Chapter 159: Love and “Illness”
As expected… Zhinian is still sulking.
We were standing at the front of the railway bridge on the way back. The afternoon sun had dipped behind the mountain, not casting its glaring light on this area.
Though the railway park had been established for some time, surprisingly, the small facilities inside and outside were quite complete.
For example… the black kitty-girl currently standing in front of the vending machine at the park entrance, selecting instant foods.
At the moment, she was curiously eyeing the various packaged items behind the thick glass. Though they weren’t particularly appealing, for Zhinian, who rarely saw such novel things, it was worth taking time to look.
However, even while choosing lunch, Zhinian occasionally turned her head, shooting me dark, ambiguous glances.
When I provocatively pressed my right index finger to my lips, pretending to bite it, Zhinian’s cat ears immediately bristled.
Her throat let out a strange “meow” growl, and she resentfully turned her gaze back to the vending machine shelves.
For Zhinian, who both craved interaction with me yet was shy about her sudden embarrassment, I could only shrug helplessly, keeping a suitable distance to ensure her overly sensitive senses weren’t further stimulated by me.
No helping it—the soft little cat-girl was just too tempting. The secluded railway park we were in was no different from the unguarded, unmonitored cake shop.
Zhinian, the only cat-ear cake on display, made it hard not to feel the urge to reach out, break off a piece, and savor it.
“Ugh, it’s so expensive.”
After carefully admiring the vending machine’s structure and novelties, Zhinian finally started seriously selecting her lunch.
But after scanning the instant snacks on the shelves and their prices below, she drooped her eyes, shaking her cat ears left and right.
The troubled girl pressed her bandaged fingertip against the glass surface. The tremor in her knuckle matched the rhythm of her tail slapping the ground behind her.
“How about… I skip it? I’m not that hungry right now, Gu Fan. If you want something, I’ll pay for yours!”
As Zhinian said this, she turned to come back to me, but I reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her back to the vending machine.
“I don’t want to be the kind of guy who lives off his cat-girl’s soft rice. I do some online gigs occasionally, and it’s New Year’s time—my red envelope money’s plenty. Just pick what you like and don’t overthink it.”
After saying that, I heard Zhinian mumble something like “Keep Gu Fan as a kept man? Heh, that sounds pretty nice,” or maybe I misheard?
After my persuasion, Zhinian stopped resisting. She pressed her face close to the glass again, her inner conflict perfectly displayed through her slightly wrinkled little nose.
The angle of her nostril wing was like a butterfly flapping its wings, fluttering under the fragmented shadows of purple flowers on the treetops, beautiful like a splendid lantern meticulously carved by a craftsman.
I indulged myself a little, committing this scene to memory, secretly regretting not bringing the small camera Zhinian gave me.
Otherwise, I could’ve captured my childhood friend, so picturesque now, forever on that low-resolution photo paper.
“Mm, this soft chicken wrap looks pretty tasty. Gu Fan, I’ve picked mine—your turn.”
Someone poked my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. I nodded absentmindedly in response, only to see Zhinian standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.
She’d clearly noticed my gaze had gone blank.
“Seriously… what kind of childhood friend is this Gu Fan? Coming out to play with someone as cute as me, and you’re lost in thought about something else, not paying attention to me at all. Hmph… you definitely have the potential to be a scumbag.”
Zhinian’s cold huff sank into my heart, making even me—someone who usually stays unflappable during social hassles—skip a beat.
“Sorry.”
For once, I, who prided myself on being eloquent, couldn’t find the right words to satisfy her.
To be precise, what I’m good at is just superficial flattery. When it comes to expressing genuine emotions, I’m like a babbling infant, clumsier than even Zhinian.
At least she dares to face her feelings head-on, boldly unleashing them like a barrage on me.
Zhinian seemed surprised by my curt two words. She quickly looked down, stepping a few paces toward the ivy hanging on the wall, making space while muttering, “It’s okay, Gu Fan. I’m not blaming you. I just wanted to tease you a bit. Don’t take it to heart.”
This jarring contrast made me give a wry smile. I was the one who handled things poorly, so why was she the one apologizing?
In a way, she’s right—I do have the potential to be a heartless scumbag.
A childhood friend and cat-girl as thoughtful as her… will I ever find someone better in the future? And who will she end up with?
This thought suddenly popped into my head, and I quickly shoved it back down, burying it deep and covering it with layers of soil to ensure it wouldn’t resurface.
It’s been so long since my illness was cured… I never thought I’d still occasionally dwell on these far-fetched futures. I should cherish the present instead.
I didn’t say anything more, just hummed a soft “mm” in response, lightly acknowledging Zhinian’s words.
Then I walked to the vending machine and started selecting, without dwelling on or extending the topic further.
The instant foods in the vending machine weren’t very varied—far inferior to what I’d seen at service stations during trips to other cities.
They were downright basic, with a few somewhat appealing breads whose prices were way higher than they deserved.
Pinching my chin with two fingers, I squinted at these crude snacks, but my mind lingered on Zhinian’s series of little expressions from earlier.
Who would’ve thought… a mediocre person like me, content with just drifting through life, would one day be latched onto by my cat-girl childhood friend.
I used to shy away from facing this heavy emotion, but Zhinian’s determination is clearly stronger.
The cat-girl, charging left and right, used her innate advantages and lightning-fast speed to burst into my heart, turning every neatly arranged item—placed there by rational thought—into a complete mess.