The cold rain tapped against the eaves, then slid down, finally landing by Zhu Niao’s curled-up feet.
A petite girl crouched under the eaves, holding a slightly bewildered Little Orange Cat in her arms.
There was curiosity in the kitten’s eyes, but not the slightest hint of unease, as if it regarded the small girl hugging it as one of its own kind.
Even though the girl’s damp hair kept dripping water, some droplets splashing onto the kitten—who hated water the most—it still showed no sign of escaping.
“Little cat, little cat, I’m really angry right now, and I feel terrible. What do you think I should do?” Zhu Niao poked the kitten’s head nestled in her arms.
“Meow~” the kitten responded, stretching out its paw to knead Zhu Niao’s not-so-flat chest.
“But Old Gou went to approach the Store Manager just like I told him to. It’s normal for their relationship to get better, right?” She fiddled with the kitten’s head.
“Meow~”
Now she understood why Gou Yu had called her out to buy roast duck.
Gou Yu didn’t want roast duck at all. He just didn’t want her to disturb the time those two had alone together.
She really was unnecessary, wasn’t she?
Zhu Niao hugged the kitten tighter, as if only this way could she feel the warmth of the small creature in her arms, and shield herself from the chill that fell with the rain.
She was just like the stray cat in her embrace.
Zhu Niao admitted that her thoughts before the rain were a bit unrealistic.
The only difference between her and this stray cat wasn’t that she had Gou Yu—she was no different from this stray cat at all.
“Little cat, little cat, Gou Yu is my best buddy, so I should wish for him to have a good life, right?” Zhu Niao said, but her gaze was fixed on the rain outside, on the puddles formed by the falling drops.
“But I never even tried to get close to the Store Manager’s brother, so why did he go to the Store Manager? And even brought her home.”
As she spoke, Zhu Niao poked the kitten’s upturned belly with her finger.
“Meow~”
The sound of rain continued.
“Can’t you speak human? All this meowing, how am I supposed to understand?” Zhu Niao hugged the now half-soaked kitten. “You really are a rude cat.”
The Little Orange Cat fell silent, quietly staying in Zhu Niao’s arms.
“But now, I’m the extra one. That home isn’t for me and Old Gou anymore—it’s for Old Gou and the Store Manager.”
“I can’t stop Old Gou from living a good life, and I can’t selfishly ask for anything, because he’s my best buddy.”
As if recalling something buried in the years, Zhu Niao lowered her head even further, almost burying herself in the kitten.
“Just like at home, I’m always the one who can’t meet anyone’s expectations. Completely useless. People like me shouldn’t stay at home in the first place.”
She greedily inhaled the kitten’s scent, finding comfort in it, but it only highlighted her own emptiness.
She’d left home on her own before anyone could cast her aside—this was the second time.
Her head felt foggy—maybe from being out in the rain too long, or maybe from walking too much.
Zhu Niao always felt as if there was a hole in her chest, or as if someone had torn her open.
Just like back then, when she ran away from home, looking back step by step at that house so familiar it was etched into her memory.
She looked up and saw the red string on her left wrist, and the little fish pendant hanging from it.
Gou Yu, dogfish.
Zhu Niao, pig bird.
Birds fly, fish leap. Not even as good as pigs and dogs.
Not funny at all.
Her vision blurred; she could only feel a slight itch on her cheek, drops landing on her wrist, warm and dampening the red string.
It was raining, under these eaves.
Clumsily, she kept wiping her eyes with her arm and the back of her hand, but the rain only fell harder.
She bit her lip, and only sobs came out.
Because boys aren’t supposed to cry. If you do, it should be where no one can see you. This was something she hadn’t managed to do before running away from home.
She really hadn’t met anyone’s expectations. Even after growing up, she was still like a child—hugging her knees, clutching a kitten, and crying.
The rain kept falling, but the puddle she’d watched form was suddenly splashed apart by a pair of slippers.
Compared to Zhu Niao, Gou Yu was in much better shape—maybe because he was wearing slippers and holding an umbrella.
“Little Bird!”
He looked everywhere through the curtain of fine rain.
In the corner, the girl looked up at the sound, but quickly shrank back down.
Maybe she shouldn’t be the annoying one anymore.
She continued to huddle with the kitten, but perked up her ears to listen for any sound in the rain.
Her heart fluttered when Gou Yu’s voice came closer, and sank when it faded away. Maybe she was hoping for something unrealistic—she herself couldn’t say for sure.
“So cold.”
She could clearly feel herself starting to shiver—maybe from squatting too long, maybe from too much rain.
A black umbrella appeared over her head.
But they were already under the eaves, so the umbrella didn’t help at all.
Gou Yu didn’t think about any of that. He just saw the drenched Little Bird, and the stray cat in her arms that looked just as pitiful.
Both looked homeless, but that was all because of him.
“Little Bird, let’s go home, okay?”
He reached out his hand, but Zhu Niao turned her head away, hugging the kitten even tighter.
“I don’t have a home anymore.”
Gou Yu was stunned.
Only now did he realize how much his simple act—just to keep his identity hidden a little longer—had hurt Zhu Niao.
He’d taken away the last place she could stand, forcing her out into the world.
Even when he welcomed his own sister in front of Zhu Niao, he’d never done this. But he’d sent Zhu Niao away.
“Listen to me, she’s my sister—she really is my sister.”
Zhu Niao sat with her back to him under the eaves, silent, only the kitten in her arms answered: “Meow~”
Gou Yu took a deep breath, then tossed his umbrella into the rain.
He sat down right next to Zhu Niao in the tiny dry space. “Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
That finally got Zhu Niao, who’d been silent until now, to speak: “Go home, it’s cold out here with the rain.”
But Gou Yu could clearly see Zhu Niao shivering as she spoke.
“Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.” Gou Yu repeated.
Zhu Niao hugged the kitten even tighter. “You’re just going to leave another girl alone at home like that?”
“I told her to go home—her own home,” Gou Yu paused. “That’s a home for the two of us. It’s not her place.”
Zhu Niao’s beautiful eyes widened slightly.
The rain kept falling, fine as silk, dense as cotton.
Gou Yu finally confessed! Maybe their relationship will get closer after this