Chapter 3

After moving the things off the cardboard box, Lu Yao opened it and looked down. A short-haired American kitten with beautiful black fishbone markings was curled up in a corner of the box.

Rainwater had seeped through the bottom of the box, soaking it completely. The little kitten was meowing weakly in discomfort.

Lin Gejie leaned over for a look. "Yao-ge, it's a kitten. It looks like it's only two or three months old."

Lin Gejie's grandmother kept cats, so he knew a little about them.

Seemingly startled by the humans appearing before it, the kitten suddenly fell quiet. It opened its large, round dark-blue eyes and stared blankly at Lu Yao.

After the stern-faced boy stared back at it for a while, he seemed to admit defeat and looked away first.

Lu Yao glanced around, found a clean cardboard box in a corner of the alley that had not been rained on, then carefully lifted the kitten out and placed it inside the clean box.

The moment Lu Yao pulled his hand back, the kitten timidly stuck out its tongue and licked his pale wrist.

The corner of Lu Yao's lips lifted despite himself, and he gently stroked its head.

After placing the box somewhere the rain could not reach, he stood up, intending to leave with Lin Gejie.

Lu Yao had barely taken two steps when the kitten suddenly began meowing urgently.

He frowned and turned back, unable to stop worrying, returning to the box.

When it saw Lu Yao again, the kitten gave a happy meow and rolled around inside the box. It looked utterly adorable, as though it were acting cute with him.

Seeing that it was fine, Lu Yao turned to leave again. The kitten began meowing once more when it saw him go, seemingly calling for him to come back.

This time, Lu Yao hardened his heart and pretended not to hear it, without slowing his departing steps.

Lin Gejie was amused by the interaction between the boy and the cat.

He had known Lu Yao for over a year, and this was the first time he had seen such a soft side of him. It was completely unlike the icy impression Lu Yao usually gave people.

Lin Gejie said with a smile, "This little kitten is pretty cute. If my mom weren't allergic to cat fur, I'd take it home and raise it. But it's been raining these past few days. Stray kittens like this seem pretty likely to catch a cold and die after getting soaked."

Lu Yao had almost walked out of the alley when he heard Lin Gejie's last sentence. He could not help pursing his thin lips before suddenly turning around, walking back into the alley, picking up the box, and carrying it back.

When the kitten saw Lu Yao return, it rolled around in the box again as if happily frolicking. Even its meows seemed to carry a little more joy.

Lin Gejie, however, looked somewhat disapproving when he saw Lu Yao holding the box. "Yao-ge, are you going to raise it?"

Lu Yao gave a slight nod.

Lin Gejie knew that once Lu Yao made up his mind, it was difficult to change it, so he said nothing more.

The rain was getting heavier, with no telling when it would stop, and the sky had already darkened. The two decided to brave the rain to a nearby convenience store to buy an umbrella before heading straight home.

Watching the rain grow heavier outside, Lu Yao frowned. The eaves on both sides of the alley blocked most of the rain, but once they left the alley, they would inevitably be soaked through.

Lu Yao suddenly said to Lin Gejie, "Didn't you bring a sun-protection jacket today? Lend it to me. I'll get you a new one on Monday."

"Yao-ge, just use it. You don't have to pay me back."

After taking the jacket out of his bag and handing it to Lu Yao, Lin Gejie had yet to ask what he needed it for when he saw Lu Yao cover the cardboard box with it, shielding the kitten inside so thoroughly that not a single drop of rain seeped in.

Well then. These days, cats were more precious than people.

"Ding-dong. Welcome."

Sensing someone entering, the convenience store's automatic door sounded its arrival chime.

Shen Feifei was the kind of fangirl who only cared about looks. Recently, she had been following a newly debuted boy band. To scrape together enough money for a plane ticket to attend their fan meeting, she had taken a part-time job at a convenience store.

Because of the rain, the convenience store was deserted. Shen Feifei had been dozing behind the register when she heard the automatic arrival chime and looked toward the entrance.

The moment she saw Lu Yao walk in, her heart seemed to go blank for a second.

He was practically a cold, handsome young man who had stepped straight out of a manga!

At that instant, Shen Feifei suddenly felt that the idols she had been following were no longer appealing. She wanted to switch sides.

Afraid of getting the store wet, the boy with the cool, distant air stood at the entrance. He held the cardboard box in one hand while casually shaking the rainwater from his wet hair with the other.

It was an ordinary, carefree movement, yet Shen Feifei's heart fluttered so hard that her hands and feet curled up. Even being drenched by rain could not diminish the devastating effect of the boy's looks.

Shen Feifei's entire attention was drawn to Lu Yao standing at the entrance.

A droplet suddenly fell from the boy's wet bangs, sliding over his sharp brow bone and down the bridge of his high nose.

Just as Shen Feifei secretly anticipated the raindrop continuing down his exquisite face to his thin lips, the boy suddenly pursed his lips and casually raised a hand to wipe it away.

Lin Gejie nudged Lu Yao with his elbow. "Yao-ge, why does that clerk keep staring at us?"

Hearing that, Lu Yao casually looked toward the register and met Shen Feifei's gaze.

He gave Shen Feifei behind the register a cool nod in greeting, then answered, "No idea. Hurry up and buy the umbrella so we can leave."

With that, Lu Yao walked straight toward the umbrella rack.

When Shen Feifei saw that Lu Yao had actually looked at her and nodded in greeting, heat instantly rushed to her face. Her ears turned red and hot as well.

When Lu Yao turned around after taking an umbrella, he happened to notice several cans of pet goat milk powder on the shelf opposite him.

Thinking of the little kitten in the box he was holding, Lu Yao stepped forward to take a look.

Seeing the price beneath the can, he could not help frowning, but he still reached out and took down a can of pet goat milk powder.

Lin Gejie also knew that Lu Yao earned his own tuition and living expenses. After seeing the price tag, he casually said, "Yao-ge, I remember my grandma has some extra goat milk powder at home. How about I go ask her for a can tomorrow to feed this cat ancestor? Let's not buy this milk powder today."

Lin Gejie planned to secretly pay for the goat milk powder himself after Lu Yao left.

Lu Yao glanced at Lin Gejie's expression and immediately knew what he was planning. He looked cold, but his voice was gentle as he said, "No need. Let's go pay."

As Lu Yao carried the items toward her, Shen Feifei felt as though her heart were about to leap out of her chest. She secretly took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress her pounding girlish heart.

Yet when Lu Yao truly stood in front of her, Shen Feifei was too shy to look up at him.

An excited heart, trembling hands.

Holding the scanner as she scanned the barcodes, Shen Feifei felt her hands trembling slightly with excitement.

At that moment, the little kitten in the cardboard box suddenly started meowing for some reason.

Lu Yao thought it was feeling stuffy, so he opened the box to let it breathe, but it continued meowing nonstop.

Seeing the pet goat milk powder among the items and then looking at the cardboard box, Shen Feifei softly asked, "Could it be hungry?"

Lin Gejie suddenly understood and smacked his forehead. "Yao-ge, it might really be hungry. But even if it is, it'll have to endure until we get home. Where are we supposed to find warm water to make milk for this cat ancestor?"

Lu Yao nodded. After scanning the code and paying, he was about to leave when Shen Feifei suddenly gathered her courage and called out to them. "I have warm water and disposable paper cups here that you can borrow. How about you feed the kitten first before heading home?"

Afraid Lu Yao would refuse, Shen Feifei added, "Don't let the kitten go hungry."

As if it understood Shen Feifei's words, the kitten in the box meowed even more enthusiastically.

Looking at Shen Feifei, Lu Yao said in a cool but sincere voice, "Sorry for the trouble."

Watching the kitten lap at the milk with its tongue, its little face seeming to radiate blissful satisfaction, Lu Yao could not help smiling as he tapped its tiny head with a finger. What a little troublemaker.

The cold-faced boy suddenly showing such gentle affection made Shen Feifei squeal inwardly.

Once the kitten had eaten and drunk its fill, Lu Yao thanked Shen Feifei again and prepared to leave the convenience store.

Shen Feifei clenched her hands, her voice anxious but her eyes full of anticipation as she asked Lu Yao, "Excuse me, could I have your WeChat?"

Lin Gejie immediately looked at Lu Yao teasingly. Sure enough, Yao-ge's charm was as lethal as ever.

Lu Yao spoke with a trace of apology. "Sorry."

Realizing that she seemed to have put Lu Yao in an awkward position, Shen Feifei hurriedly waved her hands. "It's okay, it's okay. It's fine if you can't."

After the two had walked some distance away from the convenience store, Lin Gejie was still laughing as he teased Lu Yao about his unbeatable romantic luck.

Lin Gejie said with a grin, "Yao-ge, that girl was pretty. I think she was even prettier than the campus beauty in our grade. It was just giving her your WeChat so you could chat. Even if you don't like her, you could still be friends."

Lu Yao's voice was cool. "If you don't intend to give someone a chance, don't waste their time."

After they had walked for a while under the umbrella, the rain gradually stopped.

Huang Li had cut Lu Yao's face with a knife earlier, leaving a wound. He had forgotten to buy a bandage at the convenience store, and now it belatedly began to sting.

As Lu Yao felt the pain on his face, a little boy suddenly ran toward them.

Lin Gejie looked at the boy blocking their path in confusion and asked, "Kid, what are you doing? We're in a hurry to get home. We don't have time to play with you."

Hearing Lin Gejie's words, the little boy in overalls gave a disdainful snort. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for this handsome brother."

As he spoke, he took a box of bandages from his little backpack and stuffed it into Lu Yao's hand. "Someone asked me to give this to you. They said you should put one on your face and remember to protect yourself. Don't get hurt again."

After saying that, the little boy skipped away. Hehe, all he had to do was run an errand, and he got a big chocolate bar. He was so lucky.

Lin Gejie could not help giving Lu Yao a thumbs-up. "My Yao-ge is seriously incredible. If I had even half your romantic luck, I'd laugh myself awake in my dreams."

Holding the bandages, Lu Yao looked around in confusion but did not spot anyone.

Lu Yao never accepted gifts from admirers. Seeing that he was merely holding the box of bandages without any intention of using it, Lin Gejie took it directly from his hand, tore open a bandage, and forcefully handed it to him.

Since it had already been opened, Lu Yao could only casually stick the bandage over the wound on his face.

A black sedan with an understated exterior but a luxurious interior was parked by the roadside.

The person sitting in the back seat saw the bandage on the boy's face. The person's eyes, cold moments ago, could not hide their amusement now, and the corners of their lips curved up.