Chapter 11: Too Close

Chapter 11: Too Close

It seemed he knew exactly what was going through his friend's mind. Song Ji shot Zhou Qian a displeased look and said in a deep voice, "He's not that kind of person."

Song Ji's expression was too certain, too composed, and even Zhou Qian became uncertain.

His childhood friend had been smart since childhood, not like those naive rich second-gen kids in the circle who got scammed or ended up broke and alone.

There had been people who knew about their family background and tried to create opportunities to approach him with ill intentions, but Song Ji wouldn't even spare them a glance, let alone get any closer.

Seeing Song Ji like this, perhaps this person really was a model student who had suddenly encountered family difficulties, working part-time to support himself, tough and determined.

Zhou Qian rubbed his chin and said seriously, "Alright, since he's your friend, he's my friend too. Let's go out together sometime, the three of us. Maybe I can help with something."

Song Ji rubbed his fingers and didn't answer for a moment.

For some reason, his first reaction was resistance, an instinctive reluctance to introduce Zhou Qian to Fei Yu.

Maybe it was because Zhou Qian's personality was too carefree and not very serious—it might make Fei Yu uncomfortable.

Besides, he hadn't even been able to help with anything yet; how could it be Zhou Qian's turn?

Song Ji lowered his eyes and after a long pause, said offhandedly, "We'll see."

He calmly got up and went to the printer to retrieve some documents.

Zhou Qian watched his tall figure, scratched his head, and still felt something was off.

Wait, what year is it? They haven't even added each other on WeChat?

Why not just send the files online? Why deliver a paper version?

After a few spring rains, when it cleared up again, the cherry blossoms on Commercial Street had fallen, and green leaves sprouted from the branches.

*

It wasn't yet the coffee shop's opening hours. Fei Yu held a broom, looking groggy.

He swept the fallen petals in front of the shop half-heartedly, yawning and drowsy.

Lately, his dreams were all about the 26 letters of the alphabet, like a megaphone with surround sound, spinning and screeching all around him—no wonder he slept like crap.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from afar, growing nearer.

Fei Yu snapped awake, immediately straightening up and looking up. He was about to blurt out "Morning, boss!" when Song Ji's tall, lean figure came into view.

Fei Yu's face broke into a grin. "Song Ji, you're here so early!"

"But the barista's not here yet. Gonna have to wait."

They had added each other as contacts before, and Song Ji had mentioned he would come today, but Fei Yu didn't expect it to be this early.

Classes haven't even started yet, have they?

Song Ji said calmly, "No problem."

"The other day I saw you studying for CET-4," he pulled out a neatly bound set of materials from his backpack and handed it over. "I have some materials that might help."

Fei Yu was shocked.

"You really didn't have to." Fei Yu gave a forced, stiff smile.

He took the item with mixed emotions, freaking out inside. Song Ji was so strict about his friend's studies!

Seeing no reason to stay, Song Ji dropped his gaze and said, "Then, I'll be going."

But somehow, a flicker of reluctance stirred inside him.

"Wait, hold on a second." Seeing Song Ji turn to leave, Fei Yu quickly stopped him.

Song Ji didn't need a second invitation. He stopped and looked up as Fei Yu dashed into the shop and rushed back out.

The crisp white apron fluttered, revealing his slim waist under his shirt.

Song Ji's expression went blank for a second, and he quietly looked away.

Unaware, Fei Yu stopped in front of Song Ji, a little out of breath, and shoved the thing into Song Ji's hand.

"Have you had breakfast yet? Here, the coffee shop just got some bread—this flavor is the best!"

He ran too fast, so his soft, clear voice was slightly breathless.

Song Ji's ears went red. He looked down, uncomfortable, and clenched the bread in his hand. "Thank you."

Fei Yu: "By the way, do you like desserts?"

Song Ji never ate sweets, but he said without blinking, "I do."

Fei Yu relaxed and smiled. "Awesome! Next time you're at the shop, I'm treating you to our best dessert!"

"Next time"...

His heart ballooned, floating lightly into the sky.

A tiny ripple went through his heart. He gave a small, barely-there smile and said softly, "Okay."

Pang Qiu, having slept for a few days, realized that the Catfolk at the shop had made rapid progress.

*

Simply put, some human was showing up way too often.

Sometimes, just after waking up, Pang Qiu would roll over and see Song Ji sitting by the window, having arrived at some unknown time.

The young man was tall and handsome, his laptop open, a cup of coffee in front of him.

But his mind wasn't on the computer at all. His gaze unconsciously followed a certain figure in the shop.

When Fei Yu came over, he'd quickly look away, acting like he'd just seen him, and look up from his laptop like nothing was up.

With such an obvious cover-up, Pang Qiu guessed that this human would probably cave soon and ask Fei Yu to… hook up.

As for the Catfolk in the shop, he was up at dawn and studying till midnight, burying his nose in the notes.

As soon as his shift started, he'd start watching the door, barely able to hide his excitement.

The moment his shift was over, he'd turn into a cat and bolt outside, couldn't care less about the leftover cakes.

On his days off, he'd go on "dates"—I mean, study sessions—with Song Ji, and he'd come home flushed, talking a mile a minute.

Pang Qiu propped his chin on his paws, shifted lazily, and swished his tail like he didn't have a care.

Catfolk in heat are all like this—clingy, proactive, and passionate.

But once they sleep with a human and get past the heat period, they turn cold, aloof, and noble overnight.

Many humans can't handle the abrupt personality change and break up with them.

That's why the vast majority of Catfolk are single; very few have paired up with humans.

The tabby cat glanced at the young man by the window, who still seemed composed, fake-wiped a crocodile tear away, rolled over, and went back to snoring.

*

That day, Fei Yu had a day off and made plans to study with Song Ji again.

Fueled by the sight of a hot guy, he finally dragged himself through the exhausting study session.

The moment he stepped out of the teaching building, a raindrop smacked him on the head.

He wiped the water from his hair and looked up in a daze. The sun, once bright, had disappeared somewhere, and the sky was pitch-black, completely swallowed by dark clouds.

April weather can change in an instant. The sky went dark all of a sudden, and passersby rushed past them.

Gusts of cold wind blew, then a few more raindrops landed on his head without warning. Fei Yu's face tensed, and his voice turned nervous: "It's about to rain."

Cats are instinctively scared of water and detest rainy days.

Stray cats out there aren't always lucky enough to find shelter from the rain.

If they don't hide in time, their fur gets soaked, turning heavy and wet, and their keen sense of smell is affected.

Even as a Catfolk, the instinctive disgust for water still runs in their genes.

They hadn't brought an umbrella today. Fei Yu bit his lip anxiously, scanning for somewhere to take shelter.

The next moment, his vision suddenly darkened as a black umbrella canopy appeared overhead.

Fei Yu was startled for a second. He looked up and saw Song Ji beside him holding up the umbrella.

Under the umbrella, it was as if an entirely different world had been created. Song Ji's tall, upright figure stood in front of him, blocking out the wind and rain completely.

He looked down with half-lidded eyes, his dark eyes calm and steady, like pools of thick ink, clearly reflecting Fei Yu's own image.

A low, soothing voice spoke near his ear. "Don't worry. I've got an umbrella."

Each word was clear and precise, perfectly calming Fei Yu's frayed nerves.

Drip, drip, drip—

The rain soon grew heavy, and steady sheets of rain struck the umbrella surface with a muffled patter.

But Fei Yu seemed to hear nothing; his heart skipped several beats.

He wet his lips, not yet knowing what to say, when Song Ji asked again, "Where do you live? I'll walk you home."

Fei Yu's expression stiffened. The nerves that had just loosened tightened up again in an instant.

Where did he live?

He lived in the storage room at the café.

But he couldn't answer that. The café's storage room was so cramped—how could it be suitable for a human to live in?

Fei Yu forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing. He glanced sideways and suddenly had a brainwave: "Just drop me off at the café. The manager is having a brief meeting tonight."

Song Ji didn't ask further. "Alright."

The two walked side by side in the rain.

A single black umbrella lifted through the thick rain, blending into the sea of other umbrellas, inconspicuous.

Song Ji had never shared an umbrella with someone else before.

After all, he and Fei Yu were two grown men. The space under the umbrella was limited, forcing them to stand very close.

Several times, the boy's rounded shoulder even accidentally brushed his arm.

So close he could hear Fei Yu's every breath.

They happened to pass by a grove of flowering trees. Pale pink petals were soaked by the rain, and a slanting breeze brought a damp scent from nearby.

A faint lemon scent mingled in, suddenly hit Song Ji's nose.

Song Ji's pupils contracted sharply as he suddenly realized what it was.

It was the scent of the laundry detergent on Fei Yu's collar.

The boy beside him walked forward with his head down, unaware, revealing a stretch of snow-white nape.

Song Ji's Adam's apple moved almost imperceptibly, a blush spreading to his ears. He tightened his grip on the umbrella handle and lowered his thick lashes.

For some reason, he didn't dare look at the person next to him.

Raindrops pelted the umbrella, making a dull thud, then dripped down the ribs.

Fei Yu stepped forward carefully, his nerves on high alert, scared Song Ji might suddenly ask something.

But the other man didn't speak the entire way. They walked the whole distance in silence.

Only when they finally reached the café did Fei Yu's tension ease.

He let out a relieved sigh and smiled as he invited, "Thank you, Song Ji. Wanna come in for a coffee?"

"No," Song Ji said, shaking his head gently, glancing at the still-dark sky. A rare flicker of worry showed on his stern face.

But what he said next froze Fei Yu again.

"It's still raining. I want to go see Pearl."

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Author's note: And so, step by step, he falls for him.