Chapter 52
For lunch, Li Yi filled their stomachs with grilled skewers, paired with Auntie Qin’s meticulously brewed, refreshing tea. The camping trip was drawing to a close.
Gu Yuetong sat in the tent reading a book, occasionally looking up at the three people outside busy cleaning up the trash. She offered to help several times but was shooed back.
It might have seemed like she was being unsociable, but she was used to it. She wasn’t good at rough work and might even mess things up. Asking for instructions every step of the way would be too inefficient, so she decided it was better not to cause trouble.
As she flipped to the last few pages of the book, Qi Baizi suddenly slipped into the tent without her shoes and squatted down beside Gu Yuetong.
“Tired?” Gu Yuetong looked up and handed her a sugar-free drink.
Qi Baizi took the drink but didn’t drink it, just letting out a sullen hum.
Gu Yuetong could see that she seemed a bit down. She closed the book, lowered the curtain hanging outside the tent, and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Unhappy?”
Qi Baizi was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out and hugged Gu Yuetong, resting her head on her shoulder.
Gu Yuetong didn’t pull away, but her eyes glanced outside through the gap between the tent and the curtain. Auntie Qin and Li Yi were still packing up the grill. She hesitated for a moment before hugging the person in her arms back.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Yuetong’s voice was gentle.
Qi Baizi sighed unhappily and said in a low voice, “They treated me like I was useless and sent me back.”
Gu Yuetong was stunned for a moment, then realized she was feeling guilty that her injury was holding everyone back. She quickly hugged her tighter.
“Everyone is just worried about you and doesn’t want you to get too tired,” Gu Yuetong said. “Just think of it as taking advantage of your injury to slack off. Besides, no one minds.”
Qi Baizi snorted through her nose in response.
After returning the rented cooking utensils and taking the trash to a nearby bin, the group of four walked back along the path they came from.
Li Yi still got tired after just a few steps, slowly strolling behind. Qi Baizi and Gu Yuetong deliberately kept some distance, walking one after the other.
Upon returning to the guesthouse, they agreed to go back to their respective rooms to wash up and get changed before heading to the restaurant on the back hill for a late-night snack. They parted ways there. Just as Qi Baizi and Gu Yuetong stepped through the small courtyard gate, they heard a kitten meowing behind them.
Turning around, they saw it was the one they had found in the front hall before camping.
“How did you follow us here?” Qi Baizi crouched down, scratching the kitten’s chin while looking around. “Where’s your mother?”
Gu Yuetong also looked around and hesitantly guessed, “It seems like it came looking for you specifically.”
Qi Baizi paused. “Really?”
She picked up the kitten and said to Gu Yuetong, “President Gu, you go back and rest first. I’ll go to the front hall and ask if anyone has seen its mother, in case it’s lost.”
“Okay.”
The little kitten was pure white, its long fur a bit messy and fluffy. Its big eyes blinked, and it was very well-behaved in Qi Baizi’s arms, not struggling at all, just meowing a few times.
When she got to the front hall, Qi Baizi found the owner and explained the situation, asking if she knew where the mother cat usually hung out. The owner, who was sitting in a chair, looked up. Only then did Qi Baizi notice her eyes were red, and a bad feeling rose in her heart.
Sure enough, the next second, the owner said with a sob, “The mother cat is gone.”
“This afternoon, my partner was driving back from getting supplies on the main road and saw the mother cat’s body. It must have been a car accident.” The owner said, pulling out a tissue to wipe her tears. “I just buried her under the tree behind the guesthouse.”
Seeing the little kitten, the owner hesitated. “I can keep it here and raise it, but the guesthouse door is always open. I’m just afraid it will sneak out on its own and become a stray too.”
“…Can you give me some cat food?” After a moment of silence, Qi Baizi looked up and said firmly, “I want to adopt it.”
Taking Gu Yuetong into consideration, Qi Baizi first left the kitten in the front hall for the owner to look after, while she went back to ask for Gu Yuetong’s opinion.
“The cat is still small, after all. I can get another room and keep her in there for now, so she doesn’t run off again.”
Gu Yuetong was washing her face, water droplets still clinging to her eyelashes. Hearing Qi Baizi’s words, she was a bit puzzled. “Why get another room?”
“…”
Gu Yuetong rinsed the cleanser off her face, dried it with a face towel, and turned to look at Qi Baizi. “Are you afraid I won’t agree? Or are you afraid I’ll dislike it?”
Qi Baizi lowered her eyes. “Both, I guess.”
Gu Yuetong sighed, then suddenly laughed. “Am I that scary?” she said, turning back to apply her skincare products.
Seeing her smile, Qi Baizi finally relaxed and spoke her mind. “Because Auntie Qin said you’ve only ever had a dog before, I thought you didn’t like cats.”
Gu Yuetong’s hand paused, and she glanced sideways. “And what if I don’t like it?”
“…Then I’ll take it back to take care of for now and find a reliable person to adopt it.”
Gu Yuetong was quite satisfied with this answer. “There’s no one more reliable than you.”
“The Old Fortress is a big place; there’s certainly room for one cat,” Gu Yuetong said seriously. “There’s no need for a separate room. It’s so small, it won’t get on the bed. Keeping it in the room is fine.”
“But we’ll still need to let it out to do its business.” Gu Yuetong paused at this point and asked, “How old is it? Can it relieve itself on its own?”
Qi Baizi was also stunned. She hadn’t really considered this problem. When it came to taking care of animals, she had absolutely no experience.
When she went back to the front hall and talked to the owner about it, the owner was amused. “Of course, it’s already weaned.”
The owner was very grateful that Qi Baizi was adopting the kitten. Not only did she give her some cat supplies, but she also gave her a bag of goat milk powder and a few pet pee pads. “We raise dogs in the village, and these are all trial packs that came with the dog food. You can take them back and make do for now.”
After thanking her, Qi Baizi returned with the kitten in one hand and the supplies in the other. Gu Yuetong had just finished her shower and changed into a loose-fitting outfit. Seeing Qi Baizi on the floor arranging the cat food, bowls, and pee pads, she wanted to help but hesitated.
“Is this all it needs?” she asked. “Should we find something to put down for it to sleep on, so it’s more comfortable?”
Qi Baizi had the same idea. She had brought a change of jacket and planned to use it as a temporary bed for the kitten.
But Gu Yuetong knew that besides her underwear, this was the only jacket she had brought. “What if it gets windy when we go out tonight? I saw it’s supposed to rain later.”
What Gu Yuetong said made sense. Qi Baizi, holding the little cat, was at a loss for what to do. She couldn’t possibly use Gu Yuetong’s clothes to make a bed for it.
While she was hesitating, Gu Yuetong pulled a black denim skirt from her luggage.
In front of Qi Baizi, she took off the loose cotton long dress she was wearing, put on the skirt, and then folded the long dress into a bird’s nest shape, placing it next to the pee pad against the wall.
After taking off the long dress, Gu Yuetong was only wearing a white camisole top. Since they were out camping and she didn’t want any extra fuss, she hadn’t worn any jewelry like necklaces. Her dazzlingly white collarbones were completely exposed. Qi Baizi was mesmerized and quickly averted her gaze, putting the cat on the floor and preparing to boil some water to make it some goat milk powder.
Gu Yuetong sat on the edge of the bed, watching Qi Baizi busy herself taking care of the kitten, and couldn’t help but tease, “You’re like a mother.”
Qi Baizi froze for a moment, then turned her head, her eyes fixed on Gu Yuetong’s fair arms and neck.
Gu Yuetong sensed something was off and quickly threw on some clothes, giving her a reproachful look.
“What are you afraid of? Mothers can drink milk too,” Qi Baizi said, having prepared the milk powder, a slight smile on her lips. “I drank for a long time last night.”
“You can turn anything, black or white, into something dirty,” Gu Yuetong rolled her eyes, unable to help but sigh inwardly. How had she not seen this side of her before? Clingy was one thing, but she was also black-bellied.
“Pass me the tissues, wifey—”
Gu Yuetong froze when she heard that and immediately looked up at Qi Baizi. “What?”
This was another trick she had learned online. A famous lesbian blogger said that having a term of endearment between a couple could increase their sense of dependence on each other.
Qi Baizi didn’t dare to use any others, but this one seemed just right. However, as she said it, the tips of her ears hidden under her hair turned red.
She forced herself to remain calm and smiled with narrowed eyes. “Pass the tissues, wi—”
“Don’t call me that.” Gu Yuetong had already reacted, interrupting her before she could repeat it. “It’s not good if someone else hears.”
“…Yes.” Qi Baizi’s smile stiffened and gradually faded from her face. “Then, the tissues.”
Qi Baizi was crouching on the floor, pinching the scruff of the kitten’s neck with one hand. The small bowl of milk had spilled quite a bit.
Gu Yuetong pursed her lips, softened her expression, and handed the tissues to Qi Baizi.
The room fell silent, except for the occasional meow from the kitten. The two of them didn’t exchange a word until it was time for their late-night snack.
At the agreed time, Li Yi came and knocked on their courtyard gate. Qi Baizi came out to open it and let her and Auntie Qin in.
“Let’s go, time to eat at the back hill.” After a few hours of rest, Li Yi had regained a lot of her energy. “After dinner, we’re going to the hot springs!”
The guesthouse had a dedicated hot spring bathhouse, with both large and small pools, offering good privacy. You just had to book in advance, which Li Yi had already done. She was very much looking forward to the hot spring.
“But the guesthouse owner said the road to the restaurant on the back hill is a bit cold. It’s windy in the suburbs, so you should put on another layer.” Seeing that Qi Baizi was still wearing the same clothes from the afternoon, Li Yi couldn’t help but remind her.
“Okay.”
Qi Baizi went back to the room. Gu Yuetong was already dressed and ready. The two passed each other as one went in and the other came out. Standing in the courtyard, Auntie Qin noticed a trace of sadness on Gu Yuetong’s face. She went over and pulled her outside.
Finding a secluded spot where no one was around, Auntie Qin asked, “Did you two fight again?”
Gu Yuetong didn’t really want to answer questions like this. She crossed her arms and said perfunctorily, “It’s nothing.”
Auntie Qin advised Gu Yuetong, “Little Bai is young, you should be more patient with her. She’s a good kid with a righteous heart.”
That was natural, but… Gu Yuetong pondered for a few seconds before reluctantly seeking Auntie Qin’s help. “How can I get her to… mature a bit?”
Auntie Qin was taken aback and put on an exaggerated expression, as if Gu Yuetong was joking.
“Is this question so laughable?” Gu Yuetong’s face turned cold. She was genuinely a little scared.
Auntie Qin cleared her throat and said seriously, “Then what do you like about her? Don’t tell me you like her for her maturity.”
After speaking, Auntie Qin saw Gu Yuetong’s expression change. She patted her on the shoulder and comforted her, “You were able to figure it out last time. I believe you can this time too.”