DMPSA CH 7

Chapter 7: A Visit at the Wrong Time

As spring arrived, the weather gradually improved. On the last day of March, Yue Qi found a pregnant stray cat under the jasmine bushes on A University’s campus.

The mother cat was in critical condition, and at the parking lot, Yue Qi happened to run into his old classmate and ex-boyfriend, Han Junzhou^[1], who was currently substitute teaching at A University’s medical school. The two of them hurriedly brought the mother cat to the veterinary clinic.

After a long night of effort, the mother cat finally gave birth to four kittens.

Yue Qi loved cats, and he knew that Han Junzhou did too. Hoping to find homes for the kittens, he constantly encouraged his old friend to adopt one. Yue Qi himself was tempted to take one in, but Han Junzhou firmly refused, pointing out that Yue Qi was currently living in the hospital dormitory, where keeping pets wasn’t allowed. This left Yue Qi quite deflated for a while.

Despite this setback, he visited the veterinary clinic daily to check on the cats. He even gave the mother cat a nickname—Jasmine—a rather uncreative nod to where he found her.

That day, after visiting the clinic, Yue Qi realized he hadn’t been to the Night Owl Teahouse in over a month since Qin Yang’s cold reception. He missed the three cats there and decided to drop by.

The teahouse was doing well these days, packed during regular dinner hours. Luckily, tomorrow wasn’t a holiday but was Yue Qi’s day off. He had originally planned to use the time to draft a midterm exam, but now he decided to visit the teahouse late at night when most customers would have gone home. He thought playing with the cats might help keep him company while he worked on his exam.

When Yue Qi arrived at the teahouse with his laptop, it was already past midnight. As expected, only two tables of customers remained. The owner, Su Qing, was in a corner by himself, unpacking a few large boxes. Some had already been opened, revealing wooden boards and tools, with curious cats watching him closely.

When Su Qing noticed a customer entering, he quickly got up to greet them. “Welcome… Oh, it’s you!” he said with a smile, recognizing Yue Qi. “It’s been a while!”

“I’ve been pretty busy lately,” Yue Qi replied, taking a seat at the bar and placing his laptop on the counter. Familiar with the routine, he ordered tea and snacks. He glanced at the planks near the wall and curiously asked, “Are you building a shelf?”

As Su Qing brewed tea, he also glanced at the items by the wall, his voice tinged with excitement. “Yes! I found a collection of beautifully preserved old books at a second-hand bookstore last week and bought them all. I’m planning to build a bookshelf to display them here in the teahouse for the customers to enjoy.”

Su Qing brought the freshly brewed tea to Yue Qi and handed him a plate of butter cookies. “I didn’t know you’d be coming. I haven’t baked any green pepper cookies recently. Next time, let me know in advance, and I’ll make a special batch just for you.” Su Qing regarded Yue Qi as a kindred spirit. “Nobody else appreciates green pepper cookies as much as you do. Everyone else just hates them.”

Yue Qi screamed internally: I don’t like them either! But seeing Su Qing’s joy at finding a kindred spirit, he couldn’t bear to burst his bubble. Fine, he thought, I’ll just make sure to never book a reservation in advance or reveal my plans again.

The three cats circled around the boxes, their curiosity evident. The timid calico cat, Hua Dian, spotted Yue Qi and padded over to rub against his leg, her tail wrapping around his calf as if begging for attention.

“Hua Dian, it’s been so long! Do you still remember me?” Yue Qi happily scooped her up, rubbing her from head to tail, eliciting a series of meows as the cat melted in his arms, writhing in bliss.

Seeing one of the cats already “entertaining” Yue Qi, Su Qing returned to the corner to continue studying the bookshelf assembly instructions. Within two minutes, however, a table of customers called for a tea refill, and Su Qing had to get up to pour water. Not long after, another table requested their bill, so he went to handle that too.

Since Qin Yang’s departure, Su Qing was left to manage the teahouse’s front end alone. Word had it that Da Wang, the head chef, suffered from social anxiety and would never step out to greet customers. If not for his childhood friendship with Su Qing, Da Wang wouldn’t have agreed to work at the teahouse in the first place.

Yue Qi had his laptop open, but his train of thought was disrupted several times by Su Qing’s constant back-and-forth. Observing how Su Qing kept flipping through the instruction manual without making any progress, Yue Qi finally got up to help.

“Give it to me,” Yue Qi said, extending a hand for the manual. He glanced at it for a moment and said, “I’ve assembled a similar bookshelf before. The joints require a bit of technique—let me help.” Seeing Su Qing’s hesitation, Yue Qi added, “It’ll go faster with two people. I want to see those books of yours sooner.”

Su Qing noticed Yue Qi rolling up his sleeves and, realizing he wasn’t just saying it for show, accepted his help with a smile. By the time the last table of customers had paid and left, Su Qing decided to close up early since business was slow. He flipped the “Open” sign outside to “Closed,” went to the kitchen to let Da Wang know he could leave early, and invited him to join in assembling the bookshelf. However, Da Wang flatly declined.

Now, only Su Qing, Yue Qi, and the three cats remained in the teahouse, tackling the wooden parts together—humans doing the work while the cats made mischief. Each played their role in harmony.

“So, Xiao Qi, what have you been busy with lately?” Su Qing asked, attempting to make small talk.

Yue Qi, focused on tightening a screw, answered absentmindedly, “I found a pregnant stray cat recently…” He suddenly paused, raising his head to look at Su Qing. “Why do you keep calling me Xiao Qi? I’m pretty sure I’m older than you.”

Su Qing handed Yue Qi a plank, his expression mildly surprised. “Really? You don’t look that old.”

“I was born in the Year of the Pig, and I’m already 36. What about you? Thirty-two?” Yue Qi replied.

“I’m 37, born in the Year of the Dog. That makes me a year older than you.” Su Qing raised an eyebrow smugly. “Call me ‘Ge.’”

This time, it was Yue Qi’s turn to be surprised. “You’re 37?”

The two of them compared their birth years and discovered that while they were indeed born in the same year, Su Qing was born just before the start of spring, making him part of the final batch of the Year of the Dog. Strictly speaking, their birthdays were only a month apart.

“Don’t try to act superior! You’re only older by a month,” Yue Qi retorted.

“Even if it’s just a day, it still counts. And I’m older by a whole month,” Su Qing said smugly. “I’m the dog’s tail, and you’re the pig’s head.”

“…” You’re the pig’s head. Your whole family are pig heads.^[2]

“Anyway, stop calling me Xiao Qi,” Yue Qi glared at him in warning. After scolding Su Qing, he couldn’t help but marvel at Su Qing’s flawless complexion.

Su Qing’s skin was incredibly fair, his cheeks full and smooth. Under the light, there was even a jade-like glow to his face. Yue Qi couldn’t resist commenting, “Your skin is so well-maintained. I honestly thought you were at least four or five years younger than me.”

“Hehe, it’s because I sleep during the day and rarely go out in the sun. That’s why I don’t have wrinkles,” Su Qing replied proudly, flashing a small dimple with his smile.

“But you’re probably at risk of osteoporosis,” Yue Qi said, his professional instincts kicking in. “Sun exposure activates vitamin D production, which helps with calcium absorption. Long-term lack of sunlight is bad for your bones.”

“But I just really want to sleep during the day,” Su Qing said, sounding troubled.

“Of course you do! Your shop is open until four in the morning—it’s no wonder you want to sleep all day,” Yue Qi grumbled, chastising him for his inverted schedule.

“It’s not like that! It’s because I naturally feel sleepy during the day and can’t sleep at night that I opened this shop,” Su Qing explained the reasoning behind his lifestyle. “I don’t know why, but as soon as I see sunlight, I start feeling drowsy. Once the sun sets, I’m wide awake. Back when I had a nine-to-five job, it was absolute torture. That’s why I opened my own business—to match my biological clock. Plus, it sets me apart from others in the market. I figured there must be people like me—night owls. Here, night owls can see they’re not alone, and it’s less lonely.”

So that’s the reason.

“You sound like a vampire,” Yue Qi teased with a laugh.

“You’re the vampire,” Su Qing shot back with a smile. Then he suddenly remembered. “By the way, earlier, didn’t you say you found a pregnant cat? What happened next?”

As a fellow cat lover, Su Qing circled back to the earlier topic, genuinely curious.

Yue Qi recounted how he found the cat and its current condition: both the mother cat and her kittens were safe. However, since the kittens weren’t fully weaned yet, they were all still being cared for at the animal hospital. The hospital planned to put out adoption notices once the kittens were ready.

As Yue Qi talked, he started lamenting his inability to keep cats himself. He even joked about buying a house near the hospital so no one could stop him from owning cats. However, the area was home to two highly reputable middle schools, making properties expensive and highly sought after. On top of that, Yue Qi didn’t have the time to house-hunt, so moving anytime soon seemed impossible.

The two of them continued chatting while setting up the bookshelf. Su Qing, having squatted for too long, felt dizzy the moment he stood up. His vision blurred, and he swayed slightly. Yue Qi immediately reached out to steady him.

When Qin Yang entered, the scene he walked into was Su Qing leaning in Yue Qi’s arms.

Qin Yang furrowed his brows but said nothing. It was Jiang Manling, standing beside him, who spoke up.

“Sorry to interrupt. Your door wasn’t locked,” she said, her face a mix of innocence and apology. “Did we come back at a bad time?”

The implications in Jiang Manling’s words were thoroughly unpleasant.

The already frowning Qin Yang felt a sudden surge of anger, and at that moment, he looked like he was ready to wreak havoc.

(To Be Continued…)

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