After the IV drip was finished, it was already eleven o’clock at night.
Kong Xinrui prescribed some medicine and carefully gave a few instructions. Sister Rumeng listened very seriously and, as if worried she might forget, took out her phone and opened her notes app to write everything down.
Qin Yi noticed this from the side, and in his heart, a strange and indescribable feeling rose.
So strange… why does my nose feel sore again?
“All right, let’s go. Time to go home.”
After recording everything and picking up the medicine, Sister Rumeng held Qin Yi’s hand and led him out of the clinic.
The rain was still falling. She looped the bag with the medicine around her wrist, clearly planning to open the umbrella with one hand.
“Sister Rumeng, let me do it.”
Qin Yi quickly grabbed the umbrella at the door and opened it immediately. But because it was a small, foldable umbrella meant for one person, it didn’t cover much. Even though Qin Yi was thin, he still couldn’t shield both of them completely.
So after opening the umbrella, he quietly tilted it more toward Sister Rumeng to keep her from getting wet.
“Fool.” She chuckled. “Just stand closer.”
Of course, Sister Rumeng noticed what he was doing. Still holding Qin Yi’s hand, she gently tugged him closer. The two of them were now nearly shoulder to shoulder.
The scent of lavender body wash playfully drifted into Qin Yi’s nose like an invisible little spirit.
“Is your body still feeling unwell?” Sister Rumeng noticed his movements were stiff, like he was nervous about something.
“No.” Qin Yi quickly turned his head, avoiding eye contact. The darkness hid the slight flush creeping up his ears.
“No! No need!” Qin Yi shook his head immediately.
“Okay then.” Seeing his resistance, Sister Rumeng didn’t press further. She simply assumed he wasn’t used to physical contact.
She lived not far from the clinic, just across the street in an old residential area. Even at a slow pace, it only took about ten minutes to walk home.
As soon as they arrived and before they could even turn on the lights, a frantic meow rang out.
“Puffy, look who’s here!”
Sister Rumeng turned on the lights as she spoke excitedly. The white light filled the living room, dispelling the darkness. Qin Yi saw the same calico cat that had brought him warmth not long ago.
“Meow~~”
Puffy was perched on the shoe cabinet. As soon as it saw Qin Yi, it leapt down and rubbed its face against his pant leg, even rolling over on his shoes.
Qin Yi was a bit overwhelmed. Sister Rumeng smiled and explained, “Puffy really likes you. It’s marking you with its scent. That means from now on, you belong to it.”
“So that’s what it means.” Qin Yi nodded. He hadn’t interacted with cats much before, so he didn’t really understand their behavior.
He remembered how, when he was taking shelter under the eaves, he had pulled this calico cat into his arms for warmth. So, unable to resist, he asked, “Can I hold it?”
“Of course you can.”
Sister Rumeng bent down to pick up Puffy and handed it to Qin Yi.
Qin Yi quickly took it with both hands and cradled it in his arms. It was soft and warm—though… kind of heavy.
When he’d held it before while curled up under the eaves, he hadn’t needed to exert any effort. But now, standing and supporting its full weight, he realized just how chubby Puffy really was. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“Ugh…”
Qin Yi wanted to put Puffy down, but seeing its eyes squinting in bliss, he suddenly felt reluctant. He held his breath and forced himself to keep holding it, even as his neck started turning red from the strain.
“Pfft!”
Sister Rumeng couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“All right, stop spoiling it so much!”
Worried that Qin Yi might get tired, she quickly took Puffy back from his arms and scolded it, “Look at you, how fat you’ve gotten. Starting tomorrow, you’re going on a diet. I’m cutting a third of your food!”
“Meow! Meow!!”
Puffy seemed to understand and immediately let out an indignant cry, eyes wide as if protesting loudly.
“No use yelling. If you keep complaining, you’re staying home all day tomorrow.”
As soon as she said that, Puffy instantly went quiet—but its eyes still looked a bit defiant.
Qin Yi watched all of this with great interest.
Noticing his curiosity, Sister Rumeng explained, “Puffy used to be a stray cat. It especially loves wandering outside, especially around the clinic. Wind or rain doesn’t stop it.”
Qin Yi nodded. No wonder he had run into the calico cat that night, even with the heavy rain.
But now that he thought about it… wasn’t he also a stray, taken in by Sister Rumeng?
While he was lost in thought, Sister Rumeng walked into her room and brought out a towel and a clean set of clothes.
“You got soaked in the rain tonight. Go take a hot shower and change your clothes, or you might catch a cold tomorrow.”