CH 55

It turned out that the confusion was caused by the cat frequently licking its fur, which resulted in a build-up of small hairballs in its stomach.

Some cats can naturally regurgitate these hairballs, but others can’t and require some cat grass or hairball paste to help them pass it through their system.

The sound of a cat regurgitating a hairball might sound like coughing, but it is not a disease and should be considered a natural physiological condition.

After listening to the explanation, Su Chang understood, feeling a little embarrassed to let Yu Zhou come here especially.

Knowing the cat was okay, Yu Zhou reached out and gently stroked the little kitten. She had been afraid to touch it earlier, in case it was uncomfortable.

The kitten was very affectionate and snuggled up to her hands, purring contentedly.

“Wow, it really likes me,” exclaimed Yu Zhou, surprised that a stray cat could be so friendly.

“Well, it’s still my cat,” Su Chang stood behind her, speaking softly.

Whether human or cat, they both shared similar characteristics in their adoration of Yu Zhou.

Yu Zhou paused for a second, wanting to turn her head slightly to look over at Su Chang, but quickly turned back to the kitten and continued playing with it.

After scratching its chin for a bit, Yu Zhou stood up before checking her phone.

“It’s almost nine o’clock, I should go home now.”

Su Chang leaned against the table with her neck tilted to the side but didn’t say anything.

“What’s wrong?” Why did you suddenly become so depressed?

“I’m hungry,” Su Chang replied.

Ah… Then…

“What about ordering takeout then?” Yu Zhou suggested.

Su Chang remained silent.

“…Can you even order food?” Speechless, you are nearly 30, don’t pretend to be like the ignorant Xiang Wan.

Su Chang let out a sigh and supported herself on the edge of the table, looking at Yu Zhou. “I just don’t want to eat alone,” She said softly.

The dim light in the dining room cast a faint golden glow on Su Chang, making her look both ethereal and lonely.

A kind of loneliness that seemed unapproachable.

Yu Zhou suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

Su Chang was not used to showing her vulnerability. She probably wouldn’t have said anything if she didn’t really want to have someone to eat with.

Yu Zhou couldn’t help but wonder how Su Chang lived her life. Did she eat properly and have a regular schedule? When she mentioned that she heard the kitten coughing in the middle of the night, was she awakened or had she not slept yet?

Yu Zhou was naturally a caring person. Once a thought arose in her mind, it would start a chain reaction and countless other thoughts would surface, leaving her feeling a bit dazed.

She suddenly realized that intimate relationships were actually a terrible thing, which always made everything seem like it was owed to her. For example, she would feel compassion for a stranger who fell from the sky or worry about a stray cat in the grass, but she would always intentionally or unintentionally neglect the closest people to her.

It seemed that being meticulous and careless, gentle and irritable, had their own limits, and the best and most delicate side of oneself was saved for strangers to see.

This was probably humanity’s inherent inferiority. Once people felt that something belonged to them, they would abuse it. They would assume that their lover or family member could be treated with less friendliness.

Had she ever intentionally or unintentionally ignored Su Chang’s emotions before?

When Su Chang wanted to talk to her while she was writing, or when she kept her distance from Su Chang’s hobbies in self-protection.

Su Chang stood up, intending to get her car keys and said “Let’s go, I’ll drive you there.”

But she was interrupted by Yu Zhou’s words.

“How about I eat something too?”

Yu Zhou was also a little hungry.

Su Chang was startled before looking up at her.

She blinked while asking Yu Zhou, “Do you want to eat in or out?”

“Do you want to go out? Do you want to change your clothes?” Yu Zhou asked in return.

“No.”

Okay then, why did you ask me?

“Then, should I order takeaway?” Yu Zhou took out her phone. “I think you don’t cook at home.” The open-style kitchen and island counter were spotlessly clean without any visible seasonings.

“It’s open,” Su Chang explained, following her gaze. “There’s a Chinese-style kitchen inside.”

Wow, two kitchens, many mouths to feed.

Yu Zhou took out her phone to confirm. “Uh… you mean you want me to cook for you?”

“Not really.” She just wanted to introduce it.

Yu Zhou found it a bit amusing and started to order takeout. “What do you want to eat?”

Su Chang leaned over and stood next to her, emitting a fragrance of shower gel and laundry detergent that made her smell less distant than she was outside.

She scrolled through a few times, wanting to add some dishes to the cart but then suddenly changed her mind and removed two.

“Hmm? Don’t you like these dishes?” Yu Zhou asked.

Su Chang didn’t answer.

“Let’s add them. We’re two people, three dishes aren’t enough, right?” Su Chang could eat four or five dishes alone.

Su Chang pursed her lips and asked, “Do you not like it when I eat too much?”

Huh? Where did that come from?

Yu Zhou carefully confirmed, “Did I really say that?”

“Yep.”

“But I don’t remember saying that.”

“You did.”

“…Let me think,” Yu Zhou said, “I think at the time, I just thought it’d be a shame if the food went bad because you didn’t put it in the fridge. I asked you if two or three dishes were enough.”

“Yes.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You never said I ate too much.”

“Ugh…” Yu Zhou felt like hitting her.

But then she looked up, seeing the joy in Su Chang’s eyes and how she leaned against the table.

watching her, Yu Zhou suddenly felt like Su Chang was beating around the bush to talk to her.

Actually, Su Chang was pretty childish sometimes.

After playing with the cat for a while, Su Chang showed Yu Zhou her cat food and litter. Yu Zhou told her that although the bentonite litter looked ugly, it clumped well and had strong odor control. Corn litter and pine litter, on the other hand, looked good but clumped poorly. When choosing products, she shouldn’t just go by appearance.

Yu Zhou said a lot but she didn’t know if Su Chang had taken note.

After they chatted for a while, the takeout arrived. The two of them sat in the dining room and opened the packages before wolfing down the food.

Although Su Chang said she was hungry, she didn’t eat much. She had a glass of hot water by her side and drank more than she ate.

Sometimes, she would take a sip of water, pause and look at Yu Zhou.

It had been a long time since they had eaten so calmly and peacefully, especially with just the two of them.

Halfway through the meal, Yu Zhou received a message from Xiang Wan.

The gist was that she saw Yu Zhou’s message and was getting up now to get something to eat.

Yu Zhou replied with an OK emoji before putting her phone down.

“Xiang Wan?” Su Chang took a sip of water as she asked Yu Zhou.

“Yes.”

“Is she feeling very unwell?”

“She’s bleeding heavily. I’m a bit worried she might be anemic, but she hasn’t had a period for a few months, so it’s probably normal to have more blood. Hopefully, it won’t lead to severe anemia in a day or two,” Yu Zhou wasn’t sure and asked for Su Chang’s opinion.

“If she doesn’t usually suffer from anemia, then it shouldn’t be a big problem. But if it persists for too long, she should go see a doctor.”

“Right.”

“So, with her,” Su Chang pondered for a moment before asking Yu Zhou while looking up, “did something happen between you two?”

“Huh?” Yu Zhou was a bit confused.

“Given your personality and such a condition, you should’ve gone home to take care of her a long time ago, yet you didn’t say much to her just now.” Su Chang said.

She saw that Yu Zhou only responded with an emoji.

And also, by staying for dinner, there must be some reason that she didn’t want to go home.

Yu Zhou had to lament once again about her ex-girlfriend’s understanding of her. It was almost like half of her mother’s understanding.

She picked up a chopstick of shredded potatoes but didn’t say a word.

“Did you have a fight?” Su Chang took another sip of water.

When she spoke seriously, her voice was gentle yet commanding, making people unconsciously want to answer her words.

Even fearful of answering incorrectly.

Yu Zhou shook her head. “No, how could I argue with her?”

Su Chang’s gaze shifted away from Yu Zhou, staring at the almost untouched food while saying softly, “Then it must be a confession.”

Yu Zhou’s action of chewing on potato shreds paused.

Yes, it seemed to be the case.

Yu Zhou couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. It seemed like everyone had a natural sensitivity towards their so-called “love rivals.” If she had used this sensitivity against her girlfriend back then, she and Su Chang wouldn’t have arrived at this point today.

Unfortunately, we often give indifference to those closest to us.

Heavens. Yu Zhou felt that if she broke up a few more times, she might have become a philosopher.

Su Chang put down her chopsticks, clasped her glass with both hands, gently crossed and uncrossed her fingers before letting go, intertwining her ten fingers again.

She would always feel slightly uneasy when she made this gesture, but few people could perceive it.

She tilted her head before asking Yu Zhou, “Then what do you think?”

It was a short sentence, but it felt like a stab in her chest.

“What can I think? She’s so young,” Yu Zhou murmured.

Just because of her age? Su Chang’s heart ached again.

“If you like someone, age shouldn’t be a big issue,” Su Chang breathed in lightly, her voice even gentler.

Then her ten fingers again intertwined on the glass.

Yu Zhou stared at her fingers. “But she’s only eighteen.”

In her heart, the girl was still a child. How could she possibly have such feelings?

“Eighteen is still legally an adult,” Su Chang’s throat tightened as she lifted her hand to take a sip of water.

Three exchanges and Yu Zhou didn’t deny her liking towards Xiang Wan.

“It’s not about whether she’s an adult or not. I’m used to taking care of her like a little sister and I’ve never thought about it that way.” Yu Zhou finally spoke her mind.

Su Chang’s eyebrows twitched slightly as she looked up at Yu Zhou.

It was as if the water in a nearby lake suddenly stirred and the kitten happily chased a ball of fur.

“Besides, I don’t think she’s thought it through either. Right now, she’s confusing intimacy with romantic feelings. I told her to move out first and think about it later,” Yu Zhou sighed helplessly, poking at her rice with chopsticks.

Regardless of whether Yu Zhou liked Xiang Wan or not, just the fact that she was troubled by her relationship with another woman in front of Su Chang was enough to make Su Chang uncomfortable.

Even the advice she gave was merely that of a friend.

Or perhaps even worse than a friend.

But even without Yu Zhou’s admittance, she knew that it was only a matter of time before Xiang Wan fell for her.

No one understood how worthy Yu Zhou was of affection better than Su Chang, especially after spending so much time with her.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t still be standing in the same spot for over half a year.