novelraw Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Chapter 48 Flower BloomingWen Yufeng didn’t like animals, especially the kind that seemed fragile enough to be accidentally crushed if he used too much force.
Looking at the kitten’s delicate neck and paws, Wen Yufeng felt as if his future life of solitude had been overshadowed by a thick, heavy gloom.
However, under the eager gaze of the girl, he found that he had no other choice but to nod in agreement.
The moment he agreed, Qin Qing’s eyes lit up.
She held back her excitement and reached out to pull the small shoebox. As she moved it, the little kitten inside began trembling more violently out of fear.
Its soft, white fur quivered slightly, and its big, wet black eyes stared at them both.
Wen Yufeng’s gaze flickered.
…Those pitiful eyes were very similar to the girl’s at certain times.
He hadn’t even taken the kitten home yet, and already it resembled its potential owner.
Wen Yufeng’s eyes drifted to the girl standing in front of him.
“Meow…”
But the girl wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she was imitating a cat’s meow, her voice soft and gentle, trying to soothe the frightened kitten.
Hearing that sound, Wen Yufeng’s eyes darkened.
He clenched his hand by his side, trying to keep his emotions in check.
At that moment, Qin Qing turned back to him. “Should we take it home to wash it?”
Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Qing noticed the unusual look on Wen Yufeng’s face.
She paused, “Wen Yufeng, are you feeling unwell?”
Wen Yufeng turned his gaze away awkwardly and cleared his throat, his voice raspy as he spoke, “We should take it to the pet hospital first for deworming and a check-up.
We can also get it vaccinated and then buy cat litter and milk powder for it.”
Qin Qing’s eyes widened. “There’s that much to prepare? I had no idea.”
Wen Yufeng didn’t respond. Instead, he locked his phone screen, which still displayed a search engine.
—He had never thought that keeping a cat or dog would bring any joy, and his recent search confirmed it.
But in the next moment, the girl’s eyes curved into a bright smile as she looked at him. “Wen Yufeng, it’s a good thing I have you.”
Wen Yufeng: “…”
Well, maybe it wasn’t entirely devoid of joy.
…
Taking care of a rescued kitten—getting it dewormed, vaccinated, and buying its supplies—was anything but easy.
Wen Yufeng and Qin Qing took a taxi to the nearest pet hospital, where they had the kitten undergo a comprehensive health check-up.
Fortunately, apart from some parasites, there were no other health issues, allowing Qin Qing to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, the rest of the process still took a toll on her, especially when the tiny kitten shrank away from the needles, which pained her more than anything.
If it weren’t for her remaining rationality and Wen Yufeng holding her back, Qin Qing had no doubt that she would have rushed over to take the kitten away when she heard its pitiful cries during the injections.
After they finally left the pet hospital, Qin Qing and Wen Yufeng took the kitten to the nearest shopping mall.
“I’ll go inside to buy its supplies. You stay here with it,” Wen Yufeng said, not trusting her to go in.
—Seeing how her heart was entirely focused on the kitten, he worried someone might try to snatch them both away.
Qin Qing didn’t notice Wen Yufeng’s concerns. She simply nodded and stayed at the entrance with the freshly cleaned kitten, waiting obediently.
It didn’t take long before Wen Yufeng returned, carrying several large bags.
As they were about to start talking, Qin Qing’s phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the caller ID and was startled by the time displayed in the corner of the screen.
“Grandma…” Qin Qing answered the phone guiltily.
“Sweetie, why aren’t you home for lunch yet? Did something happen?” Grandma Qin asked, her voice filled with concern.
“No, nothing happened…” Qin Qing shook her head, hesitating before her eyes brightened, and she said, “Grandma, the kitten at Wen Yufeng’s house got sick, so we’re at the vet with it now…”
As she lied, Qin Qing couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the boy standing beside her.
Hearing her excuse, Wen Yufeng raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at her with an amused expression.
Qin Qing quickly turned her gaze away.
“Xiaoyu has a cat? I’ve never heard it meow before… So when will you be home? I’ll reheat the food.”
“We might be here for a while longer, and after taking the kitten home, I might go straight to school. Grandma, don’t wait for me to eat; I’ll take care of it myself later.”
“Are you sure? Don’t be late for class this afternoon, and be careful outside. Don’t eat at those dirty street stalls.”
“Got it, Grandma… Goodbye.” Qin Qing responded helplessly before hanging up.
…
After ending the call, Qin Qing turned to Wen Yufeng with a guilty look.
“Wen Yufeng, I’m sorry for troubling you today. Let’s take the kitten home, and then I’ll treat you to lunch?”
Carrying the bags of cat litter and cat food in one hand, along with a special breathable bag for the kitten, Wen Yufeng began walking ahead.
“All right, let’s head home first.”
It was over half an hour later when they finally arrived at Wen Yufeng’s place.
Qin Qing settled the kitten into its “home” in the sunny side bedroom, then followed the vet’s instructions to prepare a suitable amount of milk powder for it. After setting up the litter box and making sure the kitten was comfortable, she walked out to the living room.
“Wen Yufeng, where should we go for lunch—”
As she spoke, she stepped out of the bedroom, but when she caught sight of the figure in the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks, stunned.
The girl’s steps faltered.
In the kitchen, dressed in light gray loungewear, the boy was standing at the counter. His slender left hand was holding down the vegetables on the cutting board, while his right hand swiftly moved the knife up and down.
His movements weren’t overly flashy, but the evenly sliced vegetables and the quick, precise knife work were enough to show just how skilled he was.
In no time, an entire carrot had been evenly julienned and neatly piled to the side.
Wen Yufeng tilted the knife and used its edge to transfer the carrot strips into a nearby glass bowl.
Then he set the knife on the cutting board and looked up towards the kitchen entrance.
The girl, who had been standing in the living room, was now standing in the kitchen, her mouth agape in surprise as she walked in.
“Wen Yufeng, you… you can cook?”
“I don’t like eating food from unknown sources, and I live alone.”
Wen Yufeng watched her surprised expression for a few seconds, then looked down in satisfaction as he stored the image in his mind. He picked up some washed shrimp from a bowl beside him and began preparing them.
Qin Qing watched as he skillfully removed the sharp tips, tails, and legs from each shrimp, then deftly extracted the grayish shrimp veins.
Instinctively, Qin Qing recalled her own clumsy attempts to help her grandmother in the kitchen, particularly the frustrating and messy ordeal of deveining shrimp.
The stark contrast between her ineptitude and Wen Yufeng’s fluid, masterful speed was striking.
Especially when she saw his long, slender fingers handling the translucent shrimp, she couldn’t help but feel as though she was witnessing the creation of some delicate piece of craftsmanship.
After he finished deveining the shrimp, Wen Yufeng rinsed his hands at the sink before returning to the counter.
“…Can I help with anything?”
Unable to stand idly by, Qin Qing asked, feeling embarrassed.
“You can,” Wen Yufeng replied before slowly lifting his gaze, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. “Just stand there and watch. That’s the biggest help you can give me.”
Qin Qing: “…”
After a couple of seconds, she stubbornly protested, “Um… I’m not as clumsy as people think…”
Hearing the dejection in her voice, Wen Yufeng paused as he was slicing the shrimp, then he chuckled softly and looked up.
“Sweetie, you misunderstood.”
Qin Qing looked at him, puzzled.
“Remember last time when I said your hands were too small to hold the bowls and that you should stay out of the kitchen to avoid breaking dishes… Did you take that to heart?”
“…”
Qin Qing was too embarrassed to admit it, so she just looked at Wen Yufeng in silence.
Wen Yufeng chuckled again and glanced at the counter, speaking, “The shrimp’s head is hard and can prick your hand. The kitchen tools are all sharp and could cut you. When you put wet ingredients into the oil, it can splatter and burn you. The range hood can’t catch all the smoke, which isn’t good for your lungs or skin…”
He listed each point with a calm, gentle tone, a stark contrast to his usual laid-back manner.
After he finished, he slowly raised his gaze, looking at the girl who had been at the center of his attention. His eyes softened with a smile. “What I said last time was just a joke. What I really meant was that Sweet ie is a girl who deserves to be taken care of. I don’t want you doing these things… Whenever I have the chance, I’ll do them for you. You don’t need to learn, and you definitely don’t need to feel bad for not being good at them.”
Wen Yufeng paused, then continued with a raspy laugh, “In fact, I’m glad you’re not good at them. Because it means that before I met you, you were always treated well and never had to go through hardship.”
“This way, I don’t have to regret not showing up in your life sooner.”
“…………”
Qin Qing stared at the boy standing at the kitchen counter, his figure silhouetted against the light. At that moment, something deep inside her heart stirred, like a seed wrapped in snow finally encountering the warmth of spring.
The snow shell quickly melted, and the sweet, refreshing water flowed through her veins, bringing joy to every corner of her body.
And the bud that had been hidden in the snow finally emerged, unfurling its slender branches.
At the tip of one of those branches, a flower bud trembled slightly before blooming suddenly.