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Following the road south from the school gate to its end, you would reach West Mountain Park.
The park was adorned with exotic flowers and strange rocks, pavilions, and waterside terraces.
Many elderly people would come here for morning exercises.
It was a weekend, so Zhuang Zi’ang woke up a little later than usual. He rushed out and bought two breakfasts from a breakfast shop.
The park was full of trees, and the air was exceptionally fresh.
He didn’t have much trouble finding the girl with the peach blossom tucked behind her ear near the flower bed.
It was the fourth day, and Su Yudie was still dressed the same.
Her clothes were spotless, as if brand new.
She was holding a paper box, feeding stray cats, her eyes filled with affection.
A large group of colorful kittens surrounded her, constantly meowing.
“Tiger, where have you been? You’re filthy!”
“Pudding, have you been secretly dating behind my back lately?”
“Cheese, you’ve lost so much weight; you need to eat more.”
…
Zhuang Zi’ang stood at a distance, listening to Su Yudie talking to the cats, and found it incredibly amusing.
She had even given each stray cat a unique name.
“Xiao Yudie,” Zhuang Zi’ang called out.
“Zhuang Zi’ang, you’re here?” Su Yudie turned around with a smile.
In that instant, all the flowers seemed to lose their color.
Zhuang Zi’ang breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, she didn’t call him Big Dummy.
He shook the breakfast bag in his hand, “You’re feeding the cats; I’ll feed you.”
Su Yudie, a gourmand with no resistance to delicious food, immediately took the bag from Zhuang Zi’ang and began to eat happily on the edge of the flower bed.
While eating, she didn’t forget to share some with the cats.
Zhuang Zi’ang kept staring at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Such a beautiful girl, yet so unburdened, completely unconcerned with her table manners.
“What are you staring at? Eat your own breakfast, you big dummy,” Su Yudie glared at Zhuang Zi’ang.
Only then did Zhuang Zi’ang look away and take a sip of his hot milk.
He felt strangely uncomfortable; not being called “Big Dummy” felt odd.
While eating, Su Yudie occasionally looked around, as if searching for something.
Zhuang Zi’ang noticed and asked, “What are you looking for?”
Su Yudie frowned slightly. “Tom hasn’t come.”
“Tom?” Zhuang Zi’ang questioned, puzzled.
“It’s a gray kitten, usually quite silly, much like the one from the cartoon,” Su Yudie explained.
Zhuang Zi’ang immediately pictured the clumsy cat who could never catch a mouse. The cat that brought countless children joy in their childhoods.
“Since it’s a stray, it might have gone somewhere else and will be back in a few days,” Zhuang Zi’ang comforted Su Yudie.
“No, I feed it every weekend. It wouldn’t leave me,” Su Yudie mumbled, dejected.
“There’s a sanitation worker over there. Should we ask her?” Zhuang Zi’ang pointed to a sanitation truck in the distance.
“Okay!” Su Yudie nodded.
The two of them got up and walked toward the worker.
For some reason, Zhuang Zi’ang had a bad feeling about this.
“Auntie, have you seen a small gray cat? It’s about this big, quite small, with a white spot on its ear…”
Su Yudie patiently described Tom’s features to the sanitation worker.
“That cat… it’s dead,” the worker replied.
“What?” Su Yudie dropped her milk.
Her face was filled with terror.
“It got hit by a car while crossing the road and was later buried by someone by the roadside,” the worker said, trying to keep it brief, perhaps fearing Su Yudie’s reaction.
In reality, many stray cats are hit by cars and die horribly on the road. And it’s not always that someone will bury them; they’re sometimes simply flattened by car wheels.
“How could this happen? How could this happen? How could this happen?”
Su Yudie repeated the phrase several times, tears streaming down her face.
Zhuang Zi’ang stood beside her, feeling her sadness deeply.
The sanitation worker sighed, “She’s such a kind girl, crying like this for a stray cat.”
“Xiao Yudie, don’t cry. Cats have nine lives,” Zhuang Zi’ang comforted her softly.
Su Yudie leaned against his shoulder, sobbing softly.
“I loved Tom the most. He was so cute.”
Zhuang Zi’ang’s hand froze in mid-air. He gathered his courage and gently stroked the girl’s hair.
“Xiao Yudie, don’t be sad. Every cat will die, just like every person…”
He paused for a long time before saying sadly, “…will die.”
Su Yudie looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, seemingly not understanding Zhuang Zi’ang’s meaning.
Zhuang Zi’ang gazed into her eyes. “People always have to part ways, just like you and me. There will come a day when we can never see each other again.”
“Why? Don’t you want to be friends with me anymore?” Su Yudie asked, her voice choked with sobs.
“No, Xiao Yudie, I want to be best friends with you for a lifetime.”
“Then don’t leave me.”
Zhuang Zi’ang tried to soften his words, but it was futile.
Even he himself didn’t know if he would have the courage to face that parting in three months.
Lingering on this unsolvable topic would only deepen their sadness.
Zhuang Zi’ang forced a smile. “No more crying. We agreed to be happy every day, and we still have to fly kites.”
“Okay, let me cry just a little longer. I’ll be fine soon,” Su Yudie pleaded.
“Okay, it’s still early. It’s alright to cry for a while longer,” Zhuang Zi’ang said, his gaze filled with compassion.
*Will you cry for me when I leave?*
*If you don’t cry, it might seem like we weren’t good friends.*
*But if you cry too much, it will break my heart.*
So just cry a little.
The sun gradually rose, illuminating the grass and flowers.
The stray cats, having finished their food, scattered.
Zhuang Zi’ang pulled out a tissue and wiped away the tears from Su Yudie’s eyes. “Okay, let’s go fly a kite, and then I’ll take you to eat something delicious for lunch. You said you need to eat a lot when you’re sad.”
Su Yudie rubbed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and adjusted her mood.
Then, she slung her shoulder bag over her shoulder, “Let’s go to your little house.”
“What are we doing there?” Zhuang Zi’ang asked, surprised.
“Making kites! What else would we do?” Su Yudie retorted.
Only then did Zhuang Zi’ang realize. He thought they were going to buy a kite from a store, but Su Yudie wanted to make one themselves.
Obviously, the latter was much more meaningful.
Making a kite by hand and watching it soar high in the sky was a very fulfilling experience.
The two left the park and headed towards the apartment building.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they ran into Mrs. Liu, the landlord.
As soon as she saw Little Butterfly, she beamed, “Little girl, you’re here again.”
“Hello, Grandma,” Su Yudie greeted politely.
“You should come and play often. This kid, Zhuang Zi’ang, seems much happier with you than when he’s alone,” Mrs. Liu said with a knowing smile.
“I’ll come often because we’re good friends,” Su Yudie replied.
Her smile was pure and clear, without a trace of malice.
Even Zhuang Zi’ang wondered if she had understood what Mrs. Liu meant.
In the eyes of the elderly, a young man and woman together weren’t simply there to be friends.