Around 6pm.
Jing Yao was walking home alone. There were still some students on the street and when they would see her they would greet her. She always smiled back politely in response.
Thankfully, no one tried to talk to her as Jing Yao was already lost in her thoughts.
Even though they weren't in the same class, Liu Wei was one of her closest friends. They had actually met in the basketball club during first and second year. That's also how she knew Ye Fan, since he was in the boys basketball club. She didn't know what happened, but suddenly Ye Fan confessed to her. Even though she had rejected him and told Liu Wei as such, it was still awkward.
Thinking about how they used to all hang out together just a few months ago, she couldn't help but feel sad.
"Why does it always turn out like this?" Jing Yao sighed quietly.
Jing Yao was walking toward the intersection when she saw a familiar figure walking in her direction.
"Lin Yuan?"
"..."
Lin Yuan seemed surprised to see her. Then his face turned strange.
Jing Yao was curious about the sudden change in expression but a large white blur caught her eye.
"Huh? Ming Ming? Is that you?"
Seeing the fat white cat turn its head up curiously to look at her, Jing Yao was even more certain.
"Wow, it really is you!" She squatted down to pet the cat. The fat cat circled around her a few times and then lay flat in front of her with its paws out.
"Do you want me to lift you Ming Ming?" She easily lifted the fat cat to her chest as she stood up.
Jing Yao turned to Lin Yuan who was standing there in a daze, "Do you also know Ming Ming?"
When he didn't reply, she looked at him with a questioning face. She noticed that he glanced at her and then hurriedly lowered his head, like he was flustered.
What's wrong with this guy?
Then she realised that he was also talking to a cat the first time she saw him. She did think then that the cat looked familiar, could it be that it was Ming Ming? Jing Yao wondered.
"Is he your cat?" Lin Yuan spoke softly.
"No, no, he just comes around our neighbourhood sometimes and we feed him. I call him Ming Ming. Isn't he just so cute?"
"His name is Baozi."
"Oh, is that what you call him?"
"No, that's his name." Lin Yuan said sternly.
"..." This guy is annoying.
"Ah, so you know him as well then."
"He's my cat."
"Huh? Really?" She was confused. Ming Ming had been hanging around their neighbourhood for a few months at least and no one had claimed him. When she thought about taking him in, he would always run away the next day.
Seeing that she was unconvinced, he reached out his hands, "Baozi, come on."
The fat cat was unmoved, it just wiggled its head against Jing Yao's chest.
"Baobao, come!"
Still nothing.
Lin Yuan had a dark face. "Damn pervert!"
"What?"
"...Nothing."
Jing Yao saw that he looked very upset, so she was about to bring the conversation somewhere else but before she could say anything Lin Yuan took one last look at the cat and then suddenly started walking away.
The fat cat didn't seem to care at first, but after a few moments it began hissing and growling and shaking around in Jing Yao's arms, so she had to quickly put him down.
As soon as the cat was on the ground it darted after Lin Yuan.
This series of actions were so sudden and so quick that Jing Yao barely had time to process it. By the time Lin Yuan came back holding the fat cat in his arms she was still confused about what just happened.
However, he had a large smile on his face as he said proudly, "See. He's mine."
"You're a lunatic…"
"..."
Seeing his stunned expression, Jing Yao realised she had spoken out loud.
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to say that!"
"But you were thinking it."
"..." Wouldn't most people just accept the apology and move on?
"You're really annoying."
She clasped her mouth, "I didn't mean that!"
Lin Yuan didn't speak for a moment, then he bowed slightly and said with a very sincere expression on his face, "Sorry."
Seeing his serious face, Jing Yao couldn't help but be even more irritated, "Tsk, you always say sorry so seriously but you don't mean it."
"Hah?" Lin Yuan's mouth was open.
This was the first time she had seen Lin Yuan so exasperated. She didn't think he could show such a complex emotion.
"Your eyes, even when you're apologising, they look so disinterested."
"..."
"You are very perceptive." Lin Yuan seemed genuinely surprised.
"At least deny it…" Jing Yao grumbled.
Then she couldn't help but laugh. For some reason she felt refreshed talking to him. It felt like she was venting all the pent up emotions she had today.
"You're a strange guy!"
"Meow meow!" The fat cat suddenly interrupted.
"See, Ming Ming agrees with me!" Jing Yao reached out and wanted to pet the cat.
Lin Yuan stepped back from her approaching hand and placed Baozi back on the ground.
"No, he's hungry."
"Oh I forgot, you can talk to cats."
"..."
Lin Yuan had a calm expression, "Baozi, bite."
"What?!" Jing Yao jumped back.
Seeing that fat was still circling around Lin Yuan's legs ignoring his words, her face turned dark.
"I can't talk to cats."
"You're crazy!" Jing Yao hadn't been so angry in a long time, "I'm going home."
"Ming Ming I'll see you later!" She squatted down to quickly pet the cat, then stood up, glanced at the boy coldly and walked off.
After a while.
Looking at the familiar street, Jing Yao had calmed down. Actually, she was a little confused. She had never seen Lin Yuan before when she was walking home, but recently she had seen him walking twice and both times he was in her neighbourhood.
Could it be on purpose? Does he have a crush on me?
Then thinking back to their interactions, she decisively shook her head.
Nevermind.