Chapter 15
AS THE SUN PEEKED over the horizon, signaling that the little ghosts of 4 Bright Avenue were off work for the night, a worried Daqing made his way to Zhao Yunlan’s place, plump body swaying as he ran. Upon arriving, he jumped onto the window ledge in the hallway and launched from there, pouncing fiercely at Zhao Yunlan’s door. His forepaws pressed the doorbell with perfect precision.
Button pushed, Daqing turned into a squashed-flat pancake of a cat and slid down to the floor.
The doorbell rang.
When Zhao Yunlan was home alone, he sometimes played games with earphones in. To make sure he didn’t miss it when someone was at the door, he’d chosen a particularly earth-shattering tone for the bell. At a single push of the button, the soul-stirring song “The Hottest Ethnic Trend” played in its entirety, loudly enough to be heard from outside.
But this time, even after the song had played for a while, there was still no answer. Were they still not back?
The black cat paced anxiously before the door and unconsciously started chasing his own tail, turning into a black tornado on the spot. Not about to give up, he decided to try again. He sprang. Just as his front paws latched onto the hallway window ledge and his back legs flailed in midair while he struggled to pull himself up, the door opened from within with a faint click. Startled, the cat lost his grip and slipped off.
He rolled where he landed, looking over with widened round eyes. Upon seeing who had answered the door, he lost his freshly regained balance. His paws slipped on the shiny floor, and his heavy jowls quivered from the fall. But then, very circumspect, Daqing sheathed his claws and sat up properly. Chest puffed out and stomach sucked in, he meowed lightly. “My lord.”
With a flick of Shen Wei’s fingers, the interminable doorbell went silent. Daqing couldn’t help holding his neck up stiffly. He swallowed with great difficulty as his gaze happened to fall on Shen Wei’s clothes—clothes that seemed far too familiar. That shirt was unmistakably Zhao Yunlan’s!
Zhao Yunlan, the absolute weirdo, liked to wear his sleeves rolled up. He always made a point of asking the laundry workers to iron his shirts with the sleeves that way so they would fold neatly. All unwilling, Daqing found a whole sequence of events popping into his head. First, the two would have taken off their clothes, and then… And then…
The black cat lowered his large round head, trying to get his mind out of the gutter.
“What is it?” Shen Wei asked.
“Oh, I… I just came to see if Director Zhao was back or not. We’ve all been so worried about him since he jumped into the Huangquan.”
Very quietly, Shen Wei said, “He’s back, but he’s resting now. If you need something, you can leave a message with me. I’ll pass it on once he wakes up.”
Daqing immediately grasped the situation and began to make a quick retreat. “Ah… I won’t disturb you any longer, then. There’s nothing important. Please just remind our boss to write up our work schedule for the new year and our department’s New Year speech. That’s all. Don’t let me keep you. I’ll be on my way.”
“Wait a moment.” Shen Wei’s smile seemed a little embarrassed. Politely, he said, “I have a favor to ask of you…”
Daqing, sensible cat that he was, darted back at once. Head raised high, he said, “Just say the word.”
Ten minutes later, the door to the breakfast shop downstairs was pushed open by an outrageously fat cat. The cat’s face was much too round, and his eyes were almost completely obscured by the fat, giving him a somewhat vicious look. A waitress nearly tripped over him and started yelling at once. “Hey! How did this cat get in?! Get it out! Hurry and get it out!”
The large black cat raised his head, leveling a contemptuous gaze at her. Then he jumped right onto the service counter and knocked on it with his front paw. Astonished, the cashier behind the counter watched as the cat spat out a piece of paper. The cashier shakily opened the note, which turned out to read, in very tidy handwriting, “Half a liter of soy milk, one basket of steamed buns, three fried dough sticks. Please put them in a sturdy bag. You’ll find the money on the cat’s neck. Please take what’s needed and put any change back in the same spot. Thank you.”
The cashier looked up, trying to locate the cat’s neck by sight. The cat rolled his eyes and lifted his head, revealing a collar beneath his double chin. The cashier found 30 yuan tucked in there, hidden under the plush fur.
“Everyone, look at this!” The cashier’s voice rang out loudly. “This is incredible! Even cats know how to buy things now!”
Daqing, who had to endure being stared at by everyone present, was so mortified and furious that he yearned for death. These stupid humans!
The sound of the door woke Zhao Yunlan. He opened his eyes. “Who…?”
“Your cat.” Shen Wei closed the door. “He came to see you. I asked him to go buy breakfast. Sleep a little more.”
As he spoke, he gently nudged Zhao Yunlan back into the blankets before tucking his hands back in. Then he bent down and kissed Zhao Yunlan on the forehead; with a fingertip, he smoothed out Zhao Yunlan’s brow, furrowed from awakening. Once Zhao Yunlan’s breathing was even again, Shen Wei walked to the window and looked at the plants on the windowsill, which were half-dead with neglect. He cupped a pot with his hands, and milky white light radiated from his palms.
The sickly plant responded like the earth tasting sweet rain after a long drought. It quickly became fresh and radiant. Its stem straightened. Soon it stood, graceful and elegant once more.
Shen Wei quietly washed the spray bottle, then carefully misted the leaves.
Most residents of Dragon City were already back at work, and the streets were once again busy at rush hour. Through a crack in the curtains, Shen Wei glanced outside. At the far reaches of the busy world, even further than the sky’s edge, a wisp of black drifted up from beneath the ground. But one glance was all Shen Wei spared it. Seeming to turn a blind eye, he looked away again and carried on with his task. The Great Seal was about to break, but there was an unfamiliar tranquility in his heart. His entire body felt lazy and relaxed, as though even dying at that very moment would be no big deal.
It was nearly noon by the time Zhao Yunlan woke again, this time awakened by the fragrance of the hot soy milk that Shen Wei had placed by his bedside. He stared at the creamy drink for a while, then suddenly rolled over and sat up. “What did you say this morning? You told Daqing to do what?”
Shen Wei, wearing glasses while he looked through a handwritten lesson plan, calmly said, “Buy breakfast.”
Dumbfounded, Zhao Yunlan just sat there with an indescribable expression, possibly imagining Daqing wandering the streets as the protagonist of Nobody’s Boy: Daqing. Then he gave his head a firm shake. He rested his elbows on his knees, pressed his hands to his forehead, and started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” asked Shen Wei.
“I was just thinking how I’ve done well in the romance department for half my life, only to be defeated and sealed beneath your mountain, like the Monkey King sealed under Wuzhi Mountain. You’re so powerful, Comrade Shen Wei.”
Zhao Yunlan’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but at whose expense was unclear. Either way, Shen Wei pretended not to notice. He kept smiling virtuously.