chapter 15
1150 Words
On a summer night, the darkness always arrives later than expected.
Around five o'clock in the evening, the sun shows no signs of setting.
It merely rests within the clouds, lazily radiating its light through the white veil.
Jiang Sheng lay in the transparent plastic window of the pet backpack, feeling the steady pace of the young man carrying him, and looked up at the sparrows flying by.
The temperature was neither cold nor hot, and the air was not murky.
The crowds of people returning from work or school had yet to arrive, leaving the streets somewhat empty.
This should have been a pleasant afternoon, but the young man's mood was far from clear.
Due to his resentment, Jiang Sheng could roughly sense this.
But why was he like this?
Jiang Sheng might know the answer, but it wasn't something it could explain easily.
To be honest, the young man's situation couldn't really be called "painful."
At least up until now, that was true.
His family wasn't exemplary, but it was still complete.
His health wasn't great, but his body was intact.
His career wasn't smooth, but he managed to make ends meet.
He didn't need to wake up early, work hard, or exhaust himself to have food and clothing.
Compared to many people struggling with basic needs, he was undoubtedly fortunate.
Yet humans seemed to be like this.
Whether they were dissatisfied or naturally unhappy,
they found it difficult to enjoy their lives.
Because they were too good at thinking.
So much so that they would get lost in thought, encountering problems they couldn't solve.
People in different circumstances all faced their own challenges, but there was no end to life's difficulties.
Thus, most people couldn't be happy.
Some gave up, some persevered, some took detours, and some got stuck.
So there were those who were depressed, tired, regretful, and suffering.
From Jiang Sheng's perspective, the young man was probably one of those stuck in a dilemma.
He might have lost his way but was still determined to move forward, making it hard for him to be happy.
So, why couldn't he just accept the present?
If cats could speak, Jiang Sheng might ask the young man this question.
Yes, if moving forward is too tiring, why not stop or go with the flow?
Like how cats live.
At least by letting go, you wouldn't suffer from unfulfilled desires.
There are so many beautiful things in this world, so many moments worth enjoying.
Why bind yourself with unnecessary constraints, pursuing intangible goals?
Jiang Sheng couldn't understand this point—it could empathize with the young man's troubles but couldn't approve.
In its view, only foolish people would waste their short lives on the journey.
Like a trip, compared to the magnificent distant scenery,
Jiang Sheng often preferred setting its sights on nearby destinations.
However, it forgot that places once considered distant are now easily reachable.
As the saying goes:
"There are no paths in this world; they are made by those who walk them."
Jiang Sheng became a cat because it had lost part of the human persistence.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It's hard to say.
It's simply a regret, an unavoidable regret when life involves thinking.
...
After leaving home, He Wen didn't ask Jiang Sheng where it wanted to go. He simply walked down two streets and entered a supermarket.
He bought some fruits and vegetables, as well as a small bag of cat food.
Jiang Sheng stayed obediently in the backpack, not crying out or causing trouble.
After all, its resentment didn't greatly affect others, as long as no one lingered near them.
Even if someone passed by, the resentment couldn't leave its host and linger for long. When He Wen and Jiang Sheng left the supermarket, the only thing Jiang Sheng did was show its claws and teeth to a curious child, scaring them away.
...
"So, where do you want to go next?"
Sitting on a bench by the riverside path, which led to grassy woods ahead and bustling traffic behind, it was nearly six o'clock. The sky was golden-red with dazzling sunset hues, and busy crowds began to pass by.
He Wen placed the backpack and the items he bought aside.
Then he picked up Jiang Sheng and let it jump down onto the ground from his hands.
Perhaps it was a sudden whim, or perhaps it was a heartfelt impulse.He Wen looked at the black cat, chuckled softly, and then spoke to it in a gentle voice with an incomprehensible train of thought.
"Go wherever you want. I'll wait for you here. Yes, I'll wait for two hours."
The black cat should come back, he thought.
If it doesn't come back, it's fine too. At least it went where it wanted to go, He Wen believed.
However, the next moment, the black cat looked at him as if he were a fool.
Then it returned to his side, lay down, and meowed.
"Meow."
"Uh." Faced with the cat's strange behavior, the young man blinked in confusion.
After a moment, he guessed again with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Do you mean that we should just stay here?"
"Meow."
"Are you saying that you just wanted to take me out for a walk?"
"Meow."
"I'm very busy."
"Meow."
"Alright, alright."
By the riverside, bits of grass danced in the wind.
In the sky, the flame-colored sunset painted the streets red.
Behind them, silent streetlights faced the shadows.
Tall buildings piled up like charcoal, resembling firewood.
Without a doubt, this was a one-in-a-billion chance.
That such flames could warm people's hearts.
Jiang Sheng circled its cat food twice. It preferred beef-flavored food, but it wasn't sure what flavor the young man had bought.
He Wen felt a bit more relaxed. At least the dark aura around his neck dissipated a little, swallowed by the resentment within Jiang Sheng.
At this moment, he still didn't know how to proceed with his life or whether he could continue writing novels normally.
But, whatever.
Let me rest for a while, just a little while.
Forget about those words crawling through my mind.
Thinking this, the young man reached out and gently placed his hand on the black cat's back.
His fingertips sank into the soft fur.
It's so warm, and I can feel its heartbeat.
He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the river and the evening breeze.
He responded to the cat's heartbeat with his own.
"Let's sit here for a while," the young man suddenly said.
"Meow." Jiang Sheng did not refuse.
"You agreed," the young man said.
"Then let's sit here a bit longer, hmm, for two hours, how about that?"
"Meow." The black cat widened its eyes.
"Hahaha."
He Wen laughed, a joy Jiang Sheng had never seen before, bathed in the evening glow.
- Writer
