The two of them fell silent for a long time.
Mufeng Su broke the silence first.
"Luoyi, let's go walk around some more. How about over there?" Mufeng Su pointed toward another small path that led to an unknown destination.
"Mm-hm, I don't think I've been over that way yet either."
Following the pitch-black path, the two groped their way forward. Along the way, out of fear, Luoyi Zhao subconsciously grabbed the hem of Mufeng Su's shirt.
In the darkness, Mufeng Su turned back and took her hand. Her hand was small and soft, very comfortable to hold.
"Luoyi, stay close to me."
She let him hold her hand, already able to hear her own heartbeat.
The path was pitch-black, an environment where you couldn't even see your own hand in front of your face. After walking for more than ten minutes, the two finally came out the other side.
"Phew! That scared me to death. It was so dark over there, not a single speck of light inside."
Luoyi Zhao patted her chest, calming her emotions.
"I didn't know it would be that dark with no streetlights, or I wouldn't have led you that way."
"You silly goose, you didn't do anything wrong, you don't need to apologize to me. Besides, it was actually quite fun."
Mufeng Su didn't know whether she meant walking down the unlit path, or following his footsteps in the dark while holding onto the hem of his shirt.
Or perhaps...
Suddenly, they both realized that their hands were still tightly clasped together, startling them both into taking a step back.
Luoyi Zhao felt her cheeks burning, her earlobes slightly red, and her palms a little sweaty.
Mufeng Su, meanwhile, was still lost in the memory of that soft touch.
Meow~
The two snapped back to reality.
Following the sound, Mufeng Su lowered his gaze and parted the bushes beside them. Hiding inside was a tiny ginger kitten.
It was so small and terribly thin, clearly malnourished from not getting enough to eat. If they were to just leave it here like this, it probably wouldn't survive another few days.
Mufeng Su carefully scooped the kitten up into his arms and stroked its little head. The kitten affectionately rubbed against his hand.
Luoyi Zhao quietly watched his every move."Why don't you take it home with you? It seems really fond of you, and if we just leave it here, it probably won't survive."
Luoyi Zhao looked at Mufeng Su with a pitiful expression, almost as if she were coaxing and pleading with him.
Mufeng Su looked at Luoyi Zhao, then down at the little ginger cat in his arms.
Truth be told, Mufeng Su wanted to take it home too. He just didn't know if his parents would be willing to accept the little fellow.
They'd probably accept it, he thought, glancing at the tiny ginger cat again.
"Little fellow, would you like to come home with me? I can't promise you much, but if you come with me, at least you'll have enough to eat and a little nest of your own. That way, you won't have to wander the streets."
The little ginger cat seemed to understand what he said; it poked out its pink little tongue to lick his finger, then rubbed its tiny head against him.
It was as if it were saying, *I'm willing to go with you, don't leave me behind, I'll be very good.*
Seeing this heartwarming scene, Luoyi Zhao felt her heart melt.
"Look, it really likes you. You should just take it home, and that way I can come visit it sometimes too," she said, reaching out to stroke the little ginger cat's head.
"Well then, little fellow, you're coming home with me. What should I name you, I wonder?"
Mufeng Su looked at Luoyi Zhao, seeking her suggestion.
Luoyi Zhao shook her head and said, "Since you'll be the one taking care of it from now on, you should be the one to name it."
Mufeng Su looked at the little ginger cat, thought for a moment, and said, "How about I call you Kele from now on?"
That was because he loved drinking a whole can of cola in one go during holidays and festivals.
The little ginger cat seemed to understand what he said and rubbed its tiny head against him.
*Meow~*
Luoyi Zhao couldn't help saying, "How does it seem to understand everything you say? You two are really meant to be."
"Kele is a great name, and besides, the little fellow agrees."Luoyi Zhao stroked Kele and said, "Kele, you need to be a good boy and stick with him from now on. Be well-behaved and don't cause him any trouble, okay?"
Kele nuzzled into a comfortable spot in Mufeng Su's arms and let out a few soft meows at Luoyi Zhao...
"What is she supposed to eat, Luoyi? I've never raised a cat before."
Luoyi Zhao was suddenly stumped as well. What should a kitten this small eat? She had no idea who to ask right now.
"She should be able to eat cat food, or maybe fish, but she's still so little. How about we go ask at a pet store and get her checked out at the same time?"
"Let's go right now, then. If we wait much longer, the pet shops might close."
Mufeng Su sounded a bit anxious.
The two of them decided to cut their outing short and take Kele to a pet store for a checkup.
Carrying Kele, they walked toward the nearest pet store. Kele was sleeping soundly in Mufeng Su's arms, completely quiet.
Luoyi Zhao glanced at the teenage boy and the cat beside him, took out her phone, and secretly snapped a photo.
When they reached the pet store, they took Kele inside and handed her over to the staff to get a checkup and a bath.
After her bath, Kele looked completely different from when they first found her. Though still very thin, she was much livelier, and the physical exam showed she had no hidden health issues.
After asking a lot of questions about proper care and whether vaccinations were necessary, and following the staff's recommendations, they bought a bag of cat food and a few cans of wet food, ready to leave.
Just as he was about to pay, Mufeng Su suddenly remembered that he hadn't brought much cash with him today. He had figured the hundred-yuan bill his mom gave him would be more than enough, while all his own savings were tucked away under his mattress at home.
Luoyi Zhao noticed his dilemma. She took her canvas wallet out of her pocket, handed the money to him, and urged him to go pay.
Mufeng Su pulled out his own loose change and handed it along with the wallet back to Luoyi Zhao.
"I only brought this much today. I'll pay you back on Monday."
"You dummy."
A moment later, the staff member brought over the change, which she slipped into her small pouch. Smiling at Mufeng Su, she said, "What are you looking at? Let's go."
Mufeng Su had just seen that this simple checkup and the supplies had cost well over two hundred yuan—enough to buy how many school lunches?
He had also noticed several red hundred-yuan bills resting inside Luoyi Zhao's wallet.
"Luoyi, how much was it? I'll pay you back on Monday."
Luoyi Zhao didn't mind at all. She waved a hand and said, "Forget it, it's not that much money anyway. Besides, I'm the one who told you to adopt Kele, so I share some responsibility. Of course I should help look after her quality of life—if she went hungry, my heart would ache."
"Meow~"
"Kele seems to be saying thank you to you. She's so smart." As he spoke, Mufeng Su handed Kele over to Luoyi Zhao. Kele nuzzled her hand just the same and quieted down, resting peacefully in her arms.
"Then it's a deal. Kele is our shared little kitty, and whenever I want to see her in the future, you have to bring her to me."
Luoyi Zhao's face flushed a little pink. Going to see Kele wouldn't that mean she had to go to Mufeng Su's house?
Not thinking much of it at the moment, Mufeng Su replied, "Alright, whenever you want to see Kele, I'll bring her to meet you, or you can come to my house to see her."
Luoyi Zhao smiled sweetly as she looked at him. "It's a deal, then. You aren't allowed to go back on your word."
"I won't go back on my word."
Luoyi Zhao checked her phone; it was still early. "How about we walk around a bit more? Just stroll down the street. I haven't been out to play in so long, I don't want to go back just yet."
"I'll keep you company."
"Mmh."