ROT CH 31

Chapter 31: Xiaoyu Is Afraid of Cats

“I’m afraid of cats.” Bai Chengyu spoke softly, yet his voice carried a note of honesty.

“Ah? Cats, huh.” Han Junzhou masked his curiosity and nodded knowingly. “Cats can be pretty scary sometimes. Their eyes are cold and piercing, almost like they can see right through you. Their cries can be sharp, too. Oh, have you ever heard them when they’re in heat? It sounds like a crime scene, absolutely blood-curdling.” Han Junzhou feigned lightheartedness, trying to ease the gloomy atmosphere surrounding Bai Chengyu. “You’re a little fish, so it’s natural that you wouldn’t like cats.”

Bai Chengyu forced a small laugh, then lowered his head, fiddling with the silver fish charm on his wrist. He didn’t seem inclined to continue speaking, and Han Junzhou chose to remain silent as well. Fortunately, the soft music playing in the car made the silence less awkward.

“I actually owned a cat once,” Bai Chengyu finally broke the silence after a while. “When I was a kid, I loved cats and dogs. But my father didn’t like them. He said pets were frivolous distractions^[1], and he forbade us from keeping any in the house.”

Han Junzhou turned down the music volume so that Bai Chengyu’s soft voice could be heard clearly.

“I was very young at the time, five or six maybe. I didn’t even understand what ‘frivolous distractions’ meant. I just wanted an animal companion, something soft I could cuddle with at night. One day, I found a tiny kitten in the bushes in the backyard, near the azaleas. It was gray with black stripes on its head and was crying non-stop. It had rained earlier that morning, so the kitten was completely soaked and shivering. I brought it back to Qinglang Courtyard and secretly hid it in my room, feeding it milk.”

As Bai Chengyu reminisced, a gentle smile appeared on his face. “The kitten was very clingy. If I left it alone, it would cry. At night, it would sleep on my pillow next to me. I couldn’t think of a name for it, so I just called it ‘Kitty.’”

“I secretly kept Kitty for a week. Looking back now, the nannies probably all knew. At first, they helped me keep the secret. But then the kitten got fleas, and I ended up covered in bites. The nannies, afraid of being scolded, told my father about it.”

Bai Chengyu frowned, his expression darkening. “That night, when Kitty and I were asleep, my father came into my room and grabbed the kitten. It struggled and cried, waking me up. I begged him not to do anything, but he wouldn’t listen. He opened the window and threw Kitty out. He threw it hard—I could hear its screams before everything went silent. He locked me inside the house so I couldn’t go looking for it. I cried for two days. By the time I was allowed outside, the kitten was long gone.”

Bai Chengyu sat in the passenger seat, his head drooping as he spoke in a weak voice. “I k!lled the kitten. For years, every time I closed my eyes to sleep, I’d hear its cries. I kept thinking that if I hadn’t taken it in, it wouldn’t have died because of me.”

“The kitten might not be dead—it might have just run away.” Han Junzhou thought carefully before responding. “Cats have excellent balance. Your room was on the first floor, and the ground outside was soft dirt. It probably didn’t fall to its death—maybe it was just frightened and ran off.”

“Really?” Bai Chengyu turned to Han Junzhou, his eyes glistening with faint tears and a hint of hope. “Sometimes I wonder if it might still be alive. Do you think it could have survived?” He muttered that his nanny had said the same thing, though he had always assumed she was just trying to comfort him.

“Exactly. If even your nanny said so, and based on my guess, the kitten likely just ran away in fear.” Han Junzhou, of course, had no idea whether the cat was dead or alive, but seeing the sorrowful young man beside him, he felt compelled to offer comfort, even if it meant lying. “Your father probably isn’t as cruel as you think. He wouldn’t deliberately harm a little kitten. He was just trying to scare you, not kill it.”

“Well, he succeeded,” Bai Chengyu said glumly. “I was really scared.”

By this time, the car had entered the school grounds. Han Junzhou parked, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to Bai Chengyu, gently tugging on his hand. “Alright, the kitten didn’t die. There’s no need to blame yourself so much. Maybe you won’t be so afraid of cats anymore.”

Bai Chengyu thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Thinking about it is still pretty terrifying,” he admitted before asking, “You don’t happen to like cats, do you? Are you planning to get one?”

“Yeah, cats are cute. I’ve thought about getting one if I had the chance.” Han Junzhou smiled as he ruffled Bai Chengyu’s hair. “But since Xiaoyu doesn’t like cats, I won’t get one for now.” Hearing this, Bai Chengyu let out a small sigh of relief.

“Maybe when Xiaoyu gets a bit braver,” Han Junzhou added with a teasing tone.

“I’m brave!” Bai Chengyu bristled. “I just don’t feel like having a cat right now.” The little leopard snapped out of his mood, unwilling to admit his fear.

“Alright, we’ll talk about it when you like them.” Han Junzhou’s knowing smile irritated Bai Chengyu even more. Without another word, Bai Chengyu unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. His huffy demeanor reminded Han Junzhou of the first time he had driven the little leopard home years ago.

“Bai Chengyu, come back here,” Han Junzhou called from inside the car, stretching a hand out of the window and beckoning him over.

Despite his anger, Bai Chengyu obediently returned, leaning down with a sulky expression to ask what Han Junzhou wanted. Han Junzhou placed a hand on the back of his neck. “Good luck on your exams. And don’t trip on the stage.”

Bai Chengyu glared at him. “Who trips on stage?”

“When I was your age, I did fall—I even knocked over a microscope and ruined the view of an egg^[2] for everyone else. After the exam, I barely escaped being killed…” Bai Chengyu couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the memory.

Taking advantage of the lightened mood, Han Junzhou pulled him close and quickly kissed the corner of his mouth. “Alright, relax. You’ll be fine.” Seeing Bai Chengyu’s gloominess dissolve, Han Junzhou’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “It’s our first official day of dating—how about lunch together?” Though they’d been physically close for two years, today felt like the first day of a budding romance, bringing an inexplicable sense of novelty.

The sudden kiss left Bai Chengyu blushing fiercely. He hadn’t expected Han Junzhou to be so bold, even on school grounds. Flustered, he sat upright, glancing nervously around to make sure no one had seen them. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention.

“No,” Bai Chengyu firmly declined. But after checking his surroundings again, he leaned back into the car window, grabbed Han Junzhou, and returned the kiss, biting him lightly for good measure. Pulling back with a grin, he said, “Our classmates might see us, and then they’d keep asking questions. It’d be annoying.”

“What’s so annoying about that? Just tell them,” Han Junzhou frowned. “Say I’m your boyfriend. Isn’t that fine?”

“No way.” Bai Chengyu pointed at him, then at himself. “Teacher. Student. Relationship.” He shook his head. “Absolutely not. It wouldn’t be good for your reputation.”

Standing upright, Bai Chengyu waved casually toward the man in the car. “See you this afternoon.”

Han Junzhou watched his tall, straight figure as he walked away, mulling over his words: It wouldn’t be good for your reputation. So, all this time, Bai Chengyu’s concern had been for Han Junzhou’s standing.

A smile tugged at the corners of Han Junzhou’s mouth. His Xiaoyu might seem carefree and brash, but in truth, he was thoughtful and gentle.

Han Junzhou touched his lips—they still hurt a little. Well, maybe not that gentle.

He was a rough but lovable little fish.

(To Be Continued…)

If you enjoy this translation,
consider giving it a high rating on Novel Updates! 😉
⸻⸻⸻✿⸻⸻⸻

-End of chapter-

NEW CHAPTER RELEASED DAILY/EVERY TWO DAYS.
ADVANCED CHAPTERS WILL BE UNLOCKED EVERY MONDAY.

Stay tuned, and happy reading! 📖✨