Chapter 10: The Tenth Year
"It's so cold," Hai Ruo covered her face with her hands, breathing out hot air, looking from time to time at the workers moving the large pieces of furniture into the Mediterranean styled big house, it's been said that aunt met her first love during her vacation in Rome. "DongDong, come."
He first ran into the house to make sure the antique Phoebe zhennan coffee table didn't get damaged, then quickly ran back outside, Hai Ruo bent over, lifting and hugging DongDong, the warm temperature made Hai Ruo let out a breath of comfort.
They were moving houses, moving to the house aunt left her. Hai Ruo's parent's often traveled for work, there was a long period during her teenage years where she spent time here, coming back when she has passed on, Hai Ruo once again deeply understood the meaning of "things are there but people aren't*".
DongDong protected her hand covering his stomach, licking the tip of Hai Ruo's chin.
"She's a very interesting, and at the same time incredible person." Being busy the entire day, things have finally been moved in, Hai Ruo laid in her room, hugging DongDong while reminiscing on her impression, of her aunt's past.
"Grandpa was a police officer his whole life, grandma was a literary and artistic soldier, dad retired from being a soldier and taught at the police academy, in this household aunt, according to what people would think, it would have had something to do with the military side right."
"But she has been a bit rebellious since she was young, simply changing her college examinations and voluntarily going to pursue fashion design." Hai Ruo laughed, "It was so, I remembered when I was young aunt loved to make me clothing and flowery dresses, don't know where she got her material and fabrics but she made enough for me to fill up a small box. During that time all my classmates were envious of me."
"She really had a lot of talent, afterward she went to study abroad, coming back she collaborated with someone to start a studio, later on creating her own brand."
"She emits so much charm, there's never no one accompanying her, back then I eavesdropped on dad talking to mom, he would have constant headaches from aunt only dating and not settling down marrying......"
"She was born to not be chained down, in her lifetime she never married, and was still living so elegantly, so freely." Hai Ruo stroked the fur on DongDong's back, "Her love life was also free, her whole life being free......loving, giving up...starting from scratch, indeed it was something really interesting."
DongDong arched up in her arms, silver-white moonlight leaked through the gap between the curtains, reflecting on his bright pupils, Hai Ruo stroked him once at a time. Stoking, stoking. Becoming more, and more slow.
She fell asleep. Curled up inside the thick quilt, one of the most insecure positions, also seeming to be using her entire heart to protect her most precious deeply hidden treasure——DongDong was held in her arms.
After an exhausting day of packing, she was snoring a little bit.
"DongDong, I'm back." Aunt's house is quite a distance away from S university, the requested three-month vacation along with the starting of the new semester is over, Hai Ruo started driving to class, as for aunt's favorite red car she took the initiative to give it to the "last boyfriend", seeing his face crying out at that moment, presumably this car also carries many romantic memories for them.
Her car now is a cute yellow beetle*, but due to the recent restrictions on even and odd number license plates*, it's not convenient for DongDong to go to class with her every day.
Therefore, today at home, he did nothing at all, only squatting at the door entry, waiting till sunset for Hai Ruo's return.
Waiting just like this, feeling that time was very slowing flowing by, from time to time moments where he was conversing with Hai Ruo popped up in his mind, being intimate and coquettish, even the moments where only the eyes meet, thinking that it wasn't hard to bear.
Treasuring these precious memories, he felt that not moving even one inch just waiting still was also a very interesting thing to do.
"Today's dinner is your favorite curry." Hai Ruo smiled and raised the shopping bags, smiling gently like usual.
DongDong watched as Hai Ruo took the contents from the bag one by one placing it in order into the refrigerator, when Hai Ruo was mumbling away about the interesting things that happened today, he realized, every time she stood up, she would need to support the side of her waist.
She wasn't so young anymore, Chu Chengyu suddenly realized this.
Maybe it was due to the daily living together and getting along that his observation skills were getting dull, but if you count carefully, he was also already ten years old this year, being in this household also for ten years already. Ten years, long enough to evoke many changes in a woman.
People probably still can't guess Hai Ruo's age, she is always smiling so gently, the face appearing the same as in the past. But he knew, at the corner of her eyes irresistible small fine lines still appeared, products containing collagen have started being put to use, and even just last month, he collected Hai Ruo's first-ever white hair in her lifetime.
A few years back Hai Ruo accidentally twisted her waist, at that time recovery was pretty smooth, but now it seems to be resurfacing.
She's already thirty-nine years old, about this time next year, she would be entering the wise years*.
But Hai Ruo was still as beautiful as ever, DongDong's tail was sweeping back and forth on the ground, watching her cut-up vegetables, being fascinated watching.
In a blink of an eye time has already passed into entering midsummer, this year the rainy season during summer was especially long, the two students under Hai Ruo won some kind of award for their thesis, so she's treating them, a few people and one cat having a meal at a private kitchen, dined and wined to satiety, Hai Ruo also didn't drive her car, following the few students laughing and talking walking over to the subway station.
"Ah, my bag." Hai Ruo who was standing at the outermost side shockingly exclaimed, the small handbag she was carrying was suddenly being pulled, causing her to stagger.
DongDong had noticed this one step ahead of her, desperately kicking his foot off the ground and onto the robber's face, there was no sound coming out of him only using some effort to scratch him up.
"F**k, this animal!" The robber was stunned dull for a bit, immediately getting pressed to the floor on both the left and right side by the two male students, DongDong turned back jumping into Hai Ruo's anxious arms, making sounds to comfort her.
It's nothing there are no problems, the one with a problem is him.
The People's Police* quickly arrived, seeing the bloody claw print on the robber's face, saying something in awe, "Oh, your cat is pretty powerful, super protecting towards the owner. But, it has had a vaccine shot right."
After getting Hai Ruo's affirmative reply he said two more sentences, saying that as of late there have been many cases of break-ins, hoping that the general public can be more vigilant, and that women shouldn't stay at home alone and so on.
Coming back home, Hai Ruo sighed with relief, and was finally in the mood to talk with DongDong.
"You were really rash today do you know," Hai Ruo raised his chin, "Way too impulsive, let's not talk about how I didn't have much in that small handbag, even if it's full of gold bars you can't not care about yourself rushing in."
Hai Ruo's voice raised unconsciously, DongDong knew she was agitated, lowering his head, meowing asking for forgiveness.
"Even if you own up to your wrongs it's still no good," Hai Ruo was still really angry, "Today your punishment would be that you aren't allowed to sleep with me." Ever since aunt passed away, every night they have been hugging each other to sleep, DongDong feeling her body temperature slept extremely peacefully. The soft fragrance and warmth, today it's actually......going to break off?
Even when he used his killing hearts technique of squatting at the wall's corner that he hasn't done in years it didn't restore his welfare, DongDong the cat as a whole was depressed, even his fur was drooping, unwillingly moving step by step towards the cat's nest, even looking back at Hai Ruo once more before the lights turned off.
"Quickly go to sleep." Hai Ruo pulled up the quilt, turning over, feeling the lingering anger.
DongDong curled into a ball, silently, thinking over some things.
Today, he was really depressed.
Even though he protected Hai Ruo today, even though Hai Ruo didn't get hurt, he was still feeling fear.
Terribly scared.
Thinking about the news said by the People's Police, DongDong started to panic in his heart. So what if they lived in basically the most highly secured small neighborhood, in this household other than Hai Ruo and him there's no one else......or, that except for Hai Ruo there was no one else.
When danger arrives, could he really protect Hai Ruo, with a cat's body?
He once again thought about the past that wasn't so clear anymore, when he was still Chu Chengyu, to keep the body from getting sick, he purchased some exercise equipment for his house, training weekly the physique built up was surprisingly pretty good.
It should......give women a sense of safety, could give Hai Ruo something to lean on.
But now, what could he be worth, missing the opportunity to meet before, the him now what about Hai Ruo can he protect?
His heart was full of expectations for Hai Ruo saying that having him was enough and that no one else was needed, but is this really good for her?
Once again, he fell into that space of boundless regret, entering the barriers of self-deprecation.
The clock hanging on the bedroom wall was tick-tocking annoyingly, DongDong stretched out his four limbs, opening his eyes widely, his paw stretched out scratching the flannelette surface of the cat's nest meaninglessly.
"DongDong, are you asleep?" A muffled voice came from the bedding on the bed.
"Meow." DongDong subconsciously answered with no thought, indicating he was still awake.
"You......come over." Hai Ruo poked out her head, "It's......still a bit cold, I also don't like being covered with a thick quilt......"
It was all excuses, DongDong complained in his heart but couldn't hide his joy, jumping up in two-three steps, rushing into the quilt.
"I still haven't forgiven you, you hear." Hai Ruo talked a bit then yawned, rubbing her eyes, "This is absolutely not allowed the next time, you don't even know how scared I was then............"
Soon, DongDong couldn't hear Hai Ruo's voice, Hai Ruo also stopped talking.
Asleep.
*Things are there but people aren't (物是人非) - A Chinese idiom meaning that the things/objects might be the same but the people are not. Usually used for passing events, when missing someone.
*Yellow beetle - Volkswagen Beetle.
*Even and odd license plate - This has been an existing policy since 2008. From the internet: On each weekday, two groups of vehicles are not allowed to ply on Beijing’s roads according to the last number of license plates (1 and 6 on Monday, 2 and 7 on Tuesday, 3 and 8 on Wednesday, 4 and 9 on Thursday and 5 and 0 on Friday). On weekdays, restricted cars are not allowed to drive within Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road between 7 am and 8 pm.
*The wise years (不惑之年) - This is something that represents the age of 40 and is something said by Confucious. Example the age of 50: The age of knowing destiny (知命之年).
*People's Police - Police in China.
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