30

"Yes, I just arrived," Qin Ruan's voice came through the phone.

At the same time, Wen Yixin also heard her doorbell ring.

She didn't have time to think too much and hurriedly got out of bed to open the door.

As soon as she opened it, Qin Ruan's figure greeted her.

Early in the morning, she had actually come over.

Wen Yixin opened her mouth, puzzled, and asked, "Why did you come over so early?"

As she spoke, her eyes fell on the two bags in Qin Ruan's hands, and after a moment of silence, she asked, "What's in the bags?"

"Some clothes, and I packed some breakfast and fruit bread," Qin Ruan said as she lightly shook the bags, tilting them slightly so Wen Yixin could see inside.

Wen Yixin was momentarily taken aback. She overlooked the breakfast and asked about what concerned her more: "Why did you bring clothes over?"

Qin Ruan smiled but didn't directly answer Wen Yixin's question. Instead, she said, "Aren't you going to invite me in first, Sister Wen? It's not very convenient to talk at the door, and if we wait too long, the breakfast will get cold."

Wen Yixin hesitated for a moment, then stepped back and held the door open wider. "Come in."

"Thank you, Sister Wen," Qin Ruan said, smiling as she entered. She gently pulled Wen Yixin's hand away from the door handle and took over. "I'll close the door. Sister Wen, you should go brush your teeth and wash up."

"We can have breakfast together when you're done."

Wen Yixin frowned slightly. "You haven't eaten yet?"

"No," Qin Ruan replied as she quickly shut the door, almost as if she was afraid something might escape. Turning back, she smiled at Wen Yixin. "I was worried that if I came too late, you'd have already eaten, so I brought my breakfast along as well."

"And it's more lively to eat together than to eat alone, don't you think?"

Wen Yixin remained silent, not knowing what to say.

Qin Ruan suddenly pressed her lips together, her earlier joy fading, replaced by unease and hesitation. "Sister Wen, do you...not like it when I do this?"

Wen Yixin furrowed her brows. "Not like it when you do what? Act on your own?"

"Yes." Qin Ruan lowered her eyes, her expression dim. "If you don't like it, I won't do it again."

Wen Yixin looked at her with a silent sigh. "It's not that I don't like it."

It was just unexpected.

In her mind, Qin Ruan had always been the one who followed her lead, so she hadn't anticipated that one day, Qin Ruan would take the initiative.

Hearing this, a flash of joy crossed Qin Ruan's downcast eyes, quickly hidden. She looked up at Wen Yixin, her eyes filled with a hint of a smile.

"Then I'll go set the breakfast on the table. Sister Wen, go brush your teeth."

Wen Yixin nodded lightly. "Alright."

...

When she came out after brushing her teeth, the table in the living room was already filled with a variety of breakfast dishes.

Next to the table, Qin Ruan was sitting, carefully peeling the shell off a boiled egg.

After peeling it, she placed it in an empty transparent box nearby.

Wen Yixin glanced at the box, noticing two neatly peeled eggs, and suspected that one of them was meant for her.

She approached, and before she even reached the table, Qin Ruan looked up.

"Sister Wen, come here," she called, waving her over.

Wen Yixin quickened her pace slightly, soon reaching the table and pulling out a chair to sit down.

As soon as she sat down, several dishes were placed in front of her: eggs, steamed buns, soy milk, corn, porridge, and even a small plate of snacks.

"Everything is still warm; it's the perfect temperature to eat now," Qin Ruan said.

Wen Yixin picked up a cup of soy milk and took a sip, then glanced at Qin Ruan, who hadn't started eating yet. "Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm about to," Qin Ruan replied with a smile, picking up a red bean bun and slowly eating it.

Wen Yixin looked around but didn't see the bag of clothes Qin Ruan had brought. She couldn't help but ask, "Where did you put the clothes you were carrying?"

"I put them back in the room I stayed in before," Qin Ruan admitted truthfully. After a moment of hesitation, her voice softened as she asked, "Sister Wen, can I stay here with you for a while?"

"Did something happen at the Qin family?" Wen Yixin's first thought was to ask this.

Qin Ruan hesitated, about to deny it, but then she paused and said quietly, "There were some unpleasant things."

"So I wanted to stay with you for a while, Sister Wen. Will you take me in?"

In the past, Wen Yixin would have agreed without hesitation, but now she hesitated, concerned about Qin Ruan. She asked again, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Qin Ruan's thumb habitually pressed against her index finger, a look of reluctance appearing on her face as she said softly, "Can I not talk about it right now?"

Wen Yixin was silent for a moment. She took a sip of porridge and set her spoon down, the porcelain clinking softly against the bowl.

Qin Ruan's heart pounded with anxiety. She was worried that her poor acting might be seen through and that Wen Yixin might reject her.

Seeing Wen Yixin about to speak, her heart leaped into her throat.

"Alright, we can leave it for now."

"And as for staying here, you can stay as long as you like. Just let me know when you want to go back."

Only then did Qin Ruan's anxiety ease.

"Okay," she replied, her heart filled with joy.

After breakfast, Wen Yixin took over cleaning up from Qin Ruan, tying up the now-full trash bag and hooking the knot with her finger.

"I'm going downstairs to throw out the trash. You can wait here."

"I'll go too." Qin Ruan quickly walked over to Wen Yixin's side, clearly intending to go with her.

Wen Yixin sighed softly. "It's fine. I'll be back quickly."

Qin Ruan didn't move, remaining by Wen Yixin's side, her hands nervously twisting together.

Wen Yixin sighed again. "Alright, let's go together then."

"Okay." Qin Ruan smiled and opened the door for Wen Yixin, letting her go out first. Then she followed closely behind.

Downstairs.

Although Qin Ruan walked beside Wen Yixin, she frequently glanced down at her phone.

Wen Yixin occasionally looked over out of curiosity, but due to the glare, she couldn't see what was on the screen. She only knew that Qin Ruan seemed to be reading something.

A novel? But Wen Yixin had never seen or heard Qin Ruan mention reading novels before.

Not understanding, Wen Yixin asked, "What are you looking at?"

"A guide," Qin Ruan replied simply.

"A guide for what?" Wen Yixin asked, puzzled. As she asked, she threw the trash bag into the nearby trash bin.

Qin Ruan opened her mouth, about to answer, but she suddenly heard a faint meowing sound.

She closed her mouth and listened closely. Realizing that the sound was coming from a nearby bush, she reached out and tugged at Wen Yixin's arm. "Sister Wen, I think there's a cat in there. I heard it meowing. Did you hear it?"

Wen Yixin tilted her head, listening carefully. "There is a cat meowing."

She crouched down, carefully searching the bushes, trying to find the source of the sound.

Qin Ruan did the same, squatting down to observe. After a while, she finally spotted the cat in a tangled part of the bushes.

"Sister Wen, it's over there."

Wen Yixin followed her gaze and saw a scrawny, scruffy kitten that looked about two to three months old.

The kitten seemed to have noticed them too, and its weak meowing suddenly became sharper, more piercing, and distressing.

Although the sound should have been annoying, Qin Ruan felt moved, her heart aching slightly.

She looked at the kitten's small, frail body and its dirty face and said, "Sister Wen, I want to find something to feed it. Can you keep an eye on it for me? Just in case it runs away, and I can't find it again."

"Okay," Wen Yixin agreed, scanning the area and not seeing any sign of a mother cat or other kittens nearby.

It seemed that this tiny kitten was all alone, and it had likely been here for some time. Judging by its condition, it might not survive much longer.

Thinking this over, Wen Yixin paused and called out to Qin Ruan, who was about to leave to get food for the kitten. "Wait, don't go looking for food just yet."

"I remember there's a pet hospital outside the neighborhood. How about we catch it first and take it to the hospital?"

Qin Ruan stopped in her tracks. "Are you planning to adopt this kitten, Sister Wen?"

"Let's take it to the pet hospital first. If it's in decent shape, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring it home." She did have thoughts of adopting it.

After all, they had already encountered it, and since Wen Yixin wasn't short on money, she felt it was her responsibility to help.

Besides, the kitten looked pitiful. If they didn't help, she would feel guilty.

Hearing this, Qin Ruan smiled but quickly frowned slightly, staring at the kitten. "It's too deep inside. It won't be easy to catch."

"It seems like we should still find some food to lure it out."

Wen Yixin measured the distance, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Go to the convenience store and buy a sausage to lure it out. And maybe get a small box or plastic bag too."

"Okay, I got it." Qin Ruan agreed and quickly left, walking at a fast pace.

Wen Yixin stayed behind, watching the kitten closely. She took a few steps closer, approaching the bushes.

The kitten noticed her getting nearer, and its sharp cries grew louder until Wen Yixin stopped moving. Only then did the cries gradually subside, and the kitten curled up in the corner.

Wen Yixin crouched down, silently staring at the kitten without making a sound. She remained motionless to lower the kitten's guard.

After a while, the kitten seemed to have grown accustomed to Wen Yixin's presence. Seeing that nothing had happened, it began to relax its curled-up body.

So when Qin Ruan returned with the necessary items, she saw Wen Yixin and the kitten silently staring at each other.

She walked over quietly, taking out a sausage from the plastic bag, tearing open the packaging with her teeth, and peeling off the plastic wrap.

Holding the sausage, she waved it toward the kitten. "Meow~"

The kitten's ears perked up as it looked over at Qin Ruan.

Seeing the sausage in her hand, the kitten's nose twitched, catching the scent even from a distance.

Seeing this, Wen Yixin broke off a small piece of sausage and placed it on the ground in front of them.

The kitten's gaze followed the piece of sausage as it was placed on the ground. It sniffed the air, cautiously moving forward a couple of steps before stopping. Repeating this process several times and seeing that the two people hadn't moved, the kitten finally dashed out, heading straight for the sausage, clearly intending to grab it and run.

Unfortunately, despite its speed, it wasn't faster than Wen Yixin.

The moment the kitten darted out, Wen Yixin swiftly reached out, grabbing it by the scruff of its neck and lifting it up.

Ignoring the kitten's struggles and cries, Wen Yixin deftly placed it into the small box. After Qin Ruan pressed down on the lid, Wen Yixin quickly poked two holes in the box to allow air to circulate.

Qin Ruan held down the box, which was being pushed around by the kitten inside, and looked worriedly at Wen Yixin's hand. "Sister Wen, did you get scratched?"

"No," Wen Yixin replied, smiling as she proudly showed Qin Ruan her hand, turning it over to demonstrate. "It didn't touch me at all."

"But I did catch it."

"Sister Wen, you're amazing," Qin Ruan praised Wen Yixin without hesitation.

The smile on Wen Yixin's lips deepened unconsciously. She took the box from Qin Ruan's hands and said, "Let's go. I'll carry it."

Qin Ruan didn't argue. After Wen Yixin took the box, she picked up the plastic bag and followed her towards the neighborhood entrance.

Twenty-five minutes later, they arrived at the pet hospital.

Wen Yixin opened the box and lifted the kitten, which was trying to escape, placing it on the examination table as instructed by the veterinarian. She spoke gently:

"Doctor, we found this kitten in the neighborhood. We plan to adopt it, so could you please check its health for us? Thank you."

"Sure. You can wait outside while I examine it. I'll let you know once I'm done."

"Alright," Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan responded in unison.

They moved to the waiting area outside. After washing her hands, Wen Yixin sat down next to Qin Ruan, and they waited for almost an hour.

When the veterinarian finally came out, they both stood up simultaneously.

The doctor chuckled at this and said, "Don't worry, the kitten is fine. It's just a bit malnourished and hasn't eaten in a while, so it'll need to stay here for a couple of days to receive fluids."

"You can come pick it up in the afternoon two days from now. That'll also give you some time to prepare for its arrival at home."

"It might be a bit tight to get everything ready in time, but we have many of the necessary items here—like litter, food, etc.—so you can buy them here to save time. It's very convenient."

Hearing this, Wen Yixin looked around at the many cat supplies displayed in the store.

Soon, she picked out several bags of cat food, litter, milk powder, probiotics, treats, and toys, and she even bought a small litter box.

She also purchased some medications, just in case.

Despite the number of items she selected, she only bought one or two packs of each to make it easier to carry everything home.

With one bag each, they didn't find it too heavy.

On the way back.

Qin Ruan walked through the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, turning to look at Wen Yixin beside her. "Sister Wen."

"Hmm?" Wen Yixin responded quietly.

Qin Ruan smiled. "Sister Wen, can you go out with me this afternoon?"

"Where to?" Wen Yixin asked.

"Just to the nearby Xinhu Park. Is that okay?"

Wen Yixin raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to do there?"

"I want to have a picnic," Qin Ruan said shyly, lowering her head and slowing her pace.

"I read that it's a great place for outdoor activities, with good air and a nice environment."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yixin couldn't help but recall the "guide" Qin Ruan had mentioned earlier. She raised an eyebrow. "So the guide you were reading was for a picnic at Xinhu Park?"

She had thought it might be something else, but it turned out to be this.

Qin Ruan nodded. "Yes."

She had planned it all out before coming to find Wen Yixin in the morning, though she hadn't expected the earlier interruption. That's why she mentioned it later.

"Can you go with me, Sister Wen? I haven't been there before, and I want to try it out."

Wen Yixin looked up at the sky. "It might be hot this afternoon."

Qin Ruan shook her head. "The weather today is much better than the past few days. It's not too hot, and there's a breeze. We can find a shady spot under a tree."

"Sister Wen, will you go with me just this once?"

Faced with Qin Ruan's pleading gaze, Wen Yixin couldn't help but agree. "Alright."

Qin Ruan's spirits lifted, and she broke into a wide smile.

Wen Yixin rarely saw Qin Ruan so happy, with her brows and eyes curved in delight.

Unable to resist, she smiled along with her. All things considered, it might be nice to go on a picnic with Qin Ruan.

"If we're going on a picnic, we should hurry home to prepare," Wen Yixin said with a smile.

Qin Ruan responded enthusiastically, picking up her pace.

At 1 p.m., they arrived at Xinhu Park.

The park was vast, with many trees, creating a sea of green as far as the eye could see.

Qin Ruan pulled Wen Yixin along as they searched for a while before finally finding a spot with ample shade and fewer people.

She took out a large, light-yellow picnic blanket from her bag and shook it out twice before handing one corner to Wen Yixin. "Sister Wen, help me spread this out."

Wen Yixin nodded and helped Qin Ruan smooth out the blanket before they arranged the food Qin Ruan had carefully prepared in the center.

They moved quickly and efficiently, finishing the setup in just a few minutes.

Noticing the light sheen of sweat on Wen Yixin's neck, Qin Ruan pulled out a tissue and reached up to wipe it away.

Wen Yixin paused and looked over at Qin Ruan.

"You have some sweat on your neck... I'll wipe it for you," Qin Ruan explained, her voice catching slightly. She carefully wiped around Wen Yixin's slender neck before discarding the tissue.

She lowered her head, the image of Wen Yixin's slightly flushed face and the thin layer of sweat on her neck replaying in her mind.

"Thank you," Wen Yixin said, expressing her gratitude as she picked up a bottle of cold drink. As she opened it to take a sip, she noticed Qin Ruan's dry lips and offered the drink to her instead. "You drink first."

Qin Ruan stared at the bottle for a moment, her gaze lingering on the porcelain-white hand holding it, before she smiled and took the bottle, her warm fingers brushing lightly against the chilled fingertips.

Wen Yixin didn't notice. She watched Qin Ruan take a sip and then opened another bottle for herself.

As she drank the cool beverage and felt the gentle breeze, Wen Yixin couldn't help but smile, leaning back and pressing her hands against the picnic blanket.

Qin Ruan mimicked her actions, but it didn't feel quite right. Just as she was about to change positions, her eyes caught sight of a couple lying on their blanket, enjoying the breeze and the sun together.

An idea formed in her mind, and she leaned closer to Wen Yixin. "Sister Wen."

Qin Ruan's gaze rested on Wen Yixin's flawless face, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "I have a small favor to ask."

"What is it?" Wen Yixin asked curiously.

Qin Ruan didn't answer directly, instead asking, "Could you agree first?"

"It's a simple favor. As long as you agree, I'll tell you right away."

Wen Yixin smiled, shaking her head. "No."

"Either you tell me now, and I'll consider agreeing, or I'll pretend you didn't say anything."

"So, will you tell me?"

A breeze blew, slightly ruffling Wen Yixin's thick hair. She reached up to brush the strands away from her face and tuck them behind her ear. As she did so, she heard Qin Ruan softly say:

"Sister Wen, can I rest my head on your lap?"

"It looks like it would be really comfortable. I want to try it."