Chapter 48: Clear-Headed
Unlike Jiang Chuchu’s wariness of “a pig coming to steal the cabbage,” Xia He was thinking: When did it become so hard to be someone’s backer?
Getting a call from Gu Qinghuan on a Saturday morning was a good thing for Xia He. But when she urgently asked if he could get into the gated community where the Yu family lived, he didn’t keep her guessing.
The house he’d said he wanted to take her to see last time was in that very community, so he was also a property owner—getting in was easy.
When he heard it was to rescue a stray kitten, Xia He thought, Ah, this is my turn to shine, right? Whether it was a pet clinic or supplies, he could arrange it all without trouble.
But when he went to pick her up, she was already holding a cardboard box—packed to the brim.
Towels, tissues, wet wipes, cotton swabs, pee pads, disposable gloves, hot water bottle, feeding bottle, lactose-free milk, thermos flask, kitchen scale, flea repellent drops… everything was there.
Xia He: Looks like I’m useless here.
Feigning casualness, he asked, “Sis, you prepared quite a lot.”
“Mm. I had a friend in middle school who wanted to be a vet. We used to do animal rescues together,” Gu Qinghuan said.
The moment they entered the community gates, Gu Qinghuan called Yu Xin and followed her directions to the spot.
Seeing Gu Qinghuan arrive calmed Yu Xin’s nerves. “The kitten’s here!”
Gu Qinghuan crouched down, put on disposable gloves, and picked up the kitten. “Oh? You’ve got some fight in you.”
She parted its fur to check its body, ears, eyes, and rear. “No obvious fleas or ear mites, but we’ll still wrap it up and deworm it in a bit. No injuries. Umbilical cord’s fallen off. Still has the blue membrane over the eyes.”
She dabbed the kitten dry with tissues, then placed it on the kitchen scale.
“Two hundred sixty-seven grams…” Yu Xin read aloud. “So light.”
“That’s fine—normal weight. Age should be around two to three weeks,” Gu Qinghuan said, visibly relieved. “A healthy little guy. Not sure if it can eliminate waste on its own yet.”
Hearing that, Yu Xin let out a big sigh of relief.
Gu Qinghuan applied flea drops, wrapped the kitten snugly in a pee pad, nestled it against the hot water bottle inside the box, then asked, “Are we taking it to your place, or should I bring it with me?”
Yu Xin hesitated. Since Gu Qinghuan had picked the kitten up, it had been crying—high-pitched and thin, honestly quite noisy. Now, warmed by the hot water bottle, its cries were softer and less pitiful.
That thought resurfaced: why, this time, couldn’t she just ignore it?
Xia He had been silently observing. Now he spoke. “Do you want to keep it?”
“I don’t know.” Yu Xin shook her head. “If I bring it home, the others definitely won’t like it. They won’t let me keep it.”
“I mean—” Xia He drawled, “—do you want to keep it?”
Yu Xin’s fingers curled into her palm.
Gu Qinghuan, who had been thinking of posting in the city’s rescue group to find the kitten an adopter, understood the situation at once.
“Xin Bao,” she said, “whatever you decide to do, I’ll help you. That doesn’t mean I’ll always support you—but I’ll help you think it through, so you won’t have regrets.”
Yu Xin unclenched her hand, looked up at her, and said slowly, “I want to keep it.”
Hearing herself say that, Yu Xin realized—what she wanted was change.
Her circumstances had changed, she had money now, but most of the time she still didn’t dare make changes. She was still curled up inside the shadow of her past.
Though she had begun trying small things, they were limited to herself. She didn’t yet have the courage to take on more responsibility.
Like now—saving this kitten’s life. She could find a way if she just reached out, but she was afraid.
Yu Xin took a deep breath. “I want to keep this kitten. Qinghuan, can you tell me what to do?”
Gu Qinghuan smiled. “Sure.”
Xia He withdrew his gaze and tugged at Gu Qinghuan’s arm. “Sis, since her family won’t allow it, let’s find somewhere to place it first.”
“Then let’s take it to school for now—keep it in my office,” Gu Qinghuan decided.
Since she already had all the supplies, there was no need for Yu Xin to go home first. She went with Xia He and Gu Qinghuan to the car.
This time, Xia He sat in the front passenger seat, while the two girls sat in the back. On the way, Gu Qinghuan told Yu Xin all the things to be careful about when raising a newborn kitten.
Once at the office, Gu Qinghuan sighed. “Since the start of the term, how many weekends is this now that I’ve come to school?”
Yu Xin felt a bit guilty. “I’ve troubled you.”
“I’m not blaming you!” Gu Qinghuan quickly shook her head. Not knowing how to explain further, she dropped it and focused on the kitten.
The flea treatment had taken effect during the ride. When she unwrapped the pee pad, a few fleas appeared—Gu Qinghuan killed them one by one.
She poured the lactose-free milk into the bottle, warmed it to the right temperature, and showed Yu Xin how to feed the kitten.
The kitten, noisy earlier, quieted and suckled contentedly.
Afterward, Gu Qinghuan showed her how to use a damp cotton swab to stimulate the kitten’s bottom to help it eliminate.
When the kitten fell asleep, Gu Qinghuan pulled Yu Xin to sit at the desk. “So, here’s the situation—this kitten needs feeding every four hours, and that’ll last for at least half a month. You’ll also need to help it go to the bathroom…” She went on and on.
Yu Xin jotted down the key points in her phone’s notes app, confirming details from time to time.
When she was done, Gu Qinghuan said, “For now, it can stay in my office. I’ll explain to Senior Bai—he’ll probably agree. But it can’t stay here forever.”
“I’ll take it back,” Yu Xin said firmly.
“How will you manage that?”
“I want to make a deal with my father—if my monthly exam results satisfy him, he’ll let me keep it,” Yu Xin said.
Before Gu Qinghuan could reply, Xia He, still leaning lazily on the desk, laughed. “That’s too naive. Rewards from those in power to those below are given on a whim—they can be taken back anytime.”
“Even if he agrees, what if you bring it home and he decides he doesn’t like it? And with you at school most of the day, what if your mother or the servants throw it out or kill it? What then?” His tone was razor-sharp.
Yu Xin pressed her lips together, her face turning pale. She looked to Gu Qinghuan for help—but this time, Gu Qinghuan just looked back at her quietly.
“Xin Bao, this is your choice. Everything Xia He said is something you’ll have to face, and you have to find the solutions yourself,” Gu Qinghuan said.
“If you can’t even think of a plan, then no matter how much we help, there might still be gaps. And by the time you ask for help again, it might be too late.”
“If that happens, I don’t think you’re fit to be this kitten’s owner. I’ll take it and find an adopter who can truly care for it.”
