Chapter 61 – Extra 02: Keeping Pets

“Miaow… miaow…”

At ten minutes to ten in the morning, when Ye Zhou stepped into the restaurant, he thought he heard a cat meowing from the backyard. The restaurant that he and Fang Ji had bought together was an old house. The advantage of an old house was its large size and extensive land area, usually having both front and backyards. So it wasn’t strange for a cat to occasionally wander in. However, since the restaurant and bar were places of business, considering the dining environment and customers’ feelings, the staff would initially chase away these small animals. But there was one time when Ye Zhou saw a kitten so hungry it couldn’t move, lying motionless in the backyard, nothing but skin and bones. He couldn’t bear to chase it away, so he ran to the pet store to buy cat milk, then went outside to feed it. After his boss, Ye Zhou, set this precedent, the employees would also handle the situation accordingly, feeding stray cats and dogs but taking them far away from the restaurant.

Ye Zhou actually loved small animals very much, but while he occasionally fed stray cats and dogs, he never kept pets.

It was still early before opening hours, so Ye Zhou decided to check out the situation in the backyard. The back of the restaurant retained its original appearance, with a small lawn, flower beds, and ornamental trees, regularly maintained with trimming and weeding.

Cats are highly sensitive creatures; upon sensing approaching footsteps, they immediately darted into the grass to hide. However, it didn’t run away, revealing a pair of blue eyes, emitting a low growl from its vocal cords, warning with its miaows.

Ye Zhou saw a white cat, not running fast, with a visible bulging belly, seemingly pregnant.

A pregnant female cat is very wary of humans, especially since it’s a stray. So Ye Zhou stopped, standing in place watching her, no longer attempting to approach.

Just then, an employee who arrived early saw Ye Zhou standing in the backyard from the window and called out to him from a distance, “Boss—”

The white female cat heard another human voice and seemed to feel an immense threat. Suddenly, she stopped meowing and shrank into the grass, trying to hide.

Ye Zhou was afraid that he might scare the female cat away, with such a big belly, it wouldn’t be good if something happened during her escape. He returned to the restaurant and asked the employee, “Did you hear the cat meowing in the backyard?”

“I did,” the employee replied somewhat embarrassedly, scratching their head guiltily. “It’s probably a pregnant female cat, has been around for about two or three days, meowing every night. Sorry, Boss, I didn’t chase her away because she looked so big. But I didn’t feed her anything. She’ll probably leave after giving birth…”

The employee was likely worried about breaking the rules by feeding her and afraid that she would stay at the restaurant permanently.

Ye Zhou, however, thought for a moment and said, “It’s okay, I’ll feed her. Since she’s pregnant, she won’t go far, she won’t come into the restaurant.”

As for what to do after the female cat gives birth, they’d figure it out later.

So Ye Zhou bought some canned cat food in the afternoon and poured it into a small bowl placed in the backyard. On the first day, the female cat was very cautious, not touching the food in the bowl at all. Although her belly was swollen, her limbs were thin, looking like she had been hungry for a while. She was dirty and slightly balding, possibly lacking the strength to go anywhere else, which is why she stayed hidden in the backyard of the restaurant. On the second day, the female cat finally couldn’t resist her hunger and ate the cat food in the bowl when no one was around, but dared not eat too much, just a little bit.

When Ye Zhou saw that the cat food in the bowl had been touched, he replaced the canned food daily, even if there was fresh fish in the kitchen, he would put it in another bowl next to the cat food.

The female cat gradually let down her guard, her appetite increasing, but she wouldn’t eat in front of humans, only daring to sneak out when no one was around.

Sometimes Ye Zhou would deliberately stand by the window for a while, waiting to see her come out to eat.

The female cat meowed every night, perhaps a sign of imminent labor. But all Ye Zhou could do was this much; he couldn’t intervene more, nor could he decide the future of the female cat and her kittens.

One evening, when Guan Heng came to pick up Ye Zhou, he also heard the cat meowing. While Ye Zhou was back in the office getting something, he asked an employee who was about to leave, “When did you start keeping a cat here?”

Seeing it was Guan Heng, the employee immediately replied, “No, a pregnant cat accidentally wandered in, and the boss didn’t chase her away.”

Guan Heng had only heard Ye Zhou mention the recent incident of a female cat entering the restaurant, but he didn’t know the follow-up. He simply said indifferently, “Is that so.”

The employee added, “Yeah, the boss must really like small animals, he takes care of her diligently, changing the fresh food every day.”

After the employee left, Ye Zhou quickly emerged.

Guan Heng didn’t bring up the cat, and Ye Zhou didn’t say anything either. Ye Zhou not initiating the topic wasn’t hiding anything; he simply had no intention of keeping a cat.

So Guan Heng asked, “Do you like small animals?”

Ye Zhou was taken aback, guessing that Guan Heng had probably heard the cat meowing and subconsciously curled his fingers, “Well… not really. I don’t dislike them, but I’m not particularly fond of them either.”

Guan Heng noticed his small gesture and directly exposed him, “Liar.”

Ye Zhou paused, unsure where he had slipped up. But he looked at Guan Heng’s reaction again, noticing he didn’t seem angry, so he honestly admitted, “Alright, actually, I do like them quite a lot, but I dare not keep them.”

Guan Heng turned to ask, “Why?”

Ye Zhou sighed, “I’m afraid I won’t take care of them well, and I’m also afraid of the day they leave.”

This time he hadn’t lied, although he clearly held back on some things.

Guan Heng didn’t press further.

Three days later, the female cat was about to give birth, still in the dead of night, meowing incessantly. Fang Ji had never taken care of small animals and didn’t know what to do. After hesitating for a while, he still called Ye Zhou. Ye Zhou, half asleep, immediately got out of bed, looking nervously at Guan Heng, “I…”

The room was so quiet that Guan Heng had actually heard what Fang Ji said. He pinched the back of Ye Zhou’s neck, making him relax, “Go ahead, I’ll go with you.”

They quickly rushed to the restaurant. Before leaving, Ye Zhou didn’t forget to bring clean clothes to keep the newborn kittens warm. His anxious yet expectant expression was written all over his face.

The white female cat hadn’t seen Guan Heng before, so he didn’t get close, standing far away. She seemed to know that it was always Ye Zhou who fed her and wouldn’t harm her or the kittens, so she just miaowed a few times, not stopping Ye Zhou from approaching.

After Ye Zhou slowly approached, he realized that the female cat had already given birth to one kitten, with the rest still inside.

He sighed in relief, first padding the tiny kitten’s body with clean clothes, then cautiously reached out his hand, stroking the female cat’s back, “Come on now.”

The female cat miaowed a few more times, slightly squinting her eyes, though it was unclear whether she was comforted.

The rest went smoothly. The female cat gave birth to three kittens in succession, all appearing healthy and lively.

By the time they finished, it was nearly dawn. Ye Zhou noticed that Guan Heng had almost spent the whole night standing with him and hurried over, “Sorry, I…”

Guan Heng didn’t say anything, just sprayed alcohol on his hands and wiped his fingers clean with a clean cloth, “Let’s go back, the mother cat and kittens need rest.”

Ye Zhou didn’t know what to say, only answering, “Okay.”

When Ye Zhou woke up after returning home for a nap, he couldn’t wait to go back and see how the mother cat and four kittens were doing. Guan Heng reminded him, “Don’t touch the newborn kittens randomly, you’d better look up some information first.”

Ye Zhou, prompted by Guan Heng, immediately went online to check relevant knowledge. In general, the mother cat would take care of the kittens until they grew up, so humans didn’t need to interfere too much, letting nature take its course. In other words, Ye Zhou just needed to ensure the mother cat’s nutrition, and the kittens would grow up healthy and safe.

Ye Zhou had been leaving the house half an hour earlier than usual these days, watching the four kittens grow day by day.

Finally, after a month, the group of temporary tenants suddenly disappeared one day, the mother cat taking her four kittens away, leaving behind only the clothes Ye Zhou had provided for the kittens to keep warm.

Ye Zhou knew that stray animals had their own destinies to choose, and being raised by humans wasn’t necessarily the happiest ending. He stood in place for a while, sighing, but quickly came to terms with it. But Ye Zhou was a bit listless that day, telling Guan Heng after returning home, “The mother cat took her kittens away.”

Guan Heng didn’t say anything, but he knew everything, and he stroked Ye Zhou’s head. Ye Zhou naturally threw himself into Guan Heng’s arms, silently seeking comfort.

After spending time together for a while, feelings naturally developed.

Ye Zhou foolishly asked, “Do you think they’ll remember me in the future?”

Guan Heng didn’t say comforting words, only speaking the truth, “Not necessarily. But they’re a family, and families together are good.”

Ye Zhou also smiled and said, “Right, maybe they’re looking for their cat dad.”

Although this idea was naive, it was beautiful.

Ye Zhou gradually let go of his concerns about the mother cat and kittens. But unexpectedly, a month later, on the day of Ye Zhou’s birthday, Guan Heng brought a little puppy home as a birthday gift for him.

Ye Zhou was simply stunned when he saw the Labrador puppy, “Brother Heng, how did you…”

Ye Zhou knew that Guan Heng didn’t like keeping pets. It wasn’t that Guan Heng disliked small animals, but rather, his controlling nature wouldn’t allow small animals to appear in the house to compete for his affection.

Guan Heng answered similarly, “That’s why I chose one that seems relatively obedient, do you like it?”

Ye Zhou’s eyes lit up when he saw the puppy, “Yes.”

The puppy’s eyes were black and round, similar to Ye Zhou’s bright eyes at that moment, very endearing, as if eagerly awaiting to be taken home by his new owner.

Adopting animals often depends on eye affinity, so Guan Heng had planned this a month ago. After visiting several shelters, he saw it at first sight. Its gaze reminded Guan Heng of the first time he met Ye Zhou, standing in the courtyard, his eyes seeming to light up when he saw him, concealing astonishment and amazement, a straightforward and clear gaze.

His first impression of Ye Zhou was that he was cheerful and generous, with just the right amount of politeness and eloquence, making people feel comfortable, like a mature adult.

But he didn’t expect that someone who should have been mature and sensible would recklessly chase after a criminal.

Guan Heng was surprised and changed his thoughts about this half-acquainted neighbor for the first time. There were too many good-looking people, interesting souls weren’t what he wanted; he merely wanted to find someone suitable for life. But finding that suitable person was too difficult, not Yue Shu, nor anyone he had encountered before.

He had only had a slight liking for Ye Zhou at first, far from being moved. But Ye Zhou kept appearing in front of him under various unexpected circumstances. The first time was when he and Yue Shu were breaking up, the second time was at the community center. He didn’t expect that despite the significant differences in identity, background, and education between him and Ye Zhou, Ye Zhou was the first person to understand why he came to teach at the community college.

As they spent more time together, his fondness for Ye Zhou grew day by day.

Initially, Guan Heng didn’t intend to involve him, after all, he knew himself best. But Ye Zhou’s intentions to pursue him were too obvious, sincere and candid, which was precisely what Guan Heng had always wanted. He couldn’t bear to let go, sinking deeper and deeper, so he didn’t reject Ye Zhou’s confession.

His true decision was made on the day Ye Zhou disappeared while visiting the gravesite. He knew he had fallen in love long ago, it just lacked that final push. And it was that final push that made him realize he didn’t want to give up, wanting only to hold onto Ye Zhou tightly.

Later, they got together, despite encountering significant obstacles along the way. But Ye Zhou remained unchanged, not altering his personality due to Guan Heng’s perverted control, sometimes even becoming a bit mischievous, appearing to resist him on the surface, but actually adding spice to life.

Guan Heng also discovered after they got together that his previous worries were unnecessary. A good relationship would only make both parties better, not let either side suffer. The process of compromise wasn’t about giving in or settling, but coming from the heart, hoping for the other’s well-being, so neither would calculate gains and losses.

So Guan Heng now bringing a puppy home had no reluctance. Since he was going to keep a pet, he might as well choose one he could accept.

He also knew the reason why Ye Zhou didn’t keep pets. Affected by his original family, difficulty facing death was indeed a reason, but more so, he feared stable relationships, lacking security. This was actually an instinctive reaction ingrained in his bones, causing him to subconsciously choose the same result as before. So what Guan Heng needed to do now was to make choices for him, slowly guiding him out of his psychological trauma.

The puppy was very obedient and docile. Even if Ye Zhou didn’t know why Guan Heng had changed his mind, he could sense Guan Heng’s sincerity, “By the way, why a dog? Not a cat?”

“Because cats are too clingy, dogs can be kept outdoors.” In other words, Guan Heng didn’t want a cat competing for his affection indoors.

Ye Zhou burst out laughing. No matter how long it had been, no matter how mature Guan Heng’s behavior was, he still found his possessiveness cute, “But the puppy is still too small now, it needs to live inside.”

Guan Heng couldn’t have failed to consider this point, setting many rules, “Don’t let it on the bed, don’t hold it for more than an hour, once it grows up, it will live in a doghouse…”

The puppy seemed to understand, suddenly whimpering, looking at Guan Heng with adorable eyes.

The puppy was personally chosen by Guan Heng, naturally selecting one that suited his preferences, not to mention how similar it looked to Zhouzhou, both seemingly craving affection. Guan Heng didn’t continue, soothingly stroking the puppy’s head.

Ye Zhou suddenly felt strange, how was the gesture of petting the puppy so similar to petting him? He felt a bit jealous, “Have you named it yet?”

“Zhouzhou.”

Ye Zhou responded, “Hmm?”

“Just call it Zhouzhou.”

Ye Zhou immediately shouted, “No way.”

Guan Heng suddenly chuckled. Who would be jealous in the future was yet to be seen. But they could play with the puppy in the courtyard and walk it together when they went out.

The puppy would grow up, and their days were long. Painful times would pass, leaving behind beautiful memories.