novelraw Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Chapter 60 After the two of them finally managed to corral the panicked little white cat back into the bathtub and complete the arduous task of bathing it, ten minutes had already passed.
As Qin Qing watched the little creature being dried with a large bath towel, she helplessly asked Wen Yufeng, “Is it always this much of a hassle whenever you bathe it?”
Wen Yufeng dried the white cat until it was mostly dry, then held down its trembling little body and reached for the blow dryer he had prepared earlier.
He then cast a chilly glance at the white cat under his hand.
“Not every time.”
Qin Qing breathed a sigh of relief.
If it was always this troublesome, she’d feel incredibly guilty…
“Only about eight or nine times out of ten.”
Qin Qing: “………”
After a moment of silence, Qin Qing wordlessly looked at the white cat.
Sensing that its two owners were united against it, the white cat shrank its neck, its round eyes darting around as it lay down with an expression of small, pitiful, and helpless innocence.
Having just gone through a chaotic “cat-catching” battle, Qin Qing was in no mood to be fooled by this act.
However, before Qin Qing could say anything, she heard a slightly hoarse chuckle above her—
“It really looks like you.”
Qin Qing: “…??”
Receiving Qin Qing’s protesting glance, Wen Yufeng cleared his throat and looked down with a smile.
Qin Qing, who had been about to protest, paused and stared up at the boy without blinking.
The corners of his long, narrow eyes lifted slightly, his profile was fair and delicate. At that moment, the curve of his lips and the gentle movements made him look as clean and beautiful as a painting.
“It really does,” the “painting” slightly moved his lips, a faint smile playing on them, “Especially when you’re pretending to be innocent.”
Qin Qing: “…”
Clean and beautiful??
…She must have been deluded by something just now.
Seeing the girl unconsciously puffing out her cheeks without responding, Wen Yufeng realized it was best not to tease her any further.
He changed the subject: “Why did you come over all of a sudden today?”
At the mention of this, Qin Qing immediately perked up.
“We’re spending New Year’s here this year!”
Then she paused and frowned slightly, “Didn’t you see the message I sent you?”
“When did you send it?”
“Just before I came over—”
Qin Qing hesitated and trailed off.
Wen Yufeng smiled and finished the sentence for her: “Do you think I had time to check my phone then?”
Feeling guilty, Qin Qing squatted down to the white cat’s level—
“If you don’t behave during your bath, I’ll have Wen Yufeng throw you out.”
“……”
The little white cat blinked its round eyes at Qin Qing, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly leaped forward, licking Qin Qing’s cheek with its tongue.
Qin Qing instinctively recoiled from the cat’s slobbery kiss, lost her balance, and ended up sitting on the floor.
Once she realized what had happened, she couldn’t help but laugh while wiping the cat’s saliva from her face.
Her pretty almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she laughed.
Meanwhile, Wen Yufeng, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes.
He quickly grabbed the cat that was about to run away, pinching the loose skin at the back of its neck to lift it into the air.
The white cat, disarmed by a natural reflex, dangled its limbs helplessly, looking at Wen Yufeng with an innocent expression.
Wen Yufeng’s gaze turned dangerous as he looked at the cat, then lowered his eyes.
Spring was approaching.
…It was said that neutering a male cat could extend its lifespan; that seemed like a good idea.
Sensing some sort of impending danger, the white cat instinctively curled its hind legs upwards, its eyes looking even more pitifully at Wen Yufeng.
Wen Yufeng ignored it, setting the mostly dry cat aside and starting to clean up the mess the cat had made.
“Did you come over today just to see it?” he asked as he tidied up and picked up his phone from nearby. After glancing at the message, he asked the question.
For some reason, Qin Qing felt a bit guilty.
Her eyes shifted, and she quietly said, “I also came to wish you a Happy New Year…”
“……”
Wen Yufeng’s hand stopped moving.
He turned his gaze, his thin lips curving into a faint, inscrutable smile. His eyes were pitch black.
“Just ‘by the way’?”
“……”
Qin Qing felt even more guilty.
Wen Yufeng didn’t press further, fell silent for a moment, and then lowered his eyes, seemingly emotionless.
“Though it’s good to have a ‘by the way’ reason. I’ve been in Qingcheng for several years, and this is the first time someone has wished me a Happy New Year. If you hadn’t come, I might not even remember that tomorrow is the first day of the New Year.”
Qin Qing was momentarily stunned.
After a couple of seconds, she slowly walked up to Wen Yufeng and stopped in front of him.
“I came because of you. …It was hard to find an excuse to sneak out.”
Her voice was soft and harmless, and she looked like a child who had done something wrong.
“Really… it wasn’t ‘by the way.'”
“……”
A fleeting smile crossed Wen Yufeng’s dark eyes.
He straightened up and had just lifted his hand to comfort the disheartened girl when a sudden voice interrupted him.
—
“You really know how to break my heart with that.”
“——!”
Wen Yufeng’s eyes suddenly turned sharp.
But as soon as he recognized the familiar voice, he looked helplessly towards the kitchen.
“…Uncle.”
Upon hearing this address, Qin Qing, who had been startled by the sudden voice, instinctively shrank back behind Wen Yufeng.
After a couple of seconds, she mustered up the courage to peek out from behind him and carefully looked towards the kitchen.
She saw a man in military boots jumping in through the wide-open window.
Sensing Qin Qing’s gaze, the man raised his eyebrows even before he stood up. His eyes, with a cold blue hue, seemed to hold a chilling glare.
Then he looked in her direction and suddenly smiled.
“……”
At that moment, Qin Qing felt all the hairs on her body stand on end.
—
The sense of danger this man gave her was even greater than the first time they met. He seemed like a ferocious predator, and even a single glance made her shiver, as if he might tear her to pieces the next moment.
However, the feeling was fleeting.
The next moment, as the man, who had been crouching, slowly stood up, the sharpness in his eyes had completely disappeared.
Though the smile still made Qin Qing feel an indescribable menace.
“Two little cats, can you handle them?”
As he spoke, Wen Jing walked over to the sofa and sat down.
He cast a glance at the white cat.
The smaller the animal, the more instinctively it reacts to danger. The white cat’s fur bristled immediately, and it let out a “meow” before swiftly darting into the bedroom.
Even though she was somewhat frightened of the man, Qin Qing had already figured out who the “two little cats” referred to.
She furrowed her brows, wondering why the man seemed so unfriendly towards her.
“……”
Wen Yufeng sighed silently.
He pulled Qin Qing behind him, “Uncle, this is a private matter.”
“Although you are an adult now, I am still your former guardian.”
Wen Jing propped his elbows on his knees, his long, powerful legs wrapped in military trousers seeming casually spread out.
He took an apple from the fruit bowl on the crystal coffee table but didn’t use the nearby fruit knife.
—
Qin Qing swore she kept her eyes fixed on the man’s hand, but she didn’t notice how a narrow Swiss army knife suddenly appeared in his hand as if it had materialized out of thin air.
“……”
Qin Qing shrank back a little more.
“I heard that you got drunk at Qiao An’s place recently.”
As Wen Jing spoke, he looked up steadily, quickly peeling the apple with the slim knife.
He didn’t look at either of them but kept his gaze fixed.
“Was it for her?”
“……Yes.”
Wen Yufeng admitted without hesitation.
“Did you have any clue before I spoke?”
Wen Yufeng fell silent.
“It seems you’ve been too comfortable these past two years.”
Wen Jing’s lips curled into a smile that was chilling. “I taught you myself; you shouldn’t be a useless person around women.”
“Uncle, this has nothing to do with her,” Wen Yufeng’s eyes hardened. “I know where I should be going.”
At these words, the smile on Wen Jing’s face faded.
He placed the apple, which he had neatly peeled, on the coffee table.
The peel, which hadn’t broken at all, was placed on the other side.
“I thought you had forgotten.”
After doing all this, Wen Jing finally looked up again.
He stared at Wen Yufeng with a blank expression, slowly wiping the thin-bladed army knife with a napkin.
Wen Yufeng didn’t back down, maintaining eye contact with Wen Jing.
The air in the room felt as if it were being slowly drained, and the oppressive atmosphere made Qin Qing feel almost suffocated.
Just as the silence was becoming unbearable, their standoff finally came to an end.
“Don’t let me down.”
The man on the sofa suddenly stood up and walked towards the kitchen without looking back.
“And just a piece of advice—cats are best suited for people who have settled down.”
With that, the man didn’t glance at the two in the room again and stepped out through the still-open window.
As nightfall gradually covered the sky outside, the man paused for a moment in a crouched position by the window.
He slightly turned his face, and a faint smile appeared in the shadowy side profile.
“Oh, almost forgot.”
“……” Qin Qing’s heart tightened.
“The gift is on the coffee table—Happy New Year, my ‘obedient’ nephew.”
As his words fell, his figure disappeared outside the window.
“——!”
Despite having suspected it, Qin Qing couldn’t help but gasp softly.
Wen Yufeng, who had been protecting the girl, finally lowered his arm from around her.
He turned his gaze towards the coffee table.
Under the light, the peeled apple lay alone on the coffee table.
It looked quite translucent.
Wen Yufeng remained silent for a few seconds. After a while, he lowered his eyes and let out a helpless laugh.