"Are you comfortable here?" Gu Junxing asked.
Nian Suian nodded, "It's not bad, quite interesting actually."
Gu Junxing observed the smiling expression on Nian Suian's face, then looked up to see the red balloon arch in the distance and the exaggerated "happiness" character on the main door. He seemed lost in thought.
Nian Suian had no idea that this had led Gu Junxing to misunderstand her meaning. She asked him, "Are you staying here tonight? You could share a room with Zhijing and Qiao Yan."
"No, I'll be leaving soon," Gu Junxing refused without hesitation. He wasn't comfortable sleeping in the same bed with others, not even his own son.
Nian Suian didn't miss the look of "disdain" on his face. "You're even turning your nose up at your own son now? That's something. Well, at least give Zhijing a call and have him come back so you two can talk."
Gu Junxing didn't move. "You call him."
Nian Suian sighed, took out her phone, and dialed Gu Zhijing's number. "Zhijing, your dad's here. Come back to the courtyard for a bit."
Gu Junxing opened the passenger door and said to her, "Let's go back together. I'm sure they can manage without you for a while."
Nian Suian was about to say she'd just say goodbye to the others before leaving, but when she looked up, she saw four heads neatly lined up at the second-floor window, watching them.
Ren Man was even waving at her, "Go ahead, Suian. You don't have to come back tonight, we've got plenty of hands here."
Fine, fine, that's just great.
Nian Suian quickly got in the car and shut the door in one smooth motion.
"What does Suian's husband look like? I could only tell he was very tall," Yuan Yuan said, disappointment evident on her face. She had nearly leaned her entire upper body out earlier but still couldn't see his face clearly.
"What does he look like? Like a handsome man, of course."
...
"How much did the things you bought today cost?" Nian Suian asked.
"I forgot. Just consider it my wedding gift," Gu Junxing replied. It wasn't anything expensive, so he hadn't paid much attention to the price.
"Alright then. I'll bring you some wedding candy when I get back."
"Oh, by the way, since you're here today, why don't you take Zhijing's little brother back with you?" Nian Suian had originally planned to bring the cat home after the show ended, but since Gu Junxing was here, they could take it back earlier and even take it to the vet sooner.
Gu Junxing couldn't understand referring to a cat as if it were a person. "A cat is a cat. Anyone who didn't know better would think we had a second child."
"It is our second child. Who says a second child has to be human?"
"Oh, right," Nian Suian remembered something and turned to Gu Junxing to remind him, "When you see Zhijing later, don't immediately ask if he's finished his homework, okay?"
"Why can't I ask? He's a high school student, what else should he be doing if not homework? He promised, didn't he?"
"I'm not saying you can't ask, I'm saying don't ask the moment you see him. Can't you show some concern for him first before asking about homework?"
Gu Junxing neither agreed nor disagreed. The village was small; it only took three to five minutes to drive from the bride's house to where they were staying.
"Dad," Gu Zhijing greeted him with his usual silly, happy expression.
Gu Junxing's mind went through several twists and turns before he finally asked, "Are you enjoying yourself here?"
"Yes, I am!"
"Don't forget... don't forget that you're a man. You should take care of your Aunt Nian when you're out." Gu Junxing thought to himself: Forget it, I won't ask about homework. As long as he's happy.
"You don't need to tell me that, Dad. I'm much better at it than you are."
Gu Junxing knew his son well – the kind of person who got winded just from talking too much, often making people grit their teeth in frustration.
The three of them went to Gu Zhijing's room together, but Gu Junxing didn't stay long. He was planning to drive straight home tonight, so he didn't linger.
"Zhijing, your dad will take the cat home directly tonight," Nian Suian said.
"Hehe, thanks, Dad." Gu Zhijing picked up the cardboard box and handed it to Gu Junxing. He had only just asked someone for this box that afternoon.
Gu Junxing looked down at it. The tiny creature was barely the size of his palm. He couldn't see what was so attractive about it. The cat hissed at him – small in size but big in attitude.
After Gu Junxing got in the car, Nian Suian politely told him to drive carefully.
And then...
"Remember to go to the vet first when you get back. I've found a clinic, I'll send you the address. It's close to our house and part of a big chain. First, get its file set up, have it dewormed and vaccinated before going home. You can buy the litter box they recommend at the vet, but only buy enough food and litter for two days max. What they recommend might not be good and is usually expensive. I've ordered some online that will be delivered soon. Also, it can only eat lamb's milk and canned food for now, it can't handle dry food yet. And, and, it might be scared when it gets home, so find an empty room to isolate it for a few days. And, and..."
"Shut up, or we're not keeping it."
"Oh."
"I'm off," Gu Junxing said, driving away in a cloud of dust.
"What's up with your dad?" Nian Suian couldn't understand. She hadn't finished giving instructions yet.
"He's probably in a hurry. Don't worry about it."
...
"Hello, I'm already in the city. About an hour and a half. I have something to do first."
As the car was nearing the city, Butler Su called to ask Gu Junxing when he'd be home.
Looking at the "Cute Meow Cat Clinic" on his navigation screen, Gu Junxing told Butler Su it would be another hour and a half.
"Sir, what's your cat's name?" the receptionist asked.
"Name?" Gu Junxing had never been to a pet hospital before and didn't know they needed a name for the records.
"Yes, we have a real-name system here. Both the cat and the owner need to use their real names."
"Then let's call it Nian Hu. 'Nian' for New Year, and 'Hu' for tiger." The little thing was quite fierce, hissing like a little tiger.
At the hospital, Gu Junxing did as Nian Suian had said and didn't buy much food, but he bought a bunch of toys, even ones bigger than the cat itself.
Back in the car, Gu Junxing flipped through the vaccination booklet and saw the information.
Owner's name: Gu Junxing
Cat's name: Nian Hu
Gender: Female
???
How is it a female cat?!
Earlier, both Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing had referred to it as a little brother, so he assumed they were sure it was male. He never expected it to be female.
After all that explanation, they hadn't even gotten the gender right. Now what? Who names a little girl Nian Hu?
On the way home, while waiting at a red light, Gu Junxing pulled out the small "happiness" character from his pocket. Made of some unknown material, it had hard edges that tickled his fingertips when he rubbed it. After a few seconds, the tickling sensation reached his heart.
"I'm not lying to you, boss. Ours are definitely the most beautiful and have the most variety. Every bride who sees them loves them! I'm not exaggerating, everyone who gets married in this area buys from us." Gu Junxing still remembered the chubby shop owner saying this.
Their marriage had no ceremony, and naturally, no such decorations.
As the light turned green, Gu Junxing once again put the object back in his pocket.