Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: “Stay with me.”

A layer of warmth brushed against the back of his hand.

Chen Kongqing lowered his eyes, the tips of his ears slowly deepening from pink to a dark crimson. Perhaps this was just a method of treatment—he didn’t need to reject it.

But… the scorching heat on the back of his hand and the Earl Grey fragrance saturating his every breath made the rabbit’s face feel like it was being steamed. Still, the rabbit’s “paw” didn’t move; it remained obediently held. The cells that had been clamoring non-stop finally quieted down.

At that moment, the kitten rubbed against the rabbit’s pant leg again, let out a high-pitched “Meow, meow~~” as if saying, “Mimi is still waiting for you.”

Chen Kongqing suddenly had a thought: “I… I’ll hold Black Cat Detective. That should also help relieve my symptoms.”

The large hand covering the back of his hand did not move, seemingly having no intention of withdrawing. The rabbit pursed his thin lips and rotated his wrist slightly. Only then did the warmth slowly retreat, leaving behind an invisible palm print.

His face flushed a deep red, Chen Kongqing quickly bent down to scoop up the kitten. The kitten stretched out its two small paws, very obediently allowing itself to be held.

“Meow, meow, meow.”

“He’s gotten a bit heavier,” Chen Kongqing said, quickly starting a new topic.

Xu Jingmo also pursed his lips, looking at the smug kitten in the rabbit’s arms. The kitten looked sly, staring at him with round eyes as if saying, “Humans can’t win against Mimi.”

Chen Kongqing held this small, warm ball of fluff. As it pressed against him, a tiny pink paw actually started “making biscuits” on his chest. Through his clothes, it stepped on the rabbit’s heart, beat after beat.

Xu Jingmo couldn’t help but squint, his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth. “I don’t know how many times a day he needs to be fed; he’s a glutton.”

“Meow~” The tuxedo cat responded by kneading even harder.

Chen Kongqing felt his heart melting. If no one else were around, he would have definitely given the kitten a little “nibble.”

“Hiss.”

Chen Kongqing, who had been looking down at the cat, heard a sharp intake of breath. He looked up abruptly and saw Xu Jingmo with a tightly furrowed brow.

“Does the wound hurt again?” The rabbit became anxious instantly.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” The man relaxed his brow, appearing to try and soften his expression.

Now it was Chen Kongqing’s turn to frown deeply. “Maybe we should go to the hospital to have it looked at.” He was worried he wasn’t professional enough to handle the wound properly.

Xu Jingmo shook his head. “No need. We’ll see how it is tomorrow. If the wound isn’t inflamed and I don’t have a fever, it’ll be fine.”

“But what if you do get a fever? What if you get one in the middle of the night?” The rabbit looked serious, his eyes filled with worry.

“If I get a fever, I’ll take care of it myself. It’s fine; that kind of fever is usually just a low grade one.” The man curled the corners of his mouth. Even though he was the one injured, his tone was comforting the other.

The kitten let out two more “meows,” probably seeking attention. But Chen Kongqing didn’t look down to interact with it this time; he just rubbed its fuzzy head and spoke firmly: “That won’t do. I need to stay with you, Dr. Xu. How about this: I’ll stay in the living room tonight. If you feel unwell, tell me, and we’ll go to the hospital immediately.”

“How can I let you stay in the living room?” Xu Jingmo frowned solemnly. “Stay in the guest room instead. The sheets and duvet are the ones you used two days ago, so they don’t need changing. It’s no trouble.”

With one sentence, the man dismissed Chen Kongqing’s concerns.

Chen Kongqing had no reason left to refuse. He nodded in agreement and wondered what else he could do. “Dr. Xu, are you hungry? Is there anything you want to eat?”

“I am a bit hungry. You haven’t eaten either, right?” Saying that, Xu Jingmo stood up. “I’ll go make something.”

“How can I let you cook?” Chen Kongqing also stood up with the kitten, quickly blocking the man’s path before stuffing Black Cat Detective into the man’s arms. “I’ll do it.”

With that, the rabbit left only a resolute back for the man and the cat, heading for the kitchen without looking back. The kitten struggled unhappily in the man’s arms.

The man raised an eyebrow, looking at the little thing in his arms, and whispered softly, “He’s not holding you anymore; he’s going to make dinner for me.”

“Meow!”

A tuxedo cat is a tuxedo cat—even at this small size, it was incredibly strong and agile. It jumped out of the man’s arms in one go, angry but helpless, only able to throw a tantrum on the rug before sulking back to its bed.

Chen Kongqing was completely unaware of this; he was staring blankly at the empty refrigerator. There was only a row of eggs, a cabbage, and a box of cooked beef. After some thought, the rabbit decided to make stir-fried cabbage and steamed egg custard. Keeping it light would be better for wound recovery.

He started the rice and then quickly began cleaning the cabbage. At that moment, Xu Jingmo entered the kitchen. “Let me help.”

“No need, I’ll be done soon. Dr. Xu, go watch some TV.” The rabbit turned around, clutching a bright green cabbage. “Go on.”

“I can help… chop vegetables.”

Before he could finish, the rabbit repeated: “Go on, now.” This time, he added a bit of a playful lilt to the end of his sentence.

That slight lilt scratched right at a certain someone’s heartstrings. There was nothing he could refuse now. “Alright…”

The rabbit turned back and resumed his work. Xu Jingmo stood there for a few seconds before finally leaving.

Almost simultaneously, just as the egg custard came out of the steamer, the rice cooker “dinged” and switched to keep-warm mode. Chen Kongqing was about to speak when Dr. Xu appeared in the kitchen. “What did you make? It smells so good.”

“Just simple stir-fried cabbage and egg custard,” Chen Kongqing said as he brought the dishes to the table. “I heated up the beef from the fridge; it should taste better that way.”

Xu Jingmo served two bowls of rice and brought them over. They sat facing each other.

“Dr. Xu, do you not usually cook?” Chen Kongqing pushed the dishes toward the man. “I saw the fridge was mostly empty.”

The man nodded. “Yeah, I’m usually busy with work and eat at the cafeteria. When I’m home alone, I tend to get lazy.”

“That’s true. I don’t like cooking when I’m alone either; I just make do. When Ling Xiao was…” As those two words left his mouth, Chen Kongqing realized something was wrong. Why would he proactively mention that name?

The rabbit froze. He didn’t know why himself. The man’s pupils darkened slightly. The topic came to an abrupt end, and silence fell over the dining table.

“Dr. Xu, try… try this cabbage…” Chen Kongqing attempted to restart the conversation.

“Okay.” The man picked up a piece of cabbage and put it in his mouth. “It’s very good.”

How long did Ling Xiao eat such delicious meals? And he had only just had his first bite. But it didn’t matter. From now on, they would all be his.

The two of them ate in silence for a while. Finally, Xu Jingmo spoke again in a casual tone: “Have you found a place to rent yet?”

Chen Kongqing ate rice with the egg custard. “I’m still looking. Don’t worry, Dr. Xu; once I find one, I’ll take Black Cat Detective with me immediately.”

He thought Dr. Xu was asking because of the kitten staying there. These past few days, he had been inquiring about places near the university. For those with a suitable price and space, the landlords didn’t allow pets, so he hadn’t been able to settle on anything.

Across from him, Xu Jingmo lifted his gaze. Chen Kongqing happened to meet his eyes; he could read a bit of intent there—Dr. Xu likely had something to say.

Well, reading it was about the same as not reading it.

Xu Jingmo: “Black Cat Detective has probably gotten used to living here. If you take him away, he might have to readjust all over again.”

“That’s true…” Chen Kongqing had thought about that, too. “But he’ll adapt eventually.”

The man kept his eyes on him, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “I have an idea.”

“Go ahead, Dr. Xu.” The rabbit swallowed his rice and listened intently.

“My place isn’t far from Kunda; it’s only about three or four subway stops. If you haven’t found a place, why not… stay here for the time being?”

As expected, before he could even finish, the rabbit across from him began shaking his head frantically. “No… there’s no need…”

“Don’t be so quick to refuse.” Xu Jingmo managed a smile. “I’m injured and need someone to help out. Besides, I’ll likely be traveling for work next week, and there’ll be no one to care for Black Cat Detective. If you stay here, all the problems will be solved.”

“But…” Staying at Dr. Xu’s house? That would be so strange.

Was this a roommate situation? Not exactly. Was it renting directly from the landlord? That didn’t seem right either. Rooming with the landlord? The key was that he would be living with Dr. Xu… it would be too much of a disturbance.

Before he could voice these thoughts, Xu Jingmo seemed to guess his concerns. “I live upstairs, and you live downstairs. I go to work, you go to school; it won’t be much of a disturbance.”

“Still… it’s a bit embarrassing.” The rabbit stared with his willow-leaf eyes, his tone earnest. Although staying here would be very convenient and the space was large…

“Don’t be embarrassed; I’m charging rent.” The man smiled. “Eight hundred a month, how about that?”

Eight hundred. Chen Kongqing’s eyes widened. A single room near the school cost at least a thousand a month, and the environment wasn’t even in the same league as this. Dr. Xu was taking far too much care of him.

He slowly moved his gaze to the man’s face. That strong, handsome face was marked with an injury—one sustained because of him. Dr. Xu had gotten into a physical fight with Ling Xiao for his sake. And the man was Ling Xiao’s cousin.

He remembered when the bar party ended recently; his mood had been terrible. Dr. Xu had comforted him then and was even prepared to take him home. Back then, Xu Jingmo had said that as Ling Xiao’s cousin, he had a responsibility to look after him.

But now, he and Ling Xiao had broken up. There was no connection anymore.

A bit of moisture pooled in the rabbit’s eyes, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, and he spoke weakly: “Dr. Xu.”

Xu Jingmo: “Do you think the price isn’t right?”

The youth across from him shook his head. “No… I wanted to ask…”

The man’s brow furrowed slightly. “What?”

The rabbit turned his tearful eyes toward the man. “Does Dr. Xu take such good care of me because I was Ling Xiao’s boyfriend?”