“Um, please… come in! No need to take off your shoes…”
Jiang Huaiyan’s fingers stiffly turned the key and pushed the door open, then shifted half his body aside to let Lin Jiaxin pass.
“Okay.”
Lin Jiaxin didn’t stand on ceremony. She stepped right in.
A clattering sound came from the living room.
A big fat orange cat jumped down from its cat tree, sauntered over to the entrance, and looked up at the guest with a scrutinizing gaze.
It looked at Lin Jiaxin, then glanced at Jiang Huaiyan.
Then it sat down right on the floor, staring at the two of them without moving.
“His name is Huang Yougou.”
Jiang Huaiyan crouched down and scratched the cat’s chin. The cat squinted its eyes in comfort.
“Usually he’s really timid. He hides from people. I can’t believe he actually came out to greet you today…”
“Huang Yougou? Pfft…”
Lin Jiaxin crouched down too and couldn’t hold back a laugh.
The name fit way too perfectly!
A big, fat, chubby cat.
And what’s more, his legs were really long.
From a distance, he really did look like a little yellow dog.
“Meow meow!”
Huang Yougou let out two dissatisfied cries.
Then suddenly, he swiped a paw at Jiang Huaiyan’s hand.
“Smack—”
While the latter looked down to check whether his hand had been scratched, the cat directly circled around his body, came up behind him, and rubbed its head against Lin Jiaxin’s leg.
“Meow meow~”
The cries were affectionate, as if meeting an old friend not seen for a long time.
But… didn’t he say the cat was shy around strangers?
How come she felt more like the owner of this Huang Yougou cat?
Lin Jiaxin blinked, wanting to reach out and pick him up, but then she remembered something and pulled her hand back.
“Where’s your bathroom? I want to wash up first…”
This fat cat was all plump and chubby. It looked delicious at a glance. Petting it would definitely feel amazing!
“Ah? Oh! It’s over here…”
Jiang Huaiyan pointed to the kitchen on the left, then looked down and glared at Huang Yougou.
You dead fat cat. You’re forgetting your owner the moment you see a pretty girl, huh?
“Meow meow!”
Huang Yougou glared back disdainfully.
As if to say, ‘Who do you think you are?’
The boy and the cat stared each other down, neither willing to back down.
‘These two… are really amusing.’
Lin Jiaxin couldn’t help but purse her lips and stifle a laugh.
As she passed through the living room on her way to the bathroom, she also noticed the certificate of merit hanging on the wall.
[Rongcheng No.2 Middle School Three-Good Student]
It was issued last summer, and the recipient was Jiang Huaiyan from Class 3, Grade 11.
Class 3, Grade 11 last year?
Lin Jiaxin was slightly taken aback.
So that meant this Jiang Huaiyan was still a high school student?
Only a senior?
Lin Jiaxin turned her head to look at the doorway.
The boy and the cat were still staring each other down over there.
Huh… looking at it that way, he really did seem to have a childish personality.
Lin Jiaxin let out a soft laugh and shook her head. She entered the bathroom and vigorously washed her face several times with clean water and hand soap.
Only when the dirty smudged face in the mirror had completely disappeared did she let out a sigh of relief, wiping the water droplets off her face with the corner of her clothes.
But the moment she had tidied herself up and just pushed open the bathroom door, she saw Jiang Huaiyan’s Huang Yougou cat suddenly pounce onto her leg.
“Meow meow~”
With a look of wanting to be held.
Lin Jiaxin didn’t refuse this time. She scooped the big fat cat right into her arms.
Huang Yougou immediately let out a series of comfortable purrs while also throwing a smug glance at Jiang Huaiyan.
Jiang Huaiyan: ……
Fine, you dead fat cat! Just you wait until she leaves. I’ll deal with you then!
“By the way.”
Lin Jiaxin stroked Huang Yougou’s big round head and looked at Jiang Huaiyan, speaking earnestly:
“Thanks for today.”
Jiang Huaiyan looked up, wanting to say “no need to thank me.”
Then he suddenly caught sight of Lin Jiaxin, who was currently looking down and petting Huang Yougou’s head.
Her freshly washed face hadn’t been dried properly. Water droplets slid down her cheeks and landed on the cat’s fur.
Huang Yougou felt the discomfort on his fur, turned his head, and stretched out his tongue to lick off the water droplet.
Jiang Huaiyan suddenly felt a bit envious of his own cat…
But the moment that thought popped up, he was startled by himself and quickly suppressed it!
Jiang Huaiyan, what are you thinking!
Can you not be so pathetic, please!
“Looks like your cat really likes me.”
Lin Jiaxin saw Jiang Huaiyan staring at the cat in her arms the whole time and couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah… I’ve never seen him get this close to anyone before…”
Jiang Huaiyan snapped back to reality, nervously turned his head away, and let out a dry laugh.
Damn it. Both he and his cat had been bewitched by this woman…
But… she really was so beautiful too…
“Huh, is this a female cat? Or a neutered male?”
Lin Jiaxin didn’t notice the odd expression on his face.
She felt that she couldn’t feel the cat’s… certain parts… so she curiously asked.
“Uh, she’s a female cat…”
Jiang Huaiyan felt guilty and still didn’t dare look Lin Jiaxin in the eyes. He simply changed the subject:
“Oh right… would you like something to drink?”
“No thanks. It’s getting late, and I need to head back to school.”
Lin Jiaxin glanced at the wall clock and shook her head.
The hands had already pointed to eight o’clock.
Tomorrow was Monday, and she still had classes.
Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyan was slightly stunned. “Huh? You’re… a college student?”
High school students had to be back on campus by 6:30 PM.
At 8 PM, you couldn’t get through the school gates. So she could only be a college student.
Lin Jiaxin nodded. “Mm, I’m at the Associated University.”
“Southwest Associated University? That’s impressive!”
Jiang Huaiyan really hadn’t expected that.
He had thought Lin Jiaxin was also a high school student like him. He never imagined she was a student at a prestigious university.
“I… it’s not that great…”
Lin Jiaxin had originally wanted to show off a bit in front of him.
But for some reason, she just couldn’t muster up that old urge to brag.
So she had no choice but to give up helplessly.
“Alright, I’m heading off… Thanks again for today. Let’s meet again next time.”
Lin Jiaxin put down the cat in her arms, pushed the door open, and stood at the entrance to say her goodbyes.
“Mm… be careful on the way.”
“Okay.”
The door was closed behind her.
Lin Jiaxin’s footsteps extended from the doorway toward the stairwell, growing softer and softer until they were swallowed up by the sound-activated lights in the hallway.
“…”
Jiang Huaiyan stood at the door for a long time.
Until Huang Yougou came over and rubbed against his ankle.
He looked down at the cat, and the cat looked up at him.
Jiang Huaiyan said with a hint of melancholy: “She’s gone…”
Huang Yougou tilted his head and let out two “meows.”
Jiang Huaiyan crouched down and squeezed the cat’s big round face hard:
“You dead fat cat. What, when she held you just now, you looked all blissed out… But when I hold you normally, you kick me at every turn?”
“Are you prioritizing pretty girls over your owner, huh?”
“Meow!”
Huang Yougou was displeased. He swiped a paw at Jiang Huaiyan’s hand once more, then bolted away.
Jiang Huaiyan was about to chase after him and beat him up.
But the moment he stood up, he suddenly recalled something. His expression changed drastically, and he slapped his thigh hard.
Damn it!
He forgot to ask for Lin Jiaxin’s contact information!
All he knew about her now was that her name was Lin Jiaxin, she was a student at the Southwest Associated University Rongcheng Branch, and her game ID was Jiaxin Tang.
Other than that, he knew nothing!