My Dearest General: It Has Always Been You

He staggered until he left the area and entered a complex of residences. The security guard in front of the gate looked at him strangely, trying to discern this suspicious person. Jiang Jinyan didn't spare him any glance as he walked through, turned into a corner and stopped in front of an empty area as he leaned his back against the wall.

Sweat trickled down his jaw to his neck and dampened his collar. His back had broken out in cold sweat due to the sharp pain and alarm. He had overstrained his leg just now that it felt terrible to even move. He pulled down his mask as he tried to catch his breath, gasping as if he had just run a marathon.

The pain slowly subsided until only dull, throbbing numbness left. He sucked in a deep breath and lowered his eyes. To his surprise, he met a pair of small, glittering eyes that gazed at him weakly. It was a little kitten that was still too young to be weaned. Its body was small and dirty, black in color and stuck out in all places like a hedgehog.

Seeing Jiang Jinyan looking at it, it opened its mouth to mewl but no sound came out. Its body was trembling, even taking a step was hard and it plopped down weakly. Its paws were kneading air, as if trying to reach something unseen. Layer of mist covered its eyes as it directed a pitiful and aggrieved gaze toward Jiang Jinyan.

"What are you looking at?" he murmured. "Where's your mother and siblings?"

The kitten opened its mouth and wheezed softly like it was dying.

Jiang Jinyan didn't know what struck him but he waited there. One human and one cat. One leaning against the wall and the other lying on the dirty ground. Both were strays without a home to return to.

He waited until the sun was covered by a thick layer of clouds. By then, the dirty kitten's eyes were already closed, its body rising up and down weakly and Jiang Jinyan couldn't discern whether it was sleeping or fainted. Softly, he mumbled. "No one is coming for you. Are you abandoned too?"

His phone buzzed in the next moment and he took it out, thinking that it was Jiang Huocheng.

[Xiaxia]: I went to the hospital and they said that you have been discharged two weeks ago?

[Xiaxia]: Why didn't you tell me?

He locked the phone and returned his gaze toward the weak cat. "Do you want to go with me?"

The kitten was lying down, motionless.

Jiang Jinyan laughed bitterly, both at himself and the kitten. "Well, up to you."

He straightened his body and started to walk away, his legs slightly limp but it wasn't very unbearable like before. He had just walked no more than three steps when a very soft, weak and delicate meow sounded behind him.

Jiang Jinyan turned his head and found that from sometime ago, the kitten had stood up as it tried its best to catch up with him. It couldn't even walk properly yet, staggered and swayed, fell down yet got up again and again, its gaze looking straight at Jiang Jinyan.

Seeing its pitiful appearance, a rare empathy filled him. Jiang Jinyan licked his gums and turned back, then bringing the kitten with him. "You make the choice yourself."

The kitten closed its eyes peacefully and snuggled itself against Jiang Jinyan's arm. It kept on sleeping as he hauled a taxi and told his destination: the nearest vet. It didn't even open its eyes when Jiang Jinyan pulled its whiskers.

It was the first time for him to enter the hospital for pets. Other people were bringing handsome, elegant and vigorous pets; a fierce Tibetan Mastiff, elegant Persian cat, an adorable ragdoll, small Pomeranian and there's even rabbits and chinchillas. Jiang Jinyan looked out of the place as he registered his stray cat.

"What is its name?" The person in the front register asked with a smile.

Jiang Jinyan blinked. "No name."

"…" The fair and plump man laughed awkwardly. "Okay, then. Have you visited before?"

"No."

"Is it a stray? Haven't been checked before?"

"Yes."

The series of questions were finished quickly and Jiang Jinyan waited until his name was called. The veterinarian was a thin, ponytail woman. There were two assistants beside her, one man and one woman. They gave the kitten a bath to wash off the dirt and only then did Jiang Jinyan realize that it wasn't black, but ashy blue in color. After gulping down some milk, it got more energy and could mewl noisily again.

"Oh my, it's a British shorthair." The female assistant exclaimed in surprise. "How can it become a stray huh?"

Seeing the two unfamiliar people in front of it, it shrunk fearfully, its body trembling. Its brown, earthy color eyes darted around in panic and finally saw Jiang Jinyan standing in a corner. Jiang Jinyan even had the notion that its eyes lit up when it saw him.

"Mew mew!" It reached its paw to him but was held back by the assistants for fear that it would fall down from the counter.

The female assistant laughed. "Sir, it's very attached to you."

Jiang Jinyan only grunted softly. Attached? He was just a passerby that had nothing to do. Upon receiving some grace, it directly pounced and imprinted itself on him. Isn't it just stupid?

The result soon came out; the little kitten was badly malnourished and dehydrated. Its eyes were injured with mild infection and there's a fracture on its hind leg. Aside from that, it was completely healthy and resilient. It must have been left behind by its mother and stranded along the street without food and drink until it met Jiang Jinyan.

The vet injected a liquid vitamin and vaccinated it. Then, she told Jiang Jinyan. "It's still very weak. Do you want to leave it to us for a few days?"

Jiang Jinyan had no hesitation to say yes. After paying all of the fees, he turned around, ready to leave. The kitten stood up in panic, mewling noisily at him. When Jiang Jinyan turned around and met its misty, golden eyes that were like floating maple leaves amidst the autumn trees, he was suddenly reminded of a person who had very similar golden eyes, standing there in a distance amidst the bustling hospital, looking as if the whole world had abandoned her.

His fingers twitched.

Similar…very similar.

After some hesitation, Jiang Jinyan retraced his steps and reached out to pat the kitten's soft and fluffy head awkwardly. "Be good. I will return later."

The kitten purred softly and licked Jiang Jinyan's fingers.