"There's someone around here abusing cats. It's infuriating. The cat was found in the grass this morning and is nearly dead," said the life teacher who cared for them.
Seeing such cruelty, Cheng Buxi couldn't bear to look. "Did you call the police?"
The life teacher sighed. "The police won't bother. There are many stray cats nearby, and the cameras can't catch anything. How can they manage?"
...
Cheng Buxi held the little girl in her arms, soothing her continuously, her eyes full of undisguised pity.
She took the kitten to a nearby pet hospital for treatment. After a hectic effort, they managed to save its life.
On her way back, she passed by the outer fence of the welfare home's playground. The area was barren, with a small pond that had long dried up, filled with mud and dead leaves, rarely visited.
As she reached the edge of the dry pond, Cheng Buxi suddenly heard intermittent, pitiful cries from a cat. In the deep shadows of the trees, there was a figure.
Almost instantly, she decided this person was the pervert abusing cats in the area. Overwhelmed with anger, without thinking, she grabbed a thick, wrist-sized dead branch from the roadside and hurled it toward the sound. "Let it go!" she shouted, her voice soft but righteous.
One of the cats, which was eating cat food, got startled and darted away from the person's leg, leaving a trail of blood.
The young man, who had been inexplicably hit with a stick, had a white cat in his arms. The poor creature's thin leg was still caught in a sharp trap, which hadn't been fully removed yet. Startled, it struggled and cried out even more pitifully. By his feet lay tools like screwdrivers and wrenches. He was squatting with his back to her, his build tall and strong—not like an evil person, but she hadn't expected him to be that kind of person.
Then the young man turned sideways, his eyes sweeping over sharply. He noticed his clothes were covered in mud and streaks of blood. His face darkened instantly.
Cheng Buxi saw scattered cat treats and freeze-dried food in the corners nearby. A few stray cats that hadn't run away were tilting their heads, observing her. It didn't look like a crime scene at all.
Realizing that he was actually removing the cat traps, not what she had thought, her face turned pale. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
It had rained these past few days, and the tree branch, covered in wet mud and dead leaves, had left a heavy mark on his light-colored clothes. The frantic cat had also scratched a large tear in his shoulder area. That outfit was ruined.
The young man seemed young, and from his build, he was strong and tough. Cheng Buxi instinctively felt guilty. "How much should I pay for the clothes..."
"Pay?" The young man seemed baffled. What was wrong with people nowadays? He patiently finished removing the last trap. The little white cat's leg had been impaled by a sharp steel spike, and blood was everywhere. After a simple stop of the bleeding, he frowned and put it into a small carrier case, planning to take it to the pet hospital. After finishing that, he stood up and faced her.
Only then did Cheng Buxi get a clear look at his face.
To be fair, this guy was genuinely good-looking. From the side, she hadn't seen clearly, but now his sharp, clean jawline was fully exposed. High nose, full lips, deep-set eyes, and a slight bump on the bridge of his nose—a very striking face. His double eyelids created deep folds on his spirited face, and as he lifted his gaze, he grew even more defiant. After a moment, he said, "Not short on money?"
His appearance was top-notch, no need to mention, but his personality... Cheng Buxi, having been in the wrong, lost her momentum.
From the young man's perspective, Cheng Buxi was also interesting. Pretty people were common, but rarely was someone so strikingly beautiful that it was overwhelming. A variety of subtle emotions flickered across her small face. He had never seen anyone like her. His heartbeat quickened, but his expression remained calm. "This coat costs twenty thousand. Can you afford it?"
Outrageous price.
Cheng Buxi: "...What?"
Just then, her phone rang. It was Sister Guan. She glanced at the time; she had to go. It was almost time for Shen Xiushi's class and the quiz. If she failed again, her brother would probably be called in for a parent meeting, and that would be a different matter.
The cat in the carrier case had a weak, heaving abdomen and needed urgent medical care. Frustrated, she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag, scribbled down her contact info, and said, "Call this number. I'm in a hurry. We can discuss the compensation amount later."
Discuss. The young man looked at the note she handed him, noticing her delicate, frost-like wrist. He smiled lazily. With a defiant tilt of his chin, he slowly raised his eyelids and parted his sexy lips. "Classmate, if you wanted my WeChat, you could have just said so. Why go through all this trouble?"
Cheng Buxi: "..."
"Nice handwriting too," he commented sharply.
Cheng Buxi didn't have time to joke with him. "I'm really sorry. I have to go now. The clothes... I'll pay for them."
The young man didn't reply or react. He just solemnly put the note in his pocket. Then he smiled. "No need to go through so much trouble," he said.
Before Cheng Buxi could understand what he meant, he had already taken out his phone and opened WeChat. His eyes sparkled, extremely bright in the sunlight, and he said authoritatively, "You scan me, or I scan you."
Cheng Buxi: "..."
Later, when she recalled this incident, she thought she must be out of her mind. She stupidly added him as a friend and even bowed to him before leaving! How embarrassing was that!