Chapter 32 p3
Only the emergency room of the pet hospital was open. Ah Le, carrying a bag of breakfast in his right hand, met Qi Sijia, who had just arrived at the door.
“I was just about to call you.” As he finished, he handed the breakfast in his hand to Qi Sijia.
He had just arrived and hadn’t had time to ask about the orange cat’s condition. Qi Sijia thanked him and briefly told Ah Le what the driver had said.
Ah Le’s expression relaxed.
“Was that your friend last night?” Ah Le said. “She doesn’t look like a cat lover. To be able to stay outside all night, you must have a very good relationship.”
Qi Sijia was stunned for a moment, her expression a little blank. She said faintly, “I’m not sure.”
At this moment, she really couldn’t define what Meng Jiang was.
“Ah, so you’ve made a new friend.”
If he says so, then it is.
Ah Le was like a little sun. He could always pick out a bit of positive emotion from others’ words that was not clear to Qi Sijia.
But unfortunately, their conversation did not last long. Although Ah Le was wearing a mask, the vet on duty at the door did not intend to let him in.
He often came to this hospital, and everyone knew that Ah Le was allergic to cat fur. Even standing outside the hospital, he would sneeze constantly.
His nose was red. He reiterated that he wanted to see the orange cat before he left, but the doctor shook his head, his attitude firm.
Qi Sijia had no choice but to help him out. “I’m here. You can go back first.”
“I’ll let you see it on video later, okay?”
Ah Le’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Then remember, I’ll be home in about twenty minutes.”
…
The ward had been changed to a VIP ward, and even the vet who had treated the orange cat this night was an expert from the capital star.
Qi Sijia first went to the doctor’s office to inquire about the orange cat’s condition and confirmed that it was out of danger.
Only then did she walk towards the ward.
In the ward, Meng Jiang’s hand was on her computer. She should be dealing with something. She had an earphone in one ear, and a video call was open in the upper right corner of her computer.
Her work and acting were two different states. Compared to her radiant and charming demeanor, she was more serious.
A nurse stood by and watched her for a long time, finally unable to hold back and asked, “Miss, has anyone ever told you that you look like a certain celebrity?”
Meng Jiang’s eyes were fixed on the screen. Her phoenix eyes curved as she replied, “Some people have said that.”
A gust of wind brushed past her shoulder. The nurse’s words were on the tip of her tongue. “Then did they say you look like Meng…”
The topic was cut off.
Qi Sijia pushed open the door and entered. She walked very slowly. No one knew how much she had heard.
Meng Jiang turned her head at the sound. Seeing that it was Qi Sijia, she thought of the conversation with the nurse just now and seriously observed Qi Sijia. She found that the gas mask was not very good for viewing.
Qi Sijia’s outfit could only be described as strange. Other than that, you couldn’t see any emotion at all.
Meng Jiang reined in her picky work gaze, moved the mouse to close the dialog box, and only then did she meet Qi Sijia’s gaze.
Unlike the polite and distant smile she had given the nurse just now, this time her eyes curved downwards. Qi Sijia saw a genuine smile in Meng Jiang’s dark eyes.
Meng Jiang naturally greeted her, “You’re awake.”
This greeting had a deliberate intimacy.
Qi Sijia hummed in agreement. She was wearing a gas mask, so her expression was unclear.
Meng Jiang would not take advantage of such a winter morning, the day after the orange cat’s surgery, to really investigate anything.
The time was not yet right. Between adults, whether it was pursuing someone or socializing, a certain distance was needed.
What Qi Sijia admired about Meng Jiang was that she always handled things with propriety. Seeing that Qi Sijia had arrived, she briefly explained the orange cat’s situation.
Then she quickly closed her laptop, put it in her bag, and with two bags, one slung across her body and one carried in her hand, perhaps she rarely carried so much weight, Meng Jiang adjusted the angle of her crossbody bag and stood in front of Qi Sijia.
“I’m leaving,” she said.
Qi Sijia looked up and turned to Meng Jiang. She asked, “You didn’t sleep all night?”
Meng Jiang raised an eyebrow, surprised that the first question was not about the cat, but about herself.
Without any hint of showing off, Meng Jiang said frankly, “My face looks bad? Then I’ll go back and catch up on sleep. I have something to do this afternoon. I’ll leave it to you. In half an hour, remember to ring the bell and ask the doctor to come and change the dressing on its belly.”
Qi Sijia nodded. “I know.”
The atmosphere was too good. Meng Jiang couldn’t help but say one more thing, “If you need anything, contact me anytime.”
Unexpectedly, Qi Sijia replied again, “Mmm.”
Since they had reunited, this was the only time they had a question-and-answer conversation that was so harmonious and friendly, which once made Meng Jiang doubt if Qi Sijia was real.
Perhaps the atmosphere was too good. Meng Jiang stopped and, after a moment of thought, added some drama for herself.
She took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Qi Sijia.
The business card was Chen Cheng’s, not deliberately. A person of Meng Jiang’s status usually didn’t need to carry a business card. There were plenty of people who would indirectly inquire.
It was normal for Meng Jiang not to have her own business card. If an acquaintance wanted one, she would give them Chen Cheng’s for entertainment industry connections, and Jiang Ru’s for business partners.
She didn’t think it was inappropriate before, but now with Qi Sijia, Meng Jiang rarely regretted not having a business card.
She hoped that Qi Sijia would discover this clue about Chen Cheng herself and think of her. But several times, Qi Sijia did not take the initiative to respond.
If she didn’t give a little hint, and waited for anyone to tell Qi Sijia about her identity, perhaps this accidental fate would become a deliberate and malicious calculation.
It was not upright, nor was it suitable for Meng Jiang’s current situation of pursuing someone.
As expected, when Chen Cheng’s business card was handed over, Qi Sijia didn’t even look at it. Meng Jiang lowered her eyes and thought for a moment.
She took back the business card she had handed over, wrote her private number in the blank space, and handed it over.
“Call this number.”
Qi Sijia looked down and stared at this familiar number that had been artificially created.
After a pause, she turned to the orange cat in the isolation room. The orange cat had fallen asleep again, with various transparent tubes attached to its body.
In fact, the old cat was having difficulty breathing, and even sleeping was painful.
After all, it was old. Its bones had degenerated, and its organs were failing. It was happening every day. Saving it might not be a hope for it, but more like torture.
Qi Sijia’s thoughts wandered. A moment later, she did not turn back. She took the business card and thanked Meng Jiang. “Thank you for what you did yesterday.”
Her tone was not unusual, neither distant nor angry, nor shocked.
It was equivalent to having no reaction after seeing that string of numbers.
Come to think of it, how could she still remember her first love’s phone number after so many years?
Meng Jiang looked away.
She was still smiling on the surface, the kind of smile that was forced, and her tone had not changed much. Only she herself knew that her mood was not high.
“It’s a small matter. The way you said it, it’s as if you owe me a big favor that you have to repay.”
After she finished, Meng Jiang was about to leave. It was clear that Qi Sijia did not want to say more. In an adult’s pursuit, before it was clear, any attempt to take advantage of a situation and shamelessly pester someone would not seem upright.
Meng Jiang’s personality was not upright either, but she had seen an upright Qi Sijia. No matter how many tricks she had, she didn’t want to lose.
She lowered her eyes with a lack of interest, not expecting Qi Sijia to suddenly turn back and glance at her. Meng Jiang’s expression had not even been composed.
She heard this person look at her with clear eyes and say, “Okay.”
This feedback was too incredible. Realizing it, Meng Jiang looked straight at Qi Sijia, not allowing herself to miss any emotion that could be captured in the other person’s eyes.
A moment later, she found nothing. She only vaguely felt that Qi Sijia’s aura was inexplicably empty, as if something was different.
But perhaps it was out of gratitude, a particularly gentle and special treatment under the filter of liking the top-floor owner.
Several times, she was about to open her mouth and clarify everything in one go, but in the end, Meng Jiang didn’t ask anything.
Even if she had to clarify her identity in one go now, Qi Sijia was in a situation of life and death, even if the object was just a cat.
Meng Jiang sincerely hoped not to steal the show, not to put their grudges and tensions in front of Qi Sijia, and to leave the limited time for Qi Sijia and her cat who depended on each other.
She greedily felt the inexplicable harmony in the air, which was different from the previous indifference.
Without saying anything, Meng Jiang curled her lips and took a step back.
“It’s getting late. I really have to go.”
Qi Sijia raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
Meng Jiang nodded and then left decisively.
Qi Sijia watched her leave. After a long time, she took two steps back, propped herself up with her arms, and turned to look at the old cat that had woken up in the cage.
“Are you okay?” Qi Sijia asked. “Shouldn’t I have brought you back to accompany me?”
The orange cat meowed weakly, as if to comfort her.
Qi Sijia smiled and touched its head through the sterile glass box.
“Don’t worry, it will get better,” Qi Sijia said. “Let’s both work hard, okay?”
