318. The Cat’s Ownership
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Lin Nan was aimlessly leaning against the wall outside the school infirmary, occasionally glancing at passersby.
She was feeling a bit awkward, pressing her thighs together. Her light blue jeans hugged her legs and hips tightly, and the rough fabric made her feel itchy and uncomfortable, giving her cheeks a faint blush.
Although outsiders couldn’t tell, she felt that people walking by could somehow sense her secret.
No one can tell I’m not wearing any panties, right?
At first, she thought this whole “unlocking” method was manageable, but thinking about the next three days and two nights without panties made Lin Nan feel utterly uncomfortable.
If it really gets unbearable, I’ll just give up.
“What are you thinking about?” Chen Yao pushed the infirmary door open, a thick bandage plastered on his cheek.
Lin Nan looked up and almost burst out laughing.
He shot her a glare, his eyes still a bit red from where he had been wincing in pain while applying medicine earlier. Yet here he was, the culprit of his own suffering, with Lin Nan actually finding time to laugh.
Trying hard to suppress her giggle, Lin Nan asked with fake concern, “You okay? You should be alright in a couple of days.”
“Just don’t slap me again, okay?” Chen Yao lamented dramatically, “I’m definitely terrified of you now. I think I’ll stick to the couch for a while.”
“Well, you brought this upon yourself, moving around so much in your sleep,” Lin Nan retorted, hands on her hips, looking skyward like a stubborn kid.
Typical of the villain to complain first; Chen Yao recalled last night’s events, and honestly, Lin Nan was the one who started it!
But Lin Nan quickly lowered her head, guilt bubbling up. “I’ll sleep on the couch. You take the bed.”
“How about you just live in the dorms? Climbing over walls every night to find me is kind of inconvenient,” Lin Nan muttered, turning her head away.
“What if someone kidnaps you, and I wouldn’t know?” Chen Yao shrugged, not really mad at Lin Nan; he was just grimacing because of the pain, and his swollen cheek made chewing a challenge.
The pair strolled slowly towards the supermarket, their stomachs grumbling since they hadn’t eaten anything that morning.
Chen Yao couldn’t eat anything hard, so he bought soy milk and soft bread and then returned to the classroom.
It was still class break. Big Dog spotted Chen Yao returning and immediately rushed over. “Who did this? That’s quite a hit!”
A bunch of Chen Yao’s usual gaming buddies and basketball friends gathered around him, asking about his injury. Lin Nan quietly stepped back, expressionless as she chewed on her bread, feeling guilty.
I really did go too hard.
Fortunately, Chen Yao didn’t seem like he was holding a grudge.
Should I come up with a way to apologize?
What would Chen Yao like…
Lin Nan frowned, tilting her head as she tried to remember things Chen Yao liked.
Basketball, games… not much else.
She vaguely remembered him wanting to buy a game console, but those things are pricey, like a couple thousand at the very least — definitely out of her budget.
She thought he had recently shown interest in new games too, but those cost hundreds, and he’d already bought them.
Or maybe I could sneakily borrow a couple of game consoles from Uncle?
Lin Nan suddenly felt a mischievous urge to annoy Uncle.
Chen Yao was reasonably well-liked in class; while he didn’t interact much with the girls, he was on good terms with the guys. Back when he stayed in the dorm, he often visited and shared meals.
So, today, his injured face caught many people’s attention. Most just casually asked what happened, but Lin Nan felt guilty, fearing she’d hear rumors of her being a total tyrant.
The morning classes were torturous for Lin Nan; her mind was far away, dazed and unfocused as she planned how to make amends with Chen Yao.
When it was finally break time, she turned to head out, only to see Lilith and Li Na waiting outside the classroom, each cradling a cat.
A throng of students poured into the hallway, and before Lin Nan could say anything, she noticed Lilith frowning as she hugged Cola tightly.
“Are you still keeping it? If not, just hand it over!” she said, clearly displeased. “If Li Na hadn’t said this was your cat, I would have taken it away by now!”
“She said she wanted to keep it. I thought I should check with you first,” Li Na explained with a smile.
Lin Nan eyed Lilith suspiciously. “I feel like you’d mistreat it.”
“Please, I make cat food for it every day! Unlike you, who just gives cat kibble and then run out, feeding it leftovers until it gets skinny! You run off with Chen Yao while leaving me behind! You don’t deserve a cat!”
“Well, you ran off first.”
“Then you were going to get it neutered!” Lilith nearly exploded. Memories of Lin Nan bullying her like a cat for the past six months flashed in her mind, further solidifying her belief that Lin Nan shouldn’t have a cat.
Lin Nan couldn’t explain to Lilith why neutering was necessary; it was a personal decision.
So, she turned to look at the Sprite in Li Na’s arms. “What about that one?”
“I want to keep it too,” Li Na laughed. “We’ll give it back to you after a while.”
“No way!”
Ignoring Lilith’s protest, Lin Nan was about to say something when Chen Yao also stepped out of the classroom. As soon as he saw Lilith, his expression darkened, and he quickly moved to shield Lin Nan behind him.
His face was somber, recalling how Lin Nan had tripped him just the other day; he never expected her to be back for more trouble.
“Oh, what happened to your face?” Lilith asked with a mocking tone upon noticing his bandaged cheek. “You didn’t get into a fight, did you? Getting beaten to a pulp and still worrying about Lin Nan?”
Chen Yao froze for a moment. The pain in his cheek suddenly reminded him of being slapped last night, and he realized Lin Nan perhaps didn’t need him to protect her at all.
So, he looked down and quietly said to Lin Nan, “Don’t get physical. Let’s talk it out; we can’t afford medical bills.”
He thought he should protect Lilith and Li Na instead.
Lin Nan could only chuckle at his suggestion, nodding, then looked at the two. “You can keep the cats for now, just return them to me later.”
“No way! If we give them back, they’ll just be neutered by you! You’re stripping them of their natural rights! Don’t you care about how they feel?” Lilith took a couple of steps back, cautiously eyeing Lin Nan while tugging at Li Na’s sleeve. “Let’s go! I told you she’d agree!”
Watching the two leave with the cats, Lin Nan let out a soft sigh. Clearly, Lilith was deeply traumatized by the concept of neutering from her own feline days.
But honestly, what normal cat would think about such complicated things like she did?
