Chapter 17

Who should she call?

Of course she should call him.

Zhen Bao put away her phone, looking at Fu Ming Shi puzzledly, "Where are you hiding?"

"I just got here," Fu Ming Shi said with a smile. The dormitory building had a main entrance and a bicycle garage on the side, both led inside.

Zhen Bao understood and lowered her head laughing. She then noticed Fu Ming Shi was wearing leather shoes and dress pants. His white shirt on top was also high-end. He was holding a gift bag in his left hand. Zhen Bao suddenly remembered there seemed to be a broadcast when she called during dinner. She couldn't help but look up and ask him, "Did you just get off the plane?"

Fu Ming Shi nodded. He put his hand on her shoulder to guide her forward, "Let's go somewhere else to talk." They were by the dormitory building, there may be nosy people around.

Zhen Bao obediently followed him. The night had cooled down and she was wearing long sleeves, but even through her clothes, she could still feel the warmth of his palm resting on her shoulder as they walked six or seven steps before he finally let go.

"Have you eaten?" From the airport to here, Zhen Bao guessed Fu Ming Shi probably hadn't eaten dinner yet.

"I wanted to eat with you, didn't expect you'd have dinner plans," Fu Ming Shi said meaningfully, looking down at her.

Zhen Bao suddenly remembered Feng Yue's joke and was about to explain when she saw the bakery across the way in the living area. She had an idea and pointed over, "Want to go take a look? Their red bean and ham bread rolls are pretty tasty, they also have milk tea."

"You're treating me?" Fu Ming Shi teased her on purpose.

"I can only use my meal card," Zhen Bao explained very seriously.

Fu Ming Shi laughed and went with her. He wasn't hungry on the way here but now that she suggested food, he suddenly had an appetite.

There were many types of breads to choose from. Fu Ming Shi ordered what Zhen Bao recommended, the two kinds. He noticed Zhen Bao eyeing the boiled corn in the window longingly several times and ordered two of those too, plus two cups of hot milk tea. With six small bags in hand, it was quite a haul.

There was a small grove inside A University. The path was lined with many benches but they were all occupied by couples. After looking around for a while, they finally found an empty one.

Sitting down, they ate first. Zhen Bao hugged the corn, rather embarrassed since she already had dinner. But the bakery's boiled corn was especially tasty, just a little expensive at 3 RMB each. Zhen Bao only occasionally buys them, she can't get full eating corn cobs as a meal but feels it's a waste to have them as just a snack.

She nibbled daintily and elegantly.

"Met any handsome new guys?" After finishing a red bean roll, seeing she made no move to explain, Fu Ming Shi idly asked.

Zhen Bao nearly choked. She dabbed her mouth with a tissue and told him everything that happened today from start to finish.

Fu Ming Shi slowly ate the corn cob, leaning back against the chair and gazing into the distance.

Seeing he was enjoying the corn, worried it would get cold and not taste as good, Zhen Bao just continued eating her share, not taking the matter to heart at all.

Fu Ming Shi however, chewed this bite of corn for quite a while.

A high school classmate, reunited after three years of separation on the university campus. This scenario, doesn't it seem bound to lead to something happening?

"Is this classmate of yours very handsome?" Fu Ming Shi asked again before taking another bite.

Zhen Bao couldn't help but think back on what Meng Ji Ning looked like in 10th grade. She actually didn't remember too clearly anymore, just that many girls liked him. Now in university, the students' fashion styles changed a lot from high school. The Meng Ji Ning she met today already faintly carried an elite doctor aura.

"He is quite good-looking, he was the school heartthrob in our high school." When there was no need to lie, Zhen Bao liked speaking the truth.

Fu Ming Shi looked at her from the side. Unable to continue eating with him staring at her for so long, Zhen Bao blinked at him confusedly. What was he looking at her for?

"Complimenting how handsome another man is in front of your fiance, doesn't your EQ need some practice?" Fu Ming Shi asked bluntly.

His expression was so serious that Zhen Bao was stunned speechless.

"Don't let it happen again." Fu Ming Shi looked deeply at her then raised the corn to continue gnawing.

Zhen Bao was confused by him. If they were really boyfriend and girlfriend, or truly engaged, she could understand Fu Ming Shi being jealous. But they were only pretending to be engaged for his grandfather. Why would he care about her casual compliments? Moreover she only said Meng Ji Ning was handsome, not that he was more handsome than Fu Ming Shi.

"Just joking, keep eating." Fu Ming Shi patted her head, coaxing her like a child.

Zhen Bao looked at him suspiciously a couple times. She pursed her lips, still adding, "He's good-looking but far less so than you."

Not on the same level at all.

Fu Ming Shi nearly laughed out loud but hearing her praise him directly was unexpectedly even more pleasing than he imagined.

After throwing away the trash in a nearby bin, they checked the time. Past 8 pm already so Fu Ming Shi walked her back.

They chatted about daily things on the way. Reaching the dorm building's shaded backside, Fu Ming Shi finally handed her the gift box he carried, "A gift, food items."

Zhen Bao had been sneaking looks at it the whole way, guessing it was chocolates.

"Thank you." Food was easier for her to accept than clothes so she took it without any pressure.

"I'll come get you for the National Day holiday." Undergrads had many activities on weekends so Fu Ming Shi didn't insist she return to the villa. But she had to come back for longer holidays.

Zhen Bao nodded. She missed Hei Dan and should go back to see him.

"I'll head up then?" They already discussed what needed discussing and were at the building. Zhen Bao said softly.

Fu Ming Shi nodded.

Zhen Bao turned holding the gift box but had only taken a step when her left wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone.

Zhen Bao looked back in surprise.

The light from the distant streetlamp shone over, allowing her to clearly see Fu Ming Shi's deep dark eyes. Fu Ming Shi also saw the innocence and confusion in her eyes. After meeting gazes for a few seconds, Fu Ming Shi suppressed the urge to kiss her and changed what he wanted to say, "Study well. No matter how handsome the school heartthrobs are, remember you're a taken woman, even if only nominally."

His tone was teasing but Zhen Bao finally understood he was joking again. She gently broke free of his hold and ran off laughing.

~

On Saturday, Zhen Bao received a small task for her and two other new members to bathe some stray kittens newly brought into the Animal Protection Society.

The APS had a special holding area for taking in stray cats and dogs until they found adopters. Since Zhen Bao's dorm was the furthest away, by the time she arrived the other two had already picked kittens to wash, leaving Zhen Bao with a scrawny black cat. It had a pair of clear green eyes but unfortunately there seemed to be inflammation in the corners, dirtying its beauty.

The black cat was very wary of strangers, curled up in the corner of the cage while warily watching the lazily napping Cat Prince on the windowsill.

Seeing Cat Prince here, Zhen Bao was both shocked and delighted.

"He wanders anywhere he wants in the APS. It's his territory." Meng Ji Ning explained rather helplessly.

"Meow..." Seeing Zhen Bao, the plump Cat Prince suddenly leapt down nimbly and came over to be spoiled.

Zhen Bao played with him for a while before letting the pampered Cat Prince go and turning her attention to the black cat. Meng Ji Ning watched from the side as the previous two had quite a hard time catching the cats to bathe. This black one was the most stubborn, kept swiping its paws resisting. That's why it was left for last.

"Come out, let's go get washed up and you'll look beautiful afterwards." Zhen Bao smiled, coaxing the little one.

The black cat stared at her.

Zhen Bao reached into the cage. The black cat tentatively raised its paw but once Zhen Bao's hand touched it, the black cat stilled and let Zhen Bao pick it up obediently. On the floor, Cat Prince called out meaningfully at Zhen Bao and rubbed against her legs. The black cat in her arms looked down and swiped at Cat Prince as if to drive it away.

Small as it was, it was quite bold. Or perhaps it was emboldened by being held.

"Help brush its fur first, otherwise it'll get tangled when washing." There was skill involved in bathing cats. This was Zhen Bao's first time so Meng Ji Ning was teaching her. Zhen Bao learned diligently, first breaking up dried bits of dirt in the cat's fur then starting to brush. She had to finish brushing before trimming its claws. The black cat lay quietly in the basin on Zhen Bao's lap, behaving extremely well. It even seemed rather curious, lifting its head to watch as Zhen Bao trimmed its claws.

"Feels nice right?" Zhen Bao bent down to tease it.

The black cat struggled up as if wanting to sniff her face.

Zhen Bao closed her eyes and let it sniff her, not minding that it hadn't been washed yet.

Meng Ji Ning had stepped out for a moment and walked back in to see this scene. The young girl sitting in the sunshine but the tender smile on her face was warmer than the sun's rays. No wonder the bad-tempered Cat Prince and this solitary black cat also liked her.

Meng Ji Ning coughed lightly.

Zhen Bao opened her eyes and hurried to continue trimming the black cat's claws, realizing she had been too focused on playing and fallen behind schedule.

After finishing the claws, it was finally bath time. The black cat meowed in protest at seeing the water basin, refusing to get in. But Zhen Bao was gentle yet firm, thoroughly washing the black cat from head to toe under Meng Ji Ning's guidance. Only after rinsing, drying, brushing, and applying some eye drops to clean it up was the grooming considered complete.

The washed black cat had fluffy fur and clear eyes. Its green eyes shone like gems.

"Want to take a picture? To commemorate your first job." Meng Ji Ning hung a tag with a number on the black cat and suggested.

Zhen Bao liked taking pictures a lot and happily picked up the black cat to pose in front of the row of cages.

A beauty's greatest privilege was looking amazing no matter what. Casual snapshots came out like works of art.

"I'll add you on WeChat and send the pic to you." Meng Ji Ning said, walking over holding his phone.

The two became WeChat friends.

The black cat still needed to be neutered and vaccinated next before the APS PR department looked for an adopter.

Mentioning neutering again reminded Zhen Bao of Hei Dan. Elder Fu refused to let Hei Dan be neutered so the matter had been delayed indefinitely.

At 9 pm on the dot, Fu Ming Shi called as usual. Though he was the one who called, as they chatted it turned into Zhen Bao reporting her school life to him. "Today I bathed a black cat. It had such pretty eyes and was so well-behaved..."

Perhaps because it was the first stray she had handled, Zhen Bao really liked that black cat a lot.

"Can bring it back to the villa to raise with Hei Dan." Imagining her cute expression, Fu Ming Shi chuckled lowly.

"Oh, you really want to adopt it?" Zhen Bao suppressed her delight and asked. Before this she didn't have any thoughts of adopting the black cat since she couldn't keep pets in the dorms and it wasn't her home at the villa, she was just a guest.

Fu Ming Shi opened his laptop and saw her bright smiling face set as his wallpaper. His voice softened, "As long as you like it."

As long as she liked it, he was willing to take in any stray cat or animal that could make her happy.

The man's low voice was like a current of electricity. Zhen Bao's ears inexplicably grew hot. But after thinking it over carefully, she still hesitated, "Let me send you a photo first and see if you like it." If Fu Ming Shi was just trying to accommodate her feelings, then forget it.

"Alright." Fu Ming Shi put down his phone to wait for her cat pic.

Zhen Bao sent over the only photo she had, not having thought to take any herself.

Fu Ming Shi was expecting a black cat and didn't think she would include herself too. Looking at the sweetly smiling girl in the picture, Fu Ming Shi pondered then deliberately didn't reply.

Zhen Bao was anxious and asked: What do you think? Do you like it?

Fu Ming Shi finally typed back: Which one are you referring to?

Zhen Bao looked at the message in confusion, not understanding his meaning. Fu Ming Shi sent another one right after: The cat's cute, the owner's not bad either.

Realizing the connection, Zhen Bao hurried to explain: I meant the cat.

Fu Ming Shi: I like it.

Zhen Bao smiled.

On his end, Fu Ming Shi looked at the "Like the person too" he had typed in the input box for a long time before slowly deleting it and changing to: Good night.