Chapter 70: Caring

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Ming Can’s premonition of being stood up didn’t come true. Chi Xiao had sent her a message earlier saying he would arrive by 3 p.m.

Ming Can had no classes in the afternoon, so after finishing her morning classes, she went home and spent the time playing with the cat while waiting for Chi Xiao to arrive.

It’s often said that Ragdolls are the dogs of the cat world, and Xiao Zhu’s personality was indeed quite dog-like—playful, active, and clingy. Its feather-duster-like tail stood high as it rubbed against Miaomiao’s face, making him giggle nonstop.

“Xiao Zhu, meow~” Miaomiao wanted to hear it talk, so he lured it with a piece of freeze-dried snack.

Xiao Zhu took the bait, chasing after the snack and letting out a couple of sweet “meows.” Its perfectly symmetrical face tilted upward, its round blue eyes staring intently at Miaomiao.

Xiao Zhu: [How’s this expression? Enough to make you give me the food?]

“Enough, enough,” Miaomiao quickly handed over the snack, then grabbed another one to continue teasing it.

Xiao Zhu meowed again, tilting its head: [I don’t know why, but every time I tilt my head, humans scream and give me treats.]

“Ahhh! So cute!” Ming Can pulled out her phone and started snapping photos of Xiao Zhu. “Miaomiao, hurry and give it the snack!”

Miaomiao fed it the snack while saying to Ming Can, “Mom, Xiao Zhu is really super smart!”

Ming Can: “Of course, our Ming family’s cat is smart!”

Miaomiao: “So her full name is ‘Ming Zhu’?”

Ming Can: “What a cool name!”

When Chi Xiao opened the door and walked in, he saw the mother and son sitting crookedly on the floor, surrounding the kitten, playing with it and chatting excitedly—a warm and happy scene.

It wasn’t until the door closed with a soft “thud” that Ming Can turned her head and noticed he had arrived.

The man stood in the entryway, wearing a medical mask, slowly taking off his down jacket and hanging it in the nearby closet.

Ming Can got up from the floor and quickly walked over to him: “Are you sick?”

Chi Xiao: “No…”

He had barely uttered a single word when his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a warm, soft sensation suddenly pressed against his forehead.

Ming Can stood on her tiptoes, her palm resting on his forehead. She leaned in naturally, getting closer to him, and after a moment of feeling his temperature—it wasn’t hot—she let out a relieved sigh and withdrew her hand, puzzled. “If you’re not sick, why are you wearing a mask?”

“My nose is a bit uncomfortable,” Chi Xiao said as he changed his shoes and walked past her. “Where’s the cat?”

“Here!” Miaomiao, with both hands wrapped around Xiao Zhu’s belly, struggled to lift it up and brought it over to Chi Xiao. “Dad, look! Isn’t Xiao Zhu super—cute!”

Chi Xiao bent down slightly, gently stroking the cat’s head with his fingers before straightening up and saying to Miaomiao, “Put it down quickly. You’ll choke it like that.”

“Oh,” Miaomiao obediently set Xiao Zhu down.

Xiao Zhu, with its tail tucked between its legs, hid behind the coffee table, peeking out with one eye, warily staring at Chi Xiao, letting out low, rumbling growls.

Xiao Zhu: [Giant! So scary!]

“This is Dad,” Miaomiao said, crouching beside Xiao Zhu and stroking its back. “My dad is also your dad. Be good, and Dad will even braid your hair in the future!”

Both Ming Can and Chi Xiao were stunned by this.

Ming Can asked in surprise, “Your dad knows how to braid a cat’s hair? But a cat’s fur isn’t long enough for that.”

Miaomiao, while petting the cat, explained, “Dad used to have me collect the fur that the cats shed at home. We’d roll the fur into long strips and then braid them to make little decorations for the cats. Dad also makes a lot of felt toys out of cat fur.”

“That’s amazing!”

Ming Can was genuinely impressed and instinctively glanced at the man beside her. He was still wearing his mask, his hand clenched into a fist resting lightly against the mask as he coughed softly twice. His eyelids were slightly lowered, and it was hard to tell what expression he was making.

Ming Can faintly noticed that his throat seemed uncomfortable, so she walked to the kitchen and poured him a glass of hot water.

Chi Xiao took the glass, thanked her, and sat down on the single sofa nearby. He placed the glass gently on the coffee table but didn’t drink from it.

“There’s some good news I haven’t told you yet,” Ming Can said to Chi Xiao. “Yesterday, I had Miaomiao do a math test, and he improved a lot. Let me get the test paper for you to see.”

With that, Ming Can walked out of the living room. Miaomiao proudly raised his eyebrows at his dad: “I got an 88!”

Chi Xiao asked indifferently, “Was it the first-semester or second-semester material for first grade?”

Miaomiao: “…First semester.”

Chi Xiao: “Oh.”

Chi Xiao: [When I was your age, I could get perfect scores on sixth-grade tests.]

Miaomiao: “…”

Dad! You’re really mean!

Miaomiao pulled up a small stool and sat down next to Chi Xiao. Xiao Zhu, hiding not far away, observed the giant that was Chi Xiao. Seeing that he didn’t seem to pose much of a threat, it gradually let its guard down. With its tail held high, it walked over to rub against Miaomiao, then slowly circled Chi Xiao’s feet a couple of times, gathering the courage to rub its face against his pant leg.

Miaomiao: “Dad, Xiao Zhu wants to play with you!”

Chi Xiao acted as if he hadn’t heard, his chest rising and falling slightly, showing no intention of reaching out to pet it.

Xiao Zhu looked up at the masked giant and unleashed its signature head tilt.

A moment later.

Xiao Zhu: “Meow?”

Miaomiao, sitting on his little stool, nudged Chi Xiao’s leg: “Dad, look how cute it is!”

Chi Xiao took a deep breath: “Mm.”

In the next instant, Miaomiao looked up at him, his smile freezing on his face.

He heard his dad’s thoughts, cold and distant, telling Xiao Zhu to stay away.

A kitten just a few months old is at its most playful and active stage. Xiao Zhu, clinging to Chi Xiao’s pant leg, seemed to have completely dismissed any sense of danger. Its claws gripped the fabric, and suddenly, it leaped up onto Chi Xiao’s lap.

“Meow.”

It settled on the man’s long legs, but before long, Chi Xiao suddenly reached out, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, and tossed it to the ground. He then stood up from the sofa and strode toward the living area.

Ming Can had just found the test paper and walked out of Miaomiao’s room when she ran into Chi Xiao. Before she could say a word, he quickly brushed past her.

In that hurried moment, Ming Can caught a glimpse of the skin exposed below his mask and suddenly froze in place.

The bathroom door slammed shut behind him with a loud “bang,” sounding rushed.

Ming Can’s fingers slowly tightened around the test paper. She took two steps back, leaning against the wall of the hallway, and turned her gaze toward the bathroom.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Ming Can took a deep breath, put the test paper back in Miaomiao’s room, and walked to the bathroom door. She knocked heavily twice: “Chi Xiao, are you done yet?”

“What’s wrong?” came a muffled voice from inside.

“I need to use this bathroom,” Ming Can said. “Hurry up and come out.”

After a long while, the person inside the bathroom finally said slowly, “Just a moment.”

Ming Can stood outside the door, watching as the door slowly opened, revealing a gap. A strange medicinal smell wafted out.

Chi Xiao stepped out, his head lowered. Ming Can took a step forward, firmly blocking his path. One hand pressed against his chest, while the other reached up and, without hesitation, pulled off his mask.

What she saw made her pupils dilate slightly. His originally fair skin was now covered in red, hive-like rashes, patch after patch, densely covering every exposed area.

The parts covered by his clothes were likely in the same condition.

Ming Can finally understood why his reaction had been so strange when they first discussed getting a cat.

And yet, in the end.

He had said nothing.

“Don’t worry,” Chi Xiao took the mask from her hand and put it back on, speaking calmly. “I just took some anti-allergy medication. I’ll be fine after getting some fresh air on the balcony.”

His voice was deeper than usual, and his tone was clipped.

Ming Can’s hand was still resting on his chest, and she could feel his heart racing, his breathing uneven.

“Let’s go to the hospital,” Ming Can said, her dark eyes glaring at him as if she couldn’t be bothered to argue. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door.

In the living room, Ming Can picked up her phone from the coffee table and said to Miaomiao, “Sweetie, Dad’s sick. Mom’s taking him to the hospital. You’ll have to stay home alone for a while, okay? Be good.”

Miaomiao asked worriedly, “What’s wrong with Dad?”

“Nothing serious,” Ming Can said vaguely. “The tablet is in the drawer of my bedside table. You can take it out and play with it.”

After giving a few quick instructions and making sure the windows and doors were closed, Ming Can threw on her coat and led Chi Xiao out of the house.

She didn’t let him drive. Instead, they sat on either side of the backseat of a ride-hailing car, heading to the nearest general hospital. The ride was mostly silent.

The early March weather was still cold, and although the car’s heater was on, Chi Xiao rolled down the window, letting the cold air rush in.

He was still struggling to breathe.

Realizing this, Ming Can also rolled down her window slightly.

Throughout the trip, Ming Can clutched the seatbelt tightly with both hands, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. Her body trembled slightly, uncontrollably.

“I’m really fine,” Chi Xiao coughed twice, his voice hoarse as he tried to reassure her. “Don’t be nervous.”

Ming Can: “What were you doing abroad the past few days?”

Chi Xiao answered truthfully: “Consulting with a specialist. They have stronger anti-allergy medications and sprays abroad. The domestic options are too limited, and there’s always a long wait.”

Ming Can pressed her lips together and didn’t respond.

Chi Xiao reached over and touched her arm: “I thought it would work. I wanted to test my luck today, but I still had a reaction. Don’t be mad.”

Ming Can pulled her arm away, not wanting to talk to him.

But out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the red rashes on the back of his hand, vivid and glaring.

Widespread rashes all over his body, coughing, nasal congestion, and difficulty breathing—these were severe allergic symptoms.

Although Ming Can wasn’t familiar with the specifics of desensitization therapy for cat allergies, she knew that most desensitization processes were long and arduous, involving repeated allergic reactions and medication side effects. Whether complete desensitization could be achieved was also uncertain.

Thinking this, Ming Can suddenly remembered that the future Chi Xiao wasn’t allergic to cat fur. Miaomiao had said he could hold Xiao Hei for long periods and even made felt toys out of cat fur.

She bit her lip, unconsciously turning to glance at the man beside her.

He was so severely allergic now.

Had he endured a long and grueling desensitization process to become the person he was in the future?

“What are you looking at?” Chi Xiao adjusted his mask, still in the mood to joke. “So fascinated?”

Ming Can: “Looking at an idiot.”

Chi Xiao shrugged indifferently: “Alright.”

Ming Can looked away, but no matter how she thought about it, she was still angry. “Why didn’t you tell me and Miaomiao?”

Chi Xiao was silent for a moment.

The cold air circulated in the car, creating a desolate whistling sound.

“It’s nothing,” he said, his tone lighter than the wind. “I just didn’t want to ruin the mood for you two.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the car arrived at their destination.

Ming Can quickly got out of the car, grabbed Chi Xiao’s wrist, and pulled him briskly toward the hospital entrance.

They registered, waited in line, and saw the doctor. After reviewing Chi Xiao’s allergy test results, the doctor told him that with his condition, he absolutely couldn’t keep a cat, as even a slight mishap could trigger asthma.

Chi Xiao asked at what stage of desensitization therapy he could consider keeping a cat. The doctor said it would have to be at least below level three. Currently, he was at the most severe level—six.

When he asked more detailed questions about desensitization therapy, the doctor admitted that the technology for cat allergy desensitization wasn’t well-developed domestically.

After receiving an injection and undergoing nebulization treatment in the injection room, the rashes on Chi Xiao’s body subsided significantly, and his breathing gradually eased.

They were kept under observation for half an hour. During that time, Ming Can stayed silently by his side, either zoning out or staring at her phone, watching Miaomiao through the surveillance camera. In any case, she refused to speak to Chi Xiao.

When they left the hospital, the sun hanging low in the sky was obscured by dark clouds, and a cold wind swept across the ground.

There weren’t many people at the hospital that day, and the square outside the entrance was empty, exuding a desolate atmosphere.

Chi Xiao walked slowly out of the outpatient building and into the gloomy daylight.

The wind blew from the left, and he instinctively moved to Ming Can’s left side, reaching up to gently tousle her hair. “Considering I’m a patient,” he said, “could you say something to me?”

Who would have thought.

That one day, even he would find someone else’s silence unbearable.

After Chi Xiao moved to her left, Ming Can clearly felt the wind hitting her body lessen.

She kept her head down, her mind uncontrollably replaying the last thing he had said in the ride-hailing car.

“I just didn’t want to ruin the mood for you two.”

Because she and Miaomiao liked cats.

He didn’t want to disappoint them, so he agreed to keep a cat and silently went abroad for treatment.

But since he was undergoing treatment, why didn’t he stay away longer? The therapy had just started, and yet he dared to come into contact with the cat.

Did he even know what it really meant to ruin someone’s mood?

Why did he always habitually put himself last?

Habitually believing that he wasn’t important, that no one would care.

Not even as important as a cat.

Ming Can didn’t know what her future self was like.

But at least now, she cared deeply about him.

Chi Xiao noticed that she was so focused on walking with her head down that she was about to bump into a stone pillar. He reached out and gently pulled her shoulder to guide her.

At that moment, Ming Can suddenly stopped, turned around, and buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

It was as if she wanted to press herself firmly into his body.

Chi Xiao froze, his body stiffening for a moment. He looked down in disbelief at the top of her dark, soft hair.

His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily, and his heart, which had just calmed down, began to race again.

The sky was overcast, the cold wind howling in their ears. Passersby came and went, occasionally casting curious glances their way.

Ming Can still didn’t speak, holding him tightly like this, indifferent to the onlookers.

Time passed, second by second.

Chi Xiao gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said in a low voice, “Junior Ming Can, this isn’t appropriate.”

Ming Can’s face was buried in his chest, and she let out a muffled hum.

She continued to do as she pleased, treating his words as nothing more than background noise.

“A lot of people are watching,” Chi Xiao said, as if his reputation was at stake. “Your senior is still single, you know.”

“Oh,” Ming Can buried her face even deeper, her voice muffled through his clothes, resonating directly in his chest. “Then you’re not single anymore.”