MQSP - Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Lying in bed, Gu Baiye tossed and turned. She wasn't used to Auntie Lin not holding her.
"Auntie Lin?"
"Hm?" Lin Yuqing was lying on her side with her back to her, hugging her own arms with her eyes wide open. She wasn't the least bit sleepy. I want to hold the little one's soft body so badly, ahhhhhh!!!
"Can you hold me...?"
Lin Yuqing forced herself not to turn around. "It's hot."
"Then I won't wear such thick pajamas."
Sensing the little one behind her climbing out from under the covers, she said quickly, "Be good and go to sleep. Don't mess around."
Gu Baiye paused, then had no choice but to shrink back under the covers, feeling extremely reluctant.
She scooted closer to Lin Yuqing, pressing right up against her. Lin Yuqing didn't move, because any further and she'd fall onto the floor...
"Auntie Lin..." Her voice was soft and sweet as she wrapped her arms around Lin Yuqing's waist and swayed a little, acting completely spoiled.
"Mm."
"Auntie Lin, my butt hurts."
Lin Yuqing frowned. "Didn't it stop hurting already?"
"Mmm... the stool I sat on earlier was too hard. It really hurts!"
"Auntie Lin, rub it for me~" she pleaded, gently tugging on the corner of Lin Yuqing's clothes.
Lin Yuqing... decisively surrendered. She turned back and glanced at her. The little one giggled, grabbed Lin Yuqing's arm, and tucked it under her neck as a pillow, trapping it so she couldn't run away!
Lin Yuqing was helpless. Reducing overly intimate physical contact was simply impossible!
She rested her right hand on Xiao Ye's waist and gently stroked her bottom. "Alright, let's sleep."
"Okay! Good night, Auntie Lin!" She leaned in and planted a goodnight kiss on Lin Yuqing's cheek.
"Mm, good night." Seeing the little one's expectant gaze, Lin Yuqing couldn't bear to disappoint her. She touched her forehead and returned a light, loving kiss.
In the morning, Gu Baiye wasn't woken by the chirping of birds, nor by Auntie Lin's kisses. She thought she might have been woken by the meow of a cat, but where would a cat come from out here in the wilderness?
For a moment, she thought she was still groggy with sleep, but she could definitely hear the sound of a kitten meowing.
Gu Baiye rubbed her eyes and sat up. After waking up a bit, she tilted her head to listen. There really was a cat meowing! And it was nearby, not far at all!
Filled with confusion, Gu Baiye immediately got out of bed and followed the sound to the front door.
She cautiously peered out the window but saw no one. However, on the doorstep sat a cage, and inside was a tiny orange kitten!
Delighted, Gu Baiye quickly opened the door.
A cold wind hit her, and Gu Baiye shivered. She squatted down to take a closer look. It seemed to be the very same cat she had seen at the market yesterday! Even the cage was the same!
On the cage was an oil-paper packet. Gu Baiye picked it up and saw that it was filled with dried fish and tiny dried shrimp, likely for feeding the cat.
Gu Baiye shivered, looked around again, and saw no one. She carried the cat cage inside and shut the door.
Just as she finished, Lin Yuqing hurried out of the bedroom with Xiao Ye's coat in hand and came over to drape it over her shoulders.
"It's so cold in here, why didn't you put on some clothes? Did you just open the door? Huh? Where did this come from?" Lin Yuqing was also stunned when she saw the kitten.
"I don't know. I heard it meowing, so I got up to take a look. I have no idea who left it on the steps. Auntie Lin, this is the little kitten I saw yesterday!" Gu Baiye said, a hint of delight in her voice.
Lin Yuqing's brow furrowed. She opened the door and peered outside.
"There's no one. I already looked. They must have just dropped off the cat and left," Gu Baiye said, squatting by the cage and poking her finger through the bars to tease the kitten.
Lin Yuqing didn't share her happiness. Instead, a sense of alarm rose in her. Not many people knew about this wooden house. It was just dawn, and it took about twenty minutes to walk up from the base of the mountain. That meant the person had climbed up in the pitch dark before daybreak and must be extremely familiar with this mountain.
But what she couldn't understand was why this person would bring the kitten here.
"Xiao Ye, who did you see yesterday?"
"Hm? No one, really. I just chatted for a bit with the old woman who was selling the cat. She asked if I liked it and if I would know how to raise it. That was it."
The person selling the cat?
"Do you remember what she looked like?"
"No, her face was covered up very tightly. But her eyes were beautiful and full of life. She didn't seem that old, but she was hunched over, and her clothes were ragged. Oh, right, her voice was strange—really hoarse. It was someone I'd never seen before."
After hearing Xiao Ye's description, Lin Yuqing was even more baffled. She had no recollection of anyone matching that description. Was she the one who brought the cat? And why would she do that?
"Auntie Lin, since someone left the little kitten with us, doesn't that mean we have to take good care of it for them?" Gu Baiye said, her eyes twinkling as she grinned.
Lin Yuqing shot her a helpless glance. "Hey! Don't hold it. What if it's dirty!" she said quickly, seeing the little one about to lift the cat out of the cage.
"Aww, but it's so pitiful to leave it all alone in the cage..."
"Besides... this little kitten seems to have had a bath. It's pretty clean!" She held the kitten in her hands to examine it closely. It was cleaner than when she'd seen it yesterday. She leaned in to sniff its little head, and it even smelled fragrant. Its tiny body was soft and warm, and its heart was beating fast, as if it were scared. Gu Baiye stroked its soft fur. Mmm! It felt amazing!
"You are not to hold it in your arms!" Lin Yuqing sternly stopped Xiao Ye's actions. What if a little stray cat like this had fleas? Or lice? Or parasites!
"Aww, Auntie Lin, you should hold it too. It's so cuddly!"
"I'm not holding it!"
"Then just pet it. Its fur is so soft, it feels amazing~"
"I'm not touching it! Put it back in the cage and go wash your hands!"
Lin Yuqing kept her hands behind her back, refusing to touch the kitten. The kitten, in turn, seemed to hold some animosity toward Lin Yuqing. When it was held up in front of her, it meowed fiercely at her.
Lin Yuqing glared. "Aren't you a feisty one!"
"Oh, Auntie Lin, it's so tiny. How can you have the heart to be mean to it?" Gu Baiye quickly brought the kitten back into her arms, stroking its head. "There, there, don't be scared. Auntie Lin is just teasing you~ Are you hungry? Let's get you something to eat~"
She took a few of the tiny dried shrimp from the oil-paper packet and carefully fed the kitten. Watching its little pink tongue lick back and forth across her fingers, her heart melted, and she completely ignored a certain person standing beside her.
Seeing the kitten eating happily, Gu Baiye picked up one of the tiny shrimp to examine it. Although she had never raised a cat, she knew you weren't supposed to give them things that were too salty. However, since the cat's owner had sent this food along with the kitten, it must mean it was okay for it to eat.
She squeezed one of the shrimp. It wasn't very dry, and its color was a faint orange-yellow. It didn't look salty and was still a bit damp. Had it been boiled in water to remove the salt? How thoughtful.
Lin Yuqing watched from the side, getting the distinct feeling that she was about to taste the cat food...
With this little creature in the house, Lin Yuqing was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Xiao Ye, did you wash your hands after touching the cat?"
"Xiao Ye, don't let the cat crawl all over you!"
"Don't let it in the bedroom."
"Do not bring the cat onto the bed!!!"
"Don't use your water cup to give it a drink! Hey, that's my cup!!!"
"Gu Baiye!"
"Auntie Lin, you said you wouldn't be mean to me anymore..."
"..." Lin Yuqing took a deep breath and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Do you want it, or do you want me!"
Gu Baiye didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of question was that!
Holding the kitten, she walked over to Lin Yuqing and leaned into her embrace. "Look, you can hold me, and I'll hold the kitten. Isn't that a perfect solution?"
Seeing how Gu Baiye couldn't bear to put the kitten down, Lin Yuqing was truly at a loss. "There's a limit to petting a cat, you know. You're going to rub all its fur off... Hey! No kissing it!!!"
"Hee hee~"
The little one held the kitten up toward Lin Yuqing's mouth. Lin Yuqing's face contorted with disgust, and she turned and walked away.
"Hmm... you're so cute. Why doesn't Auntie Lin like you?" Gu Baiye wondered, rubbing her nose against the kitten's cool one.
"Meow~"
It wasn't that Lin Yuqing disliked the kitten; she disliked the way Xiao Ye doted on it!
If you have time to hold the cat, why don't you come hold me!
That evening, before bed, Gu Baiye specially heated water for a bath and washed herself until she was fragrant.
When she returned to the bedroom, she saw Auntie Lin lying on the bed reading a book, not even glancing her way!
"Auntie Lin~" Gu Baiye sat on the edge of the bed, pressing close to Lin Yuqing.
Lin Yuqing glanced at her and had just opened her mouth to speak.
"I've already bathed! There's no cat fur on me, see for yourself!"
Lin Yuqing glanced at her.
"Auntie Lin, I smell really nice. Here, smell~" Gu Baiye rolled up her sleeve and offered her fair, tender arm to Lin Yuqing's lips.
"If you're done bathing, then get in bed and sleep," Lin Yuqing said, closing her book and placing it on the headboard.
Gu Baiye pulled her arm back. Why did she feel like Auntie Lin hadn't been very interested in her lately?
"Auntie Lin, kisses~"
"Auntie Lin, hold me~"
Watching Lin Yuqing obediently hold her without any roaming hands or stray kisses, she thought, This isn't my Auntie Lin!
"Auntie Lin, you've been a little strange these past two days."
"How so?"
"Do you not love me anymore?" she asked, looking at her pitifully.
"Nonsense."
"Then why..." Gu Baiye blurted out, stopping halfway. She pressed her lips together. It wasn't really appropriate for her to ask about that kind of thing herself!!!
"Hm? What?" Lin Yuqing blinked.
"No, it's nothing. Let's sleep." She sulkily turned her back to her, but not before pulling Lin Yuqing's arm around to hold her.
Lin Yuqing pressed her lips together to hide a smile. She really wanted to slip her hand under her clothes and touch that soft skin.
No, I can't think about it. I must exercise restraint!!!
Gu Baiye closed her eyes and reflected for a moment. Had she been spending most of her time with the kitten these past few days, making Lin Yuqing unhappy?
These past few days, she had been so preoccupied with the kitten that she'd been getting up early, not giving Auntie Lin the chance to kiss her awake. Auntie Lin loved their sweet, intimate time in the morning before getting out of bed. Mmm... that wasn't right of her. She'd just have to wake up a little later tomorrow.
"Good night, Auntie Lin."
"Good night, little one."
Lin Yuqing sighed inwardly. She shifted her leg, pressing her thigh against the little one's perky bottom. Alright, that was as far as she would go!
The next morning, Gu Baiye woke up early again. She subconsciously started to get up to feed the kitten, then suddenly remembered her plan to wake up later and wait for Auntie Lin to kiss her awake!
However, this particular Auntie Lin was sleeping soundly. Gu Baiye snuggled and shifted in her arms, but Lin Yuqing didn't stir at all. Not wanting to actually wake her, Gu Baiye slipped out of bed quietly. She would feed the kitten first, then come back and pretend to be asleep!
She threw on her coat, went into the living room, and stretched. Walking to the door, she opened it a crack to peek outside. There was no sun today; the sky was overcast, and it was very cold.
Just as she was about to close the door, she glanced down and saw an oil-paper packet on the step. Huh?
She quickly picked it up and opened it. It was cat food!
Gu Baiye had just been thinking that the cat food was almost gone and she would need to go down the mountain to buy more in the next day or two. And now someone had delivered it?
She touched the dried fish—it was still warm!
Gu Baiye froze, then hurried outside to look around. In the distance, she saw a slightly hunched figure.
Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she chased after the figure without a second thought.
"Hello!" she called out, jogging to catch up.
"Hello, please wait a moment!"
The figure ahead paused, stopping in place, but didn't turn back or even shift their body. They remained perfectly still.
Gu Baiye stopped running and walked slowly toward them. Now that she had chased them out here, a bit of fear crept in. What if this was a bad person...
"H-hello," she said, mustering her courage.
"Are you the one who gave me the kitten?" She carefully studied the person before her. They wore a large, navy blue robe and looked very thin, with what seemed to be a frail and slightly hunched frame. Their body was bent slightly, making them about her height.
She could only see their back, not their face, and they wore a large hood that concealed them completely.
The person moved slightly, as if nodding.
"You're the person who was selling the cat the other day, right? But why did you give the kitten to me? And how did you know I live here?" Gu Baiye was extremely curious.
"You said you would take good care of it." The voice was still just as hoarse and somewhat unpleasant.
"I... Yes, I will take good care of it!"
The person nodded again and started to walk away.
"Um... could you please wait for me for just a moment? Just a second, please wait!" Gu Baiye said, then ran back to the house, grabbed the kitten from the kitchen, and quickly ran back.
"Here, you must have come to see it," she said, holding the kitten out to the person.
The person turned slightly to the side and glanced at it.
Gu Baiye lowered her head but still couldn't see the person's face, so she gave up.
The person didn't take the kitten, but simply raised their left hand and gently stroked its head.
Gu Baiye's gaze froze. The hand was covered in hideous scars, like burns, and the sight sent a shiver through her.
As if sensing Gu Baiye's gaze, the person pulled their hand back, hiding it in their wide sleeve, and turned their back to her again.
"I'm sorry," Gu Baiye said quickly, thinking her staring had been rude.
"If you want to see the kitten, you can come over anytime. Next time, please come inside and sit for a while," Gu Baiye called out to her retreating back.
The person didn't answer or turn back, simply continuing on their way.
"You ran off again!" a sharp voice scolded from behind her. Gu Baiye jumped and quickly turned around. "Auntie Lin, I didn't..."
When Lin Yuqing opened her eyes and found the little one gone, she had searched the entire house. Just as she was about to check the kitchen, she saw her standing outside alone. On such a cold day, she was only wrapped in a single coat, her calves still exposed to the air!
Lin Yuqing walked up to her, but before she could speak...
"Auntie Lin, I just saw the auntie who gave me the cat. She came and brought new cat food."
Lin Yuqing frowned. "Why didn't you call me? What did you two talk about?" As she spoke, Lin Yuqing led the little one back into the house.
Gu Baiye thought for a moment and recounted her conversation with the auntie.
"Did she say how she knew we lived here?"
"Hm? No. Auntie Lin, I don't think she's a bad person. If she were, she wouldn't care so much about this little one, or go to the trouble of boiling dried fish to bring over. Look." Gu Baiye handed the paper packet to Lin Yuqing.
"It must be because I said before that I wouldn't raise a cat. She was probably worried I wouldn't do a good job, so she brought food. Someone so caring can't be a bad person!" Gu Baiye stroked the kitten. "Right, kitty? Meow~"
"Did you see her face?"
"Ah! Now that you mention it, while I didn't see her face, I did see her hand. Her left hand, except for the back of her thumb, was completely covered in severe burns. It left behind terrifying scars that looked very old."
Lin Yuqing frowned. "Burns?"
After hearing what Xiao Ye said, Lin Yuqing was stunned. "Will she come back?"
"I think so. Maybe when the cat food runs out in a few days, she'll come again!"
"Next time you see her, you have to tell me immediately." Lin Yuqing couldn't say why, but even though Xiao Ye's description was vague, she had a feeling that this mysterious person seemed familiar.
"Okay."
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