Chapter 15: We

The rain was pouring fiercely, pounding against the umbrella surface and producing dull thuds.

Zhu Xingyan held the umbrella while Song Shiyue protected the cat in her arms. The two of them and the cat huddled together under the umbrella and walked through the rain to the school gate.

His car was already parked by the roadside. The driver saw them coming and got out early to open the door. Finally, they were sheltered from the wind and rain outside.

“Uncle Chen, head to the pet hospital.”

In the dim, rainy light, the car turned on its indicator light and prepared to merge into the main road.

The little cat inside her school uniform remained completely still, as though it had lost all breath. Song Shiyue felt uneasy and gently lifted the edge of her clothing to peek inside. The kitten was lying quietly on the fabric, eyes peacefully closed.

She quietly let out a breath of relief.

“Why were you at school so late?” The question she had blurted out under the tree earlier had been interrupted by him. The heavy rain had arrived so suddenly that Zhu Xingyan had motioned for her to walk first. Only now, mixed with the sound of rain, could she hear his relatively calm explanation.

“I just happened to pass by the school. Last time I left some materials with the homeroom teacher and hadn’t picked them up yet, so I came by to get them.”

“Was Teacher Zhang on duty today?”

“Yes.”

The conversation paused for a moment. The space under the umbrella felt cramped. He looked at the little cat in her arms with concern in his eyes. “It doesn’t seem to be making any sound at all.”

“It might not be feeling very well, and it was caught in the rain for a very long time.” Song Shiyue lowered her head to look again, unable to hide her anxiety. “I’ll take it to the pet hospital in a little while.”

“My car is right outside. I’ll drive you both there.” He immediately followed up, sounding so natural and ordinary that it carried no trace of politeness or reluctance.

Song Shiyue’s first instinct was still to refuse. “No need, I can take it there myself.”

“Don’t want to trouble you too much,” she quickly added.

“It’s no trouble.”

“You’d have much more trouble trying to hail a taxi again while carrying it.”

In the end, Song Shiyue accepted his suggestion. It gets dark early on rainy days, and by the time they came out, visibility was already poor. Cars sped past on the road in the rain; it would not be easy to get a taxi right away.

The driver had navigated to a nearby private pet hospital. The entrance had only a small curtain, but the interior decoration felt very warm and cozy.

After the doctor’s examination, the conclusion was malnutrition. They gave the kitten a bath, blow-dried it, and applied medicine. The tiny bundle that had been in her arms earlier now felt soft and clean. Only then did Song Shiyue realize that its fur was not the gray-black color she had initially thought—it had simply been so dirty that the original appearance was completely hidden.

This little cat she had casually picked up on a rainy night turned out to be a small calico. Its body carried the classic black, white, and orange patches, very much resembling the lively lucky beckoning cat (招财猫 / maneki-neko) seen in movies—except that right now, because of the patchy bald spots in its fur, it looked especially thin and pitiful.

“Bring her back in a few days when you have time to get the vaccines,” the doctor said while taking off his gloves, smiling gently. “This is a little female cat, still very young. She has probably been a stray since birth. Her condition is quite poor. It’s fortunate you picked her up; otherwise she might not have survived this winter.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Song Shiyue carried the kitten out and said goodbye in the corridor. The doctor glanced at the boy who had been quietly accompanying her the whole time. Although he was wearing a mask, there was still something faintly familiar about his eyebrows and eyes.

He couldn’t help looking a few more times.

“Doctor, we’ll be leaving now then,” Song Shiyue quickly spoke up when she noticed.

“Alright. Be careful on the rainy road.”

It would take a few minutes for the car to come from the parking area. The two of them stood on the steps waiting. The kitten lay quietly in Song Shiyue’s arms, unusually docile. From the moment they picked it up until now, it had not struggled even once.

It was hard to tell whether it was too hungry and weak, or simply had a very gentle temperament.

“Meow meow.” Zhu Xingyan was holding a large bag in his right hand filled with the cat food and supplies the hospital had just provided. With his other free hand, he reached out and gently patted the little cat’s head, teasing it with a couple of soft calls.

He lowered his eyes slightly and spoke to her in a consultative tone: “Shall we give it a name?”

“A name?” Song Shiyue was momentarily stunned. She thought for a long while before saying, “Let’s call it Laifu then.”

“I hope all the hardship it went through before is over, and from now on every day will be filled with good fortune.” After a brief pause, she added earnestly.

“Alright.” Zhu Xingyan lowered his face, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. He gently rubbed the kitten’s head again. “Laifu.”

He called it that way.

“Does your family allow you to keep a little cat?” On the way back, a fine misty rain washed against the car windows. The two of them sat on opposite sides of the back seat when his voice suddenly broke the silence.

Song Shiyue hugged the kitten tighter in her arms. Hearing this, she froze for a second. “My parents… they should let me keep it.”

Song Qing had always been open-minded. When she was little, he had even bought her a puppy. Later, when they couldn’t keep it at home, they sent it to live with her grandparents in the countryside.

As for Zhao Siqian… although she didn’t particularly like small animals, she was soft-hearted. If Song Shiyue begged her a couple of times, it should be fine…

Song Shiyue thought guiltily to herself. At the same time, she began mentally rehearsing the words she would use to persuade her mother later, feeling a bit anxious and uneasy.

After all, she was in her senior year of high school, and her mother always placed her studies above everything else.

Lost in her own thoughts, Song Shiyue paid no attention to the person beside her until, in the quiet car, Zhu Xingyan’s voice spoke again.

“If it doesn’t work out, you can leave it at my place. My family and the assistant can take care of it easily.”

This time Song Shiyue was completely stunned. It took her a while to process before she asked hesitantly, “You… like small animals?”

“I quite like them. Besides, Laifu and I seem to have some fate.” He lowered his gaze to the little cat quietly sleeping in her arms.

“Then… I’ll go home and try to convince my parents. If it really doesn’t work… we can think of other solutions.” Song Shiyue finally gave in.

We.

In his ears, only those two words remained.

“Mm.” Zhu Xingyan nodded gently. The corners of his mouth curved upward, and his voice was gentler than ever before. “If it doesn’t work, we can discuss it again.”

—

When the car stopped downstairs at the residential complex, the rain had not let up.

The continuous fine drizzle fell like threads of mist, leaving the entire air damp and moist.

Song Shiyue pushed open the car door. A black umbrella opened above her head. Zhu Xingyan stood at the side of the car, shielding her from the rain.

“You’ve already held the umbrella for me several times today,” she said, feeling very embarrassed. “You should head back first. It won’t be good if someone sees you.”

“I’ll walk you to the entrance.” Without giving her a chance to refuse, he picked up the things first and motioned for her to go ahead.

“It’s dark out; no one will notice.” Zhu Xingyan still offered an explanation.

They were just a few steps from the security booth, where warm lights already glowed softly ahead. Song Shiyue turned to him and said, “You can leave me here.”

Zhu Xingyan handed her the umbrella. “Take the umbrella.”

She took it unconsciously. The wooden handle fit into her palm, smooth and still warm.

It carried the lingering heat from his hand.

Song Shiyue carried Laifu back home. The entrance light was bright. As she folded the umbrella, her gaze slid over the black surface, and only then did she realize it looked familiar.

This was the same umbrella he had lent her the very first time they met.

After going round and round, it had come back into her hands.

Regarding this stray kitten they had brought home from outside, Song Qing and Zhao Siqian held different opinions.

The three of them deliberately held a serious family meeting in the living room.

Zhao Siqian spoke first: “Your dad and I both have to go to work every day, and you have school. There’s no one at home who can take care of it.”

“Laifu can stay home by itself.” Song Shiyue held the cat carefully, covering its ears with her jacket so it wouldn’t be startled.

Zhao Siqian looked utterly speechless. “…You’ve already given it a name?”

“Yes.” Song Shiyue sat up straight and properly. “Its name is Laifu. I hope every day in its future will be filled with good fortune.”

“…………” Zhao Siqian exchanged a glance with Song Qing, both falling silent.

Song Qing looked at his daughter and saw the stubborn determination in her eyes.

From childhood to now, she rarely insisted on wanting anything, but once she made up her mind, almost no one could change it—for example, wanting to learn English, wanting to go mountain climbing alone at age ten, and now wanting to keep this little cat.

He raised his hand first to state his position: “I agree to keeping this kitten.”

Zhao Siqian shot him a disapproving look, with faint anger in her expression.

Ignoring the grateful smile Song Shiyue gave him, Song Qing quickly tried to soothe his wife first: “Here’s what I think: since Yueyue already brought it home, that means it has some fate with our family. And if we don’t keep it—just look at this little cat; it’s clearly been malnourished for a long time. If we put it back outside, it probably won’t survive more than a few days.”

Song Shiyue nodded eagerly. If Laifu hadn’t been in her arms, she would have wanted to stand up and applaud him right then.

Zhao Siqian looked at the father and daughter pair. Their eyes—identical in shape and clear black—were both staring at her expectantly.

She helplessly pressed her forehead, stayed frustrated for a few seconds, and finally gave in.

“Fine then. But let me make this clear first: none of us in this house has any experience taking care of pets. If—and I mean if—something happens to this kitten along the way, you can’t blame us.”

“Of course! I’ll take good care of it. Don’t worry!” Song Shiyue hugged Laifu tightly and promised happily.

Laifu’s little bed was placed in the living room—this was a strict requirement from Zhao Siqian to prevent it from distracting Song Shiyue while she studied.

Song Shiyue and Song Qing busied themselves for half the evening, finally getting its food, water, and sleeping area all set up. While the two of them were running back and forth, the kitten just lay quietly in its bed, occasionally letting out a weak little meow.

Song Qing couldn’t help saying, “Look how well-behaved it is.”

“Yes! Our Laifu is the most well-behaved!” Song Shiyue seized the chance to praise it enthusiastically.

Beside them, Zhao Siqian let out a cold huff.

—

The moon hung on the treetops, stars scattered sparsely.

The night was quiet, and everything had finally settled.

Song Shiyue finally returned to her room and couldn’t wait to share the good news with the other person involved.

「Moon」: [Zhu Xingyan, my family agreed to let me keep Laifu!]

「Moon」: [Thank you so much for helping me tonight]

「Moon」: [Heart]

To show her sincerity and gratitude, she carefully picked through the emoji options and sent a small red heart.

When Zhu Xingyan saw the message, he had just come out of the shower. He had gotten caught in the rain on the way back, so Xiao Rou, still worried, had made him a bowl of ginger soup.

“I heard from Xiao Liu that you went to send a female classmate home tonight?” The woman was wearing a silk dress, her curled hair soft and smooth, her face clean and beautiful.

On closer look, Zhu Xingyan’s eyebrows and eyes resembled hers.

They carried a touch of refined allure.

“And a cat,” he replied while drying his hair, his expression calm and undisturbed.

Xiao Rou looked at him and sighed.

When her son was just born, both she and her husband were fully occupied with their careers. The two of them were constantly traveling all over the world, leaving little time to accompany the child.

By the time each of them realized it, he had already grown up quietly and without a sound.

Xiao Rou felt heartache but there was nothing she could do. A few years before giving birth, she had just become the principal dancer at the Beijing Dance Troupe, right at the golden peak of her career. A dancer’s prime lasts only a few short years, and she did not want to give it up. So, shortly after giving birth to Zhu Xingyan and once her body had recovered, she immediately threw herself back into a packed schedule of intense performances.

Her husband was a diplomat, his work even busier, often requiring sudden trips all around the world. The child could only be left with his grandparents, growing up together with the elderly couple.

Once, she and her husband had been away for nearly half a year. When they returned home together for Chinese New Year, they saw that he was already almost graduating from elementary school. He stood there tall, calling them “Dad” and “Mom” with eyes that felt strangely unfamiliar.

Xiao Rou suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart.

After that incident, she resigned from her position as principal dancer, reduced her performance schedule, and began shifting her focus back to the family, spending more time with him.

But the child’s personality had already taken shape.

Having grown up with his grandfather, he developed the habits of an old cadre: drinking tea and hot water, waking up early every day to play chess, take morning walks, practice calligraphy. While other children his age were running wild outside, he would quietly tinker with toys in his room—disassembling and repairing them. He was calm and steady, showing an early maturity far beyond his years.

Xiao Rou slowly learned how to be a qualified mother and tried to build a relationship with him.

Just as she finally found some warm closeness between mother and son, he entered the entertainment industry and began traveling all over the world again.

In the first couple of years, she still felt uneasy and would accompany him everywhere. Later, as his studio staff gradually became complete and professional, it was he who took the initiative to suggest that she spend more time with his father and the elders at home.

Later on, when her mother (Zhu Xingyan’s maternal grandmother) fell ill and her health declined significantly after surgery, Xiao Rou returned to take care of her long-term. His father had settled in Beijing for work, with an extremely busy schedule and rarely any time to return home to the family.

That night, the two of them asked for his opinion: whether he wanted to continue staying in Beijing or come with her to Fan City.

“I don’t usually spend much time at school anyway, so where I study probably won’t make a big difference. But compared to Dad, I’d rather stay with Mom.”

And so the matter was settled.

He transferred to Fan City together with her. Just as he had said, over these past two years he hadn’t actually spent much time here, but at least they could see each other from time to time. In the first half of this year, he had even managed—rarely—to attend classes at school for quite a long stretch.

Gradually, she began hearing a girl’s name from the assistant’s mouth.

She could also tell that during those days at school, he had actually been happy.

Several times after he came back from playing basketball, she felt that there was finally a hint of youthful, vibrant energy about him—the kind that belongs to a teenager.

Deep down, Xiao Rou hoped that period could last longer, but unfortunately, work came calling again very quickly.

Half a year passed in a rush. It was only tonight that the girl’s name was brought up once more.

Zhu Xingyan had only dried his hair halfway when he picked up his phone and saw the message from Song Shiyue.

The corners of his mouth curved into a smile involuntarily as he typed a reply to her.

Xing: [You’re welcome]

Xing: [I believe you can definitely take good care of Laifu]

“Who is it?” Xiao Rou, standing nearby, studied his expression and handed him the bowl of ginger soup she was holding.

Zhu Xingyan casually wiped his hair a few more times, draped the towel over his shoulder, his damp black hair falling in fine strands across his forehead.

“A classmate,” he answered casually.

“You’re chatting with a classmate and smiling so happily?” Xiao Rou asked knowingly. His movements stiffened slightly for a moment.

“Mom, do you still have something to say? I want to listen to music now.” He put on a straight face and directly issued an order to leave.

Xiao Rou couldn’t help laughing. She took the empty bowl from his hand, nodded, and teased, “Alright, alright, I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Just before closing the door, she couldn’t resist pushing it open a crack again and poking her head in to remind him: “By the way, I heard that girl has excellent grades and is even the class monitor. You need to know your limits—don’t affect her studies at such a critical time…”

“Mom!” Zhu Xingyan cut her off in annoyance.

“Alright, alright, I’m really leaving now.” The door clicked shut. In the suddenly empty room, Zhu Xingyan felt his face grow a little hot—embarrassed, annoyed, and helpless all at once.

“What nonsense…” He stared at the phone screen, looking at the little yellow crescent moon at the top of their chat window. For some reason, his heart suddenly trembled.

A long while later, Zhu Xingyan opened the nickname edit page. After typing and deleting for a moment, he replaced the previous name with a default star symbol from the system.

Song Shiyue only noticed it a few days later.

Zhu Xingyan hadn’t come to class; after a short stay in Fan City, he flew to a coastal city for a movie promotional tour.

The film he had shot earlier was about to be released.

At home, Laifu spent most of the time sleeping. When it woke up to eat, it didn’t eat much. Only after several days of recovery did it slowly regain some energy and begin tentatively walking around the living room.

Even Zhao Siqian—who had been extremely picky and reluctant at first—couldn’t help softening a little. Sitting on the sofa and watching the little kitten cautiously sniff around, she sighed softly, “It really does look so pitiful.”

Song Shiyue waited until its health improved before taking it to the hospital for vaccines. After the check-up, the doctor said all the kitten’s indicators were good and that its fur should gradually grow back completely before long.

Song Shiyue was very happy. The first person she wanted to share this news with was Zhu Xingyan. When she opened her phone and found his profile picture, she suddenly froze.

At some point, he had changed his previous single-character nickname “Xing” (star) to a simple system star symbol.

At a glance—

A small golden star was shining in her contact list.

Translator’s Note: The ad revenue is very nominal, so if you buy/donate something via Kofi , it would be a great help. Thank you.