ATLAS TRANSLATES

Chapter 33: Are You Unwanted Too?

When Xu Si woke up, it was already dark outside. He fumbled around for a while before finding his phone under the pillow. Checking the time, it was already past 8 PM. His back was hurting badly, and his stomach was cramping severely. Despite it being summer, the pain had caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

He put on his newly bought slippers and first went to the pharmacy downstairs to buy some medicine. Then he went to the restaurant he used to frequent. Before he could speak, the restaurant owner’s wife spoke first: “One beef noodle soup, no cilantro, with green onions, extra spicy and vinegar.”

“No spice today.”

“Alright, no spice then.” She smiled and added, “Haven’t seen you in a while. You’ve grown so tall.”

“You remember me?”

“Of course I do. You and your grandmother came here for noodles for so many years. How could I forget? Though I haven’t seen you much lately.”

“My grandmother passed away, so I haven’t been back,” the young man said with downcast eyes, an unexpected loneliness in his voice.

The owner’s wife paused, then slapped her mouth: “Look at my thoughtless mouth. Please don’t mind.”

“It’s fine, it’s been several years.”

She handed him a packed bowl of beef noodles: “Look at me, I forgot to ask if you wanted it to go.”

Xu Si took the noodles from her: “It’s fine, I was planning to take it home anyway.”

He bought several sausages and crouched down to feed the stray cats downstairs. There was a black cat, skinny but with bright eyes. Old people often said black cats were unlucky – maybe that’s why nobody wanted it.

“Are you unwanted too?” He was answered only with meows.

After feeding the last sausage, Xu Si stood up with his noodles, ready to leave, but noticed the cat following him.

“Don’t follow me. I can barely take care of myself, let alone you.” He stopped and looked at the black cat behind him.

He walked all the way home, finding the black cat still following. Xu Si crouched down and faced off with it for a while. The black cat’s eyes were bright: “Stop following me, I don’t have anything else to feed you.”

His stomach still hurt badly. Xu Si closed the door, threw his things on the dining table, and opened the box. Seeing the noodles topped with beef, he paused while breaking apart his chopsticks.

He ate a few bites, feeling something in his stomach, then drank some warm water and took some medicine. He thought about the black cat, wondering if it had left.

Opening the door, it was still sitting there.

“Following me won’t do you any good. Go on.”

The black cat just stared at him with its bright eyes.

Xu Si finally gave in: “You’re unwanted, I’m unwanted too. So you can stay with me from now on.”

The black cat may or may not have understood his words, but it meowed a few times.

Xu Si let it in and took it to the bathroom. He adjusted the water temperature and placed the black cat in the tub, washing it several times with his own body wash.

The black cat was very well-behaved during the bath, its bright black eyes watching Xu Si, staying completely still as he rinsed it. While some cats fear water, this one was very docile.

Before Xu Si could finish washing it, his stomach churned violently. He got up and vomited into the toilet until his stomach was empty. Only then did he feel slightly better.

The black cat struggled out of the tub and walked over to Xu Si, all wet.

Xu Si rinsed his mouth and looked at it: “We’re not done washing. Go back.”

The black cat obediently returned to the tub.

After finishing the bath, he dried its fur with a hair dryer and carried it to his room. There wasn’t a cat bed in the house, so Xu Si found his old dog bed from the storage room and laid down some blankets: “You’ll have to make do with this tonight.”

The black cat meowed a few times in the bed, showing no signs of complaint.

Xu Si looked at his constantly lighting up phone and checked Yang Shikun’s stream of messages:

[Yang Shikun]: Brother Si, Brother Si, are you awake?

[Yang Shikun]: You haven’t sent me your address yet, Brother Si.

[Yang Shikun]: Message me when you wake up.

[Yang Shikun]: Extra large portion of rice.

[Yang Shikun]: [Image]

[Yang Shikun]: Damn, this food is so good, Brother Si. When you wake up, I’ll bring you some.

[Yang Shikun]: Today’s sunset is pretty nice too.

[Yang Shikun]: [Image]

[Yang Shikun]: Brother Si, definitely message me when you wake up, this food is seriously amazing.

Xu Si read through his messages and replied that he was awake and had eaten.

Yang Shikun immediately called. After watching it ring for a while, Xu Si answered, and Yang Shikun’s excited voice came through.

“Brother Si, you don’t know, that food was absolutely amazing.”

“I’ve already eaten.”

Yang Shikun sounded disappointed: “I know.”

He noticed Xu Si’s voice was weak: “Brother Si, are you feeling unwell?”

“No.”

“Brother Si, where are you staying?”

“My grandmother’s place.”

“Is the food good there? Can I come over for meals?”

“She passed away.”

“…” During Yang Shikun’s few seconds of silence, his mind raced before he managed to say sorry.

Xu Si didn’t mind: “It’s fine, it’s been several years.”

“Brother Si, does this count as running away from home?”

Xu Si was silent for a moment before saying: “I don’t know.”

Yang Shikun remembered when he ran away from home before, barely lasting a few hours before hunger drove him back, only to find his family hadn’t even noticed his absence. Apparently his “running away” was just him throwing a tantrum at himself.

“Isn’t your dad rarely home? Did you have a fight, Brother Si?”

“No, my mom came back.”

“Did you argue?”

Yang Shikun couldn’t understand the situation. He hadn’t heard Xu Si mention his mother for as long as he could remember, assuming she had left, and didn’t dare ask more.

Xu Si spoke softly, mentioning a few things from before.

Yang Shikun became furious: “Damn, I can’t believe this happened! I’m so angry, Brother Si. Don’t go home, absolutely don’t go home. How dare she come back? Does she think she can come and go as she pleases? What does she think you are?”

After saying this, he asked: “What’s uncle’s attitude about it?”

Xu Si remained calm: “He’s happy she’s back.”

Now it was Yang Shikun’s turn to fall silent. He used all his life’s etiquette in those few seconds of silence. After all, they were Brother Si’s parents. Though he was very angry, he didn’t dare speak too harshly. After a long silence, he finally said: “Brother Si, send me your address first. Let me know if you need anything.”

“No need.”

“I’ll sleep for a bit.” Xu Si added.

“Send me the address before you sleep, Brother Si.”

Xu Si sent him his location, rubbed his stomach, and covered himself with the blanket.

Yang Shikun knew Xu Si’s stomach condition was acting up and didn’t dare talk to him more.

Stars were sparsely scattered across the pitch-black night sky.

Due to his stomach pain, Xu Si slept curled up, and at some point, something warm had nestled into his arms.