The sense of failure fell heavily in his heart, and Kuze stayed up all night until the sky turned white and finally fell asleep. When he got up at noon the next day, because he broke his routine for two consecutive days, Kuze pressed his aching temples, and he didn't know what day it was. Soon, however, he remembered his plan for the day.
The cat in the living room was still asleep. I don't know if it was because of injury or anxiety, the cat was described as haggard, and the light golden hair that should have been bright was tangled in a mess, like the yellow weeds in winter. Although the abdominal wound prevented it from curling up, it hunched over its back as much as possible, turning itself into a smaller mass.
Kuze had to admit that the cat's appearance aroused his pity.
Kuze used to be so angry and even disgusted with this cat, but now he has less strong feelings. He knew in his heart that it was just a cat, unable to understand the consequences and unable to communicate. Maybe it was abandoned, so it forced its anger on Kuze; In any case, since Kusei couldn't tolerate its ignorance and doubts, it was only natural for their fate to end here, and it was not worth pity.
Perhaps then, he should have taken the cat straight to the town's pet hospital. Then, Kuze should now happily stay at home and enjoy brunch, occasionally looking up at the snow-capped mountains outside the window; and the cat will not be malnourished because of a complete hunger strike other than force-feeding, that way The wound on the abdomen did not open up repeatedly because of unnecessary struggle, and the bruise did not recover slowly because of vigilance and anxiety.
While Kuze watched the cat's back in silence, the cat gradually woke up. There is an obvious demarcation in this process: it first made a small whimper-like sound, which was very cute and cute; then, it realized the current situation and turned around abruptly. Seeing Kuze Zai, his eyes were immediately filled with rebuke, as well as unease and fear carefully concealed.
Kuze sighed secretly and leaned over to pick up the cat. Its warm and soft body when it was in a coma is now as stiff as a hibernating snake in Kuze's arms. He grabbed the thin blanket on the sofa, wrapped it around the cat, and pushed the door out.
The first winter snow in the mountains this year was huge and lasted for nearly a week. It has only been two days since Kuze picked up the cat and returned to the present, and the snow has accumulated to the middle of his calf. Kuze put the cat in the passenger seat of the car, hurriedly cleaned the front yard with the snow plow, and returned to the car. The cat hasn't woken up yet. Kuze looked sideways at it for a moment and sighed.
"Let's go." Kuze muttered to himself, stepping on the accelerator.
The wheel slipped off the road and rolled over in an instant. Kuze didn't have time to think about anything, and only made the most instinctive move: lowering his upper body, hugging his head with his left arm, and hugging the cat on the seat with his right hand. After the shock and dizziness of the swirling world gradually eased, the sharp pain in his right arm returned to his senses, and Kuze gasped for breath before he had time to check the surrounding situation.
This year's snow season is fierce and the snow is heavy. Just in case, Kuze put on snow tires and chains early, and even went to town the day before yesterday to prepare food for the whole winter to avoid going out in the snow season. It was supposed to be a foolproof move, but it didn't work because of variables like cats. Before going out, he was too impetuous, and his mind was drowsy due to insomnia, and he didn't even think about the risks along the way.
His right arm has been immobile, and Kuze is temporarily unable to determine whether the elbow is dislocated or fractured. There was also pain in the back, but that was probably just from the impact, not in the way. The cat being protected in his arms seemed to be frightened by the accident, his water-blue eyes were round, and he could not see any injuries. Kuze calmed down for a while and turned to check the surrounding situation.
The car has been turned off, and the whole car rolled to the right in the snow ditch on the side of the road. The airbag blocked Kuze's view, but the deformed body could still be seen blocking the right door. Kuze took a slow, deep breath, endured the pain, moved his right arm away from the cat, turned and kicked the door on the driver's side. He stepped on the seat and climbed out. The cat didn't need to remind him, but also came up behind him. Kuze pulled it out with his left hand. One person and one cat spent the rest of their lives, panting and collapsing on the snow.
Kuze took off his jacket and roughly checked his right hand. The forearm hit the car door because it was protecting the cat's head and neck. It was indeed broken to the touch. Fortunately, the dislocation was not serious. Kuze gritted his teeth and did the reset, and then took out the thick cardboard and PP packing tape he brought back from the purchase a few days ago from the trunk, and tied it into a temporary fixed splint.
While Kuze was dealing with the fracture, the cat's eyes kept chasing him. Kuze thought the accident would make the cat panic, or simply run away. In fact, the cat sat dazed the entire time, as if he hadn't recovered from the car accident. It was a rare moment of peace between cats and humans, but Kuze wasn't in the mood to care about what cats were thinking for the time being. While the cat didn't resist, he hurriedly groped on it, but he didn't find any serious injuries, so he put the matter aside first and concentrated on how to call for help.
This section of the road is too desolate, the mobile phone has no signal, the police call can't be connected, and you can't expect a car to pass by. The pain in his arm prevented Kuze from concentrating, and he put the phone back in his pocket, tired of such a simple action. This is not a good sign. Kuze sat in the snow with his head down between his knees, still feeling the uncontrollable cold. He had to get out of here, but Kuze wasn't sure he was physically fit enough to support the long walk. He has a fever.
The heat slowed Kuze's thinking. He tried to recall the distance from here to home, but he could only remember the concept of "very far". Kuze was walking on a tightrope. He didn't hate life, but he didn't like it much either. If one day the rope breaks, Kuze will hold on to one end of the rope until he loses his strength. But he wouldn't leave the tightrope and return to the ground just to avoid the ending. He had forgotten how to walk on level ground.
From the moment he chose to live in isolation, he had anticipated this fate. The only thing that wasn't expected was that maybe the culprit was a cat.
Seeing that there was no movement from Jiusei, the cat suddenly stood up. Kuze looked at it and thought, did he finally react and run away? Now he doesn't have the strength to get it back.
Fortunately, the cat didn't run away, but cautiously approached Kuze's side. It was still covered with the blanket, and its tail dragged on the ground with the cat's footsteps, making a sandy sound. The cat stopped by Kuze's side, hesitated for a moment, and let out a low meow. Kuze turned his head to look at the cat, and was caught in the sight of the cat looking at him. The cat's eyes are lighter in color than humans, and the color of the blue tourmaline shows a glass-like inorganic texture in the snow, as if a seance from the sky, examining Kuze's life.
Kuze didn't like this look. He stretched out his left hand, grabbed the cat's feet, and dragged the cat into his arms. The cat was startled and struggled subconsciously. Kuze was so dizzy that he didn't have the strength to hold the cat, and when he was about to let go, he meowed twice in a hoarse voice. He didn't expect this kind of comfort to be effective, but unexpectedly, the cat really quieted down in his arms after Kuze finished meowing.
This was the first time it cooperated with human actions. Kuze hugged the cat for a moment, feeling unreal for a while. All previous exchanges ended in failure. After all, cats and people have developed their own languages and civilizations. When the Tower of Babel falls, it is destined to no longer communicate. Kuze thought in amazement, why does it now understand what it means? Have you mastered cat language without a teacher
The cat's body is soft and warm, and its body temperature is slightly higher than that of humans. When it does not resist, it is a very good small heater, and it may dissipate heat faster than humans. Kuze took off his coat, hugged the cat against his body, put the coat over his body, and finally wrapped it tightly in a blanket outside. He buried his face in the fur on the cat's head and sighed, "It's rare for you to be so good... If only we were at home."
But at home, the overly defensive cat was determined not to let a human hold it like that.
Naturally, the cat couldn't understand Kuze's words. It stuck to Kuze's body, and after a while, it stretched out its forelimbs and patted Kuze's face. The movement was not big, and Jiushi was drowsy and ignored it. The chests of the man and the cat rose and fell with their heartbeats, and Kuze heard a few cat meows, like in his ears, but separated by a heavy veil. He felt that his eyelids were getting heavier and he gradually lost consciousness.
When Kuze woke up, he felt that his whole body was covered with a layer of fine sweat, and his underwear was sticking to his skin, which made him uncomfortable. Fortunately, the heat seems to have dropped. Kuze raised his hand and pressed his right arm. The cat was awakened by this action, grunted slightly annoyed, and jumped off Kuze. At the same time, something fell on the snow. Kuze looked over and found that it was actually his own phone.
…Did you call Cat Star for help
For a split second, Kuze thought such an absurd thought. He picked up the phone and put it back in his pocket, stretched his waist, and was restrained by the splint just as he raised his right hand. Kuze stopped with a "hiss" sound. The cat also circled to the right of the human, looking thoughtfully at the simple splint on his right arm.
"Worried about me?" Kuze said casually, but he knew that this cat didn't know how to care about humans, it was just curious. Kuze wiped his face, got up and put away the blanket, and glanced at the darkening sky.
Sitting still is not feasible. Now that the heat has dropped, Kuze is ready to leave. He couldn't remember exactly how far he had driven, but the crash happened less than half an hour after they set off, and the snow was slow, and they should now be within 10 miles of home. It's better to go home than to try your luck in the direction of the town. Kuze put on his hat, raised the collar of his jacket, and looked back at the cat.
"Are you coming with me?" Kuze asked.
The cat gave a "meow" and got up and followed him.
The snow on the road was deep, and I didn't feel it when I was driving. When I returned, it was getting dark, and exhaustion and cold came together. Even Kuze had a hard time walking, not to mention a cat whose abdominal wound had not yet fully healed, making it impossible for him to travel long distances. Kuze slowed down several times, and finally picked up the cat on his back.
The size of the cat is not small, and Kuze has an arm that can't be used. Of course, it can't be hugged, and even the posture of the back is awkward. The cat was also not very adaptable. He struggled several times to get to the ground, but was stopped by Kuze.
"Be quiet, I have to save some energy to go home." Kuze sighed.
As if infected by Kuze's tone, the cat stopped struggling. After a while, the back of Kuze's neck became hot, and it was the cat that found a suitable posture and obediently lay on Kuze's shoulder. The cat's soft forelegs rested on Kuze's cheeks, without showing his nails, and the governor even avoided the injury on Kuze's right arm. This kind of empathy is completely different from the previous days.
Kuze walked steadily on the snow with the cat on his back. The surroundings were completely silent except for the squeak of snow boots stepping on the snow and the slight friction between clothes and blankets. The cat lay on Kuze's shoulder, and his ears brushed Kuze's cheek with each footstep. It made a low "meow". Kuze was surprised to find that he seemed to understand this "meow"—
The cat is saying, "Weird."
I'm weird, what are you? Weird cat? Kuze thought so, but didn't say anything. He has to save energy. Miles weren't long, but Kuze himself wasn't doing well. If you accidentally fall in the middle of the road, the consequences will be disastrous. Kuze remembered that he said in the forensic course he took at the university that if he freezes to death, he will strip his clothes and run naked because of the illusory heat before he dies—this is the most unacceptable method of death for Kuze.
Among the vast snow and mountains, only Kuze was walking with a cat on his back. Fatigue and drowsiness struck quickly, and Kuze moved forward almost with perseverance.
"Say something." Kuze said loudly. Immediately, he felt a slight itch on his cheeks, the movement of the cat's head turning to the side of the sound, the hair brushing. Of course the cat couldn't understand Kuze's words, but it meowed because of the suddenly broken silence.
In normal times, Kuze hates cat meowing: it's loud and incomprehensible, and it's always in inappropriate situations. Like when Kuze misread a stop sign, paid a fine in embarrassment, or was questioned for not having a health certificate with him. When Kuze was flustered, there were always cats gathered around, rustling and making coaxing sounds.
Cats are limited in size and cannot directly damage Kuze. They probably don't have enough intelligence to understand the viciousness of this behavior either, but the meowing of them gathering at Kuze is already embarrassing to Kuze. If Kuze were more honest, he would admit that one of the reasons he left town was to avoid the sight and the noise.
But here and now, everything is different. There was no one here, only the sound of a cat meowing on his shoulders could keep Kuze awake, and only this sound could relieve fatigue and loneliness. Only then will he know that he is not alone.
Kuze's brain gradually emptied, and in the weak and continuous cat meowing, somehow, he could hear a bit of complaining. "Am I that bad?" Kuze whispered. The cat heard his response, paused for a moment, and meowed again. In Kuze's ears, the cat said "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about".
Same here with me. Kuze thought. Don't know why the cat is running away, don't know why the cats are embarrassing him, don't know anything. There is no communication, no communication, no empathy, and the final outcome can only be mutual disgust, mutual fear, and mutual hatred.
"Tell me more," Kuze said. While he was unconscious, as if he could still understand, he wished the cat could say a little more. The cat didn't seem to understand what Kuze said, but the cat did keep talking. From the meow, Kuze could hear the cat's exhaustion. Kuze himself was the same, tired and tired, only for a few miles, but it seemed to never end.
The cat's meow gradually subsided. Kuze couldn't move his right hand, so he turned his head and touched the cat's hair with his cheek. "If you really can't, just take a rest and leave it to me." Kuze thought. But he was too tired to speak. The pain in his right arm came and went, and the repeated cold sweats and chills let him know that his condition was getting worse.
The road is getting longer and longer, the cat is getting heavier and the weather is getting colder. The rational and realistic option appeared in Kuze's mind several times. He hoped that the cat would meow a few more times and give him some feedback to help him strengthen his will, but the cat has no sound either. I don't know if it was simply speechless or unconscious, only the warmth around his neck let Kuze know about the cat still.
Go a little further, Kuze told himself, go a little further.
A small paragraph becomes a lot of small paragraphs. For a while, Kuze was obsessed with leaving the cat behind. This cat doesn't know how to repay at all, it's just a useless burden that drags him down to where he is now. Why would he even carry it home? To make it run away again? Toggling in vain again? His thoughts were so resolute, as if the cat would be put down in the next moment and let it find its own way. But for some reason, Kuze's limbs didn't obey and were still walking forward. The strength of the arms and the range of the steps are unwilling to change a little, as if the body is bargaining with the brain: one more step, one more step, just a short one.
In the end, even the idea of leaving the cat faded away. Kuze has lost the concept of time, and just stepped on the snow step by step, pushing forward by inertia.
When he turned the last corner and saw the lonely house at the end of the street lamp, Kuze could hardly react. He eagerly pushed the door and entered, but before he could lift his numb legs and feet, he immediately fell at the door of the living room. The cat had fallen asleep on his back, but was woken up suddenly by this movement, and fell into the carpet in the living room.
Kuze rolled over and sat up, noticing that the cat was beside him. They sat side by side. Kuze followed the cat's line of sight and looked out. When they came, the long footprints stretched into the depths of the forest in the snow, and in the moonlight they looked like the hoof marks of a fairy's white deer. He gradually calmed down his breathing, closed his eyes, and the eyes that had been dry for too long in the cold wind immediately filled with tears.
A hoarse, almost silent cat meow came from his ear. Kuze heard clearly, the cat said: "Survived."
Yes, Kuze thought, they all survived.