Back to My Human’s Teenage Years - Chapter 32

After a long night of crying and being coaxed to sleep by Shi Rang’s gentle pats, Jin Manman naturally overslept the next morning. Fortunately, it was the weekend, so it didn’t disrupt anything.

As was his habit, Jin Manman spent a few minutes staring blankly at the ceiling after waking up, only fully coming to his senses when Shi Rang scooped him up to take him to the washroom. Perhaps because of the events of the previous night, he seemed a bit downcast. Even after rinsing the foam from his mouth and gargling, his eyes remained cast downward.

Shi Rang held him from behind, unable to resist tilting the boy’s chin up to turn his face and planting a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth.

“Baby, don’t be mad at me.”

Hearing Shi Rang call him “baby” again made Jin Manman want to cry. Back when he was a kitten, Shi Rang loved calling him that, murmuring it softly while burying his face in the cat’s belly.

Seeing the boy’s eyes redden again, Shi Rang felt his heart twist. He hoisted him up and sat him firmly on the edge of the sink.

“Why the tears again?”

Jin Manman looked up at him, lightly tugging on his sleeve as he made a small, quiet request. “Call me that one more time.”

Shi Rang lowered his head, kissing the bow of his lips as he murmured huskily, “Baby…”

He would have been happy to stay there all day holding Jin Manman, calling him “baby” or having him call out in return… but it was Christmas Day. Shi Rang wanted to do something meaningful. He imagined taking him to a movie, spending the day at an amusement park, or kissing at the highest point of a Ferris wheel.

Shi Rang wasn’t romantic by nature, but whenever it came to Jin Manman, he wanted to double his efforts, bringing every joy in the world to the boy’s feet.

To his surprise, Jin Manman thought for a moment and then asked, “Can we go to the stray cat rescue center in the suburbs?”

Shi Rang was taken aback. Before he could respond, he heard Jin Manman add fiercely, “But you have to wear a protective suit. You aren’t allowed to let any of the cats touch you.”

The little orange cat’s possessiveness was quite formidable!

Shi Rang arched an eyebrow. He had noticed long ago that Jin Manman seemed to hate it when other cats got near him. Why? Was he afraid stray cats were unhygienic? No, that didn’t seem right. When Jin Manman held strays himself, he never looked disgusted.

Shi Rang didn’t push the issue, simply nodding in indulgence. “Alright, whatever you say.”

When Shi Rang called the driver to pick them up, he instructed him to bring a full-body protective suit the kind construction workers often wear covering him from head to toe. It was lucky the weather was cooling down; otherwise, Shi Rang would have definitely suffered from heatstroke after a full day in that.

Following the address Jin Manman provided, the driver headed to the outskirts of the city.

Jin Manman explained seriously, “This used to be an abandoned factory until the organization bought it and turned it into a rescue center.”

Shi Rang narrowed his eyes, accurately catching those two specific words. “Organization? What organization?”

The little orange cat froze. “Did I… did I say ‘organization’?”

Shi Rang stared at him. “You did.”

Nervous and flustered, Jin Manman licked his lips and asked dryly, “I don’t think I did. Did you mishear me?”

Shi Rang stared at him for a few more seconds before finally, mercifully, letting him off the hook. “Maybe you meant a stray cat rescue organization.”

He handed Jin Manman the perfect excuse on a silver platter. Jin Manman, feeling as if he’d received a royal pardon, nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, yes! That’s exactly what I meant.”

Shi Rang’s lips curved in a barely perceptible smile as he reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair. “Let’s go inside.”

There were many cats in the courtyard, and the moment they saw Jin Manman, they swarmed him. Shi Rang suddenly felt his protective suit was entirely unnecessary, as not a single cat paid him any mind.

Standing to the side, he asked sourly, “So, do you come here to feed them often? Who do you come with?” He remembered hearing a while back that Jin Manman intended to come here with that annoying classmate.

Jin Manman said innocently, “I don’t. I’m so busy with my studies, I never have the time.”

Shi Rang figured that made sense. Given how closely he watched the boy, Jin Manman didn’t exactly have any free time.

While Jin Manman was busy topping up the food and water, Shi Rang didn’t dare get too close, so he wandered around to explore. There was no one else at the rescue center today, and the breakroom was empty. Shi Rang stood in the doorway and looked in, his eyes landing on the rows of picture frames hanging on the opposite wall.

They were all photos of cats. As he scanned them, his gaze suddenly locked onto one in particular.

The last frame contained a photo of a little orange cat sitting perfectly upright. As if it knew it was being photographed, the cat had tilted its head slightly toward the camera. Its head was round, its eyes were round, and it was undeniably adorable.

Shi Rang’s eyes were glued to the image. It was strange—he felt as if he had seen this cat somewhere before. Yet, he was inexplicably certain that he had never actually met it.

Where did this sense of familiarity come from?

He didn’t know how long he stood there staring, until he heard Jin Manman running up behind him. The moment Shi Rang turned around, Jin Manman—acting like he had an automatic tracking device dived straight into his arms. A few cats trotted along behind him.

“Why are you ignoring me?”

Jin Manman seemed exceptionally clingy and spoiled today. Shi Rang leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose. “Weren’t you busy feeding the cats? You won’t let me move or touch anything; I didn’t dare go over.”

The two of them were standing very close, and the cats behind them began to meow, crowding around. Jin Manman quickly turned back and shot a secret, warning look at the felines.

This human belongs to this little orange cat! No stealing!!

Shi Rang, unaware of the silent undercurrents, patted Jin Manman’s head. “Look at that little orange cat in the photo. I think it’s quite cute.”

Jin Manman’s ears perked up, and he spun around. Who! Who’s cute!!

When he saw the photo on the wall, his ears turned bright red. He tried to suppress a smile but failed; the corners of his mouth twitched downward before curling up. Finally, he murmured, “It’s cute, isn’t it?”

Shi Rang, afraid that over-praising would make Jin Manman jealous, gave a light laugh. “It looks a bit like you.”

Hearing this, Jin Manman became unexpectedly wary. He blurted out, “No, no, no! It’s not. I am definitely not that cat.”

Shi Rang was taken aback.

Jin Manman didn’t dare let him linger a second longer, grabbing him and dragging him away in a hurry.

On the car ride back, neither of them spoke.

Jin Manman was wallowing in regret; if he’d known, he never would have brought Shi Rang here. He’d almost let the cat out of the bag—literally. It would be a disaster if he were discovered.

As for Shi Rang, he leaned against the car window. After a few minutes, his expression shifted slightly.

He remembered.

Back at the villa, an orange cat had once sneaked inside, and they had never been able to find it again despite a thorough search.

That orange cat looked exactly like the one in the photograph today.

But how could it be such a coincidence?

Shi Rang turned his head to look at Jin Manman beside him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Something was very, very wrong.

Shi Rang is starting to connect the dots!

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