Chapter 17: Little Tabby

ᰔ”Shen Suhui, you’re really amazing.”ᰔ

Shen Suhui’s mind was blank.

The moment their lips met, it felt as though she had fallen into soft, fluffy clouds, surrounded by swirling white mist, unable to find any solid ground.

Her feet and body felt weak, and just before she was about to fall, it was only Yu Ran’s hand on her waist that steadied her.

It was a light kiss, but also very sticky.

When they parted, their gazes didn’t break away; instead, their eyes remained locked, filled with both challenge and reluctance.

Shen Suhui licked her lips, her eyes fixed on Yu Ran’s face, as if she was trying to confirm whether this was a dream or reality.

Yu Ran grasped her wrist and guided it to her own face.

The warm sensation from Yu Ran’s skin made Shen Suhui’s racing heart settle down.

Yet, her heart beat even more wildly.

Yu Ran closed her eyes, feeling Shen Suhui’s touch, then turned her head to kiss Shen Suhui’s wrist.

There was a mole on Shen Suhui’s wrist.

Yu Ran lingered for a moment, then moved downward, kissing her palm, and finally her fingers.

“Yu… Yu Ran…”

“Mm.”

Yu Ran responded softly, her voice slightly hoarse.

She didn’t continue, instead pulling Shen Suhui into her arms, embracing her in a way that felt very safe and intimate.

Shen Suhui buried half her face in Yu Ran’s shoulder, and her eyes slowly filled with tears.

“I’ve tried to resist; I’ve been resisting since I was a child.”

Shen Suhui’s voice cracked with sobs. “Once, during a time when I resisted, I accidentally hurt her. My dad almost beat me to death.”

“After that, every time I resisted, I would be brutally beaten by my dad. One time, I even called the police, and after the mediation, we just went home. When we got home, my dad beat me even harder. I was still young, I couldn’t go anywhere. They wouldn’t give me food and locked me outside all night. Only my brother would secretly open the door to let me in to sleep. In the morning, at 5 am, he would wake me up to stand outside again. He also secretly hid snacks for me. From childhood to now, if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have lasted until today.”

Yu Ran’s eyes gradually reddened. She gently stroked Shen Suhui’s hair and hugged her tighter.

“Later, I just stopped resisting. I didn’t have the strength or the will to, and the outcome was always the same anyway.”

“That’s because you were weak back then, but now it’s completely different.” Yu Ran pulled back a little and gently rubbed the red corners of Shen Suhui’s eyes. “You’ve grown up now, and you’ve met me. I will help you.”

“And there’s Jiang Shiluo; she’s a police officer. You don’t have to be afraid anymore, right?”

~~

“Didn’t you ever tell Jiang Shiluo about all this?”

Shen Suhui shook her head. “Yu Ran, I feel so pathetic.”

“You’re pathetic because you’re kind, not ruthless enough.”

Yu Ran hugged her again. “Be good, sleep well tonight, don’t think about anything, we’ll take it step by step. Trust me, okay?”

Shen Suhui just slightly nodded, neither saying yes nor no.

She lay down in bed, and after she fell asleep, Yu Ran drove to a 24-hour pharmacy 10 kilometers away to buy some medicine.

At that time, Shen Suhui still had a mild fever, and Yu Ran applied a cooling patch to her while snuggling behind her in bed.

Shen Suhui was too sensitive. It was the first time she was so close to Yu Ran in the same bed, and her heart was racing so fast it felt like it might burst. She couldn’t sleep much that night, tossing and turning.

—-

The next morning, Yu Ran went to work, and only then did Shen Suhui manage to fall asleep.

She wasn’t in good condition and slept until noon at the hotel. Her lunch was ordered by Yu Ran.

-yr: I can leave work on time today, I’ll come see you in the evening.

-14th year: Okay, thank you for helping me, let me treat you to dinner!

-yr: Mhm, and then? Have you figured out how to arrange things?

-14th year: I plan to go back to my rental house first tonight. I’ll think about the rest tomorrow, don’t worry!

The rain continued for the whole day, and after dinner, they walked together in the damp park with an umbrella.

They didn’t talk much, but just walking quietly together gave them a great sense of peace.

“Yu Ran.”

“Hmm?”

“About the answer, can I give it to you after the New Year?”

“Have you decided?” Yu Ran smiled gently. “It’s fine, as long as you fully trust me, and are ready for it.”

“Ready for what?”

“To accept Yu Ran’s kindness, accept Yu Ran’s occasional surprises and gifts, and accept Yu Ran stepping into your world, whether it’s in the past, now, or in the future.”

“…Mm.”

Shen Suhui nodded seriously. At that moment, she felt that no matter how painful it had been, being gently invited into Yu Ran’s world felt quite romantic.

—–

After the heavy rain, the park looked barren, as if the world only had the two of them. From a distance, there was the sound of a kitten meowing. Upon getting closer, they saw a small tabby cat hiding under a tree, its leg pierced by a steel nail, with blood dripping from its eye.

“Yu Ran, this little cat is so pitiful.”

“Quickly take it to the hospital, it must have been abused by someone.”

Yu Ran drove to the nearest animal hospital, and Shen Suhui cradled the dirty little cat in her arms, constantly comforting it, not minding the dirt and blood staining her clothes.

Yu Ran turned her head to look at Shen Suhui’s profile and her hair as she comforted the cat. She couldn’t stop looking at her.

After the examination, the doctor said the cat’s condition was quite complicated. It needed surgery to remove the steel nail, and its bones would take time to heal. Moreover, there were many parasites and viruses in its body, so it needed to be hospitalized for observation.

“Then let’s go with your treatment plan, doctor. Just let us know if there’s anything else you need.”

While the cat was undergoing surgery, the two of them sat together. Yu Ran couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really like cats?”

“Mm, I’ve always envied people who had pets when I was young, but my parents wouldn’t allow me.”

Shen Suhui smiled as she said this, but her smile was a little sorrowful.

“Do you know? One day in middle school, I rescued a stray cat, an orange tabby. It had been abandoned by its owner. It wasn’t injured, so I brought it home. But my mom went crazy and made me throw it out. I refused, but my brother, seeing how much I liked it, helped me beg my mom. In the end, she reluctantly agreed for me to keep it.”

“What happened then?”

Shen Suhui shook her head helplessly. “What happened after was even worse than if I had just thrown it out from the start.”

“…” Yu Ran’s heart tightened.

“One day, when I came home from school, my mom had dinner ready, and the whole family was waiting to wash our hands before eating. The little tabby, so hungry, jumped onto the stool and grabbed a piece of meat. My mom went mad, grabbing the cat by its head and slamming its body against the wall, hitting it like a ball. My brother and I knelt down, apologizing. In the end, we watched the cat die, its head crushed.”

“Do you know that scene? The cat was bleeding from its eyes, and blood was splattered on the walls. I thought my mom had gone crazy, she was insane.”

“I always thought it was my fault, that maybe the cat would have been better off roaming the streets. If I hadn’t brought it home…”

“Shen Suhui.”

Yu Ran held her hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Bringing the cat home was out of kindness. You just wanted to give it a home. The one who did wrong was her.”

“I know, Yu Ran,” Shen Suhui looked at her with pitiful eyes, “but I just feel guilty, I can’t help it…”

“When I grew up and became financially stable, I thought about whether I should get a dog or a cat for companionship. Then I doubted myself again. A person like me, with a life so messy, how could I take care of these little animals?”

Yu Ran said, “Then give yourself a chance to prove it, starting with this injured little tabby.”

“Can I really do it?”

“I believe in you, no matter what, and I’m here for you.”

“And you…” Shen Suhui murmured.

“Yes, and me.”

During their conversation, the kitten’s surgery was successfully completed. Now what was left to do was post-surgery observation and nutritional supplementation.

After settling the kitten, Yu Ran sent Shen Suhui home.

This time, Shen Suhui had already tidied up her house. Just as Yu Ran was about to leave, Shen Suhui stopped her.

“You’ve come over so many times, why don’t you come in and sit for a bit?”

“Is that okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Shen Suhui nodded eagerly.

“Alright.”

Yu Ran took a quick look around, thinking it would be rude to inspect someone else’s space, but it was clear that Shen Suhui had made the house very cozy.

“Let’s go to my bedroom!”

“Mm.”

Shen Suhui asked Yu Ran to sit on her bed, turned on the air conditioner, and warm air immediately blew towards them.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday, do you still have to work?”

“Mm, I have to be in the clinic.”

“Then if it’s late, won’t that mean…”

Yu Ran raised her eyelids and blurted out, “You want me to stay the night?”

Shen Suhui froze for a second. Yu Ran had thought she would refuse, but instead, she smiled and shyly nodded.

“…It’s okay.”

Yu Ran couldn’t help but scratch her chin, and Shen Suhui was very obedient as she was scratched.

“There’s a diary on the desk, you like to write in a diary.”

~~

Mentioning the diary, Shen Suhui’s expression visibly tightened, and her pupils dilated.

Yu Ran obviously noticed her change and became even more curious about what was written in the diary that could make Shen Suhui react so strongly. It was probably related to her.

But curiosity aside, it would be impolite to pry into someone else’s privacy in this situation.

“This mp3, I saw you carrying it around at the library last time. You’re still using it to listen to music, right?”

Shifting the focus to something else, Shen Suhui visibly relaxed. She stretched out her arm to grab the mp3 and handed it to Yu Ran.

“It does have songs on it. If you’re curious, you can take it home and listen.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It looks really old, when did you buy it?”

“In my first year of high school,” Shen Suhui’s ears turned redder. “I didn’t have a phone, and the only entertainment was this mp3. It represents my youth, and I’ve protected it well over the years.”

Yu Ran smiled and said, “Then I should cherish it even more than you.”

She wrapped her arms around Shen Suhui’s waist and made her sit on her lap, pointing to the medicine bottle wind chimes by the window.

“This is the first time I’ve seen wind chimes made from medicine bottles. Did you make them yourself?”

Shen Suhui nodded.

“Then the butterfly wind chimes in the café, did you make those too?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Yu Ran tightened her hold on her waist and rested her head on Shen Suhui’s shoulder, speaking slowly, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Shen Suhui, you’re really amazing.”