Chapter 28
Tan Ning didn’t return to the dormitory; instead, he spent the entire night sitting beside a bicycle shed not far from the dorm building.
It wasn’t until dawn began to break that he realized his knees and elbows were icy and stiff. He sneezed, stood up shakily, and walked toward the dormitory.
At around six o’clock, the dorm was very quiet. Tan Ning went upstairs, took out his key, quietly opened the dorm room door, took off his coat, and climbed into bed. Usually, because he was slender, he moved lightly and made hardly any noise when climbing to his upper bunk. This time, his whole body was stiff and sore, so he made a slight creaking sound.
Fortunately, the other three were still asleep.
He Qingrui was sprawled out, sleeping with his blanket kicked to the side.
Sometimes, Tan Ning envied them for having so few worries, focusing daily on food, drinks, and fun. He also envied Zheng Yu, who acted on his dislikes without hesitation. They seemed to have no concerns—perhaps because they all had parents to back them up.
When Tan Ning lay down and pulled up the blanket, his heart began to slowly recover.
He retrieved the ceramic kitten from where he’d set it aside, placed it on his chest, pressing it against his heart.
He slept until noon.
In the afternoon, there was a Criminal Procedure class. The professor was highly skilled but very strict, taking attendance every few days. Tan Ning forced himself to get up.
He Qingrui had brought him a meal and sent a message:
[Get up and eat! Look how exhausted you are, hehe~]
He attached a mischievous emoji.
Tan Ning got out of bed slowly.
Because Zheng Yu was nearby, He couldn’t speak openly and had to message him:
[Did Lin Song’an get really mad last night? Did you explain properly? But judging by your look, you must have cleared things up, hehe.]
Tan Ning didn’t bother to respond to his teasing and simply replied:
[Thank you for bringing me food.]
[No problem at all—we’re friends, right!]
Tan Ning felt he might have a fever; touching his forehead didn’t reveal much. He barely made it through two periods of Criminal Procedure. After class, he remembered there was a Law and Business Case Study class that evening.
He would run into Lin Song’an again.
But then he thought, maybe Lin Song’an wouldn’t come. After all, this course was too basic compared to the practical work Lin Song’an faced. If he attended, it was probably out of boredom.
After how angry he’d made Lin Song’an yesterday, he probably wouldn’t want to see him today.
Tan Ning felt dizzy, his eyes ached, and he had no appetite. So he went to the Business School on an empty stomach, sitting in his usual seat. This time, he didn’t even bother to open his laptop, taking out only a notebook to jot down notes by hand.
Moments later, Lin Song’an walked in.
Tan Ning’s pen paused.
Lin Song’an walked straight to the back row. Tan Ning didn’t move or look up at him.
During the ten-minute break, Lin Song’an went out. When passing by Tan Ning, his footsteps didn’t pause.
Tan Ning kept his head down, reading.
By the end of class, he still hadn’t received any messages from Lin Song’an.
Tan Ning felt entirely dizzy. He thought, after spending the whole night outside, he had really caught a cold.
As he descended the stairs with the crowd, his steps were unsteady. He missed a step and almost fell, but Lin Song’an caught him briefly before letting go. Tan Ning turned and saw it was him.
His gaze dropped and suddenly froze.
Lin Song’an wasn’t wearing the blue watch. He wasn’t wearing it.
He had said he would always wear it, but he had broken his promise.
Did this mean he was completely disappointed in Tan Ning?
That was the last straw. A surge of intense discomfort rose up, reaching his throat. Every bone in Tan Ning’s body ached; his body could no longer bear it. He lowered his head, not letting Lin Song’an see his pale face, and quickly quickened his pace, blending into the crowd.
Lin Song’an watched his retreating figure and sighed helplessly.
Just then, his phone vibrated. Lin Song’an took it out—it was his friend working in Xuan City. The other person said, “Sorry, Young Master Lin, the company has been really busy lately; I’m only getting back to you now.”
“No worries; I was the one imposing on you. Go ahead.”
“Someone at our company has parents living near that boy’s grandfather’s house. I asked him to find out. The boy indeed grew up living with his grandfather. He moved there when he was eight because his father—”
“What happened to his father?”
“His father died in a car accident. It’s quite a dramatic story,” the other person hesitated, pausing for a few seconds before continuing. “When he was eight, his father had an affair and was living at the other woman’s house. His mother couldn’t take it and took him to catch them in the act. They didn’t find him at first; his father was hiding in the wardrobe. The boy was still young, probably didn’t understand what was happening or how serious it was, and even helped his mother search. Hearing noises from the wardrobe, he… he opened it.”
Lin Song’an suddenly frowned.
“Being discovered by his own child, his father might have felt utterly ashamed. He rushed out, not even wearing shoes, and ran madly out of the residential area. The boy’s mother chased after him. Both of them were blinded by anger, lost all reason. His father ran onto the road, and a car happened to be coming. He was hit and killed.”
“Died on the spot, with the boy and his mother present.”
For a moment, Lin Song’an felt he couldn’t breathe, his chest heaving violently.
Wardrobe, car accident…
That day when Ye Ling came, Tan Ning had hidden in the wardrobe and came out angry at him. And that day on the highway, when he heard there was a car accident ahead, he begged him not to drive any further.
There were reasons behind it all.
Tan Ning was only eight then; before eight, he certainly wasn’t like this.
“Young Master Lin? Are you listening?”
Lin Song’an snapped back. “Yes.”
“That’s basically it. The boy’s mother might not have been able to cope with the incident. She moved away soon after and sent the child to his grandfather’s. She has since remarried and has other children; She doesn’t visit the grandfather’s house often. Neighbors say the child is quite sensible, doesn’t ask for good food or clothes, even wears other people’s old clothes. After graduating high school, he started working as a tutor to earn money to help with household expenses.”
The other person paused and added, “But he might have been traumatized by his father’s death, has a very strange personality, no friends, doesn’t talk to people. Neighbors say he seems autistic.”
Lin Song’an closed his eyes.
How could he blame Tan Ning for making new friends? Tan Ning clearly needed friends so much.
He should be happy for Tan Ning. Did he wish for Tan Ning to always be alone? How could he be so selfish?
“That’s all there is.”
Lin Song’an’s voice was hoarse. “I understand. Thank you.”
After hanging up, Lin Song’an immediately went downstairs, but he couldn’t see Tan Ning in the crowd anymore. He hurried to catch up, heading toward Tan Ning’s dormitory. Finally, at the end of the path, he saw that thin figure.
Tan Ning was walking very slowly, each step looking weary.
Lin Song’an was about to catch up when Tan Ning suddenly stopped. Instead of returning to the dorm, he turned toward the campus gate. To catch up with him, Lin Song’an quickly went to the parking lot to get his car.
Tan Ning came out of the pharmacy. The pharmacist had taken his temperature—38.9 degrees Celsius—so he bought some fever medicine.
As soon as he stepped out, he bumped into Lin Song’an, who was searching for him everywhere.
Instinctively, Tan Ning took a step back.
He was afraid to see Lin Song’an.
Was Lin Song’an coming to break up with him?
But Lin Song’an stepped forward and pulled him into his arms. The familiar scent enveloped him. Lin Song’an glanced up at the pharmacy sign. “Are you sick? Where do you feel unwell?”
Tan Ning was dazed, unable to react at all.
Until Lin Song’an saw the medicine in his hand, and without another word, took him back home.
Tan Ning sat in a daze on the sofa, watching Lin Song’an boil water in the kitchen, prepare his medicine, stir and cool it, and then bring it to him.
“Be good, drink this first.”
Lin Song’an’s voice was very gentle. Tan Ning’s eyes felt sore.
“Lin Song’an, why are you doing this?”
Lin Song’an seemed not to hear, stirred the medicine a couple more times, then brought the bowl to Tan Ning’s lips, coaxing him to drink.
Tan Ning refused to drink.
Lin Song’an smiled at him. “Then what do you want me to do?”
Lowering his head, Tan Ning hid his hands in his sleeves, clenching his fists. “You obviously heard.”
Lin Song’an’s hand, warm from holding the bowl, slipped into Tan Ning’s sleeve, grasping his hand. With a soothing touch, he rubbed the area between Tan Ning’s thumb and index finger.
The little cat’s claw suddenly relaxed.
Revealing the soft pads, Lin Song’an gently pinched them.
“I heard, and I was indeed a bit hurt. I couldn’t sleep half the night.”
Tan Ning lowered his gaze.
“But when I saw you today, I thought,” Lin Song’an smiled, leaned in slightly, and planted a kiss on Tan Ning’s cheek. “Forget it; why bother arguing with a little cat?”
Holding the bowl, Tan Ning drank the medicine.
The steam made his eyes well up with tears.
“That boy yesterday—is he a new friend of yours, Ning Ning? Where did you meet?”
“A roommate who transferred into our major.”
“I see. No wonder I haven’t seen him before. I should apologize; Ning Ning has a new friend, and I should be happy for you. My attitude was bad yesterday.”
Tan Ning was stunned.
“I was just jealous.”
“He’s a beta.”
“That makes me even more jealous.”
“Why?”
“Because the possibility of you being with a beta is much greater than with me, if I hadn’t appeared.”
Tan Ning seemed not to understand. He thought: Before you appeared, I never thought about being with anyone. I always believed I would be alone forever.
“But Ning Ning needs friends, needs to interact with people other than me. I’ll be more mindful in the future and try not to get jealous.”
“And about the rut period—I know you suffer every time. I lose my mind during it, and you’re the one who endures it. I’m sorry, Ning Ning. Please give me a bit more time, okay? My father is investing in developing medication, and I’m following the progress. There will be medicine; everything will turn around.”
Tan Ning felt a bit uneasy.
Lin Song’an was saying too much. They had gone from not communicating at all, to only discussing physical matters, to this.
Tan Ning wasn’t used to Lin Song’an opening up to him.
Opening up meant deeper ties.
When Lin Song’an reached out to hold his hand, Tan Ning abruptly shook him off.
Both of them froze.
Tan Ning realized he had messed up again.
Lin Song’an had already taken off the watch. What would he do next? Smash the ceramic kitten?
When disappointment accumulates to the highest point, it turns into indifference. He had experienced it before. Over ten years ago, he sat at his grandfather’s doorstep, day after day hoping Yue Ying would come for him. But as the sun set, he never saw her. Over the years, disappointment accumulated, and later, when he heard Yue Ying had remarried and had children, he felt nothing.
Yue Ying treated him like that; was he taking it out on Lin Song’an?
How could he be so awful?
But Lin Song’an pulled him into his arms. The embrace was warm; his cheek pressed against Lin Song’an’s shoulder. Lin Song’an held his waist tightly with one hand, the other hand stroking his back.
A hug that Tan Ning desperately needed.
The more Tan Ning struggled, the tighter Lin Song’an held him.
In the end, Tan Ning ran out of strength. Lin Song’an picked him up horizontally and carried him into the bedroom.
Tan Ning was considered tall among betas, but at this moment, he was easily enveloped by Lin Song’an. Hugging him from behind, Tan Ning was exhausted to the extreme and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Lin Song’an wanted to check Tan Ning’s temperature to see if his fever had gone down.
As soon as he loosened his arms, Tan Ning began to fidget, helplessly seeking the warmth of Lin Song’an’s body in his sleep. Lin Song’an immediately lay back down, not daring to get up. He could only press his forehead against Tan Ning’s, roughly gauging that his temperature had dropped significantly—not as hot as before.
In a half-awake state, Tan Ning began to cry.
He opened his eyes, but they were unfocused. He grabbed Lin Song’an’s arm and bit his wrist.
Lin Song’an leaned in and finally heard Tan Ning’s mumbling.
“Why aren’t you wearing the watch I gave you? You can’t not wear it. If you don’t wear it, you’re not allowed to wear it ever again…”
Lin Song’an couldn’t help but laugh. He took the blue-dial watch he had forgotten to wear that morning from the bedside table and put it on in front of Tan Ning.
“Is this okay now?”
Tan Ning stared blankly, then nodded.
“I won’t forget again. Don’t worry, Ning Ning.”
Lin Song’an patted his back, coaxing him to sleep. After a while, Tan Ning fully woke up, initially dazed for half a minute, staring blankly at Lin Song’an.
Lin Song’an lowered his head to kiss him, biting his cheek. He remained in a daze.
Lin Song’an could tell Tan Ning wanted to apologize, but the awkward little cat didn’t know how to start.
He took an electronic thermometer to check Tan Ning’s temperature. Seeing that the fever had subsided, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, holding back a laugh, he leaned against the headboard, watching Tan Ning.
He was curious about what Tan Ning would do.
Tan Ning agonized over it for what felt like an eternity.
After a long time, he finally moved. First, he shifted closer to Lin Song’an. Seeing that Lin Song’an didn’t hug him proactively, he moved closer again. Then he raised himself halfway, avoiding Lin Song’an’s intense gaze, his face cold and stiff. With a thud, he fell straight into Lin Song’an’s arms.
He took the initiative to hug Lin Song’an’s waist, imitating Lin Song’an’s actions, rubbing his cheek against Lin Song’an’s neck.
Lin Song’an’s heart melted. Holding back a laugh, he asked, “Little Tan Cat, is this how you apologize? Isn’t it a bit insincere? Not even a word?”
It was the first time Tan Ning did something like this, as if he had suffered a great humiliation. His tone was stiff. “It’s not an apology.”
“Oh? Then what is it?”
“Giving you my virus.”
Lin Song’an was stunned for two seconds, then burst into laughter.
He pulled up the quilt to wrap around Tan Ning, shaking him gently, teasing in his ear, “Such a wicked little cat. How can there be such a wicked little cat? You need a good punishment.”
Tan Ning looked up, and Lin Song’an lowered his head to capture his lips, lightly biting his tongue.
After a long time, drowsiness set in. Lin Song’an was about to turn off the bedside lamp. As he turned, he heard Tan Ning whisper in his arms, “Lin Song’an, I’ll give you time. Please give me a bit more patience, okay?”
*
Author’s Note:
Tomorrow, something sweeter awaits.
Translator’s Note:
(Internal squeal) Finnnallly~ Little Cat Tan is finally opening up~
Waaa Ning Ning deserves many hugs ? thanks for the tl. ????