Give Me a Hug

Chapter 17: Kitty

Cat?

Where did the cat come from?

Xie Jiaran had never had a pet and had never seen such a small kitten up close.

His curiosity was piqued as he examined its soft ears, small head, furry body, short paws, and wobbly little tail.

It turned out that baby animals were a hundred times cuter than he had imagined.

"Meow~ meow~"

"Meow~ meow!"

The kitten's voice was sweet and clingy, its eyes squinting and mouth opening wide to reveal a pink little tongue, with a drawn-out ending that could make anyone's heart melt.

Perhaps it was because it had been waiting for a response that wasn't coming, the kitten's meows took on a slightly plaintive tone. It stretched out a paw, trying to reach Xie Jiaran, but the paw was too short, leaving its pink paw pads exposed.

Xie Jiaran took a deep breath and carefully slowed his breathing.

Putting his pen down on the desk, he tried to extend his hand towards the kitten. The kitten was delighted, stretching its paw to meet him. But just as he was about to touch it, he quickly withdrew his hand as if having second thoughts.

"Meow?"

The kitten tilted its head, its big eyes filled with even bigger confusion.

Xie Jiaran's hesitation was a reflexive reaction due to his mysophobia. He looked at his hand, then at the kitten, hesitated several times, and finally tried again to touch its head.

When Liang Sunian came back from his shower, he saw this scene of a man and a kitten staring at each other.

The kitten would occasionally flick its tail and paw at the air, while Xie Jiaran remained completely still.

His right hand was hovering in mid-air, perfectly capturing his internal struggle.

Liang Sunian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Xie Jiaran snapped out of it, feeling a bit embarrassed. He quickly retracted his hand, glanced at Liang Sunian, and tried to sound calm: "I don't know which dorm this kitten belongs to, it slipped in while our door was open..."

"It's from room 205 downstairs. I just came from there. The little guy must have sneaked up behind me."

Liang Sunian walked over and picked up the kitten by the scruff of its neck, holding it in his arms. Xie Jiaran watched his movements, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

"You know it?"

"Of course, it's my godson. His name is Xiao Guoqing, but we call him Chanchan, like 'glutton'." Liang Sunian looked up at him, playfully asking, "Want to pet him?"

Xie Jiaran stubbornly replied, "Not really."
It's not that he particularly wanted to, just a little...

"But I think he really wants you to pet him."
Liang Sunian squatted in front of him, holding Chanchan out: "Why not fulfill my godson's small wish?"

"Meow~" As if understanding, the kitten chimed in.

Xie Jiaran couldn't resist the temptation, his hand started to move again.

Liang Sunian suppressed a laugh and encouraged him: "Come on, just pet him from the forehead down his back. Chanchan's dad just gave him a bath and he's been indoors, very clean, don't worry."

Xie Jiaran felt unexpectedly nervous.
Clenching his fist a bit, he slowly reached out and finally touched the kitten's fluffy head, the soft texture making his eyes widen slightly.