Chapter 22: The Signatures and the Fear of Felines

“Mm!”

Sheng Lin nodded heavily, a hint of displeasure coloring his expression as he spoke.

“Uncle Zhou, can I ask you a question?”

Zhou Jinzhu’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Of course, you can. What do you want to ask, Xiao Lin?”

“How do you smile, Uncle Zhou?” Sheng Lin sighed like a miniature adult. “I mean, exactly like you’re smiling now.”

Zhou Jinzhu’s smile softened, and his eyes opened fully. “Why do you ask that, Xiao Lin?”

“Because I’ve been practicing for ages, and Dad always says it doesn’t look right,” Sheng Lin said, forcing a smile that made his eyes narrow into slits.

“Look, you also squint your eyes when you smile. But when I smile like this, Dad says I’m stupid.”

“You don’t have to copy me. Everyone’s smile is beautiful, Xiao Lin. You can smile however you like…”

“No, I can’t. Dad’s really weird. Sometimes he wants me to smile like Uncle Zhou, and if I smile well, I get a reward. But then when I do, he says I’m stupid again,” Sheng Lin complained, a touch of grievance in his voice.

“Dad was the one who told me to smile in the first place.”

Zhou Jinzhu reached out to pat his head, his gaze unreadable. “Does Brother Xiao still ask you to do that now?”

Sheng Lin thought for a moment. “Not anymore, I think. Is it because Dad spends all his time with Uncle Zhou now that he’s started to dislike me?”

“Of course not. It’s because we all like Xiao Lin just the way you are. You don’t need to imitate anyone else.”

“That’s great! This way, Papa won’t call me stupid anymore. Oh, I mean Dad.”

“Xiao Lin, have you noticed anything strange about Brother Xiao?”

“Strange?”

“Yes, anything different from before.”

Sheng Lin tilted his head. “Dad breaks his promises!”

Zhou Jinzhu looked down at him. “What happened?”

“That day, I clearly told Dad I wanted to bring Little White home, and when we brought it back, Dad didn’t say no,” Sheng Lin frowned, his face scrunched up.

“But when I held Little White up for Dad to see, he suddenly told me to get lost.”

His voice trailed off, a hint of sadness creeping in.

Zhou Jinzhu paused. “…Was Brother Xiao not afraid of cats before?”

“When I was in elementary school, we had a cat at home too, but Dad said it was too noisy later and gave it away,” Sheng Lin explained, sounding surprisingly mature.

“Dad wasn’t afraid of cats when I was little, but now he is, just like me.”

“Just like you?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t afraid of snakes before either. I even went to the zoo to see them, but then I saw a snake bite someone on TV, and I got scared,” Sheng Lin pouted.

“Dad must have seen a cat bite someone too, that’s why he’s scared!”

Zhou Jinzhu simply said, “I see.”

“I won’t dislike Dad for it. Now that Cece is raising it with me, and we won’t let Little White go outside, it won’t bite Dad,” Sheng Lin giggled.

“Later, when Dad realizes Little White doesn’t bite, then Little White can come out of the room to play! Little White is very well-behaved.”

Just then, the dismissal bell rang.

Zhou Jinzhu ruffled Sheng Lin’s hair. “Go back to your classroom. Ask Xiao Ce to come over for a moment.”

“Okay~”

“Xiao Lin.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t tell Brother Xiao about today’s conversation, alright?”

“Why not?”

“If Brother Xiao knows you said he breaks his promises, he’ll be unhappy.”

Sheng Lin gasped. “Then, Uncle Zhou, don’t tell Dad! I’ll give you candy!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Go on.”

“Okay, okay!”

****

That afternoon, after school.

While Zhou Jinzhu cooked dinner at home, Ji Xiao went to the school to pick up the two children.

Through the rearview mirror, Ji Xiao saw the two children sitting quietly. He spoke softly, “Do you two want to live at school?”

“No,” Sheng Lin immediately refused. “If we live at school, what about Little White?”

Ji Xiao was speechless.

Damn it, he had forgotten about that wretched cat.

The cat was surprisingly quiet, usually curled up in Qin Ce’s room, rarely making a sound. It was so unobtrusive that he had completely forgotten its existence.

Ji Xiao pondered for a moment. “How about this: we’ll give Little White to someone else to raise, and you can live at school. That way, you can play with your classmates after school, and I’ll give you extra allowance. You can buy whatever you want.”

Qin Ce looked indifferent.

Sheng Lin still refused, saying unhappily, “Little White is so well-behaved, Dad, don’t give it away! It won’t bite you!”

Ji Xiao sighed. ‘Forget it.’

****

That evening, after dinner.

Sheng Lin presented a homework notebook and a ballpoint pen to Ji Xiao. “Dad, please sign this for me.”

Ji Xiao looked down.

The title read, ‘My Weekend’.

The entry described how he had found a cat and brought it home, and how the cat was well-behaved, white, and obedient.

As Ji Xiao signed ‘Sheng Xiao’ with a flourish, he couldn’t help but marvel. Children these days even needed their parents’ signatures for homework.

“Thank you, Dad!”

“We should send Little White…”

“No, no!”

Sensing his father was about to suggest giving Little White away, Sheng Lin snatched his notebook back and darted into Qin Ce’s room.

“Oh, dear,” Ji Xiao sighed.

Zhou Jinzhu collected the dishes and chopsticks from the table and carried them into the kitchen. He waved a hand. “Brother Xiao, time to wash the dishes.”

Ji Xiao, defeated, replied, “…Alright, fine.”

Watching Ji Xiao enter the kitchen, Zhou Jinzhu made his way to Qin Ce’s room. “You two, bring your homework; I’m going to check it.”

Sheng Lin, who was squatting on the floor playing with Little White, mumbled, “…I haven’t finished my math homework yet.”

“Then let me see last time’s test paper. Have you corrected everything?”

Without a word, Qin Ce opened his backpack and pulled out the previous test paper.

Sheng Lin reluctantly put down the white cat and found his own test paper, handing it over.

“And today’s homework,” Zhou Jinzhu added.

Sheng Lin obediently handed over his homework notebook as well.

Zhou Jinzhu took Sheng Lin’s test paper and homework notebook, flipping to the composition book where he saw Ji Xiao’s signature.

He then looked at the previous test paper, which also had a parent’s signature.

They were different.

The signature on the test paper was somewhat messy, with lighter strokes, as if it had been hastily scrawled. The signature in the composition book, though also messy, had sharper, more defined strokes, bearing only a faint resemblance to the one on the test paper.

His gaze deepened. He returned the homework and test paper to Sheng Lin. “Good, you’ve corrected everything.”

“Of course!” Sheng Lin said. “The teacher specifically told us to correct them.”

He put away his homework and ran back to play with Little White.

Zhou Jinzhu then turned his attention to Qin Ce.

Qin Ce stood up. “Xiao Lin, I want ice cream. Come down and buy some with me.”

Sheng Lin, without turning his head, replied, “No, you go by yourself.”

“Strawberry ice cream, you know~ If you don’t come, I won’t buy you any. I’ll eat it all myself before I come back up.”

“…”

Sheng Lin turned around, glaring at him with puffed cheeks. “You always used to buy it for me!”

Qin Ce leaned in and tugged at him. “You can accompany me once in a while, too. Don’t always make me run errands alone. Come on, let’s go.”

Sheng Lin hesitated. “But…”

“No buts. Little White won’t run away from here.”

“…”

Qin Ce simply dragged Sheng Lin out the door.

Zhou Jinzhu looked down at Little White, then reached out and picked it up. It felt light in his arms as he walked towards the living room.

He placed it on the floor.

Little White showed no fear of strangers, curiously wandering around the living room.

Zhou Jinzhu returned to his room, closing the door slightly, leaving just a crack open, and observed.

Ji Xiao finished washing the dishes, placed them in the sterilizer, wiped his hands, and walked out.

He then froze at the kitchen doorway.

Ji Xiao was aghast.

Little White, having just jumped onto the dining table, turned its head and looked at him. “Meow?”

Ji Xiao’s body stiffened, his expression shifting repeatedly.

[Calm down, it’s just a kitten.]

“Meow? Meow~”

Little White leaped off the dining table, its eyes fixed on him as it prepared to run over. Ji Xiao swiftly retreated into the kitchen, slamming the door shut with a bang.

He shivered uncontrollably.

[Is it really that bad? It’s just a kitten.]

“Shut up,” Ji Xiao snapped.

[…Sigh, this host is so useless.]

The scratching sound of claws at the door began.

The sound sent shivers down Ji Xiao’s spine. Trembling, he pulled out his phone and called Zhou Jinzhu.

Zhou Jinzhu opened his door, answered the call, his eyes crinkling in a smile, and his voice exceedingly gentle. “Brother Xiao, what’s wrong?”

“The cat got out. It’s by the kitchen door. Take it back quickly.”

His voice was still trembling.

Such a Brother Xiao…

Zhou Jinzhu walked out. “Alright.”

He hung up the phone, walked over, picked up Little White by the scruff of its neck, cradled it in his arms, and called out towards the kitchen, “Brother Xiao, I’ve caught it. You can come out now.”

“Take it back to the room and make sure the door is closed properly.”

Zhou Jinzhu chuckled. “Alright.”

After putting the cat back in Qin Ce’s room and closing the door, Zhou Jinzhu walked step by step towards the kitchen, his gaze shifting with an unreadable intensity.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

One Sword Shocked the World, But the Man Behind Her Is Even More Terrifying!

ChildhoodFriendsHaremRomance

Read Now →
Not interested