Chapter 84 Chapter 84 (1/2)
Our Reality
Chapter 84
After having dinner at the Ji residence, Ji Yushi took along Middle Black as well as Big Black and Little Black who had been brought over by his sister-in-law and drove back to his place.
The three cat carriers were placed on the back seats and the cats would from time to time let out soft meows. Every time Ji Yushi went out with the cats, it was like he was dragging along with him an entire pet store.
Parking the car in the underground parking lot, he carried one bag on his back and one in each hand.
Ji Yushi entered the elevator and just happened to run into the neighbourhood aunt who had returned from a walk.
“Xiao Ji!” The other party greeted him enthusiastically when she saw him, “Got back from a business trip? You’ve been away for a long time!”
Ji Yushi nodded politely, “Yes.”
The neighbourhood aunt kindly helped him hold one of the carriers and waited until Ji Yushi was done opening his door before leaving.
Ji Yushi released the cats from the carriers. All three cats ran to every corner of the place with little strides. Small purrs could be heard coming from their throats.
Ji Yushi endured for a few seconds but couldn’t help but get up and look out through the peephole on the door.
The lights were still on in the quiet corridor outside but there was no one standing in front of his place staring at his door. The corridor was completely empty.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
The cats were hungry.
Just like usual, Ji Yushi cleaned three cat food bowls and poured cat food into them before moving on to pour out new cat litter. Once he was done, he entered the bathroom and took a bath to relax.
Reason, fear and panic. It all gave Ji Yushi a headache.
Since returning to Ning City, various sensory, psychological and physical sensations had made him confused and at loss. He soaked in the bathtub, immersed in warm water. Even after more than ten minutes, his thoughts were still unable to turn for the better.
Fortunately, after more than ten years of this, he had become very used to this feeling.
With the splashing of water, Ji Yushi got up and took out the medicine he had prepared from inside the mirror cabinet.
There wasn’t much left.
Before leaving for Jiang City, he had filled his medicine box and taken it with him. As for that medicine box…..it was still with Song Qinglan.
Perhaps their hearts were linked, just as Ji Yushi took out a pill, a phone call came.
The display on the mirror cabinet showed a string of numbers — Although he had only seen it once, Ji Yushi remembered that this string of numbers was Song Qinglan’s phone number.
The two hadn’t contacted each other after saying goodbye at Jiang City and it had been a whole day since then. Despite just confirming their relationship, Ji Yushi didn’t have the self-consciousness to be clingy with the other party. Even if Song Qinglan contacted him a few days later, he probably wouldn’t have minded.
But the moment this number appeared, he once again realised that he had started a relationship. His heart felt warm inside.
Ji Yushi: “Hello?”
Song Qinglan’s voice came from the other end. It was only three short words, “Open the door.”
The pleasant male voice echoed in the bathroom. Through the phone, it travelled across from Jiang City to Ning City.
Ji Yushi wasn’t able to react, “What?”
Song Qinglan seemed to have laughed. He then said, “I ordered takeaway for you. It should be almost there. You should open the door to receive it.”
Ji Yushi was stunned for a moment. He answered ‘okay’ and then hung up and quickly dried himself.
Not wanting the other person to wait too long, he put on his bathrobe and quickly walked over to the door. He habitually looked through the peephole to confirm the identity of the visitor.
His view however was blocked by a pile of boxes and bags. The visitor was patiently waiting while holding the pile of items.
Ji Yushi immediately opened the door, “Sorry for the …..”
“Sorry for what?”
The familiar voice that was heard through the phone earlier sounded, cutting off his words.
The person holding the boxes and bags was tall and his features were deep.
Ji Yushi this time was completely stunned.
Song Qinglan’s dark eyes stared at Ji Yushi, “Sorry for hanging up on your boyfriend and captain when you heard about the takeaway?”
Ji Yushi couldn’t hide the surprise on his face, “Why are you here? Weren’t you going to see your family?”
Song Qinglan strode in, “Just showing my face is enough. They’re all busy flying around the world, why would they need me to accompany them?”
Ji Yushi closed the door and quickly followed behind Song Qinglan. He helped him set the things down onto the ground.
“What’s more, I also feel uneasy at home.” Song Qinglan continued the topic from just now. He spoke in a playful tone, “I always feel that if I don’t come and check, a certain someone would run away.”
Ji Yushi, “…..It’s not to that extent.”
With a previous record next to his name, he knew that his words were not convincing.
“Who knows?” Song Qinglan was still wearing the same clothes he wore when they parted this morning and hadn’t had the time to change, “You ran away last time in the span of two minutes. It has been more than ten hours now so I have to hurry over to show my presence so that you would want to stay with me.”
The air-conditioning in the room was sufficient.
When Song Qinglan came, he seemed to have brought along with him the hustle and bustle outside as well as the hot summer heat.
His unconcealed and innate overbearing presence made this place and made Ji Yushi’s world, feel a lot livelier.
It didn’t feel like anything when they parted.
But after more than ten hours and now finally seeing the other person right before their eyes, they only now realised how much they missed each other.
Ji Yushi was only wearing a bathrobe with the belt loosely tied around his waist. He had a towel draped across his shoulders and his hair was still wet. It was clear that he had just taken a bath. His eyes looked like they had just been immersed with water, it was particularly clean and clear.
His entire being appeared defenseless.
Song Qinglan’s throat bobbed. He suddenly said, “I’m dirty.”
These words that spoken without context left Ji Yushi confused, “Huh?”
“I want to hug you.” Song Qinglan looked down at him. His tone was very forbearing, “But I went to a lot of places today.”
Ji Yushi liked cleanliness. He was even unhappy when he was wrapped in a dirty blanket despite almost freezing to death. Unbeknownst by others, the moment he heard the words ‘want to hug you’, his heart started beating chaotically inside.
“Shoosh——”
A soft sound attracted Song Qinglan’s attention.
He looked over and saw a black shadow lightly jump onto the cat tower. It was a completely black cat. Looking more closely, there were two more bright eyes glistening under the cabinet. At some point in time, these cats had quietly come out of their hiding places, secretly observing the stranger.
Something brushed against his calf. Song Qinglan looked down and saw that there was another black cat by their feet.
The cat was completely black with no other colour mixed in. It was the type that could perfectly conceal itself in the dark. Its two eyes were large and round and looked amber under the lights. At this moment, it was using its tail to gently brush against their calves in attempt to get their attention and to also keep an eye on this human who had just entered its territory.
The three cats and Ji Yushi seemed to match very well.
“I seemed to have entered a cat nest.” Knowing was different from seeing it with his own eyes. Seeing these ‘three boyfriends’, Song Qinglan was both angry and amused, “Three boyfriends?”
Song Qinglan picked up the black cat by his feet. It didn’t move nor did it struggle. Instead, it let out a meow like it was acting coquettish.
“Not afraid of people.” One human and one cat assessed each other. Song Qinglan grumbled, “Which one is the one that would often press you down all night, making it difficult to breathe?”
Big Black was usually the timider one. When it saw Song Qinglan, it however became very intimate, surprising even Ji Yushi, “If I don’t close the bedroom door when I sleep, all three could do it.”
Big Black seemed to be very comfortable receiving Song Qinglan’s pets. Song Qinglan had only petted it a few times and it had already let out a comfortable purr. It was sure clingy and cute.
The big guy’s loving heart was instantly activated. Song Qinglan opened the cardboard box he had brought over and pulled out some snacks for Big Black, “What number is this boyfriend?”
“Number one.” Ji Yushi said, “It’s called Big Black.”