of love.”
"In the last few minutes of life, you built a final haven for it with your warm embrace." He slowly knelt down to look her in the eye. "Perhaps there is no such thing as a perfect farewell in this world, but among all possible endings, you chose the gentlest curtain call for it."
Su Cheng felt as if the dandelion seed in her heart had suddenly scattered, its light fluff drifting into every corner of her memory.
She finally understood what that special feeling she had about Jiang Muzhou was.
It is a way to get out of an embarrassing situation, a shelter in danger, a guide when lost, an unspoken understanding when getting along without having to find topics to talk about, and a support you can lean on anytime when you are tired.
That's a temperature called peace of mind.
It is neither noisy nor ostentatious, yet it can gradually calm all restless emotions and give all anxieties a place to rest.
She should have hidden her vulnerable side in front of the person she liked.
But he saw through it all.
Like a clear spring, it not only reflects her truest self but also gently soothes her unease, allowing her to regain inner peace.
Su Cheng looked up; the sky was as black as ink, without a single star.
"They say that after death, life turns into stars, gazing down upon those on Earth. But look, there isn't a single star now." Her reddened nose twitched slightly, her voice trembling like a withered leaf hanging on a branch in late autumn, lifted by a cool breeze, then slowly falling back into the mud. "Is it still angry with me?"
Jiang Muzhou stared at those eyes, moistened by tears. Her reddened eyes were brimming with tears, teetering on the edge of their sockets, as if they would burst forth at any moment with the fluctuations of her emotions.
His brow furrowed deeply, and a sharp, indescribable pain welled up inside him.
The pain surged up like a tide, rising with the blood and reaching all the way to the throat.
This is the third time.
This was the third time he had seen her cry.
He raised his hand, wanting to wipe away the tears on her face, wanting to hold her broken in his arms.
But in the end, he didn't do it.
He simply and gently took her hand in his.
She carefully unfolded her palm.
As the night breeze swept through the treetops, a small goldenrain flower twirled and fell, its four slender, pale yellow petals unfolding in the wind before finally settling steadily in her palm.
He stared intently at her, feeling both sad and happy for her. "Now, you've touched the stars."
-
That night, Su Cheng had a very long dream.
She dreamed of Little Folded Ear, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
It wasn't sickly-looking, but rather the healthy image I remembered of it: its fur shiny, its body docile as it lay on her lap.
"My dear, how have you been lately?"
Do you want to kiss me?
Mimi misses you so, so much!
Mimi has some amazing news to tell you! Mimi is having a wonderful time in Cat Planet! Mimi's little paws have fully recovered, and now she can jump and bounce on the rainbow cat tree every day, jumping higher and farther than before!
And then, fragrant dried fish rained down from the sky like a downpour; Mimi couldn't possibly finish them all!
The best part is that the sofas here are indestructible, so Mimi can scratch them to her heart's content!
It's just...it's so expensive to make phone calls!
Mimi worked incredibly hard, catching mice for four years to save up her allowance, just to make this short phone call!
Mimi even resisted buying her favorite canned cat food.
Do you remember the first time you met Mimi?
Back then, Mimi ate small insects in the green belt for three days. Mimi was so cold, Mimi was so hungry, Mimi thought she was going to report to Cat Planet.
But then someone suddenly appeared!
The person carried Mimi into a warm, magical castle and gave her delicious cat treats she had never tasted before.
The kitty was so happy its tail was practically wagging in the air!
But later on, people always lie to their mothers.
Even though she knew Mimi loved to sleep in the dark under the bed, she always tricked Mimi out with a fragrant cat treat.
Mimi ran out excitedly, only to find that the person had hidden bitter pills in the cat treat!
Another time, I said I would take Mimi on an adventure, and Mimi was very happy because she hadn't seen the outside world in a long time.
I wonder if there are still as many small insects in the green belt as before?
But people took Mimi to a terrible, white place filled with strange smells.
The disinfectant there smelled awful, and it made Mimi's little nose feel terrible.
Every day, two-horned creatures dressed in white come with strange instruments to examine Mimi, who also has to take bitter pills and get painful injections...
It really hurts, I'm so scared.
Fortunately, people came to rescue Mimi.
Mimi no longer needs to take medicine or get injections.
But before Mi left, she saw someone secretly wiping away tears.
Is the person feeling guilty because they lied to Mimi?
You silly humans, I'm not that petty. I don't blame people, because I've already secretly taken revenge on them.
Mimi has hidden so much fur in the house—on your clothes, under the bed, in your homework...
So when people suddenly see these furry things, they'll think of Mimi and become so sad that they cry like they are now!
However, if a person cries too hard, even a cat would feel sorry for them.
So you're only allowed to cry for a little while!
Meow, my phone bill is running low...
You must promise me that you will eat well, sleep on time, and be happy!
Once Mimi has caught enough little mice, she'll call someone right away!
Meow~ I love you the most!
Su Cheng opened her eyes in a daze, the lingering soreness from the dream still lingering in her chest.
A warm touch came from her ankle. She turned her head slightly and saw that Decepticon was curled up close to her heel, its fluffy tail rising and falling gently with its breath.
The birdsong outside the window gradually became clearer, dispelling the last trace of the dream.
She reached up and touched the corner of her eye, her fingertips feeling a little dampness.
The fluffy ball at her feet seemed to sense something and half-opened its amber eyes to look at her.
It stretched, its pink paws leaving a trail of tiny plum blossom prints on the sheets, before settling into the most comfortable spot in her arms.
The warm little head nuzzled against her shoulder, and its gentle warmth brushed against Su Cheng's face.
Su Cheng unconsciously tightened her arms, feeling the little guy's heavy warmth.
A sense of reality gradually returned to my body.
-
At eight o'clock sharp, the doorbell rang at Jiang Muzhou's house.
He was clearly taken aback when he saw Su Cheng standing at the door.
Yesterday she said she would prepare three meals a day for him, but he thought she was just saying it casually, since she usually doesn't wake up until noon.
I didn't expect her to arrive so early, carrying a fragrant breakfast in her hand.
Today, Su Cheng wore a mint green chiffon halter top with ruffles, revealing her delicate collarbone and beautiful swan neck. The cinched waist design accentuated her already soft and slender waist, making it appear even more delicate.
Her lower body was clad in pure white hemp flared jeans, the close-fitting cut making her legs appear straight and long.
In the morning light, Su Cheng leaned against the door frame, panting, the ruffles on her chest rising and falling slightly with her breath.
She has always preferred bright-colored clothes, and today's mint green tank top makes her skin look even whiter.
"I forgot to ask your preferences yesterday, so I bought some Chinese and some Western food." As she spoke, she handed the bulging bag in her hand to Jiang Muzhou, and squatted down to change her slippers.
The thin straps of her beige woven sandals were wrapped around her slender ankles several times, and she bent down and untied them for a while.
Jiang Muzhou bent down to take the bag, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the slightly open neckline as she bent over.
A glimpse of snow-white skin was faintly visible.
He hurriedly looked away, coughed awkwardly, and quickly walked to the dining table with his breakfast in hand to open it.
Chinese breakfast consists of sesame seed cakes with sweet soy milk, while Western breakfast includes ham sandwiches with iced Americano.
Jiang Muzhou didn't rush to choose, but waited for Su Cheng to make her choice first.
Considering Jiang Muzhou's hand injury, Su Cheng did not buy any items that required chopsticks.
"How about we take turns? Chinese tomorrow, Western the day after. You can tell me in advance what you want to eat and I'll go buy it."
She pushed the sandwich and Americano in front of him, while she grabbed a sesame seed cake and took a bite.
"I didn't expect the morning market to be so lively." Her cheeks were bulging. "I checked the guide and went there specifically to buy crispy beef patties, but they were all sold out when I got there."
Jiang Muzhou lowered his head and took a sip of his Americano. "Actually, it doesn't have to be that complicated. It's just a minor injury to my hand, it's not like I can't move it."
Su Cheng's heart tightened. Was he trying to keep his distance from her?
But I made a perfect impression last night.
She swallowed the sesame seed cake whole, pondering how to remedy the situation.
Jiang Muzhou noticed the unease in her expression and guessed that she was still upset about what happened yesterday and wanted to make amends in this way. But he knew very well that this injury was purely accidental and had nothing to do with her.
He said sincerely, "I can buy it myself, or I can order takeout if necessary."
takeout?
Su Cheng's eyes lit up, and she suddenly perked up, leaning closer to Jiang Muzhou as if grasping at a lifeline, "Do you know how to order takeout?"
Before the other party could answer, she began to list the details on her fingers, "First, click into the shop and then exit, wait for the system to trigger the red envelope discount before placing the order; you can get a sausage by adding the shop to your favorites and paying an extra 0.1 yuan; if you add a five-star review and real photos, you can also get a cashback!"
She gave a smug smile, winked, and said, "Ordering takeout is a technical skill, so let me, the expert, handle it!"
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