Back to My Human’s Teenage Years - Chapter 33

Jin Manman remained blissfully unaware that he had nearly let the cat out of the bag.

He pressed his face against the car window, looking out, and suddenly let out a cry of surprise. “Shi Rang, look! It’s snowing!”

Shi Rang was taken aback and glanced sideways.

It was indeed snowing. The flakes weren’t large, drifting down and swirling through the air; caught in the glow of the streetlights, they looked as if they were radiating light. It didn’t snow often in S-City usually only once every few years.

And today happened to be Christmas.

All things considered, they were quite lucky.

Seeing Jin Manman with his cheek practically plastered against the glass, staring out so earnestly, Shi Rang felt a stir in his heart. “Do you want to get out and walk for a bit?”

Jin Manman whipped his head around, his eyes sparkling as he gave a forceful nod.

The car pulled over to the curb. Perhaps because it was a holiday, the streets were quite busy with plenty of pedestrians and vendors, making the atmosphere feel festive and lively. The little orange cat always loved a good crowd; the moment he stepped out, he vanished from sight. Shi Rang frowned and scanned the area, finally spotting him over by a small stall.

He walked over and hauled the boy up, saying grumpily, “What are you running off for?”

The little orange cat turned to look at him, giving him a sweet, placating smile. “Shi Rang, I want to drink this.”

Shi Rang glanced at the stall. It was a milk tea stand, but uniquely, it had a row of small liquor bottles displayed in front, which could be added to the tea at random. He didn’t even think before trying to drag Jin Manman away. “No. You aren’t allowed to drink alcohol.”

Jin Manman pouted, refusing to budge. This was much like a kitten wanting treats; with a few soft “meows,” the human’s heart would eventually melt. In the end, Shi Rang bought a cup.

The alcohol-infused milk tea didn’t actually taste great—it just looked a bit prettier and Jin Manman lost interest after just one sip. It was bitter and astringent, and he felt like his tongue was dying. But he didn’t want to waste it, so he shoved it directly into Shi Rang’s hand.

Shi Rang frowned. “I’m not drinking it. You’re the one who wanted it; finish it yourself.”

Jin Manman looked at him pleadingly. “Please, Shi Rang… please.”

Shi Rang didn’t even last a minute. With a stony face, he took the cup from Jin Manman’s hand and warned, “This is the last time.”

Heaven only knew how many “last times” they’d already had.

There were so many stalls along this street that Jin Manman’s head was spinning trying to see everything. Usually, Shi Rang wouldn’t allow him to eat street food, but today he was exceptionally easygoing. By the time they’d walked a short distance, Jin Manman’s arms were full of snacks.

Shi Rang reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, brushing away the snowflakes. Perhaps because he had finished the entire cup of alcoholic tea, Shi Rang felt a bit warm. He tugged at his collar, only to have Jin Manman lean in and pull it back together for him.

The “little golden retriever” spoke very seriously. “Be careful not to catch a cold.”

Shi Rang laughed out of sheer frustration. He reached out and pinched Jin Manman’s nose, which was ice-cold. “You have the nerve to say that? I told you to wear a thicker coat before we left, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Jin Manman was currently wearing a pale yellow coat which, paired with his golden hair, made him stand out exceptionally in the crowd.

Shi Rang gave a soft snort. “You look like a little duckling.”

Jin Manman’s eyes went wide. “I am not a duck!”

I’m a kitten!!

Normally, Shi Rang would have humored him, but perhaps because his head was a bit fuzzy today, he kept his dark eyes fixed on Jin Manman and repeated in a low voice, “Little duckling.”

Jin Manman didn’t want to be called that; in a fit of pique, he reached out to cover Shi Rang’s mouth. Shi Rang took the opportunity to wrap an arm around Jin Manman’s waist, pulling the boy into his embrace.

The snow continued to fall, yet the two of them held each other tightly beneath the streetlight. Shi Rang caught Jin Manman’s wrist, kissed the palm of his hand, and before Jin Manman could even process it, he leaned down and kissed the boy’s lips.

This wasn’t their first kiss. But no matter how many times it happened, he always felt that Jin Manman’s lips were too soft—like a marshmallow that could be easily crushed. Even softer was his tongue, which felt like a piece of melting jelly.

Jin Manman was a bit flustered at first; after all, this wasn’t their dorm, they were standing right out in the open. But Shi Rang’s arm was clamped tightly around his waist and wouldn’t let go. Jin Manman’s eyes darted around, only to discover to his surprise that no one was even looking their way.

The little orange cat marveled. So humans are quite open, too. They can kiss right in the street.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his lip. Jin Manman’s eyes went wide as he pushed Shi Rang away. He clutched his mouth pitifully and accused him, “You bit me!”

Shi Rang arched an eyebrow. “You weren’t even focusing on the kiss. Don’t you deserve to be bitten?”

Jin Manman felt utterly aggrieved. He gave Shi Rang’s shin a little kick. “You bit me, so I’m not walking anymore. My legs hurt.”

What? Did Shi Rang’s bite land on his leg?

But Shi Rang was more than happy to spoil him. He turned around, presented his back, and squatted down. “Get on.”

Jin Manman was overjoyed. He pounced directly onto Shi Rang’s back, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy’s neck and his legs around his waist. Mimicking something he’d seen on TV, he even mumbled a command: “Giddyap!”

Shi Rang didn’t get angry. Instead, he paused for a second and asked, “Do you want to go horseback riding? There’s a ranch in the suburbs; I’ll take you next weekend.”

Jin Manman swung his legs, high-spirited. “Okay!”

Shi Rang looked at the road ahead. Thinking of something, his gaze grew increasingly tender, and a smile touched his lips.

“Jin Manman, when the Spring Festival comes, let’s put up couplets together.”

“After the college entrance exams, we’re going to the same university.”

“Do you like hot air balloons? We’ll go abroad for a trip during the summer break.”

Before meeting Jin Manman, the life Shi Rang imagined for himself was that of a puppet controlled by the Shi family; he let himself spiral, as if that were the only way to achieve a semblance of freedom. But after meeting Jin Manman, Shi Rang felt his life had changed from a black-and-white sketch to a vibrant painting, with a future worth looking forward to.

He wanted many, many “afters” with Jin Manman.

Having been out in the wind and snow, the first thing Shi Rang did upon returning was shove Jin Manman into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower.

Normally, Shi Rang would have squeezed in to shower with him, but today he felt exceptionally dizzy—perhaps from the slight intoxication. He didn’t pester Jin Manman, opting instead for a quick shower in the guest bathroom next door.

The little orange cat took his sweet time in the bath. By the time he emerged, Shi Rang was already fast asleep on the bed. He pouted, not at all pleased. He hasn’t even blow-dried my hair yet.

But Jin Manman didn’t wake him. He haphazardly dried himself and climbed into bed.

As the night deepened, the little orange cat fell into a deep sleep. He instinctively kicked off his pants, and his tail tentatively peeked out to get some air. Not just the tail, but even the two fluffy little ears atop his head made an appearance.

Jin Manman loved leaning against Shi Rang while he slept, and his tail uncontrollably wrapped itself around Shi Rang’s wrist, rubbing back and forth.

Shi Rang was woken in the middle of the night by the heat; he felt as if he were draped in a heavy wool blanket. Opening his eyes in a daze, he realized Jin Manman was sprawled on top of him.

Shi Rang habitually reached out to pull the boy into his embrace, instinctively patting his back. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, he realized something was wrong.

On top of… Jin Manman’s head?

He narrowed his eyes, using the moonlight to see something poking out from the boy’s hair. This wasn’t the first time Jin Manman had “worn” cat ears, but this time, Shi Rang felt something was different. Leaving aside that it was the middle of the night and they were both asleep, looking at them in the moonlight, they looked… real.

Shi Rang frowned and reached out to touch them. The tips of the ears even flickered twice. They rubbed against his palm soft, and a bit ticklish.

No, it wasn’t just the ears. Shi Rang looked down and saw a golden tail rubbing against his wrist, over and over. He felt something was off, but his exhausted brain was simply too slow to react. He blinked twice and drifted back into a heavy sleep.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Shi Rang opened his eyes. Staring at the ceiling, he felt a bit of an ache in his body. Looking down, he realized Jin Manman had spent the entire night sleeping on top of him.

Shi Rang carefully moved the boy aside. Jin Manman was a deep sleeper and didn’t react, simply rolling over and drifting back off. Shi Rang rubbed his temples and prepared to sit up when the memory of the previous night suddenly came rushing back.

Ears… tail…

Shi Rang jolted upright. He frantically looked at the top of Jin Manman’s head, but there was nothing there only messy bed-hair.

No, that’s not right. Shi Rang wouldn’t give up, rummaging through the boy’s hair. But there really was nothing.

What about the tail! Shi Rang lifted the duvet, but he only saw Jin Manman’s rounded little rear; the tail was nowhere to be found.

Shi Rang was stunned, a rare occurrence. His head still ached slightly. He frowned and closed his eyes. Could I have been dreaming? But the dream had felt so real.

Jin Manman didn’t wake up until an hour later. He shuffled into his slippers and went hopping and skipping downstairs. Shi Rang was sitting on the sofa working on his laptop; hearing the noise, he looked up. In the next moment, Jin Manman threw himself into his arms.

Shi Rang set the laptop aside and caught him, letting the boy sit on his lap. He habitually reached out to stroke the boy’s hair, but paused. He found himself missing the sensation from the night before. He remembered the feeling of the ears against his palm—soft, with tips that flickered.

Such a realistic sensation… was it really just a dream?

Shi Rang was lost in thought, but Jin Manman didn’t overthink it. He pouted and immediately started lodging a complaint. “You didn’t help me blow-dry my hair yesterday.”

Shi Rang frowned. “You slept with wet hair? Why didn’t you wake me up? What if you caught a cold?” The concept of Jin Manman blow-drying his own hair didn’t even exist in Shi Rang’s mind.

Jin Manman gave a “Hmph” and stopped talking. Shi Rang had no choice but to carry him toward the dining room, apologizing as they went. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep too early last night. I should have waited until your hair was dry.”

Jin Manman hugged his neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s okay. I forgive you.” The little orange cat was just that magnanimous.

Shi Rang replied graciously, “Thank you, Student Jin Manman!”

After Christmas, the intense atmosphere of study returned to the school. Jin Manman’s grades reached a new high in the final exams, breaking into the top three hundred.

And the person right above him on the list was Shi Rang. Shi Rang was very satisfied with this result. On the rankings, their names were right next to each other. It was perfect; no matter where they were, he and Jin Manman had to be close.

But Jin Manman was very unhappy. “I clearly studied harder than you. Why are you above me?”

Shi Rang gave a smug snort. “I’m just meant to be above you.”

Jin Manman grit his teeth and lunged at him in a huff, only to be caught by the waist and pressed against the wall. Shi Rang stared at him intently and suddenly spoke. “Jin Manman, do you ever feel like… you’re sometimes like a little cat?”

Being told he was like a cat actually made Jin Manman quite happy, but meeting Shi Rang’s sharp gaze made his heart skip a beat. He was so startled he almost “puffed up” his fur. “I am not a cat!” he said quickly.

Shi Rang arched an eyebrow. “I said you’re like one. I didn’t say you were one.”

Jin Manman went silent, pouting. Shi Rang intentionally didn’t let him off, continuing in a slow, deliberate tone. “But there are many types of cats. What kind do you look like, Manman? A Siamese? A bicolor? A tabby?”

Shi Rang listed several kinds, but none of them satisfied Jin Manman. The boy bit his lip and couldn’t help but murmur, “Actually, I think orange cats are quite good. They’re very well-behaved and they look nice.” He was constantly trying to clear the reputation of orange cats.

Shi Rang paused, his expression turning a bit strange. The ears he had seen in his dream last night looked just like an orange cat’s. And.

He suddenly remembered the cat that had appeared and vanished in the villa, and the photo hanging on the wall at the rescue center.

They were all orange cats!

Shi Rang is on the verge of the truth!

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