“Huan Huan, sorry for picking you up so late. We got delayed on the way,” Zhao Yan said, glancing nervously at Le Huan, worried she might get upset waiting.
Le Huan looked at her watch and realized ten minutes had already passed.
“What happened to you? You’re so dirty, stay away from me,” Le Huan said, as particular as ever about cleanliness.
Knowing her fastidious habits, Zhao Yan quickly stepped back.
“I accidentally fell into a drain. It’s almost noon. Let’s go home and cook,” he explained.
“Alright,” Le Huan replied, turning to wave at Wu Lü. “Sister Lü, I’m heading home first. I’ll come see you again tomorrow.”
“You can come anytime you want,” Wu Lü said, returning to her usual expressionless face.
Hearing their familiar banter, Zhao Yan’s chest tightened with a pang of jealousy.
“When did you two get so close? I’ve only been gone ten minutes!” he muttered.
Le Huan noticed his tone and thought Zhao Yan was getting increasingly absurd. She was about to scold him but paused when she saw him standing with his arms crossed, bulging at the front.
“What are you hiding? Show me.”
Zhao Yan unzipped his coat, revealing a layer of orange fur speckled with mud, and with a quick movement, fully exposed what was inside.
—It was a small kitten.
The little orange kitten was filthy, eyes barely open, trembling and weakly meowing.
“I heard it crying on the way back and wanted to check for injuries. I got scratched on the face and stepped into a drain by accident,” Zhao Yan explained.
In truth, Zhao Yan hadn’t intended to rescue the kitten. His mind was entirely on Le Huan. Her temper was delicate, and he worried Wu Lü might throw her out. He had only glanced at the kitten’s cries, thinking in the apocalypse, humans struggled to survive, let alone animals.
But seeing the kitten reminded him of his first encounter with Le Huan—she had climbed out from under the bed just as bedraggled, weakly calling out for food.
A surge of tenderness flooded Zhao Yan’s heart. He couldn’t bring himself to abandon the tiny creature.
The kitten’s temperament resembled Le Huan’s. When he lifted it up, it scratched him a little, but Zhao Yan didn’t get angry. Its resemblance to Le Huan made him unable to scold it.
Le Huan looked at the small, dirty kitten and pursed her lips. She insisted Zhao Yan clean it thoroughly before it could enter the house.
66 adored the kitten, curling into a little furry ball, trembling adorably.
Le Huan teased that 66 had no aesthetic sense, thinking round and chubby was cute because it was also a big fat ball itself.
At home, Zhao Yan busied himself cooking. He had bought some vegetables and fruit on the way and even got a bottle and goat milk for the kitten. The bottle was leftover from an old man at the market.
Le Huan squatted in front of the makeshift cat bed, holding the bottle to feed the kitten. The little creature was starving, clamping down on the nipple even when it choked.
66 watched Le Huan fumble and wished it could help feed the kitten.
Zhao Yan brought the prepared meal to the table, called Le Huan to eat, and then took over feeding the kitten. His technique was clumsy, but the kitten never choked again.
66 nodded approvingly: 【Definitely a male mom】
“What novel have you been reading recently? Is it a yellow story?” 1066 had developed a taste for human romance novels and occasionally spouted phrases that clashed with its image.
66, embarrassed and angry, shouted, “You’re the one reading yellow! Your whole family’s yellow!”
After feeding the kitten, Zhao Yan noticed Le Huan was eating and sat down beside her.
“Zhao Yan, are we going to keep it?” Le Huan asked, looking at the now-sleeping, full kitten.
“You don’t dislike it?”
If Le Huan didn’t want it, he wouldn’t keep it. Part of the reason he brought the kitten back was to amuse her. The base had sent him on a mission, and he worried Le Huan would be bored alone at home. Everything depended on her preference.
“I don’t dislike it. If it behaves and doesn’t relieve itself indoors, then I’ll allow it to live with us,” Le Huan said. She hated unhygienic creatures, human or animal.
Zhao Yan chuckled softly. Hearing her say “our home” made him feel deeply content. This was a home acknowledged by Le Huan, a shared home, and it made him feel warm and energized.
“Alright, then I’ll train it to use the litter box.”
“I need to give it a name. As my cat, it must be impressive and fierce,” Le Huan said, thinking of a commanding name.
66 offered suggestions: 【Aotian, Tingchen, Shaojie—how about these? Don’t they sound cool?】
“…I guess what kind of novel you’ve been reading recently,” it muttered.
【Then Mo Qing, He Gui, Jinnian—all very elegant.】
“…Whose historical romance boyfriend are these?”
66 was furious, feeling Le Huan was insulting its taste. It decided not to speak to her until dinner.
Le Huan didn’t know what to name it. The kitten looked too weak for a fierce name—it would only be funny.
“This little weakling… we’ll call it Xiaoqiang.”
1066: ?
Zhao Yan: …
“Hmm, sounds… nice. As long as Huan Huan likes it, Xiaoqiang should too.” Zhao Yan complimented the awkward name despite himself. The kitten lifted its head and meowed at Zhao Yan.
The name was decided.
“You brought it back, so it takes your surname,” Le Huan said, acknowledging it as part of the family.
Thus, the orange kitten, Zhao Xiaoqiang, officially became a member of the household that noon.
Seeing how much Le Huan cared for Zhao Xiaoqiang, Zhao Yan didn’t slack off. After eating, he immediately bathed the kitten, knowing Le Huan would be displeased if he didn’t.
After lunch, Le Huan fell asleep while reading a comic. The weather had cooled, and napping under a blanket in the sunlight streaming into the living room was especially comfortable. Sunlight fell over the edge of her dress.
Le Huan napped peacefully, her small face slightly flushed, black curled eyelashes casting shadows on her lower lids. In a world where everyone looked gray and grimy, her flawless, fair face stood out.
Zhao Yan’s greatest daily pleasure was watching her sleep, recalling every little moment they shared. He didn’t shy away from the bittersweet memories, feeling that even the struggles were worth cherishing.
However, Le Huan had rarely made physical contact with him these days. Since their last face-touching hug, she hadn’t held him or touched him, leaving him feeling empty and frustrated.
Le Huan called these moments “rewards”… was it because he hadn’t done well? Why hadn’t he received any recently?
Zhao Yan gazed at her with tender devotion. Having experienced such rewards before, he now longed for them again. Bringing a new member into the household seemed like reason enough…
Preparing himself mentally, Zhao Yan closed his eyes and leaned down slowly, placing his warm, soft lips on Le Huan’s forehead. His heart pounded loudly, and fearing he might wake her, he quickly covered his chest.
When he looked up, their eyes met.