ABFMV Chapter 39

When Xu Linlang’s message came through, Qiye was sitting at his desk, fully absorbed in an old book.

The book looked worn, like it had been published years ago and passed through countless hands. These days, you only ever see physical copies for obscure works or highly restricted texts—most reading was digital now.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting patterns of light and shadow across the desk, making the yellowed cover glow faintly. On it were bold, flamboyant characters: Master C-Grade Components in Three Days.

The title was absurd, but paired with Qiye’s intense concentration, the whole scene looked oddly surreal.

When his personal terminal chimed with a new message, Qiye was still lost in the pages. It took him half a minute before he lifted his head and lazily glanced at the screen.

[Linlang: Can you come find me? I’m in the grove in Section C of the campus, near the birch trees.]

His cold, distant eyes softened instantly, and his lips curved into a faint smile as he typed back a single word: Okay.

By the time he arrived, he found Xu Linlang and another girl crouched in front of a small box, playing with a kitten inside.

Qiye: …

Hearing footsteps behind her, Xu Linlang turned her head.

Qiye was standing a short distance away, his gaze fixed solely on her.

She waved him over. “Qiye, come here.”

Pointing at the ragdoll kitten in the box, she said, “We can’t get it open. Can you help us rescue it?”

Qiye’s throat moved. “You want to keep it?”

Xu Linlang shook her head.

He relaxed a little—until she added, “I want you to keep it.”

Qiye: ?

When Qiye didn’t answer for a long while, Xu Linlang assumed he was turning her down. And of course, he already had Snowball—suddenly taking in another cat might be a lot to ask.

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I’ll ask Chu Luochi if he wants a cat.”

At the very least, the kitten needed a reliable owner. She couldn’t trust a stranger with it, but her circle of friends was pathetically small.

The moment he heard Chu Luochi’s name, Qiye’s eyes darkened slightly, remembering the online post that had praised Chu as a “dark horse.”

Before Xu Linlang could message him, Qiye crouched down beside her. His long fingers gripped the latch and squeezed.

Click. The alloy lock snapped clean in two.

He scooped the soft ragdoll kitten into his arms. The kitten blinked up at Xu Linlang with wide blue eyes and let out a sweet little meow.

Then Qiye turned its head toward him.

“I’ll take care of it.”

The ragdoll kitten: ???

If Xu Linlang gave the cat to Chu Luochi, her love for cats would guarantee that she’d end up visiting him to see it—or worse, he’d bring it along when he came over. That would mean more conversations, more excuses to spend time together.

And then… would his feline form still hold the same special place in her heart?

No. Better that he keep the cat himself. Since Xu Linlang had saved it, she’d always think about it. This way, he could use it to strengthen their bond.

And it would give her more reasons to come find him.

But seriously… why was she always rescuing cats?!

He’d thought she saved him from the arena by sheer coincidence, but now it looked like Xu Linlang might actually be a veteran cat rescuer.

When she heard his answer, her eyes lit up. “Really?! That’s wonderful!”

Qiye nodded.

Xu Linlang quickly pulled out her terminal. “Let me take a picture of you and the cat together.”

She was fast—camera app open in seconds. “Look at the lens, both of you. One, two, three—cheese!”

The photo snapped in an instant. Qiye stared at the screen. In the picture, his lips curved in a faint smile, and his gaze was softer than he’d ever realized.

So that’s what he looked like when he looked at Xu Linlang.

She leaned in beside him, studying the photo. “See? You two together are so healing. These are precious memories—you can keep them forever.”

Her fingertip brushed his face on the screen. “And look, your smile’s actually pretty handsome.”

Flustered, Qiye tightened his hold on the kitten, his eyes fixed stubbornly on its twitching ears instead of on her. His heart was hammering out of control.

Thump, thump…

No one had ever told him his smile looked good.

She’d seen him at his ugliest—when everyone else called him a monster—and yet she still smiled at him and said he looked handsome when he smiled.

Qiye’s ears burned. “Let’s take a picture together.”

He wanted a photo with Xu Linlang.

Aside from a school-wide class photo, the only pictures he’d ever taken were with his father. He’d never cared much for photos, and the ones with his father were just to humor him.

Then the fire took his father’s life, along with every photograph they had. Even his terminal data was seized and wiped clean by the military.

Since then, not a single photo remained.

Only now did he realize—photos existed to preserve memories.

And he wanted to preserve his memories with Xu Linlang. Unconsciously, he’d already started seeing her as family.

Xu Linlang agreed without hesitation and asked Jin Duoduo to take the shot.

Holding the ragdoll kitten in his arms, Qiye managed a small smile for the camera.

The flash went off. He stole a sideways glance at Xu Linlang—her bright eyes and dazzling smile filling the frame.

They stood so close their shoulders touched. He didn’t dare move, stiff as a statue, the only thing alive in him the frantic pounding of his heart.

Like something inside him was about to break free.

He quickly stood up, carrying the kitten to the breeze to cool his head. The chill wind steadied him—at least a little.

But the ragdoll’s fluffy fur puffed up from the wind, leaving it looking like a miniature lion.

Xu Linlang: …

Now she wasn’t sure if giving this kitten to Qiye had been a good idea after all.

“Let’s name it,” Xu Linlang said, tapping the kitten’s tiny nose.

“How about pairing it with Snowball’s name? Flame and Snow, or maybe Spark and Snowflake?”

Qiye cut her off instantly. “Let’s just call it Mimi.”

There was no way he was pairing his cat’s name with another. Snowball was embarrassing enough—now she wanted couple-style names? Absolutely not.

Xu Linlang blinked. “Mimi? That’s so half-hearted.”

Qiye stroked the kitten’s chin. “It doesn’t seem as smart as Snowball. Better to keep it simple, so it knows when we’re calling it. Right, Mimi?”

The kitten gave a cooperative little mewl.

“See? It agrees.”

Nonsense.

The ragdoll’s wide, pitiful eyes screamed weak and helpless, hardly the look of a cat thrilled with its new name.

Still, Xu Linlang realized something: Qiye hadn’t used to talk much at all. But ever since meeting her, it seemed like he had more and more to say.