Zeno, Argon, and Dave headed to ZW. During the trip, Zeno kept suppressing a smile, occasionally patting Argon’s head gently. He looked at the road with a cheerful feeling. Lately, he’d been suffering from a strange kind of fever—a tropical fever of longing—that made him feel feverish whenever he was near Alea Jade. Just thinking about her made him smile; she was so sweet and gentle.
If only he had paid attention to Alea sooner, maybe he would’ve kept her by his side long ago.
“Pa, why do you keep patting Argon’s head? Argon’s not like Nana’s cat that you always stroke,” Argon said, remembering one of his friends back in Texas whose Nana always stroked a small cat.
Zeno looked at him with a neutral expression. “Because I love you, Argon.”
“So, if you pat Uncle Dave’s head, does that me
