Chapter 117: Save Me (17/20)

The National Day holiday was coming to its last half-day after Zhu Niao and Gou Yu returned to their home, a space belonging only to the two of them.

But perhaps this National Day holiday was indeed Zhu Niao’s most wonderful holiday yet.

At the very least, it didn’t feel like previous holidays, where stepping out of school felt like someone had switched on a substitute to speed up time — one moment you were free, and the next, school was right back around the corner.

At least this holiday could be called fulfilling, since she could recall all kinds of little moments when thinking back on it.

Lying on the big bed in her room, Zhu Niao flipped over while scrolling through her phone.

She had to admit, the bed in her own room always gave her a strange sense of security, even though the bed at Gou Yu’s house was much softer and more comfortable.

Suddenly, Zhu Niao realized she might be a bit attached to her own bed.

But the overall resting environment in her room wasn’t necessarily better in every way compared to Gou Yu’s room.

Zhu Niao looked up at the nightstand, where a small white table lamp sat — something she had bought during one of those massive discount sales.

But in the room Gou Yu had prepared for her, there should have been a photo frame on the nightstand, containing a photo filled with meaningful memories.

Yet, there was none in her own room.

Turning her head, Zhu Niao glanced at the other pillow on her bed, looking at the head resting there.

She stared directly into those wide-open eyes with a tender expression.

“Baby, make sure you cover yourself well with the blanket, don’t catch a cold.”

Zhu Niao shared part of her thin blanket with the other occupant lying beside her — the big dog plushie she had won while playing with Gou Yu at the amusement park. Zhu Niao called it Bruce.

Taking out her phone, she saw it was exactly noon — just the right time for lunch.

She should eat now; her stomach was aching from hunger.

The little lump against her chest was the tiny cat sleeping on her nightgown.

Up to now, Zhu Niao still hadn’t come up with a proper name for her little orange cat, or rather, the names she did think of were all vetoed by Gou Yu.

Because this cat was considered shared property between Gou Yu and herself, Zhu Niao felt justified in using that black card when spending money on the cat.

So now, the cat’s food expenses were higher than what Zhu Niao and Gou Yu spent combined.

Even that whole tub of cat litter was worth as much as a few days’ living expenses for the two of them.

Gou Yu didn’t know when he would come back, and Zhu Niao didn’t know what she wanted to eat.

Suddenly, the little bird felt like a lonely wife guarding an empty home.

Wearing a pure white nightgown, Zhu Niao picked up the cat and placed it aside, then turned over and got off the bed.

A sudden weakness in her limbs almost caught her off guard, and combined with the hunger-induced stomach pain, Zhu Niao frowned as she shuffled out of her bedroom in slippers.

It was already impressive — getting up at noon during a college holiday, without any plans or obligations.

Originally, Zhu Niao had intended to find a part-time job during the remaining days off to earn some pocket money.

But now that she had the black card in hand, she suddenly felt lazy.

Although she had set the rule that the card could only be used for things shared with Gou Yu, she could still go out with him and eat a few extra meals together, effectively saving money in disguise, right?

Any spending could be justified if it was done together with Gou Yu.

Lost in thought, Zhu Niao suddenly paused, sensing that something was off.

It felt like this black card was turning into some kind of scheme at this moment.

Something wasn’t right.

But no matter how much she thought about it, when she recalled the shop manager handing her the card, it was clear that person had been entirely looking out for her.

Forget it.

Humming softly, Zhu Niao crouched by the bag of cat food and poured a full bowl for her little orange cat.

Then, crouching on the floor, she stared at the bowl of cat food, pondering.

To be honest, this bag of cat food cost several hundred yuan — far more expensive than her own lunch.

Of course, that was probably because her lunch today was instant noodles.

Looking closely, the food her cat was eating had fish flakes and frozen chunks in it.

It smelled quite fragrant.

Zhu Niao felt a sudden urge, as if wanting to try something a little less… human.

She wondered, what could a few hundred yuan’s worth of cat food possibly taste like?

If the saying “you get what you pay for” was true, then this cat food should be many times tastier than a regular meal.

Zhu Niao squatted in front of the cat bowl, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

The little orange cat seemed to understand Zhu Niao’s mood perfectly — softly meowing while pawing at the hem of Zhu Niao’s white nightgown that draped onto the tiled floor, its claws gently retracted.

It seemed to be trying to dissuade her, but it was no use.

Just as Zhu Niao picked up one of the fish flakes to examine it, she suddenly realized something.

Could it be that Gou Yu would come back just when she started eating?

She turned her head to look at the front door of the house.

If Gou Yu really saw her now, that would be truly embarrassing.

Thinking this, Zhu Niao pulled out her phone to ask Gou Yu when he would be back.

Suddenly, she realized that if she asked now whether he was coming back, wouldn’t that just confirm that she was planning to do something behind his back while he was away?

If she made this call, no matter whether Gou Yu was planning to return or not, he would probably rush home immediately.

So, reluctantly, Zhu Niao put down the little fish flake.

Standing up, she suddenly felt dizzy and walked over to the table, picking up the sealed tub of instant noodles before setting it down again.

She knew she should eat, but somehow she had no appetite — even though her stomach was aching from hunger.

Then she thought to herself: maybe there was too much waste inside her, and after going to the bathroom and making a meal for Gou Yu, she might be able to eat then.

She placed the worried little cat back in front of its food bowl, nudging its head toward the cat food, then headed to the bathroom.

Weak in all her limbs, she seemed to lack even the strength to hum as she opened the bathroom door, lifted her skirt, pulled down her underwear, and sat on the toilet, closing her eyes weakly.

Suddenly, she felt a chill all over.

Zhu Niao forced herself to open her eyes, listening to the sound of water running, but something felt off.

Something was wrong.

She looked down and froze in place.

Trembling, she unlocked her phone in a panic and frantically found the contact with hundreds of call records.

“Hey, Old Dog, save me, hurry back and save me……”