Around ten in the evening, Jiang Ming pushed open the dormitory door with a dejected look. Behind him came Chu Lulin and another roommate, Hu Wei; all three had just returned from the lab, their faces etched with exhaustion. The project had been tight lately, and their advisor was pressing them hard—they'd been leaving early and returning late for over half a month now.
Jiang Ming plopped down on a chair and lamented listlessly that this was no way for a human to live. "Every time my mom calls, she tells me to find a girlfriend. But with us busy like dogs all day, even if I did find someone, I wouldn't have time to accompany her. It'd be over sooner or later!"
Hu Wei grabbed his washbasin from the side and laughed, "Not necessarily—it depends on whether you have the will. Look at Zheng Yue; he's doing just fine." Zheng Yue was their other roommate, who had just started dating a girl from the Literature Department. No matter how late he got back, he'd still trot off to see her for a bit. Just now, he'd rushed straight from the lab to meet her.
But Jiang Ming disagreed. "He's only dating someone from our own school, so he can squeeze in some time every day. If she were from another school, he probably wouldn't even have time to leave campus."
Hu Wei was about to say "That's true" when he turned and saw Chu Lulin, who was holding his phone and replying to messages. Something occurred to him. "Not necessarily. Look at Lu Lin—he's way busier than us these days, yet he still manages to find time to go out every day." So, time was like a sponge; you could always squeeze some out.
Jiang Ming snorted. "You comparing yourself to him?" A "monster" on Chu Lulin's level wasn't something mere mortals like them could match. He'd been admitted to A University at fifteen and already held several cutting-edge patents in the AI field by the time he graduated undergrad. Whether in IQ, stamina, or energy, he was far beyond ordinary people. Even they, who prided themselves as top students at a prestigious university, could only look up to him in awe. Take these days, for example: they were swamped with just one project, but Chu Lulin, juggling several major projects, still found time to handle personal matters off-campus. And the kicker was, he never fell behind on his work—his project progress was actually way ahead. Sometimes, you just had to admit defeat.
Hu Wei thought about it and agreed. "True, no comparison." For comparison to even be possible, there had to be some common ground. But when the gap in ability was too wide, it only inspired envy and admiration, not competitiveness. That was just reality.
Jiang Ming shrugged. Tell him about it.
Meanwhile, Chu Lulin, the subject of their conversation, wasn't paying attention at all. His mind was entirely preoccupied with the person on the other end of his phone. Just as he'd entered the room, he'd received an urgent message from Jian Ran saying the kitten was making a continuous "noise" and she was worried it might be "broken." Afraid she hadn't explained clearly, she'd followed up with a video. In it, the little thing was nestled by her feet, eyes half-closed, emitting a constant buzzing sound like a motor. Chu Lulin understood immediately and explained that this was a sign of comfort and relaxation—the kitten wasn't broken; it just liked her. Jian Ran still seemed uneasy and sent several more messages to confirm. He patiently reassured her until she finally calmed down.
After Hu Wei finished his lament, he went to wash up while the bathroom was free, to avoid queuing later. Jiang Ming slumped in his chair and turned to see Chu Lulin looking utterly lovesick. He couldn't help but click his tongue. No need to guess who he was messaging—that secret crush of his. Seemed even someone as outstanding as Chu Lulin had to suffer the pains of love. That thought made Jiang Ming feel a lot better.
Chu Lulin just happened to finish up. Hearing the noise, he lifted his eyelids and looked over. "Something up?"
Jiang Ming waved his hand. What could he have to say? He didn't dare tease Chu Lulin about that again—the guy was petty and had a black heart. Last time, he'd almost let slip about Chu Lulin's crush in the lab, and as payback, Chu Lulin had assigned him the toughest task. He was still worrying about it. But then Jiang Ming remembered one thing. "Oh, right, how's that kitten doing? Senior师姐 asked about it today. Is anyone willing to adopt it yet?"
That day, he'd just gone downstairs to grab some cat food, and when he came back, Chu Lulin suddenly said he'd take the cat and try to find it a suitable owner. Jiang Ming was happy to help, so he called his senior to ask her opinion and then handed the cat over to Chu Lulin. But a week had passed, and they'd been too busy to ask about it. He didn't know if a home had been found.
Chu Lulin thought for a moment. Images flashed through his mind—the automatic feeder, cat tree, and various toys and treats that had recently appeared in Jian Ran's home. A hint of a smile crept into his eyes. "Almost."
Jiang Ming raised an eyebrow. What did "almost" mean? So not confirmed yet? But he didn't press further. Chu Lulin was always reliable; when he said "almost," it wasn't just talk—it was probably as good as settled.
"How's the little one's injury? Got any recent photos?" Though he hadn't spent much time with the white cat, Jiang Ming still cared about it—or rather, he felt sorry for the little thing.
Chu Lulin nodded, pulled up a photo on his phone, and handed it to Jiang Ming. Jiang Ming took it, looked closely, and then let out a low whistle. "Oho—this little guy has climbed up the social ladder!" He pointed at the screen. "If I'm not mistaken, this is in the Zijin Mansion area, right?"
The photo was taken in Jian Ran's living room. The distinctive landmark visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows could only be captured from that angle in that upscale residential area. But Jiang Ming was a bit puzzled. People living in neighborhoods like this usually preferred fancy purebred cats. This cat was just an ordinary white one, not particularly good-looking. He wondered how it had managed to get itself taken in.
Chu Lulin's lips curled, a clear smile flickering in his eyes. "Probably... put on a show for five minutes and secured a lifetime of luxury." Anyway, that's what he'd taught it.
* * *
It just showed how well Jiang Ming knew Chu Lulin—he wasn't one to speak lightly. When he said "almost," it meant the timing was ripe. The next day, Chu Lulin chose a time when Jian Ran was home and went over. Since she'd bought an automatic feeder the day before, he'd been trying to time his visits for when she was there, to scoop litter and tidy up the cat toys, so they could spend a bit of time together.
Jian Ran had just come back from some errands. She changed into comfortable loungewear, brought her tablet to the sofa, and started petting the cat while catching up on a drama. Lu Chuchu's new show had just aired, and as her bestie, she had to support it.
Chu Lulin finished his tasks and came into the living room. He glanced at the actress on the screen, his expression unchanged. Jian Ran noticed him and paused the video. "All done? I ordered takeout. Want to eat together later?"
Chu Lulin nodded and replied, "Sure." This had become their routine over the past few days. If they coincided around mealtime, he would cook if he had time; otherwise, Jian Ran ordered takeout in advance.
While waiting for the food, Jian Ran didn't want to leave Chu Lulin hanging, so she grabbed a cat teaser and suggested they play with Purr together. But as she was teasing the cat, she noticed Chu Lulin glancing at her several times as if he wanted to say something but held back. She guessed he probably had something on his mind. Maybe he needed money but was too embarrassed to ask? So she pressed him, and he finally told her.
"Actually, it's nothing major. It's about what I mentioned before—finding an adopter for Purr." Hearing this, Jian Ran's hand, holding the cat teaser, froze slightly. On the second day after the kitten had arrived, Chu Lulin had indeed mentioned it, saying the campus stray cat association had found a potential adopter and they were in contact. Now, bringing it up out of the blue probably meant it was settled.
Jian Ran pursed her lips, feeling a bit put out. Sigh—though they hadn't been together long, she'd grown attached. "Oh? What's the situation on their end? Have you checked them out? If they're suitable, when they pick up Purr, they can take all the cat stuff from my place—it's all new and pretty expensive. They probably won't mind." Consider it her dowry for the little one. She just hoped the new owner would treat it well and not abandon it again.
"You misunderstand, Big Sister," Chu Lulin said, observing her reaction. Judging it was about right, he explained, "The adopter we'd lined up just messaged me. They said they don't want the kitten because it's not a purebred and isn't good-looking. They're backing out."
Jian Ran was taken aback. What? Not taking it, but abandoning the adoption? And because they thought the kitten wasn't a purebred and wasn't good-looking?! Her protective instincts flared up instantly. Okay, so it wasn't a purebred—she admitted that. But how was Purr not good-looking?!
"Sorry, Big Sister. I only said it would be a few days' trouble. I didn't expect this hiccup." Chu Lulin looked apologetic.
Jian Ran waved it off. How could he be blamed for this? How could he have known the adopter would suddenly back out?
"I talked to the association. They said ordinary cats like this really aren't easy to adopt out, and they don't know when they'll find the next adopter." Chu Lulin sighed, as if stumped by the situation. "Maybe I should just take Purr back. Now that it's stable, sending it to the pet hospital for boarding shouldn't be a problem."
At the mention of sending the kitten to a pet hospital, Jian Ran's brow furrowed so deeply you could pinch a fly to death there. She looked at Chu Lulin, then at Purr, took a deep breath, and finally said, "You don't need to find another adopter for Purr. I'll keep it!"
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Author's note: This chapter's novel title has been changed. "Waiting for an Opening" (伺机上位) seems more fitting, in the author's opinion. The cover will also be changed shortly. Don't get lost!