Closed Cycle

Chapter 93

[1448.08.13 16:03:51]

The weather was hot and sultry. It seemed like it was soon about to rain.

Ji Yushi leaned against the car window as Ji Minyue nagged, “Mum and I have already helped clean up your place. After my careful inspection, we have already prepared everything you need. Look at this, according to the weather forecast, the next few days will be heavy rain. Why don’t you move out later and stay home for a few more days?”

At the age of seventeen, he had just graduated from high school.

He was suddenly hit with an impulsive urge and booked a plane ticket without saying a word before running off to Kado Island to play.

By the time the Ji family received a call from him, he had already arrived at his destination.

Returning today, it was Ji Minyue who drove over to pick him up.

Ji Yushi had been in the sun in Kado for more than half a month and his skin was darker than before, giving him a healthy glow.

Hearing Ji Minyue’s suggestion, he replied, “Whether or not it rains shouldn’t have anything to do with going home? Didn’t you also move out before you turned eighteen?”

Young and rebellious.

Everyone had a time like this. It was just that this rebellious stage came to Ji Yushi a little late.

Ji Minyue was also still in his twenties, and he still retained his youthful heart, “Alright then. Instead of learning the good things, you just had to learn my bad habits.”

Ji Yushi looked over, “Who said I was learning from you?”

Ji Minyue, “Old Ji said it.”

After dropping Ji Yushi off, Ji Minyue left.

Sure enough, everything had been cleaned up very well. Aunt Su was so meticulous, even the most basic daily necessities were prepared, including but not limited to paper towels, handwash and the likes. It was filled with motherly love. This was Ji Yushi’s first time living alone. His family was worried but those days with someone taking care of him was too easy of a life for him. He just wanted to learn to be independent as soon as possible.

When he woke up the next morning, the sky was gloomy. It really was about to rain.

Ji Yushi’s suitcase was still on the wooden floor. After returning yesterday, he didn’t have time to tidy up. There were only a few clothes inside and most of it were small gimmicks he had brought back from Kado.

He walked back and forth through his place barefoot and when he went to the kitchen to pour himself some water, he vaguely heard a small cry.

At first, he thought it was just his imagination.

But even after he finished drinking his glass of water, the cry continued.

“Meow~”

It was small and soft, like it belonged to a young kitten. It also sounded like there was more than one.

The kitchen had a large window with white venetian blinds. Through the window, he could see the garden behind the community where luscious plants grew. He pushed aside the blinds and found that the sky outside was incredibly cloudy, and it had also started to rain. The rain came very quickly and fell with great force.

After opening the window, the sound of rain hitting the leaves and ground grew louder. The faint cries seemed to come from the garden.

How could there be cats?

He hesitated for a moment and then put on his shoes and brought along an umbrella. He planned to take a look.

Holding an umbrella, the young man walked into the community garden for the first time.

The rain was falling heavily. It fell onto the umbrella, drawing a line as it flowed to the edge and fell to the ground. The edges of his pants were wet. After reaching a deep part of the garden, he saw a litter of kittens.

There was a cardboard box under the bushes. It was already drenched by the rain.

The three kittens that looked no more than two months old were completely black. They scratched at the cardboard box in attempt to crawl out and were also meowing in panic.

Inside the box were also milk powder and cat food, but there was no one nearby.

Ji Yushi squatted down. He gently stroked a kitten’s head with his finger. Only after he was certain that they weren’t very dirty did he feel reassured enough to pet them properly. He held the umbrella so that the rain wouldn’t reach the cardboard box. He waited patiently in place for a long time but didn’t see anyone come to take them away.

He determined that this was an abandoned litter of kittens.

Ji Yushi carried the cardboard box in his arms and got ready to take the kittens to the property management office to see if they knew what to do.

As soon as he stood up, he saw that there was a person standing in the garden pavilion not far away.

In the heavy rain, Ji Yushi couldn’t see very clearly. He could only tell that the person was very tall, probably more than one metre ninety. Despite being unable to see their appearance, it was hard for him to overlook those long legs. Just standing there, that person was very noticeable.

Appearing in the garden during a heavy rain like this, he was likely a resident taking shelter here.

Ji Yushi decided to call out, “Hey!”

His voice was muffled by the rain that grew louder and louder, “Did you see who put the cats here just now?”

That person didn’t move.

Afraid that the other party might not have heard him, he started to walk over, “Hello, can you hear me?”

One hand held the umbrella and the other held the cardboard box.

To prevent the kittens from getting wet, Ji Yushi had tilted the umbrella to the side and half of his body was wet.

He walked along the paved path and was soon about to reach the pavilion.

That person clearly had his back to him but, as if there were eyes on his back, his body suddenly stiffened.

Immediately afterwards, that man suddenly left without looking back.

Ji Yushi was stunned. He wasn’t able to catch up.

He changed his route and took the three kittens to the property management office. The staff there said that they hadn’t heard of anyone raising kittens recently, but they could help and see if any of the residents wanted to adopt them and if there weren’t any, they would be sent to the stray animal rescue centre. Before Ji Yushi went, he heard the staff complain about the heartless owner abandoning such small kittens outside during a rainstorm and remembered the figure he saw in the garden.

Ji Yushi asked, “Can you help check the surveillance cameras for me?”

Ji Yushi was only a seventeen or eighteen-year-old student who looked someone who had been raised preciously.

The staff didn’t expect him to take this matter so seriously, “Check the surveillance cameras?”

“Yes.” Ji Yushi said, “It shouldn’t infringe on other people’s privacy. Just the cameras in the public areas should be fine?”

They replayed the recordings.

Moving to an hour ago, they saw someone enter the garden holding a cardboard box.

The person was very tall, and the cardboard box looked almost a size smaller in his arms. Ji Yushi saw him stand below his building for almost half an hour and he would also look up at the building from time to time as if he was waiting for someone.

It was rather dark just before the rainstorm and the man also wore a hat, making it difficult for them to properly see his appearance.

The staff scolded, “Damn! Such a big person would still abandon pets! If you can’t raise it, don’t buy it. At least give them away or send them to a rescue. This is too immoral!”

Ji Yushi didn’t mention anything about the matter in the garden just now. He didn’t think it was necessary. He just asked, “Is he a resident here?”

The staff said, “He shouldn’t be. I haven’t seen anyone so tall here!”

Speaking of this, the staff got even more angry. That person even went specifically to their community to abandon their cats!

Ji Yushi left the property management office.

When he got back and changed out of his wet clothes to shower, he saw a few black cat hairs stuck to his T-shirt.

After his shower, he left the bathroom.

He had some bread for breakfast and then laid onto the sofa to read a book.

The house was quiet but the rain outside was still falling.

The loneliness in this place was overwhelming.

He stood up, put on his shoes and found the umbrella that was still dripping despite shaking off the rain earlier. He went back to the property management office.

“Why are you back again?” The other person asked, “Did you find that person?”

“No.” Ji Yushi said, “I want to raise it.”

The staff was surprised, “You want to raise it?”

The one who clearly dropped those cats off earlier was this young man.

Ji Yushi, “Yeah.”

The staff asked, “But, if you want to raise a cat, did your family agree?”

Ji Yushi said, “I live alone.”

Staff, “Alright then. Which one do you want to raise?”

“All of them.” Ji Yushi said, “My place is big. I want to raise all three.”