Chapter 141

Chapter 141

Chapter 141 First Release on Jinjiang Literature City

The man looked innocent: "I'm not talking nonsense, I just read a lot. You really are—"

"Stop."

Ming Zhe really didn’t want to waste time chatting with him. He forcibly steered the topic back: "I want to buy your Gongligao [bow saltwort]. Name a price or condition, I will meet it."

The man leaned back in his chair comfortably and softly refused again: "Not for sale."

As they spoke, a car stopped in front of them. The man stretched and stood up holding his book.

Ming Zhe, awakened by the earlier “wall slam” comment, kept his distance.

So after the man stood, he said casually: "Don’t waste your effort here. You can’t get my Gongligao."

Ming Zhe gave him a cold look, saying nothing.

But as soon as the man left, Ming Zhe ordered someone to follow him.

“Find a place with fewer people, detain him for me.”

On foreign soil, Ming Zhe was no good person. His family background was deep; even if he did something, he could easily cover it up.

The men below took the orders and went after the man.

Meanwhile,

The trending topic started by Xie Chen and Tan Yi on Weibo was having an effect.

Many people came forward with information about those medicinal herbs.

Bai Si gave them descriptions and drawings of the herbs.

Those responsible for screening the information compared and searched. Among the massive amount of data, there wasn’t much useful info.

The herbs Bai Si hadn’t been able to gather were clearly not easy to find.

Besides searching for the herbs, online spectators were guessing who the medicine was for.

There’s no wall without cracks.

The big effort by Xie Chen, Tan Yi, and the Bai brothers to find herbs naturally made the news spread somewhat.

“It's the little kitten Lili who got hurt! They need those herbs to heal him!”

“No, it’s Bai Li who got hurt and needs medicine.”In Xie Chen’s super topic, there was fierce debate about who was injured and needed medicine.

On Xie Chen’s Weibo, he also posted a cat song.

The cat song had many listeners, and before Xie Chen even noticed, the song had already gone viral beyond his circle.

Many people had their moods healed by this magical cat song.

Now, hearing that the cat who sang the cat song might be injured and critically ill, the cat fans naturally couldn’t sit still.

If something happened to the cat, they would no longer hear new cat songs in the future.

Many people sent private messages to Xie Chen’s Weibo and his studio, eagerly wanting to know if the cat was really hurt.

Seeing how anxious those people were, Xie Chen’s heart moved slightly, and he gave an affirmative reply.

“This won’t do!”

The cat fans who received the news panicked: “If something happens to him, we’ll never hear the cat song again.”

For the sake of the cat song, the cat’s fans began to take action.

Those who had resources went to find the medicinal herbs; those who didn’t, quietly sent blessings to the cat.

People who had once been afflicted by the black mist that the little kitten’s paws shattered also sincerely worried and prayed for him after hearing the news.

Time passed bit by bit.

With everyone’s efforts, only two kinds of herbs remained unfound.

One was Gongligao.

The other was Honglanggen.

On the night of the next day, Tan Yi anxiously waited outside.

Ming Zhe said he would arrive soon.

“Gongligao, we must have Gongligao.”

Tan Yi paced back and forth, muttering Gongligao repeatedly.

At this moment,

At the Bai Si family’s door, a short man stood holding a plastic bag in front of them.

“I have both Gongligao and Honglanggen.”

The man looked at them, his dark eyes somehow giving an inexplicable discomfort when staring.

“I saw you were looking for these herbs; I wonder if you’re still accepting them?”

“Yes.”

Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Bai Si reached out his hand: “How much do you want? I’ll check the items first, then transfer you the money.”The man shook his head. "I'm not particularly interested in money. I'm obsessed with medicinal herbs. These two herbs, I’ve never known how to use them. So, can I watch you use them when you do?"

Bai Si frowned. "Watch me use the medicine?"

"Yes."

The man opened the plastic bag, revealing the two herbs inside. "I just want to know how to use these. If you can meet this request, I'll give you these two herbs for free."

Since these herbs were for Bai Li, they naturally didn’t mind the cost.

But the man’s intention was clear: unless he could watch Bai Si use the medicine, he wouldn’t hand over the herbs.

After some consideration, Bai Si replied, "I agree."

He couldn’t delay any longer for his Li Li.

Seeing his agreement, the man readily handed over the herbs.

The precious herbs were packed in cheap plastic bags costing just a few cents each. Bai Si’s expression was complicated when he took them.

"What’s your name?"

He led the man inside. "I’m Bai Si. You can just call me by my full name."

The man repeated his name, then said his own.

"My surname is Wu, like the crow's Wu. You can call me Lao Wu."

"Crow..."

Bai Si glanced at him. "Why introduce yourself with 'crow'?"

As everyone knows, crows aren’t very auspicious birds.

Lao Wu smiled slightly. His appearance was quite plain—forgettable in a crowd—but his smile somehow left a stronger impression.

"I like crows," Lao Wu said. "Crows foresee death. In this world, no one can really escape death, so there’s no need to be so superstitious about it."

Bai Si neither agreed nor disagreed with what he said.

Soon,

They entered the house. Xie Chen was still by Bai Li’s bedside, not leaving his side, so only Bai Lin, Yu Yin, and Bai Liu went to meet Lao Wu.

They went to the medicine room.

In the bedroom,

Xie Chen sighed in relief upon hearing the herbs were all found.

"Li Li, once you take the medicine later, you’ll get better."Xie Chen held the little paws of the kitten and kissed them gently by his lips.

Bai Li’s fever kept rising again after subsiding. His consciousness drifted in and out; his eyes couldn’t open, but his ears could still hear.

He heard his husband say, “When you get better, we’ll go back to Monster Mountain. I will formally ask your parents and elders for our marriage.”

“Li Li, I love you.”

In his life, he had thought he would live alone forever. By fate’s chance, he met this little kitten, and he truly loved him down to his bones.

During Bai Li’s high fever, vomiting, and weak breathing, Xie Chen looked at him, even thinking that if his Li Li really couldn’t hold on—

Then he would accompany him.

He did not fear death; he only feared being separated from his cat.

“Meow.”

The weak little kitten, upon hearing that confession, struggled to open his eyes and called out to his husband.

He meowed comfortingly, “Don’t be sad, I’ll get better soon.”

“After I finish the medicine, I’ll be able to get up. Husband, then we’ll go back to Monster Mountain together.”

“All right.”

Xie Chen pressed his forehead against his. “We’ll go back to Monster Mountain together.”

Xie Chen’s condition was visibly poor.

Bai Li was clearly uncomfortable all over, but he didn’t show it at all.

“Husband.”

Bai Li kissed him and, remembering how he had vomited up the medicine yesterday, quietly apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to spit out the medicine.”

The medicine that Fourth Brother had painstakingly brewed was all vomited up.

After vomiting the medicine, Bai Li hazily saw how worried his brothers and husband were.

Third Brother even seemed to have cried.

He felt very guilty then. He didn’t want his brothers and husband to be sad, but he really couldn’t control it.

Xie Chen listened to the kitten’s apology, closed his eyes, and swallowed the bitterness in his nose.

“It’s not Li Li’s fault.”

Xie Chen said hoarsely, “It’s my fault for not protecting Li Li well enough.”

He should have been more careful.

If he had kept Li Li by his side back then, today’s situation wouldn’t have happened at all.

Bai Li rubbed against his face and meowed again, “Husband protected me, husband always finds me…”No matter where he is, husband can always find him.

One person and one kitten were talking in the room. The kitten’s meowing grew weaker and weaker until finally, he couldn’t hold on, his head tilted, and he fell into a deep sleep again.

Before falling asleep, he was still comforting Xie Chen: “I will obediently take the medicine, husband, don’t be afraid.”

Xie Chen waited until he was completely asleep, then looked at him for a long while.

In the silence, he raised his hand and covered his own eyes.